It is a story that takes places just before Christmas and is all about repentance and forgiveness. Celia is happy in her life with Hooper. She has a good friend that just announced that she is to marry. The man she will marry is a very unpleasant man. She is trying to forgive him for his behavior, but he is not repentant and thinks he is in the right. He has accused Celia of writing a nasty letter to him and he plans to ruin her reputation as well as Hooper's. Now Hooper will find out who has written the letter. Celia wants to protect her friend from the unpleasant man, but how can she interfere if Clementine might be very happy with him. Celia has her doubts, but she has to try. If they can figure out who is writing the letters, maybe they can put a stop to his threats. It is Christmas time and there should be good will. Can it happen?

A Christmas Resolution is a romantic mystery, with the "lesson" of the true value of forgiveness of yourself and others. A quick read that can be read in an evening and will warm your heart with the holiday feelings.

Celia Hooper is an thirtysomething married woman that loves her community and her church. Her new husband John Hooper has just become a member of the police force of the Thames River Police with the famous William Monk. Celia has just left services on forgiveness when she is accosted by Seth Marlowe and told that he is now engaged to her best friend Clementine and Celia no longer needs to be giving her advise due to her earlier questionable decisions. Then he accuses Celia of writing an anonymous letter to him accusing him of things about his first wife's death and their daughter, Flavia.. Of course Celia talks to her husband John and this starts off a search with the police as to what happened to Rose Marlowe and where is the daughter.

Anne Perry writes a good story about forgiveness of not only others but of yourself. This forgiveness to others is only in relation to how you accept accountability and then forgive yourself. The story is very short and concise and hopefully brings the possibility of a new series with these new characters, Celia and John Hooper.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballentine Books for an ARC of this good book. I look forward to its publication date.
#Netgalley #BallentineBooks #AChristmasResolution #AnnePerry

Anne Perry’s vivid characterizations of Seth, Arthur, Cecile and Clementine will draw readers right into this 1870’s seasonal tale of secrets, guilt and finding fault. Cecile reminds the minister, Arthur Roberson, to speak of repentance and its uselessness if not accompanied by understanding of one’s wrong-doing. A Christmas Resolution is a romantic mystery, filled with love and the true value of forgiveness.

I have only read a few of Anne Perry’s Christmas books, but I love the message here. There is a real sense of community, of looking out for and helping each other out. The book is a message of love, hope, forgiveness, finding happiness and new beginnings. And those are all wonderful things to read, especially this time of year, and in this crazy year!

Anne Perry writes these Christmas stories using very minor characters from her books every year. This is my favorite one yet. It features Celia newly married to Hooper, Monk's right hand man on the River Police. Her sweet friend, Clementine, is engaged to a man that Celia dislikes intensely. It's a lovely story about what friends do for friends and the magic of love. I really liked this story and it got me into the Christmas spirit.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read this book. I was expecting a book similar the Elena Standish book I read earlier this summer. This instead was a dark book. Not my favorite.

Have you ever read a good, wholesome story? This is it. The book is about events just prior to Christmas. Seth Marlowe is engaged to Clementine Appleby, Celia Hooper’s close friend. Celia is not fond of Marlowe; but due to Clementine’s age, she needs to wed soon or be considered an old maid. After Marlowe castigates and threatens Celia, Mr. Hooper, a police officer, researches Marlowe’s background.

The book has a spiritual undertone throughout which gives it a wonderful story. In addition to the spiritual flavor, there is some mystery to the story. It is a delightful light read. Don’t wait until the Christmas season to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books of Random House, for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Christmas Resolution was much darker than I expected. Although there were some fine sermons and speeches on repentance and forgiveness, I prefer a more upbeat approach. The whole book reminded me of reading a classic for English lit class. Thank goodness Hooper and Celia were good people and interesting characters.

