The Chalcroft family is having their annual family Christmas houseparty and ball at the family seat. Sisters and cousins with their families, look forward to decorating and celebrating. One person not family is invited, Luke Kingsley. Olivia Fitzroy is the oldest Chalcroft sibling. She and Luke have been childhood friends, but in the last year Olivia's feeling changed to love. Afraid he does not reciprocate her feelings, she tries to avoid him. No such luck. A steamy novella of friends to lovers. Clever way to include nine ladies dancing
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book through NetGalley.

Charming Historical Romance Novella

It is Christmas, and Olivia just wants to celebrate it with family. However, her father invites an interloper. Luke was her childhood friend, but now, he is so much more. Having those feelings, and not knowing how to express them leads to all sorts of awkwardness and anxiety. Would Olivia and Luke find love at Christmas time? This is an entertaining historical romance holiday novella. I enjoyed the big family dynamics. The misunderstandings and awkwardness between Olivia and Luke were frustrating, but that is often the case when a couple does not talk and when one makes assumptions.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Olivia Fitzroy always looks forward to the holiday period, and a family Christmas at Chalcroft is perfect. But when her father announces that her childhood friend, Luke Kingsley, will be spending the holiday with them, she's conflicted. Olivia has been in love with Luke for as long as she can remember, and she can't bring herself to contemplate spending her favourite time of the year with him. I loved that Luke was extremely upfront with what he wanted, and that was Olivia. Olivia had a vulnerable side, and she didn't think that Luke would ever understand her feelings, let alone reciprocate them. Luke had some mistarts, but he came out good, and Olivia was able to accept his love, and embrace it. This book has definitely set the scene for book 5 too, and I look forward to learning what Kitty has been up to in secret.

This is the fourth book of the delightful The Twelve Days of Christmas series. Each story in the series so far has been fun and entertaining and this one also does not disappoint. Olivia Fitzroy is the focus of this installment. She is excited about a Christmas party the family is throwing at Chalcroft, but her excitement deflates a little when an unexpected guest, her childhood friend Luke, arrives. Olivia sees Luke as someone who could be more than just a friend, but she doesn’t want anyone else noticing her fanciful feelings, especially Luke since he seems uninterested. But unbeknownst to her, Luke is hiding something and he is just as besotted with her as she is with him. As the festivities begin, these two attempt to dance around each other as Olivia continues to try to avoid him. But Luke is not one to give up and is determined to show Olivia his feelings. The chemistry between Olivia and Luke was undeniable and I enjoyed seeing them together. A charming and steamy romance that was full of fun and a delightful addition to the series.
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This is Olivia and Luke's love story. They grew up together, and Olivia has loved Luke for years. Olivia, however, is unsure of Luke's feelings for her, especially with so many attractive young Fitzroy girls all together at Chalcroft for Christmas.
This is a wonderful Christmas story, and Emily EK Murdoch is writing a fun Twelve Days of Christmas Series.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is book 3 in this Christmas season series about the 12 Fitzroy cousins. This one returns us to the London Fitzroys and is the story from the perspective of Caroline, who is actually a stepdaughter in the family and not a Fitzroy by blood, but by marriage. She is the stepsister of Jemima from book 1 and it was in book 1 that we get a bit of her story as she is the sister who became engaged to a local doctor.

Stuart had been courting her for months and they had announced their betrothal in book 1 and a ball planned for before Christmas to celebrate their betrothal. Everything seems wonderfully blissful, loving, and passionate for Stuart and Caroline, but disaster befalls them during the ball, which was alluded to in book 1.

A man collapses and dies at their ball - never a good omen. However, it turns out that the man was Stuart's estranged uncle, the Earl of Cheshire, and Stuart is heir. Unfortunately it also turns out that Stuart has inherited an impoverished estate. Now his mother, who apparently never really liked Caroline to begin with, is pushing him to take up his responsibilities to the Earldom, including caring for all the tenants and paying down generations of debt, and that requires a quick infusion of cash. Caroline's dowry is not enough and he must break with her to marry an heiress.

Everything that Stuart and Caroline hoped and planned for their future together is changed and appears to fall apart around them.

