FRIENDLY REMINDER that my favorite Christmas romance story of all time is only a dollar for the ebook and you, too, can get your angsty slow-burn fix complete with a hero I definitely pictured as Richard Armitage circa North & South. (You're welcome.)

After Sophie's father has spent all of their family's money (including her dowry) on renovating his family home, her parents encourage a courtship between Sophie and Edward Sharpe, a merchant who has worked hard to build a wealthy empire out of simple beginnings. Unfortunately, Sophie and Edward won't ever stand a chance if Edward doesn't learn to stop taking advice from a Gentleman's Etiquette book. After a falling out, Sophie offers him one last chance during her family's Christmas party.

First of all, how have I gone so long without reading historical romance, when historical fiction was one of my all time favorite genres as a teen?! This was absolutely delightful; I love stories that take place in the Victorian era and this is one of the best portrayals of that setting I've seen yet. On top of that, A Holiday By Gaslight is everything a Christmas love story should be: cozy, sweet, warm, and charming.

She'd been ready to love him. It would have taken so little encouragement. A fond glance. A kind word. An affectionate touch.

There are so many different things I loved about this story, but we'll start with the characters. Despite the timeframe, Sophie is a very headstrong, clever young woman who will keep her family safe and happy at all costs, even if it means losing her own happiness. What I loved about her character was not only her boldness, but Edward's reaction to it. Instead of scolding her or trying to box her in, he sees her as an equal and cherishes her brazen remarks and stubborn nature.

"I admired her. A great deal." The understatement of a lifetime.

Edward, on the other hand, is such a precious, soft little thing and I loved it. He puts on a stoic front because he feels he'll never fit into the politically lofty world of Sophie and her family, but he's smitten with her from the start, and it was refreshing to see that in a historical setting. I loved that, at the end of the day, Edward didn't care about what anyone thought as long as Sophie was happy and taken care of. Even when he wants to protect and take care of her, it's never from an "alpha" stance—he simply wants to see her thrive. It was quite probably one of the most mature, genuine portrayals of truly loving someone as an equal partner that I have read in a long time.

Had she really believed he'd deny her? If so, she'd vastly underrated her charms. Either that or vastly overrated his strength of will.

Finally, the writing and setting are just delightful. This is the perfect Christmas read because it's so atmospheric with the snow, and the search for the perfect tree and mistletoe, and the party atmosphere as a whole. The writing is tender and sweet and funny enough that, despite this being such a short book, I have countless highlights saved on my Kindle!

If I could recommend you to pick up any cozy Christmas read this year, A Holiday By Gaslight would easily be at the top of the list. I am so happy to have read it and can't wait to pick up more of Mimi Matthews' books!