I read this one before, I think, in an anthology, but I was happy to reread it. It's a bit different from a lot of historicals in that a retired courtesan wants to reconcile with her family with the aid of the newly-coined baron who is trying to steal a journal left her by her first lover. Of course, it all works out in the end with a happy holiday for all, including this reader. ( )

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Henrietta Whitlow is retiring. She was a courtesan, but is now seeking a new life. While traveling with her maid, she is stranded due to her a problem with one of her horses. Baron Michael Brenner show kindness to her by offering them further transport.

Henrietta is hoping for a happy future, which includes a hopeful reconciliation with her family. Meanwhile, Michael also wants to see his own family, especially as it is now Christmastime, but he has a difficult task to perform.

Oh my, when I read the word courtesan in the very beginning of the story, I wondered how her past would allow this couple to be together. I was definitely given a treat. But I was saddened as I began to feel for both Henrietta and Michael.

Respect for Christmas morphed into a warm, sensitive read, with a bit of fun and adventure. This book had one of the sweetest conclusions I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

This novella was a bonus story in Last Night With the Earl by Kelly Bowen.

Many thanks to Forever for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion. ( )

I received an ARC of this Novella through NetGalley the read in exchange for a fair review. Respect For Christmas by Grace Burrowes was previously published in The Virtues Of Christmas. This is a lovely tale with which to curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea, carols on in the background and while away an afternoon over the holiday season. Henrietta Whitlow has retired from being a courtesan and is heading to her childhood home in hopes of repairing the relationship with her father. She meets Michael Brenner who recently became a baron and who also feels estranged from his family when her carriage breaks down. Drawn to each other these two could find their HEA if not for the secrets Michael keeps. Mild Steam. Publishing Date November 20, 2018 #NetGalley #RespectForChristmas ( )

A short-ish novella, also published in the volume The Virtues of Christmas.

Henrietta Whitlow was a very sought-after courtesan, a role she never wanted, but now she has retired and is returning to Oxfordshire to try to mend fences with her family. Michael Brenner is a newly-minted baron with an unwanted obligation to steal a diary from Henrietta. This will be a Christmas to remember.

Charming but brief. ( )