A Candlelight Courting: A Short Christmas Romance by Joyce DiPastena

When Burthred comes courting on Christmas Eve, Meg rejects his advances. She has her heart set on becoming a nun and insists that he call her Christina, the spiritual name she has chosen for herself. She tries to make him swear on her box of holy relics that he will not pursue her, but he carefully words his oath to allow him to stay in her candlelit chamber and try to change her mind.

What Meg does not confess is that her reliquary box holds a secret.

Burthred needs a wife, and no one will satisfy him except Meg. He swore on his father’s deathbed that he would marry her. But Burthred has a secret, too. When they come together before the Yule fire, their shared revelations will either join their hearts together or tear them apart.

It is no secret that I love Joyce's writing.  There is something about her books that just resonate in my heart.  I love the way I travel back in time to places that just come alive through Joyce's words.  Joyce has a gift for writing and she is a girl that really knows her history.  Her research and love for this time period really shine through.

A Candlelight Courting is a short story.  I literally devoured it in under an hour (with distractions).  While I was utterly satisfied with the whole story and the ending, I still wanted more.  More story.  More time with these characters.  More.  

Burthred (in spite of his awful name) is so sweet, so patient and so endearing.  I just love him.  He slowly breaks down Meg's walls and earns her trust by trusting her with his secrets.  

Writing this review has made me want to go back and read this short story again.  I think I will.  It is the perfect story to cuddle up with as the holidays approach.

You can find Candlelight Courting at Amazon for just $1.99.