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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What Happens When You Fall in Love with a Brilliant Narrator and Wonderful Story?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

A Holiday by Gaslight offers a look at class warfare--the prejudice on both sides of the merchant's counter--in one beautiful holiday read. via @chautonahavig

A Holiday by Gaslight. The cover appeared in my Facebook feed… somewhere. Stunning.  I knew I wanted to read it just by the cover! That was three years ago.

I finished my last audiobook on November 30th, so I went scrolling through my Audible library. A Holiday by Gaslight appeared.  WHAT?  I do not remember buying the book.  No idea when I got it, but I clicked play and started listening.

Oh, my Christmas stars! The narrator… guys, the narrator!  We’re talking phenomenal.  How phenomenal you ask?

Oh… how about I “listened to it back to back and could listen again today” phenomenal?  Yes, the narration was that brilliant.

If you love Gaskell’s North and South, you’ll love this Christmas novella.  You just will.  And if you love audiobooks, well… I loved this one!  And, if you don’t have an Audible subscription, they give you a free book for joining!  Just throwing that out there (and yes, I am an affiliate).

A Holiday by Gaslight

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

What Happens When You Fall in Love with a Brilliant Narrator and Wonderful Story?

I listened to the audio version, so this review is partially about the performance as well. It MIGHT have only gotten 4 stars on its own, but as audio, I felt compelled to give it 5.

Whenever an author manages to blend flawless historical research with beautiful (but not purple) prose and tie it up in a compelling story, I’m hooked. Add to that a clear inspiration from Gaskell’s North and South (at least the mini-series version, anyway) that never once “retold” or “copied,” and what more could you ask for?

The narrator so often sounded exactly like Richard Armitage, that I felt swept into Gaskell’s world but not necessarily her story. There are some Thorntonesque elements to the male protagonist, Ned. And there are Margaretish elements to Sophie, although she is more likable upfront than Gaskell’s Margaret. I even saw small parallels between Ned’s mother and Thornton’s mother (although in totally different ways) and between Margaret’s father and Sophie’s. Even Sophie’s sister reminded me a bit of Margaret’s cousin.

It felt a tiny bit like how Michelle Griep does her “inspired by” books.  Like THIS one.

But there the parallels end. Mimi Matthews created an entirely new cast of characters in her delightful Christmas story. Not one is a copy. Add to that reasonable misunderstandings, attempts to understand, and a few twists that make you blink, and you have a can’t-put-it-down read.

In A Holiday by Gaslight, Matthews gives us a wonderful escape to Victorian England and a romance that I have never seen exactly like this! Maybe others have. Who knows? All I know is this was my first Matthews book. It will not be my last.

Recommended for lovers of good, clean historical fiction with romance that doesn’t make you cringe.

CAVEAT 1: I don’t think this is a strictly Christian fiction book. It doesn’t claim to be. That said, it is written from a Christian worldview as far as I can see.
2. Darwin’s “Origin of the Species” is spoken of a few times. Sophie is enamored with the idea of us needing to adapt to change for the survival of man and society. Note the part she is enamored with. Not the whole of evolution. It’s an incomplete understanding on her part, and neither she nor the author “preach the virtues” of Darwinism. Conversely, Ned Sharpe seems unimpressed by Darwin and states why. From what I could see, this was all about “being adaptable to societal change where you can” rather than, “this is how things are, so become a Darwin disciple.”
3. Language: there are a few words I personally don’t appreciate in this book. Two are of a “condemn to the nether regions sort” and at least two uses of God–one definitely flippant. The other felt more prayerful to me than flippant.
Would I prefer that not be in there? Yes. However, I respect that the author doesn’t promote the book as Christian fiction. Additionally, at least at the time and often now, the British did not consider the particular words used to be “swear words” and so it is very authentic to the time/place.

This will not be my last Mimi Matthews book. Not by a long shot.

A Holiday by GaslightA Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

“A graceful love story…and an authentic presentation of the 1860s that reads with the simplicity and visual gusto of a period movie.” -Readers’ Favorite

A Courtship of Convenience

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion–or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things.

A Last Chance for Love

But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
byChautona Havig

Christian dystopian thrillers are too few and far between, but author J. A. Webb has a great one for us. Listen in while we chat about his Seekers Series and the second book, Inheritance.

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Mix a corrupt secret society along with a priest on the run, and you’ve got a great mix. This series promises to be full of amazing twists and turns. 

  Inheritance by J. A. Webb

 A Dystopian Thriller of Deception, Faith, and the Fight for Truth

The Order has been betrayed. The hunters have been loosed.

Father Curtis has forsaken his vows. He has left the Order and joined the Seekers, a hidden rebellion dedicated to uncovering the truth long buried by the global church. But walking away from the Order does not mean escaping its reach.

When word spreads that a copy of the True Text — the original thirty-nine books of the Creator — has surfaced on the far side of the world, Curtis, Professor Reuel, and Phillip embark on a desperate mission. If they can retrieve the artifact, it could change everything. If they fail, the truth will be lost forever.

But the Eye of the Eternal, the secret police of the Order, has already mobilized. Their assassins are relentless. Their power is absolute. And they will stop at nothing to silence the truth.

Outnumbered and hunted, Curtis and his allies must risk everything to defy an empire built on deception. But against such overwhelming darkness, is faith enough? Or will their inheritance — humanity’s true past — be erased from history once and for all?

The war for truth has begun. And the Order will not suffer heretics to live.

A Gripping Tale of Power, Deception, and the Courage to Seek Truth

🔥 Perfect for fans of dystopian thrillers like 1984, Brave New World, and The Da Vinci Code—but with a Christian twist!

⚡ A suspense-filled journey into a world where illusion is law and questioning it means death.

📖 If you love stories of faith, defiance, and the battle against unseen tyranny, this is the book for you.

The Order has ruled from the shadows long enough. Are you ready to see the truth?

Learn more about J. A. Webb on his WEBSITE and follow him on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 429:  A Chat with J. A. Webb
Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
May 12, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 428: A Chat with Janelle Leonard
May 10, 2025
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Episode 427: A Chat with Donna Wichelman
May 5, 2025
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Episode 426: A Chat with Dell Vans
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Episode 425: A Chat with Bethany Klassen
April 28, 2025
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Episode 424: A chat with Demi Griffin
April 26, 2025
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Episode 423: A Chat with Hope Toler Dougherty
April 21, 2025
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Episode 422: A Chat with Becca Wierwille
April 19, 2025
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Episode 421: A chat with Chawna Schroeder
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Episode 420: A Chat with Jeremiah Friedli
April 12, 2025
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👉Find your copy and start reading today. 🔗 in bio.

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