Book 845: A Case for Christmas (The Lords of Bucknall Club #2) – J.A. Rock & Lisa Henry

When this one came to my inbox I of course said yes. I enjoyed A Husband for Hartwell, the first book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series and wanted to see where Rock and Henry took it. And if I’m a little bit honest, I was really hoping to read about the protagonists starting a family and adopting the little girl on the cover, but you’ll have to read it to find out about that.

For the most part, I wasn’t disappointed with the story, even though it felt like this book took a bit of a left turn from the first one. I was mostly expecting another Regency era romance, but instead got a regency era mystery with a bit of romance on the side. That’s definitely not a bad thing and I enjoyed both aspects of it, it’s just like I said a little out of left field for me.

A Case for Christmas, contrary to what the title may make you think isn’t a holiday romance. It takes its name from the titular character, Lord Christmas Gale, who played a pivotal role in getting Hartwell and Warry together in the last book. And the case part is a nod to the fact that he keeps solving mysteries/crimes without trying! The love interest in this book is Mr. Benjamin Chant, who is intrigued by Lord Gale and pursues him and constantly runs up against a brick wall.

I found Chant’s backstory to be interesting and I was glad to see Rock and Henry writing a more tumultuous backstory of someone not just dealing with woe-is-me I’m rich and don’t know what to do with my life or my status. They may have left it a little longer than I would’ve preferred to reveal why Chant was the way he was, but ultimately it worked and when Gale tried to help Chant and inadvertently hurt him it was just heart breaking.

Lord Gale’s character was really interesting as I believe he was written to be neuro-diverse and has either Asperger’s or autism. This really comes across with how he interacts with his family and later with Chant. He sees things very cut and dry and tries to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and efficiently as possible and this can rub a lot of people the wrong way. Chant gets this and after what could be a brush off and Gale’s super awkward attempt to satisfy Chant’s whimsical request of about an old lover they finally talk things out and get the happy for now (and hopefully one day, the happily ever after) they both deserve.

I’m intrigued by the next book in the series, A Rival for Rivingdon. For some reason I got it into my head the next character would be someone else, but then there was the preview chapter at the end of this one and it definitely piqued my interest.

Recommendation: Worth a read, especially if you read the first book in the series. We got to check in with Hartwell and Warry (adorable) and got to spend time with Lord Gale and met the charming and emotionally vulnerable Benjamin Chant. This definitely felt like more mystery/thriller than romance, but it worked. I’m not sure if the next one will go back to romance or a new genre, but I’m definitely interested in seeing where the series goes!

*I received a copy of A Case for Christmas via Gay Romance Reviews in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

Opening Line: “Lord Christmas Gale, youngest son of the Marquess of Shorsbury, walked along the river, hating his name nearly as much as he hated the fact that people now knew it.”

Closing Line: “And Gale intended to do that at least twice, possibly three times, before dawn.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional quotes from A Case for Christmas
“Lord Abel wished to know details of his confrontation with Lord Balfour—Gale thought it prudent to keep those details to himself as they would compromise his friend William Hartwell and the sulky little addle-pate Hartwell had wed not even a week ago, Joseph Warrington.” (Chapter 1)

“His mother saw through all of it. Not just the carefully cultivated misanthropy and the chronic sarcasm, but the way he used the solving of outward problems as a shield against having to know anyone too deeply. Finding a missing heirloom couldn’t put a broken family back together. Uncovering an imposter did not get at the heart of why people lied about who they were. He knew that. It was just so much easier to focus on missing heirlooms than on the missing pieces of people’s hearts.” (Chapter 8)