Christmas at Pennington's

by Rachel Brimble

[Lynn]

This is the third book in the Pennington's series. I read this as a standalone novel, although I've previously enjoyed The Mistress of Pennington's, the first instalment in this series.

In the midst of a divorce from her abusive, cheating husband, Cornelia Culford is she's trying to rebuild a life for herself and sons by working in the jewellery department at Pennington's in Bath. There she meets Stephen Gower, head of security and another new employee who is also trying to forget about events from the past.

This novel has it all, romance, history and mystery all wrapped up in a fascinating narrative. Ms Brimble continues to enlighten me about this momentous time in history with well-researched details within well-written and thoughtful story-lines. The simplicity of a department store backdrop is perfect for the different plot threads; some new whilst others are a continuation from previous books in the series. The latter doesn't require previous knowledge but will tempt to want to find out more about these equally charming characters, specifically Joseph Carter and Elizabeth Pennington.

The time-line is the lead up to Christmas, 1911 and I love all the descriptions of the festive decorations used at this time making it easy to visualise how it all looked in reality. Despite this, the narrative focuses on the everyday events and happenings of the character's which just happen to occur at this time of year. I liked this aspect because this novel can be read at any time of the year, not just at Christmas.

One thing is now certain, I want to read book two, A Rebel at Pennington's to learn more about Esther and Lawrence Culford. Also, with many references within the narrative relating to something significant in 1912, I'm expecting another intriguing instalment, soon...I hope.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher Aria via Rachel's Random Resources***