Review: A quick read; slightly unsatisfying
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 16, 2011
Karen Erickson's Her Christmas Pleasure is a quick read about two people who haven't admitted they love each other.  Damien is a Napoleonic war veteran who has accepted a job in another country.  He was Celia's late husband's best friend and has worked/lived with the family his entire life.  He seemed to be in that nebulous grey area of not quite a servant, but not born to the family.Celia's mourning period is almost over.  She lives with her late husband's family, since her son is the heir.  Her husband was an only child, and the holidays are difficult for his parents.  She had a good relationship with her husband and has come to rely on Damien to be her friend - and a connection to her husband.This Christmas, Damien realizes that he either has to tell Celia about his feelings or leave without telling her.  But the timing has never been right....then they accidentally meet under the mistletoe.  What follows is a somewhat rushed courtship - full of feelings of passion, guilt, confusion, and ultimately love.I sometimes think these books rush the relationship too quickly.  I understand that when you have a novella, that it just has to happen that way, and that a book like this calls for a certain suspension of reality.  If you are looking for a quick read that involves Christmas and that doesn't require a whole lot of thought, this book is for you.  Warning - there are a few explicit intimate scenes.I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the NetGalley system.  I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.