Library Journal
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In Edwardian England, Plumford Manor is preparing for Christmas, complete with hand-rolled sugar plums. In this Nutcracker retelling, based on the original E.T.A. Hoffman book, White (A Noble Scheme) explores how a little whimsy can inspire big changes (and not just to the holiday decor). Lady Mariah Lyons just wants her whole family to experience the magic of Christmas, but instead she is about to become a political pawn in a marriage arrangement—either to her childhood playmate or to Danish royalty. Due to convoluted English succession laws, Cyril Lightbourne is the heir to Plumford even though he only visited once when Mariah was little. Søren Gyldenkrone wants to bring home a wife to please Denmark's King before his brother embarrasses the royal line. As Professor Skylark works on his clockwork tableau for the big holiday reveal, the two suitors clash in their approach to win Mariah's hand. VERDICT This is a delightful Christmas read sure to thaw even the most Scroogelike hearts. Even without her usual spy adventures, White proves she is a maven of the Christian historical novel.