Celebrate Lit / October 19, 2026

Belle’s Christmas Carol

About the Book Belle’s Christmas Carol

Book: Belle’s Christmas Carol

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance

Release Date: September 1, 2026

While all of London waits for snow, an orphanage in need holds holiday cheer, sparks of love, and secrets waiting to be discovered.

When Ebenezer Scrooge’s former fiancée, Belle Beaumont, unexpectedly inherits a struggling London orphanage, she dreams of giving the children of Haven House the most splendid Christmas they’ve ever known. But her vision of snowflakes and merriment quickly collides with reality: Fire damage has rendered part of the building unsafe, and the paperwork is years behind.

Barrister Rafe Munro is fighting to clear an innocent man and searching for a child who may be his relative. His pursuit leads him to Haven House, where Rafe offers to help Belle sort through the chaotic records that might lead to the missing child. Amid the mayhem of running an orphanage full of mischievous children and eccentric staff, will Belle and Rafe find love and the answers they seek this holiday season?

With characters from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, this festive historical romance Christmas novella of family and second chances from Michelle Griep is set in Victorian England and perfect for fans of Julie Klassen and Mimi Matthews.

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My Thoughts on Belle’s Christmas Carol

My favorite Christmas movie is “A Muppet Christmas Carol”. I love it! And my favorite part is the song about love being gone that Belle sings. So of course, I had to read this one!

And it did not disappoint!

I loved getting to know Belle better. She’s sweet and wonderful and all the good things that I knew she should be. An orphanage where she volunteers loses its headmistress, and she has named Belle to take over her position. The orphanage is struggling, though. The children are bickering, and the older ones are not nice to the younger ones. Let’s not chat about the ragtag staff and what they think is appropriate, though they are endearing.

And then comes Rafe. He’s a lawyer. And he’s becoming a bit jaded. He fights for others, and sometimes he feels like justice isn’t being served. He wants to always fight for the right and doesn’t understand how others can be okay with wrong.

But now?

He’s not after a killer or proving innocence. He is simply looking to see if his sister’s child is at the orphanage. And if the child is, he means to take him or her home with him. Because family is everything, and his sister is gone from this world.

Imagine the shock he feels when the records are a mess, there is a room that has been burned, and the new director has no idea what she’s in for. Oh, and the fact that she’s his age and lovely doesn’t hurt. So he comes back, and comes back, and ends up helping out. The children love him, and Belle is beginning to as well.

Can it be too good to be true?

Of course it is! While this isn’t the author’s normal dark and broody mystery novel, it does have some intense moments and will definitely keep you reading. And yes, Ebenezer Scrooge makes an appearance or two.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of Belle’s Christmas Carol

Michelle Griep is an award-winning author known for her captivating historical romances. With a keen eye for detail, she pens tales that transport readers to the past where they’ll experience romance, adventure, and unforgettable characters. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her garden scaring away armadillos.

More from Michelle

Why I Gave Scrooge’s Belle Her Own Christmas Carol

Guest post by Michelle Griep

I’ve always been suspicious of characters who appear just long enough to break your heart and then vanish without so much as a forwarding address. Belle from A Christmas Carol is one of those.

Scrooge, of course, gets the full treatment. Ghosts. Doom. Moral terror. A dramatic overnight transformation. Turkey delivery. The works. And yes, yes, it’s all very moving. But Belle? Come on. All she gets is one aching goodbye and then is shoved neatly into Scrooge’s past.

So, excuse me, Mr Dickens, but I have questions.

What became of the woman who loved Ebenezer before greed got to him? Did she regret walking away? Did Christmas ever sting? Did she build a fine, sensible life or did some little corner of her heart still ache for him or not? That wondering became Belle’s Christmas Carol.

In my story, Belle Beaumont unexpectedly inherits Haven House, a struggling London orphanage with fire damage, muddled ledgers, eccentric staff, and children who are more than rambunctious. Naturally, Belle decides she will set everything to rights and give the children the most splendid Christmas imaginable because—like me—apparently the woman has never heard of pacing herself.

Then along comes Rafe Munro, a handsome barrister searching for a missing child, and Belle’s tidy plans start to change. Oh, did I mention he’s single? That’s because I wanted Belle to be more than Scrooge’s lost love. I wanted her to have grit, flaws, hope, purpose, and a future all her own.

Because sometimes the story doesn’t end with goodbye. Sometimes that’s where the real story begins.