Penny's Yuletide Wish

A Regency Romance Novella (Branches of Love, Book 7)

By: Sally Britton

Narrated by: Jessica Elisa Boyd

Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

When Penny and Robert meet again on Christmas Eve, will their childhood love bloom into something more? They only have the 12 Days of Christmas to find out.

Robert Ellsworth, born the son of a wealthy gentleman, is now a mere steward in the service of another. While his position brings him satisfaction, it does not make him much of a matrimonial catch. It hardly matters, as Robert’s heart has long belonged to his childhood friend. When a chance meeting brings them face to face on Christmas Eve, he cannot bring himself to hope that she feels the same. 

When she lost her parents years before, Penelope Clark also lost contact with her dearest friend. Visiting the community where she grew up, Penny is taken aback by how handsome Robert has grown, and how little her girlhood infatuation has diminished. But when a Christmas Ball leads to a mistletoe kiss him, she finds herself as much in love as ever before. Unfortunately for her, Robert confesses his heart already belongs to a mysterious woman. 

Through the 12 Days of Christmas, Penny and Robert each make a wish for the other’s happiness. Will they realize only confessing their hearts will grant those wishes before their time together is spent? 

Penny’s Yuletide Wish is a sweet Regency romance novella, and continuation of the Branches of Love series by Sally Britton. It can be heard as a stand-alone romance.

©2019 Sally Britton (P)2020 Sally Britton

Sweet Holiday Romance

Robert and Penny run into each other when Penny is visiting the town where she grew up. Each realizes that the youthful attraction they felt toward the other is still there. Robert feels unworthy of Penny because he is now a steward instead of a landowner himself, and says foolish things that make Penny think he doesn't care for her, but for someone else.

This is a novella but it didn't really feel like one to me, as the story didn't feel rushed. I also felt this isn't the usual long-time-friends-become-more storyline, because Robert and Penny liked each other as teens but never let the other know. I liked the dual points of view we get in the story, as I like to know what the male character is thinking rather than try to guess. I enjoyed Robert's brothers teasing and wonder if he would've ever told Penny how he felt without some encouragement from them. This novella is part of the Branches of Love series but is written so that it can standalone. This is a sweet holiday story.

I think the narrator did a wonderful job.

Lovely holiday read

Penny is completely endearing and I enjoyed watching her get her Yuletide wish. A great holiday or any kind of day story.

Annoying

Narrator, not a match and there was a clicking at times in her speech like maybe she needed a drink of water. The sound was not that great and at times hard to understand. This is the first time I've encountered trouble with the audio. The story didn't make much sense because Robert was not shy or morose in the last book where he is introduced. The story was one of those where the main characters would only have to say what they mean instead of irritatingly avoiding the truth of their feelings. Odd because for two people who have memories of sharing everything in childhood and missing each other as much as their departed parents I could not buy into the story at all. A waste of a credit.

Delightful

This was a delightful, short, and sweet Christmas story. The characters were charming and the plot was engaging to the very end.

A sweet and Romantic Christmas Novella

Penny's Yuletide Wish by Sally Britton is a sweet historical novella about two old friends reconnecting and finding love.

Penny lost her parents in a carriage accident and had to quit her hometown to live with her uncle and aunt.

Seven years later, Penny returned to town to spend Christmas with some friends. She was thrilled to revisit all the places from her childhood, but nothing compared to the happiness of meeting Robert again.

Robert was a neighbor of their estate and a very dear friend. The last time they saw each other, they were still very young, but deep down, Penny knew he meant more than a mere friend to her.

Penny was so charming and Robert so adorably shy and insecure. Everybody knew they were in love with each other: everyone but themselves.

The audiobook is three hours long, perfect for listening to in one sitting.

The narration is excellent. This is my second audiobook by Jessica Elisa Boyd. I love how she differentiates the male and female voices and the variety of voice tones that make it easy to identify the many characters.

Penny's Yuletide Wish is a sweet and romantic historical novella perfect for a few hours of peace in a happy place where love blossoms and triumphs.

Highly recommended for anyone in need of a small dose of Christmas cheer.

I received a code for this book from the author for an honest review.

Perfectly sweet!

A fun, sweet, lovely, clean Christmas Regency love story. Sigh worthy and endlessly diverting. Loved it!

Friends to lovers

This is the second time reading this book. First time actually reading it and this time listening to it. I have enjoyed all of Sally’s books and it is fun to listen to this after it has been several months. It is a cute Christmas friends to lovers romance. Two friends reunited after circumstances forced them apart. The budding relationship they once shared is now strained with uncertainty and doubt as their changed status and circumstances have made them question their worth.

sweet 2nd chance Christmas romance

I loved this story first in print form. It was nice for this side character from a series to get his own story. When I read a Regency story I want to feel like I've stepped back in time. Sally Britton does this so well. Keeping with the tradition and times of the day. Of course the characters are likable and well rounded.

Wonderful story and narration!!!

It is a wonderful romance story!
The delightful humor, the unique historical tidbits, and the appealing setting make this story alive and enchanting.
The narrator did an awesome job!!! Loved it!

Cute Christmas story in this series!

I’ve been reading and listening to the books in this series and after listening to Lord Devon’s story with his steward, Robert, having little moments in the book, I was delighted that he would have his own story. I kept wondering who the love interest would be for him and I loved that it was his childhood friend and the girl that he always loved but he was separated from due to some life circumstances.

This was a sweet story with misunderstandings and Robert trying to let Penny go from his heart because he felt like he wasn’t good enough for her. And yet he couldn’t remove her from his heart because he truly loved her. He was funny in his anticipation in wanting to see her but then his hesitancy when they were in close proximity. Silly Robert, she has a heart and feelings too. Just ask her. It takes a little bit of time with friends and family stepping in and doing some matchmaking and nudging these two along. But Robert finally comes to realize a few things. I loved his family and friends and their antics. They had me laughing.

I had fun listening to this with the Christmas setting and seeing the different traditions that the author included for these friends, families and neighbors to share.

Content: Clean. A couple sweet kisses.

Happy Listening!!!

Lovely listen for any time of year

Don't be confused by the Christmas title, this story is lovely anytime of year. Sally Britton has a way with words. She is able to write a complete and full story even in a Novella. Penny's Yuletide Wish is a clean regency romance that is able to stand alone from the other books in the series but it is nice to have the background of many of the characters included in this story. Jessica Elisa Boyd is a wonderful narrator who is easy to listen to and adds amazing depth to an already good story.

A non-story

This was pretty dull. It is only three and a half hours, but that felt long because absolutely nothing happens. Childhood best friends from the same area, the same level of fortune and prospects, mutual friends and public standing, literally no impediment to their union. Yet they um and ah, yearn and despair (for absolutely no reason) until everyone - all the other characters and you the listener - tells them to just get on with it. With predictable results.

This is a novella in a series that I have not read or listened to, so perhaps I am missing the sentiment towards Robert and Penny that others who know the series might have. As a standalone Christmas story, it was boring.

Sweet story

This was a sweet and charming story. The characters were kind and real. A nice gentle listen.