Last year, when Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings was published I was lucky enough to ask each of the authors involved in the anthology a question which they answered here! Sadly, I didn’t have chance to read the book and with all the glowing reviews from my fellow bloggers I was very disappointed not to have done so.

When author Helena Fairfax got in touch about a brand new collection of stories, Christmas at Miss Moonshine’s Emporium and asked if she could send me a copy I jumped at the chance finally to meet Miss Moonshine in person and am thrilled to share my review today.

Christmas at Miss Moonshine’s Emporium is available for purchase here where you’ll also find more details about the authors.

Christmas at Miss Moonshine’s Emporium

There’s something magical about Miss Moonshine’s Wonderful Emporium, and at Christmas she brings an added sparkle to the inhabitants of the pretty Yorkshire town of Haven Bridge. Customers who step over her threshold find an eccentric collection of gifts, but Miss Moonshine has a rare knack for providing exactly what they need: a strange Advent calendar whose doors give a glimpse of a happy ending; a vintage typewriter that types a ghostly message from Christmas past; a mirror in a silver case that reflects the person you’d like to be.

Step inside Miss Moonshine’s quirky shop, and the thing you need most for Christmas will be right there, waiting for you…

Nine romantic novelists from Yorkshire and Lancashire, including best-selling and award-winning authors, have joined together to create this collection of uplifting festive stories guaranteed to warm your heart. This intriguing mix of historical and contemporary romances will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the magic of Christmas.

My Review

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Christmas at Miss Moonshine’s Emporium

Nine short stories involving Miss Moonshine’s Emporium.

I loved every moment of my time in Haven Bridge with Miss Moonshine. My only complaint is that I had the overwhelming urge to eat mince pies throughout!

This is such a delightful collection of stories. Not one of them is less than perfectly written. I couldn’t believe how brilliantly the stories have unity with the setting of Haven Bridge, Miss Moonshine, her quirky clothes, Napoleon the dog and with romance at their heart and yet they retain an individual authorial style too, so that there is a tale for every reader’s tastes; there’s modern and historical eras, there is laughter and there are tears, there’s family, relationships, love and loss, birth and death so that whilst Christmas at Miss Moonshine’s Emporium can be read purely for heartwarming entertainment and sheer escapism, there is a wonderful depth too.

The characters in all of the stories instantly appeal because they have the same hopes, fears and problems as we all have, making them relatable and endearing. Miss Moonshine is the star throughout, however, in all her incarnations. I found her 1912 persona particularly touching because she is obviously fully aware of the events about to unfold just a short while later. The manner with which she understands just what those visiting her emporium need in their lives adds the perfect sparkle of magic to the stories making them wonderfully festive.

The quality of storytelling is so good. Each of these talented authors has crafted a narrative that draws in the reader and gives them a satisfying and diverting reading experience that is simply marvellous.

I absolutely adored this collection. It kept calling to me when I wasn’t reading it. I wanted to know who I’d meet in the next story and what Miss Moonshine might achieve. Christmas at Miss Moonshine’s Emporium brought me sheer joy as a reader. It lifted my spirits, entertained me royally and transported me out of my own world to that of Haven Bridge simply flawlessly. Magical, gladdening and beautifully crafted, I can’t recommend Christmas at Miss Moonshine’s Emporium highly enough. It really is a wonderful collection.

The Authors on the Edge

The Authors on the Edge are Mary Jayne Baker, Sophie Claire, Jacqui Cooper, Helena Fairfax, Kate Field, Melinda Hammond, Marie Laval, Helen Pollard and Angela Wren.