I liked this story in that it showed things from Caroline's perspective, rather than how Jemima saw her in the first book, and that made Caroline a more likeable down to earth person. But Stuart went from being a likeable middle class doctor to being a bit of wishy washy character who was willing to be told what to do by his mother for a large chunk of the story, even if it meant hurting the woman he supposedly loves. His mother stuck her nose hard into their relationship and that is never a storyline that flies with me. Not a big fan of that development and not a big fan of the interfering mother in law, so I hope Caroline nips that one in the bud, otherwise that will not be a peaceful household.

3.5 stars out of 5

4 stars

Olivia is keen on Luke, a childhood friend. She thinks her Love for him is unrequited and is upset that he's turning up at Christmas and she's going to have to work hard to hide her feelings. She's not correct in her feelings at all. There's a bit of an over lap with the 8 maids a milking story, where Katerina is very over the top. This whole series is getting deliciously convoluted.

I recommend you join in :)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another entry in Emily EK Murdoch's Twelve Days of Christmas. This installation jumps forward 2 years from the previous entry and switches over to a daughter of the eldest Fitzroy brother. Olivia has been in love with her childhood friend Luke for years, but (for some reason that is not fully explained) believes he will never feel the same about her. So when her father unexpectedly invites Luke to the Fitzroy family Christmas, Olivia is convinced the experience will be torturous. And while much of the time covered in this book is torturous, it is torture that Olivia creates for herself. There is no real drama in this story, except for that generated by Olivia's assumptions and rush to conclusions, none of which would have occurred had she simply used her words. While she and Luke do apparently get their HEA - or at least a HFN - it is almost in spite of Olivia.

This novella is just so so, It could be a standalone, but I think reading the novellas in order enhances the stories being told. Olivia's age is never specified but her emotional conduct leads me to think she could not be more than 17 or 18. I liked the spice in this story, but it was unrealistic even for a romance novel. The couple has sex in the kitchen in the middle of a large ball after kicking the servants out for 5 minutes. And we are supposed to believe that no one realizes this? Olivia would almost certainly have been ruined by this encounter. As soon as Like and Olivia have an actual conversation, everything is ironed out.

3 stars. Thank you to Dragonblade and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

Another great addition to this wonderful holiday series. Olivia & Luke go through a lot of misunderstanding and angst before they release their fears and can finally open up. I am loving these books!
Thank you Emily EK Murdoch, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Although reading the previous books might help you understand what happened in the first books its not needed to read this book . This book picks up about a year after the first three. However, you might wantvto keep reading the next one because its intertwined with Eight Maids a Milking. They play off each other. I really enjoyed the way this book intertwined with others. This is a rare aspect with authors and I have really enjoyed it (Once I understood how the series worked ;) ) There are steamy scenes and most you can skip over without any problems. I had to go back and read how the previous scene ended to understand what was going on though.
I recieved a free copy so that I might tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book.

Nine Ladies Dancing brings us another festive love story - this time featuring Olivia Fitzroy of the Chalcroft Fitzroys and the dashing Lord Luke Kingsley. Once they were childhood best friends but as they grew up Olivia’s feelings towards Luke grew too. With her family opening the doors of the Chalcroft estate to her cousins for the holidays Olivia should be excited for Christmas. Only she wasn’t expecting her father to invite Luke. Unsure how to act with him knowing he doesn’t feel the same for her as she does for him makes their encounters awkward. But what if Olivia was wrong and her unrequited crush might not be so unrequited after all?

Nine Ladies Dancing has been my favourite of Emily EK Murdoch’s holiday themed novellas featuring the Fitzroy cousins so far. I love a friends to lovers story and this one did not disappoint. Olivia was fun to follow as she danced around her feelings and the handsome boy from her past. Luke was lovely too and every bit the romance hero I love to read about.

This story works perfectly as a standalone but it is all the more fun for having read the previous novellas. We got to have a glimpse into the married lives of the Fitzroys who met their matches in the previous 3 stories and it was nice to see how they interact now their relationships have matured past the first sparks of love. I also liked being introduced to the final branch of the Fitzroy family tree with Nine Ladies Dancing being the first story with members from the Chalcroft side of the family.

