The Gift of the Marquess by Darcy Burke
Love is All Around #2

Three siblings will have their story told in this trilogy. First came Bianca and Ash and last will be Calder and Felicity but book two is the story of Poppy and Gabriel and what a story it is. This couple is already married, loves deeply and after three years of marriage is still childless. Poppy is grim and sad and devastated that she may never have children while her husband, who has lost more than one due to childbirth, is secretly happy his wife has not gotten pregnant because he fears he might lose her, too.

The couple is interesting. They are both giving charitable people who do what they can for the village. They do go through a bit of a rough patch due to the baby situation but manage to work through their issues to end up very happy at the end.

Both Bianca and Poppy are rather upset with their brother and how much he has changed in the past ten years and I do believe we will find why he changed in book three and perhaps he, too, will be able to return to the man he used to be and find his happily ever after, too.

This is definitely a holiday trilogy as it takes place around Christmas and there will be a finale Christmas party in the final book.

Did I enjoy this story? Yes
Will I read more by this author? Without a doubt

4-5 Stars ( )

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The Gift of the Marquess by Darcy Burke is the second book in her regency Christmas trilogy of novellas Love is All Around. Poppy Kirkwood, Marchioness of Darlington is devastated by her failure to conceive a child after 3 years of marriage. Her husband Gabriel Kirkwood is secretly relieved as he is terrified of losing Poppy in childbirth because he has already lost both his mother and sister that way. When just before Christmas a pregnant young woman turns up at the home for single women and their children that they support it seems if perhaps they can find a way to have a family. Short and sweet and full of the joys of the season this novella is a perfect read for the Christmas season. Publishing Date October 15, 2019. #TheGiftOfTheMarquess #NetGalley #DarcyBurke #historicalromance #bookstagram
#christmasnovella ( )

It was truly a fortuitous day for us readers when this author realized her oeuvre didn’t contain any Christmas stories. She immediately set about remedying that with the Love Is All Around trilogy. The trilogy features the Stafford siblings and is set around the St. Stephens day festival and Hartwell House (a home for impoverished women). While the stories all occur at around the same time, none of them provide enough information on the other stories to provide any spoilers. The first book, The Red Hot Earl, featured the youngest sister, Bianca, but we were also introduced to the older brother, Calder (whom we’ve all loved to hate) and our heroine for this book, Poppy. The trilogy wrap-up will be Calder’s story in Joy to the Duke and I can hardly wait to see what turned him into such a sour curmudgeon!

We met Poppy in the last book and learned that something was wrong, but we never learned what it was. Now we know. Poppy and her husband, Gabriel, Marquess of Darlington, have been married for almost three years and Poppy has slowly come to the realization that there will be no children. It isn’t from lack of trying – she and Gabriel are a love match, but still, no children. She’s gotten more and more melancholy and she can’t bear to go to Hartwell House to see the children that are housed there. It just hurts too much. In her sadness, she’s even begun to withdraw from Gabriel.

Gabriel Kirkwood loves his wife to distraction and her current melancholy hurts him, especially since all he wants is her happiness. He doesn’t know how to help her, but he does know that he is happy that there have been no children. Not that he doesn’t want children – he does – he is just absolutely and totally terrified of losing Poppy and the child in childbirth. He lost his mother and his older sister to childbirth and Poppy lost her mother in childbirth. He cannot lose Poppy as well.

These two are so wonderfully and sweetly in love. It was a pure delight to see how they expressed their love and helped each other overcome their issues. The epilogue is wonderful and you’ll read the last word with a full heart and a warm-all-over feeling. If you want a truly uplifting and loving Christmas read, this one is for you.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )