One Night before Christmas

By: Serenity Woods

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

One night with a scarred stranger for a million pounds. What would you do?

This Christmas, I’m a modern-day Bob Cratchit, struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over the head of my disabled daughter, Immi. With bills piling up, holiday gifts and a festive dinner are an impossible dream.

Then a last-minute kitchen job at Midnight in Mayfair, an exclusive London nightclub, changes everything. When I help an injured dancer, I catch the eye of the club's owner, Te Ariki Thompson: tall, Māori, rich, scarred, and extremely intimidating. He suggests I fill in for her. I’m ready to refuse—until I realize how much it pays.

After watching my performance, Te Ariki offers me another five thousand pounds for a private dance. Desperation wins, and I can’t resist. Then he asks me to return the next evening. Night after night, I find myself dancing just for him, gradually glimpsing the man beneath the scars.

Then he makes an unthinkable proposal: one million pounds for a single night together, with two conditions—he’ll blindfold me, and I must agree to be restrained. I’m terrified, but the money could change everything for Immi and me.

I don’t expect to fall for him. But after that night, Te Ariki expects me to walk away. What happens when Beauty can’t leave her Beast?

The monotone of the virtual voice. Ugh!

Did not like the virtual voice. Both the male and female voices were the same AND there was no feeling. Very automated.

Magical story

If you love Christmas romances look no further than One Night Before Christmas because this a magical very special read. This is single mum Astrid and Mayfair club owner Te Ariki Thompson’s emotional and entertaining story.
The narration was different but I still enjoyed it.
When Astrid turns up at the club for one nights work in the kitchen she catches a dancer who has fallen down the stairs and that from this moment on her life is about to change….she just doesn’t know it.
Dancing in a nightclub is not her ideal job but when club owner Te Ariki offers her a job with a salary she can’t refuse she knows this money will help her disabled daughter Immi. What follows is a heartbreaking and heartwarming journey as Astrid gets to know the man behind the mask.
This story has so much depth, it’s full of love, passion, friendship, empathy and more importantly it’s well written with wonderful characters. I’m used to this author taking me on a journey through New Zealand but this time she took me to Mayfair, London and once again she captivated me as I watched a Christmas miracle unfold. Another wonderful read from the very talented Ms Serenity Woods.

virtual voice

I liked the story and it's the only reason I finished the book. However as another review mentions, the virtual voice is EXACTLY the same for the male and female characters and it's hard to tell when it's the story or the characters talking. There is no inflection or feeling in the narration. If I would have realized it was AI narration I would not have bought the book.