Another fantastic addition to Emily EK Murdoch’s Twelve Days of Christmas series. I’m quickly becoming obsessed with these quick and easy, read in one sitting regency romances. They are getting me into the preChristmas spirit and I’m not the least bit sorry! TBR and Enjoy!

Not my favorite one in the series. The books are meant to be read independently but if you plan on reading the series, be prepared for a lot of repetition. For me, the story was too fractured and not cohesive. Too much family drama thrown in that you’ve either read or it’s been hinted at several times. I’ve read over a dozen books by this author and was expecting more meat to this story. It’s good if you’re looking for something short and easy reading.
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable, but a little confused by the time jump from the last book.

There are three Fitzroy brothers, each with different interests, each the father of daughters, twelve in total. The fourth story in the series takes place during the Christmas festivities at the family seat, Chalcroft. Olivia Fitzroy and Luke Kingsley are childhood friends. They have feelings for each other, but don’t realize they are mutual. Will the lively fun of the holiday party will give them the chance to find their happily ever after? This is a quick fun holiday story that includes a ball where nine ladies dance happily. The characters are numerous and entertaining. Luke and Olivia are a great couple even though they need a little nudge. I enjoyed their story and look forward the next one. What is Kitty up to?
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

A steamy friends to lovers novella set around the Christmas holidays. This was full of angsty with lots of should Olivia declare her feelings for Luke or keep quiet as she doesn't think he feels the same. Lots of ups and downs that could have been solved by them just talking made me want to shake them in at times but overall another lovely story. I received an advanced free copy from in exchange for an honest review

What a heatwarming holiday romance, held me gripped throughout, so much so I didn’t want to stop reading it. Well done and look forward to reading the next one in Twelve Days of Christmas series.

Swirling with desire and love for her childhood friend, will close proximity over christmas inject the magic needed for friends to finally become lovers? A tale for all those that love becoming embroiled in the emotional uncertainities and insecurities surrounding a friends to lovers romance.
NINE LADIES DANCING thrusts you straight into the warmth, laughter and heart of a large, wonderfully chaotic, family Christmas get together. Enveloped with a good mix of festive cheer, misunderstandings, familial teasing and heightened emotions.
Determined to hide her longing and deep seated desire for her childhood friend, Olivia scared her feelings will be so obviously written all over her face, attempts to hide from the charming yet, unbeknownst to her, totally besotted, Luke. Undeterred by her uncharacteristic snipes Luke finally decides now is the time to pursue 'his Olivia'.
This is a fun, emotionally charged read from the perspective of Olivia that so clearly depicts the awkward embarrassment that comes from the fear of unrequited love that befuddles the ease that was once so potent between two such devoted friends.
I enjoyed being entangled in the simmering building desire that thrummed beneath the surface when they were together. Especially as Olivia becomes flustered and tormented with unfulfilled wants, all consuming love and the bubbling lust that burns, whenever she is around Luke, that she so desperately attempts to shield behind sharp words and cloying selfdoubt.
Rather enjoyed this one! Another wonderful quick read and addition to the series that interweaves our heroine's struggles with the emotional tormoil of loving a friend and being so sure the sentiment isn't returned. whilst hinting at the unfolding drama in the life of another sister, Kitty. A character, I really can't wait to delve deeper into, source out the root of all her misery and seek out all the answers to some very tantalising questions this tale has so visually generated. Looking forward to the next Fitzroy romance!

Unspoken love, some insecurity and misunderstanding equals dramatic romantic tale. This a short but steamy read and excellent for its HEA ending.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

This is the first time I’ve read anything by Emily Ek Murdoch and it was a lovely chaotic family Christmas novella.
I loved the family dynamics and I am looking forward to reading the rest of them, unfortunately this one didn’t really push the right buttons.

It’s a childhood friends to lovers story and I am not really sold on those. I get easily frustrated with MC’s who do not communicate and I felt bad for Luke who was trying to make Olivia see he has loved her all along.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dragonblade publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.