Review: A Case for Christmas J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry

He loves no-one and never will.

Lord Christmas Gale is a genius and a misanthrope, and, quite to his disgust, adored by all of Society for his capacity to solve mysteries. When a man approaches him seeking help in locating a lost dog, Gale rebuffs him. But what begins with a missing dog ends in murder and intrigue–two of Gale’s favourite things, if it weren’t for the orphan that comes attached to them. Oh, and Benjamin Chant.

He has sworn to never love again.

The Honourable Mr. Benjamin Chant isn’t sure how he got swept up in Gale’s mad investigation, but there’s something intriguing about the man–a vulnerability that most of the world doesn’t notice, but which captures Chant’s interest, and his sympathy, from their first meeting. After a disastrous love affair in the past, Chant has sworn to never give his heart away again. Especially to a man who does not want it.

But it isn’t just their hearts at stake.

When their investigation takes a dangerous turn and their lives are threatened, both Gale and Chant are forced into the realisation that perhaps two imperfect men might fit perfectly together–that is, if they can outwit the killer who is intent on seeing them both dead.

A Case for Christmas is the second book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance.¹⁴

Special Release Blitz Excerpt:

Gale approached the nearest door. The molly had said Howe lived on the ground floor, first on the left. He rapped lightly on the door, and when there was no answer, he tried the knob. The door creaked open, a sliver of moonlight growing wider across the floorboards, casting shadow to the sides. He stepped inside, trying not to wince at the smell of mildew and unemptied chamber pots. The room was barely large enough to turn around in, and he unwittingly trod upon a straw mattress on the floor. He was now fully aware of what an idiotic idea this had been. All that would be accomplished here was that he or Chant would break an ankle. And yet as he brushed a hand over a rickety table, he felt crumbs not yet stale, and not yet carried away by vermin. The house was not empty.

“Elise,” he called softly. “Elise, come out, wherever you are hiding. We know you’re here.”

“I have no wish to offend,” Chant whispered. “But you sound rather like an axe-wielding madman indulging in a game of cat and mouse with his prey.”

“What would you have me say?” Gale asked, annoyed.

“If she’s here, she is probably very frightened. She does not know who we are or why we’ve come.”

“And you think she’ll be impressed if we announce our titles?”

It was too dark to see Chant roll his eyes, but Gale was certain that was what happened. “You said Howe told you she’d read the article about you? Let her know we’re on the case—”

“Do not call it a c—”

He was interrupted by… he was not quite sure what. One moment he was standing in the darkness, arguing with Chant, the next, he was lying on his side on the filthy floor, his head throbbing.

“Gale! Are you all right?” Chant cried out above him.

Blearily, he felt around on the floor until his hand closed upon a small but heavy bit of rock. Footsteps pattered toward the open front door. “Stop her,” Gale rasped.

“Elise!” Chant called out. “Elise, my name is Benjamin Chant. I’m here with Christmas Gale, the famous investigator—”

“Not an investigator.” Gale’s voice sounded as though he had swallowed chalk.

Chant ignored him. “He is here to help you find your missing dog.”

“I most certainly am not,” Gale objected, but the footsteps stopped. A moment later, a flimsy floorboard creaked, and a small face appeared above Gale, mostly shadow with a slip of silver across it from the moon.

“Christmas Gale?” piped a thin voice full of hope.

“Yes,” said Chant and knelt beside them both. “Christmas and I have come to help you, Elise.”

Gale pulled himself into a sitting position, trying not to groan.

“You’re really Lord Christmas?” the girl asked again.

“Joy to the world,” Gale muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

My thoughts

Who says sequels can’t be better? I love this story, the second book in “The Lords of Bucknall Club” series by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry.

I love snark and A Case for Christmas is filled with it from the first page to the last. Christmas Gale is a man who suffers from anxiety who just happens to end up getting a reputation as an investigator.

The mystery is excellent in its simplicity. The blending of romance and mystery is spot on. Rock and Henry bring all of the chemistry and buildup that I wanted in the first book.

Rock and Henry have developed characters that are real and suffer from the same problems we have today. Chant has his own past and that is fully fleshed out as the authors show his vulnerabilities through his bond with Gale.

A Case for Christmas is filled with action, romance, acceptance, and love. I did not want to leave this Tracy/Hepburn style mystery. I know this series doesn’t focus on Gale, but I would love to see a spin-off with: Gale, Chant, and Elise solving mysteries.

Quite simply, I just want more.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.