What a perfectly charming and sweet novella this was to start off a series about girls who were born as cast-offs of the wealthy or aristocracy， who then attended and were educated at the Haven House and Academy for the Enrichment of Young Women。 This Christmastide novella focuses on the life of Joy Winterbourne after she left the academy and was employed by an elderly widow as a companion of sorts。 Unfortunately for Joy her employer Mrs。 Thackpenny is a notorious penny pincher。 Mrs。 Thackpenny treats her pets， Sir Galahad Whiskerton and Lady Persephone Poppington better than she does Joy。 There was a lot of droll humor couched in funny， unspoken， sarcastic thoughts by Joy。 One outstanding example: “The woman’s snoring could have stripped the faded wallpaper from the walls。” Life for Joy starts to change when Doctor Morrisette， who also happens to be Lord Brandon， third son of an earl， starts making frequent physician calls on Mrs。 Thackpenny。 It is soon apparent to the young Dr。 Morrisette， that Joy is a lovely young woman who is overworked and probably underappreciated by her employer and he wants to help lighten her responsibilities as well as see her again。 Brandon eases his way into a routine with the two ladies。 With persistence， charm， and persuasion he is able to overcome Mrs。 Thackpenny’s scrooge personality to reveal a woman who has a sharp wit and a sense of humor。 Brandon brought sunshine into Joy’s life and the dull， routine life she had been living since leaving the Academy。 Joy thought Brandon was out of her reach as someone she could have a life with knowing her illegitimacy was a deterrent。 For Brandon， it didn’t matter。 I really adored how this story of Joy and Brandon and Mrs。 Thackpenny unfolded and what the Christmas season brought to all of them。 Don’t miss reading this sweet romance。 You’ll like it。