Book Review: A Christmas Proposal by Rose Warner

I am pleased to be welcoming Rose Warner to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, A Christmas Proposal.

She lost everything in the Great War – her brothers, her fiancé, her way of life. Will this new war bring back long-buried feelings?

Beatrice is settling into life in the countryside, along with Victoria and Nell, as a teacher evacuee. Her world is turned upside down again when she meets David, the new doctor at the military hospital, whose kindness and gentleness warm her frozen heart.

Her remaining defences crumble entirely when the family of one of her pupils is killed in an airstrike, and she can no longer deny her motherly affection for the child.

But is Beatrice willing to risk the loss and heartache that comes with love in wartime? When David volunteers for military service and history threatens to repeat itself, Beatrice must dig deep to find the courage to live the life she’s dreamed of…

A gripping, festive Second World War saga for fans of Daisy Styles, Katie Flynn and Elaine Everest.

*****

Having lost her brothers and fiancé in the Great War, Beatrice has accepted her life as a spinster. She has settled into the village of Hazelbury, having been brought in from London to teach Evacuee children. She now gets on well with her fellow teachers, Victoria and Nell, and is set on eventually becoming a headmistress of her own school once the war is over. What she doesn’t count on is the arrival of Dr. David Stanley. Can Beatrice allow herself to love again when there is a chance that she will once again lose all she holds dear?

It’s that time of year. The Christmas themed novels are beginning to appear. When I got invited onto the blog tour for A Christmas Proposal by Rose Warner, I jumped at it.

This is the second novel in the Teacher Evacuees series. I have not read the first one, The Teacher Evacuees, but I didn’t feel as though I was missing any vital information. This can be read as a standalone.

Told from the point of view of Beatrice, I immediately fell in love with her. I got the impression that she is used to following the rules and takes on responsibilities; like supporting her mother. She has heart and a good nature. She fights for the people she loves and adores her job. She’s quite a marvel for the time. When you read this book and see what her mother is like, you will know what I mean. Beatrice has determination and I couldn’t help but cheer for her. I hoped she would allow herself to open her heart back up to love. I could also feel and empathise with the grief a little too,

The supporting characters are a wonderful mixture of people. I particularly liked David, Nell and Victoria (whose story was told in book one). It is my hope that Nell gets her own story next. The author has done a terrific job at giving all the characters layers. You might gain a first impression of someone but by the end, you may feel something totally different for them. Everyone is just trying to get through each day as best they can.

The plot reveals itself well and at a good pace. Set in 1940 and part of 1941, this book is set in England prior to the Americans joining the war. It was when German forces were gaining territories in Europe. Rose Warner really sets the tone and the atmosphere well. There is a great deal of tension that runs all the way through. However, there are also threads of hope and that feels so powerful in the context of this book. I found one section especially interesting. At one point, Beatrice is faced with someone she didn’t expect. What is explored within this part tells us that there were many people on both sides that didn’t want to be in that situation and that, at the end of the day, we are all human and should embrace love over hate.

As usual, I don’t want to give too much more away. A Christmas Proposal is a story of resilience, friendship, and defiance. There are heart-breaking moments but there’s a huge doze of life affirming ones too. Friendship, love and bravery is at the forefront with a festive feel thrown in. It’s a perfect companion as we head into the cooler months.

About Rose Warner –

Rose Warner, who also publishes as Jen Gilroy, writes historical women’s /saga fiction and feel-good contemporary romance. She has been a finalist for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Joan Hessayon Award and Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® award.

Canadian-British and although now based in Canada, she lived in England for many years and has undertaken extensive research in the WW2 and post-war periods. As Jen Gilroy she writes sweet small-town romance for Harlequin Heartwarming (HarperCollins) and has also published with Grand Central Forever (Hachette) and others. 

When not writing, she enjoys reading, ice cream, ballet and paddling her purple kayak.

Connect with Rose via her website, Facebook and X. 

A Christmas Proposal is book 2 in the Teacher Evacuees series and was released by Canelo in August 2026. Click to buy on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Blackwell’s, Waterstones, Bookshop.org and Hive. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.