A review by booksrockcal
A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the perfect holiday romance. The year is 1861 and Prince Albert has just died. Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species is a popular but controversial book. Lighting homes by gaslight is a new and recent innovation. Sophie is the daughter of a nobleman who has spent much of the family fortune on upgrading their mansion to include gaslights. Her parents want her to marry a wealthy tradesman to save their homestead and preserve marriage opportunities with the nobility for her younger sister, but the courtship they have approved goes off track as Edward, her intended, is stiff and awkward, having relied too heavily on an etiquette book guide to courtship. To give their courtship another chance, Sophie invites Edward to the family’s country estate for Christmas and romance between the two is rekindled. A sweet and satisfying Christmas read, complete with references to Dickens and Gaskell- what could be better.  Thanks to Meredith Monday Schwartz and Currently Reading podcast for suggesting this book, most of which I read sitting by the Christmas tree- Christmas perfection.