Review: The Captain's Christmas Homecoming by Lauri Robinson

                         


Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher:  Harlequin Historical (October 25, 2022)

From Goodreads.com: Enjoy this emotional reunion romance set after WWI

Can real life compare

To the love in their letters?

When Emma first used a pseudonym to write to Captain George Weston on the front line, it was because she felt responsible for his broken engagement. Yet his letters became a light in the darkest hours, and she shared more of her desires than she ever dared before, never imagining they’d actually meet. Now that he’s home for Christmas, she longs to see him, but that means revealing who she really is… 

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This was a cute, quick read about two people who found comfort in writing to each other while George was away serving in the war. At first, Emma doesn't want him to know it was her due to her being the cousin of George's former fiance. In fact, she even went so far as to not only sign her neighbor's name to the missives, but she had the woman meet George at the train station upon his arrival to keep up the ruse. Beverly (the neighbor) is an absolutely delightful character who strikes up an easy friendship with George and his family while also being able to introduce them to Emma. Thankfully, the truth eventually comes out. However, Emma is still reluctant to entertain the idea of even a friendship with George despite her growing feelings for him because of her aunt. 

Speaking of  Emma's horrid Aunt Jill, the one major complaint I have with this story has to do with her and what I felt was the total lack of resolution where she was concerned. Throughout the book, we hear about how Emma is overcome with fear of running into the woman because of the vile things she said when Emma was a child. Eventually, they do run into each other, with Jill screaming the vilest things at and about Emma. She also manages to cause problems for Emma at work, but not before George finds out that when Jill's father died, she kept his will hidden and therefore did not evenly divide his assets amongst herself and her sister (something that surely would have helped Emma's family when she was growing up). No, she kept the family fortunes for herself, and in the end, Emma just... forgives her? She doesn't choose to pursue the will to get what is rightfully hers? Fast forward to the epilogue, which takes place four years later, and apparently, Jill and Emma have managed to put the past behind them somehow? After everything, I felt that Jill should have gotten what was coming to her instead of the entire thing just being dropped. 

However, the relationship between George and Emma, especially after they entered into a fake engagement, was something that I thoroughly enjoyed. You could definitely sense the chemistry and attraction between them, even if there were times when I wanted to smack them both and tell them to just tell the other the truth of what they were feeling. I also enjoyed the author's attention to detail and how she made the backdrop of this story (Albany, NY) come to life. 

Overall, I do believe this book will appeal to those who enjoy a clean, and well-written romance novel with interesting characters. I would read more from this author. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                     The Captain's Christmas Homecoming is available on Amazon.com
                                          

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