I have read a few of Anne Perry's works. This was an interesting read. It has great characters and a wonderful message about forgiveness. It takes place in a small village off of the great Pool of London in the mid to late 1800's. There is a little bit of mystery to it, in trying to find out who is sending "poison pen" letters to a recently settled aristocrat in the area. He accuses one of the villages women to writing it and threatens to "expose" her for the liar he believes her to be. I felt that this was a quick read with wonderful prose.

It's not strictly a Christmas story but this annual offering by Perry is a rewarding read. A novella that can be read in a lazy day, it's the story of Celia and Clementine, good friends almost pulled apart because of a man. Seth Marlowe has proposed to Clementine but he's got big shadows in his past, including the fact that his family, well, no spoilers from me. Celia not only warns her friend, she also enlists her husband Detective John Hooper to get some answers. What will Clementine do? And will Marlowe (boo hiss) cause problems for Celia? Read it to find out. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This has lovely characters, a great setting, and a wonderful message.

I received an ARC of this heart-warming Christmas story.. Suspicion and deception are over-ruled by love and forgiveness. I loved this story with it's memorable characters. I couldn't put it down!

A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry
Enjoying this read because it's about a woman who sticks up for her best friend Clementine who is marrying a man she really doesn't know and has no idea what he's all about.
Seth Marlowe corners Celia and tells her to stay away from his wife to be or he will divulge her lies on the witness stand.
She hurries to visit the vicar and he knows that she lied but for a really good reason.
She hopes her spouse doesn't also find out....so she informs him of the trouble. John takes it upon himself along with some police and they follow the clues and find a person who has reliable first hand knowledge of what really happened.
Religion is involved along with forgiveness.
Quite different than anything I've read before, how it all comes down and why. Everything comes out at the end, what a great mystery story especially for the upcoming holidays.
I received this review copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#AChristmasResolution #NetGalley

It's a story of growing and of forgiveness, but there's a way to do that kind of plot without being preachy - unfortunately, this book isn't it. It's a perfectly fine story, but one that seems more concerned with getting its message across than with producing an engaging, satisfying narrative.

I struggled at times with the shallow character arcs as well. True, it's a short novella rather than a full-length story, which of course means there's simply not as much space to explore the deeper aspects of characters and their journeys. Still, it was thin enough to be a little frustrating, leaving me wanting more. The same could be said for its resolution: a little rushed, a little unfinished.

On the Sunday before Christmas, Celia is stunned to learn that the judgmental Seth Marlowe is marrying her best friend Clementine. Celia is trying to be positive about Clementine's plans, but she is worried about her friend. Seth warns Celia that he plans to reduce her friendship with Clementine. When Seth receives anonymous threatening letters about his path, Seth believes Celia is behind it and threatens to reveal a secret from her past. Celia's husband with his River Patrol boss Monk's blessing starts to investigate who's behind the letters and what Seth's secrets are. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love the themes of repentance and forgiveness that flows through this story. I really feel Celia's fear for Clementine and what Seth will reveal about her past. I really like how honest Celia is and how she balances that with her concern for Clementine and Seth's threats. I enjoyed reading about Celia and her husband's relationship and seeing how her husband will unravel Seth's secrets. This is the perfect combination of mystery, suspense, a loving relationship and the Christmas spirit.

3.5 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 17 October 2020.


Celia and Clementine are friends in a small town off the Thames. Celia is married to John Hooper, married rather later in life. Clementine is in her 30s, but still unwed. However, that is to change when Seth Marlowe, a widower, decides to marry. Seth Marlowe is an unlikeable character. Judgmental and fiercely religious, he tends to put off those around him with his criticism. He is the brother-in-law of the local vicar, Andrew Roberson.

When Clementine agrees to marry Marlowe, Celia is dumbfounded. She cannot understand what could lead a sweet woman like Clementine to want to be with a stern, unfriendly Marlowe. She does not voice her concerns, though, being that Marlowe has already threatened to cut off her friendship. Celia does her best to toe the line with Marlowe, until something is unearthed that threatens her own standing in the community.

