The Christmas Wish

by Debbie Raleigh

Sarah, Emma, and Rachel Cresswell are known throughout London as the Devil's Daughters - and rejected by society because of it. Like their charming rascal of a father, the Devilish Dandy, nothing can crush the spirits of these indomitable sisters.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0821771698
• ISBN13: 9780821771693
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Zebra Books
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

A delightful relationship

Suspend belief in the mystery that forms the framework for "The Christmas wish" and enjoy the effect Sarah Cresswell, daughter of the rascally Devilish Dandy, has on the well-ordered life of Oliver Spence, Lord Chance, also known as the Flawless Earl.Without him being consciously aware of it she changes his behaviour from the moment he meets her. His morning schedule is seriously disrupted, he asks her advice, seeks her approbation, and even allows her to control the investigation they undertake into his mother's missing diamonds. His whole manner lightens with humour and enjoyment of life. He quickly becomes necessary in Sarah's quiet life.There is so much for him to admire in Sarah, an independent and intelligent woman with her own interests. She is so different from the society maidens from whom he is expected to choose his lady. On the one hand he knows she is a lady and he should not ask her to be his mistress but unfortunately he is so bound by the conventions of his society that he almost lets her slip from his grasp because of her father's reputation.The growing attraction between them is deliciously written ; the dialogue is quick, clever and unforced. The author draws Oliver in particular with the thoughts and vocabulary of his time.If I have a criticism it would be that the mystery that brings them together is contrived and insubstantial. But then Oliver was so smitten by Sarah that he was not about to dispense with her services and follow through with the inquiry on his own. The other characters remain somewhat one-dimensional but we know we are going to get the story of the two sisters, Emma and Rachel, so there is time for further character development. I look forward to the next two stories.

a delightful and engaging read

"The Christmas Wish" by Debbie Raleigh is the first book in a projected (I'm guessing) trilogy that deals with the trials and fortunes of three sisters, Sarah, Emma and Rachel Cresswell. Commonly known as the Devil's Daughters, the sisters are the daughters of a notorious jewel thief, Solomon Cresswell, also known as the Devilish Dandy. The eldest daughter, Sarah, is the heroine of "The Christmas Wish" and I must say that if this novel is anything to go by, then this series promises to make for both engaging and satisfying reading.Resigned to the fact that she will probably never marry because of her father's notoriety, Sarah Cresswell spends her days helping the children of the London slums. The work she does takes her to all kinds of places and brings her into contact with all kinds of people, so that when Oliver Spense, the Earl of Chance (also known as the Flawless Earl), discovers that he has need of someone with a particular kind of expertise, a friend of the family directs him to seek out Sarah's help. Lord Chance is in quite the pickle: his feckless and younger brother, Ben, is in debt, and because Chance has decreed that he would get no more monetary help from him, has stolen the family diamonds. However, some other thief, in turn, steals the diamonds from Ben before he can sell them. Now, Chance has to recover the diamonds before Christmas so that their mother never discovers the depths to which her favourite son has sunk. And although Chance's arrogant and superior attitude really grates on her nerves, Sarah agrees to help the earl. Soon, Sarah and Chance are scurrying all over London, trying to discover who could have stolen the diamonds and to retrieve them. In the process, the two get to know each other rather well. Sarah finds, to her dismay, that she is very attracted to and highly susceptible to the very intelligent and vastly attractive Flawless Earl; while Chance finds himself falling under the spell of a very exciting and extremely intoxicating Sarah Cresswell, who unlike the ladies of the London ton questions his very intelligence, actions and preconceived notions. Never has the Flawless Earl been so engaged and entranced by one woman. But will anything come of this state of affairs? Sarah Creswell and her family are definitely persona non grata with London society. And Chance is well known for his impeccable behavior. Will the earl be able to overlook Sarah's scandalous family connections? Or will he give up the woman of his dreams for the sake of propriety?"The Christmas Wish" was an extremely fun read. Both Sarah and Chance are exactly the kind of hero and heroine that anyone will find easy to root for. And what I especially liked about this romance novel was that after a few initial misgivings, Chance allows Sarah to lead and direct the investigation into the theft of the diamonds. He openly shows his appreciation of her abilities and intelligence and doesn't try to take over the whole enterprise at all. I found this to