(Heartwarming Christmas)
By Heidi Eljarbo
Publication Date: 19th December 2024
Lady Starr dreams of finding her own love story, but her parents have different plans. They need an heir to continue their legacy, and since they have only daughters, Starr’s marriage becomes crucial for their future. They are searching for a suitor who can manage their castle and estate, showing little concern for Starr’s feelings about their chosen candidate.
Desperate to experience the life her family would deny her, Starr sneaks out of the castle, dressed in her maid’s clothes, so she can blend in with the villagers. She offers assistance wherever she can and gradually learns about the hardships they face each winter. One day, she notices a man sitting in the square, sketching with charcoal, and feels an inexplicable connection to him. However, tradition and expectation hold her back; following her heart is not allowed.
Torn between a fairytale romance and her family’s expectations, “Once Upon a Winter (Heartwarming Christmas)" by Heidi Eljarbo presents an enchanting love story. It transcends societal obligations, allowing true love to flourish and thrive.
Starr feels bound by her duty to her parents, whose control over her life is both overbearing and suffocating. She yearns for the freedom to explore the world on her own, away from the constant supervision and careful directives regarding what she should do and say. This desire clashes fiercely with the oppressive expectations imposed by her parents. Although she resides in a luxurious castle, she feels trapped in a gilded cage; her material needs are met, but she cannot live as she wishes, as every decision she makes is overruled by her parents. Her parents have chosen a husband for her, a man she cannot stand, who seeks a wife primarily for status and expects her to be silent and compliant. Starr embodies the classic heroine, yearning for the freedom to make her own choices without being dictated to by those around her. Though she possesses a strong, independent spirit, she has been sheltered from the outside world and is quite naïve about what life beyond the castle walls is truly like. This naivety does not diminish her character; instead, it enriches it. She is desperate to learn and understand, which leads to significant character growth throughout the narrative.
Exiled and injured, Whit cannot reveal his true identity to anyone for fear of being discovered and hunted down. Taking refuge in Greenstall, he disguises himself as a lowly villager and finds solace in the kindness of a few gentle souls who take him in and nurse him slowly back to health. Desperate to contribute, he decides to rely on the only skill he can manage while still recovering—drawing. With paper and charcoal in hand, he strives to earn enough coins to thank the women who cared for him and to afford a horse that will make his journey easier. Though he recognises Starr from a time long ago when they first met, she does not recognise him. As she walks through the village, distributing apples and helping those in need, he can’t help but be drawn to her, following her every move with his gaze. He feels too weak to approach her, burdened by his injuries and the need to keep his identity a secret. Nevertheless, he finds solace in sketching her and observing how she interacts with the villagers. Whit remains loyal to his home and is determined to find a way back to fight through his exile, but his thoughts are increasingly occupied by the beautiful woman moving about outside her family’s castle grounds in disguise.
The addition of Guy, Starr’s parents’ choice of suitor, in this novel adds a significant amount of tension. Her parents are determined for the marriage to come about quickly, but he is truly a despicable character, and his actions are anything but those of a gentleman. He is a chauvinistic man who thinks little of Starr, besides what title marrying her could bring him. With Whit to compare him to, he is a truly vile man, and ensuring Starr escapes his grasp is as prevalent to the reader as it is to Starr herself.
Whit and Starr offer contrasting perspectives on duty and how their responsibilities shape their thinking. Whit is determined to return home, believing that the future of the land may depend on his journey. Growing up, he learned about the various roles necessary for running a successful castle, engaging with different people leading diverse lives. This upbringing instilled in him a strong sense of loyalty and pride. In contrast, Starr has always felt compelled to fulfil the expectations placed upon her, but there is a little spark of rebellion in her character. Together, Whit and Starr create a well-rounded narrative. Their differing views of the world invite readers to consider the sacrifices that can and should be made in the name of duty and loyalty.
The romance in this novel is subtle. There aren’t many on-page interactions between Whit and Starr; instead, the narrative is filled with longing and desperation. Both characters find themselves in precarious situations, and while their pull toward each other is significant, it’s not the only thing occupying their thoughts. Their relationship feels forbidden, as if each person is off-limits to the other. This sense of being denied something deeply desired permeates the writing, allowing readers to almost feel their desperation. The novel not only presents high stakes for the characters but is also infused with deep emotions that resonate throughout the pages.
“Once Upon a Winter (Heartwarming Christmas)” by Heidi Eljarbo is a gripping novel that explores high-stakes and life-changing decisions. It questions how much one can truly give up in the name of love, while also examining how love can drive a person to fulfil their obligations and achieve their ambitions.
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Once Upon a Winter
(Heartwarming Christmas)
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Another fabulous review. I know what I am going to be reading this christmas!
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