I definitely would not classify this book in the warm, fuzzy Hallmark Christmas novel category. It is more on the religious and serious themes of the holiday. “The reason for the season” type of novel. I did like it, but it also was not what I look for in my Christmas books. Still, well written and fascinating because of the time, it is a good book and I would recommend it.

The Reverend Arthur Roberson has known loss in his life, particularly his beloved wife. That is why he has a soft heart for her brother Seth Marlow. Marlow is brash and has been rumored to have done harm to his wife in the past before her disappearance. Now he is being blackmailed by an unknown person regarding his missing wife and daughter.

Celia is a kind woman that has always sought the truth in her life. Involved previously in a police matter she did not tell the truth, but the lie was because an innocent person would have gone to jail. This has followed her like a shadow, always with her. When her best friend Clementine agrees to marry Marlow, he warns Celia to stay away from Clementine. Known for his violence, he may not stop by merely threatening Celia. Frightened for her, Celia’s husband, Police Officer John Hopper, begins to investigate the disappearance of Marlow’s wife and daughter. Disregarding her own safety, Celia stands up for herself as well as Clementine much to the ire of Marlow. Will he make good on his threats to harm her if she doesn’t stay out of his business?

This fast-paced Christmas mystery has an interesting twist. While the story is set at Christmas, the main storyline is the investigation of the disappearance of Marlow’s family. If you like a solidly plotted mystery with a side of holiday traditions, I recommend this book. The fast-paced story is interesting and entertaining.

This Victorian Christmas Novel is written by best-selling author Anne Perry. A prolific writer since the late 1970’s, she is best known for her Victorian
detective novels.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2020 Laura Hartman

This book was a bit confusing and I am not sure that I cared for the ending, but it was interesting. The cast of characters included the Pastor; his brother-in-law, Seth Marlowe; Detective Hooper and his new wife, Celia; and Celia's friend Clementine, who becomes engaged to Seth. The setting is a small London village set near water close to Christmas time. Celia just recently got married to Detective Hooper who works for the Thames River Police. As she is leaving church one Sunday, she stops to tell the Pastor how much she enjoyed his sermon when they are interrupted by Mr. Marlowe who informs them that he will soon be marrying Celia's friend, Clementine. Celia is not quite sure how she feels about the announcement, but she can't help wanting to be helpful to Clementine, who really has no one. However, Celia is soon threatened by Mr. Marlowe who accuses her of writing a horrible anonymous letter to him and threatening his relationship with Clementine. Celia tells her husband of that threat and of the next one and so begins the detective's investigation into the death of Mr. Marlowe's first wife, the disappearance of his daughter and the actual author of the scandalous letters. If this sounds like a story for you, then I am sure that you will want to read it to find out just who did what.

I thank NetGalley, Anne Perry and Ballantine Books for giving me access to an ARC of this book. Above is my freely given review and all thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry is a very different kind of Christmas story. Nothing traditional in the way that we have come to expect for that time of year. Instead it makes you think and everything doesn’t turn out perfectly at the end. The theme focuses on repentance and forgiveness which certainly does fit in well at Christmas time. It’s a historical fiction mystery set in a small village along the Thames River outside Victorian London in 1872, This is my first book by Anne Perry and she has written several series. She always write a Christmas book that stands alone but includes some characters from other series, so I had no problem not having read any other of her books. This is the 18th Christmas book.
Celia Hooper is worried about her best friend, Clementine, who has decided to marry Seth Marlowe, a much older man with a mysterious past whom no one seems to like. His wife committed suicide and his estranged daughter is missing. He accuses Celia of sending him poisonous letters threatening the upcoming marriage. Celia and her husband John Hooper, a detective with the River Police, are determined to find out what is behind the letters and who really sent them.
There was good character development, a few surprising twists and something to think about. I enjoyed it and now plan to read more of her other books.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

Courtesy of NetGalley, I received an ARC of A Christmas Resolution by Anne Perry. Set in a Victorian community along the Thames, this lovely historical mystery focuses on truth, what constitutes sin, who merits forgiveness, and redemption. A satisfying and thoughtful novella!