A lovely read

Another winner, Stella's books make me so happy! lovely narrator too. I first started my journey reading the Parfit Knight, so without spoiling this story for any prospective readers, this novella is the cherry on top. Do yourself a favour and start working your way through Stella's books now, you won't regret it.

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3 people found this helpful

A Fitting Conclusion

Alex Wyndham’s dulcet tones narrate this Christmas novella which is the conclusion of Stella Riley’s Rockliffe series. As ever he does a superb job with an excellent story, all the characters featured have appeared in previous novels and feel like old friends. I really enjoyed this, both in spoken and written word, and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in Georgian historical romances. Excellent - I am looking forward to the next collaboration between Ms Riley and Mr Wyndham.

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3 people found this helpful

The happiest of endings

This novella brings to a fitting close to the Rockcliffe series. You do need to read them first or the events here
will make no sense.
There are surprising betrothals, well deserved comeuppances, some wishful thinking and a whole lot of love.
Magical.
As always,Alex Wyndham works his own magic with the narration.
I loved it.

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6 people found this helpful

Wonderful!

Superb narration by Alex Wyndham as always, doing justice to Stella Riley’s fabulous cast of characters in the Rockliffe series. Highly recommended!

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A treat

I have devoured this entire, delicious series - it has made lockdown 3 not just survivable but enjoyable. And the narration is simply superb. Highly recommend

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Please can we have more !

Just re-listened (again) I really cannot praise the Rockcliffe and Brandon brothers series enough
This novel was a fitting Christmas present to us all / it was like an encore to an amazing concert of books but it still leaves me wanting more
As usual superb narration from Alex Wyndham

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A delightful ending to the Rockliffe series

What a lovely Christmas gift this was to all Rockliffe series fans!
This is a cheerful and heart-warming novella of the Christmas celebrations given by Lord and Lady Sarre, a good opportunity to bring together the most beloved characters of the series: the main couples of each novel with their own or adopted children. The festive season and romantic scenery surrounding Sarre Park make a wonderful background for love to blossom and two happy couples will be formed by the end of the celebrations.
As in real life, not everything is happy, bright and perfect. Uninvited relatives show up trying to spoil the fun. Their endeavours will fail and the spirit of Christmas and love will win. To the delight of the children, a new character, a funny little animal is added to the company bringing some suspense into the story and a resolutions that takes the story line that started in The Parfit Knight (the first novel of the Rockcliffe series) to a full circle.
Enjoy the velvety voice of Alex Wyndham bringing to life once more these wonderful characters. Immerse yourself in the delights of the Georgian Christmas atmosphere so masterfully created by Stella Riley.

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A perfect pairing

Stella Riley's 'Rockliffe' Christmas novella is the perfect ending to a hugely enjoyable and popular series. It was published early in December - and late on Christmas Eve, the audio version was also published. Alex Wyndham's chocolatey tones are the perfect complement to Stella Riley's words, and the depth and breadth of his delivery is outstanding. He switches seamlessly from tiny children to great-grandfathers, aristocratic accents to working class ones - and even has a Frenchman speaking English to add into the mix! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone, whether they are familiar with the 'Rockliffe' series or not; it is preferable to know the background stories to the various couples who have their own books in the series, but it is not essential because there are two new romances in this book for which you don't need all the background stories - and you can go back and catch up on the whole series!

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3 people found this helpful

A Perfect Ending to an Outstanding Series

I have read & listened to all Ms Riley's 6 books in her Rockcliffe series; her new Midwinter Magic novella, appropriately delivered by Audible on Christmas Day, was the icing on top of the cake. It was an absolute joy to read and, if possible, was even better listening to the audio book read by the superb Alex Wyndham. He has done his usual outstanding job of portraying all the different characters' voices so well, it was a pleasure to listen to him. His voice & narration is perfect.

The story takes place at the home of Lord Adrian Sarre and his wife Caroline, just before Christmas. All our favourite characters who we have come to know & love are invited and there is a huge amount of fun & laughter between the friends. There is also a healthy dose of additional characters who are deserving of a hiss & a boo from the audience, adding spice to the book. There is love in the air too with a sprinkling of romance, and for fans of the series, a truly wonderful conclusion.

My recommendation is to start with the first book in the series, and read or listen to them in succession before reading Midwinter Magic, as characters develop throughout the books and culminate in this superb winter novella. Highly recommended, and a wonderful Christmas present from the author. Thank you.

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An utterly delightful and charming novella

This delightfully charming novella is a wonderful valediction to Stella Riley’s Rockliffe series. It is set at Sarre Park, the country home of Lord (Adrian) and Lady (Caroline) Sarre who have invited friends and their growing families to a Christmas house party.

This warm and witty novella is just what I needed to brighten up a cold and dreary midwinter. Christmas is a central theme. From decorating the house with greenery brought in from the estate to plentiful food and wine; from parlour games and treasure hunts to wassails, soirees and the St Stephen Day’s ball, the joy of Christmas traditions and celebrations underlie the whole story.

As with any Christmas story, children play an integral role in the story arc. They are the cause of much laughter and a great deal of pathos. I loved how the parents were so “hands on” despite their elevated position in society. It was great to see loving parents interacting so naturally with their much-loved offspring, instead of being banished to the nursery with only nannies and maids for company.

It would not be a Christmas story without a love story or, in this case, two. It is nice to see a romance between older people. It is told with such a lightness of touch that it seems to grow naturally out of the story and has an inherent “rightness” about it. The romance between the younger couple is very sweet and follows their individual realisation of their attraction and their step-by-step process of falling in love. I really appreciated the depth, intelligence and maturity of thought of each of these two characters.

The other essential ingredient for a Christmas story is an element of conflict or drama. One such thread in this story is the nature of the Christmas magic which I cannot discuss without giving away spoilers. I shall just say that it is a cause of angst for many of the people involved. The other source of conflict comes from the unpleasant qualities of both Adrian and Caroline’s mothers. Their self-centredness, thoughtlessness, and, in the Dowager Countess’s case, downright heartlessness, throws into relief the warmth and loving generosity shown by all the other characters.

I loved being back in the company of the protagonists from each of the six novels in the series. The friendships between all the characters felt very real. There is so much fun and laughter in the story and some lovely, witty banter and repartee. One of Ms Riley’s greatest strengths is creating and maintaining vivid characters who are always themselves, exactly as they were in their own stories.

I think this is where Alex Wyndham, the reader of the audiobook, excels. He brings the characters to life in ways that chime exactly with how I imagined them. He is especially good with the male characters: he conveys Adrian’s chilly hauteur, Bertrand’s beautiful French accent, Sebastian’s naughty sense of humour and Rockliffe’s habitual languor. However, he is also good with both the children’s and the older characters’ voices. The differentiation between the female characters is more subtle but we know when which one is speaking from Adeline’s restrained elegance to Cassie’s warm no-nonsense approach.

It is always a pleasure to listen to Alex Wyndham’s voice and dive into the story with him. For such a short story, there is so much action, emotion and humour packed into it that it feels like a full-length novel. It is a total joy and the perfect Christmas present. Thank you, Ms Riley and Mr Wyndham.

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