I’ve had The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman calling to me from my TBR for a while so it was brilliant to be able to read it for the latest of my My Weekly online reviews.

Published by Bonnier imprint Manilla Press, The Witches of Vardø is available for purchase in all good bookshops and online including here.

The Witches of Vardø

Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. After recently widowed Zigri’s affair with the local merchant is discovered, she is sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried as a witch.

Zigri’s daughter Ingeborg sets off into the wilderness to try to bring her mother back home. Accompanying her on this quest is Maren – herself the daughter of a witch – whose wild nature and unconquerable spirit gives Ingeborg the courage to venture into the unknown, and to risk all she has to save her family.

Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark’s mistress, who has been sent in disgrace to the island of Vardø. What will she do – and who will she betray – to return to her privileged life at court?

These Witches of Vardø are stronger than even the King. In an age weighted against them, they refuse to be victims. They will have their justice. All they need do is show their power.

My Review of The Witches of Vardø

My full review of The Witches of Vardø can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that The Witches of Vardø is a mesmerising, brutal and beautiful story that stays with the reader long after it has been read. This is very powerful storytelling.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Anya Bergman

Anya Bergman became interested in the witch trials of Vardø and the vivid folk tales of the north while living in Norway. Travelling to the Steilneset memorial, in which Louise Bourgeois and Peter Zumthor commemorated those persecuted as witches, she became fascinated by their stories. Now resident in Ireland, she is currently undertaking a PhD by Published Works at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland where she also lectures as well as tutoring for Jericho Writers. She is working on her next novel, which unites the fates of two very different women against the tumultuous backdrop of the French Revolution.

For further information, visit Anya’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @anyacbergman and find Anya on Instagram.

My enormous thanks to the lovely team at Bookouture for sending me a copy of Snowed In by Catherine Walsh in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Bookouture on 1st November 2023, Snowed In is available for purchase here.

Snowed In

Megan is dreading going home for the holidays. She’s the village pariah, the she-devil who left local golden boy Isaac at the altar four years ago and ran away to the big city. She could really do without the drama. Particularly as he’s engaged again, and she’s just been dumped for the fourth time this year.

Christian’s fed up of being on his own every Christmas. He doesn’t mind being alone, but he hates his family’s sad eyes and soft tones as they sit around coupled up. Because he’s actually, totally, fine.

So when Megan literally bumps into Christian in a Dublin pub, they come up with a pact to see them through the holiday season. They’re going to be the very best fake dates for each other, ever.

Rules are drawn up, a contract is signed on a wine-stained napkin. They will sit through each other’s family gatherings and be outrageously in love until freed from their annual obligations. After all, it’s only for a few weeks.

But with everyone home for the holidays, two big families to deal with alongside old friends, old flames and old feelings, things are bound to get messy. And when a snowed-in cabin and a little Christmas magic are added to the mix, anything could happen…

My Review of Snowed In

Megan is on the run from her own wedding.

What a gorgeous, witty, romantic, Christmassy story. I absolutely loved Snowed In. Catherine Walsh writes with an effortless style that draws in her reader and keeps them spell bound by her storytelling. Her descriptions add the perfect amount of detail and her dialogue is natural and believable so that combined they enhance her setting, plot and characters. 

It’s a fabulous plot. Of course, much of Snowed In is as any reader of romantic fiction would hope, and it’s incredibly satisfying to read with just the right amount of sexiness and love woven in, but at the same time Catherine Walsh does not shy away from bigger themes too. Megan’s reasons for leaving Isaac at the altar, Christian’s relationship with his father and the ways in which society can make assumptions about, and judge, others are all serious enough to add depth without for one moment spoiling what is a smashing romance. 

I loved meeting Megan and Christian. What I enjoyed so much was the fact that Christian isn’t some conventionally hard boiled, grumpy hero who is miraculously ‘cured’ by Megan as the only heroine who can break through his tough veneer. Rather, this is the story of two warm, vivid individuals who have a past that affects them and who get to know one another in a natural, funny and engaging way. From the very beginning it is impossible not to care about them. The other characters feel equally real, as do the familial relationships so that there’s much to relate to in Snowed In as well as to enjoy. I thought this was such lovely writing. 

I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed Snowed In. It’s the kind of book that entertains beautifully and leaves the reader feeling uplifted, hopeful and happy. Snowed In deserves to be read by a crackling fire on a cold winter’s afternoon as it transports the reader from the cares of the world into a narrative that has every romantic fiction element blended into a beautiful, transporting story. It’s a total smasher! Don’t miss it.

About Catherine Walsh

Catherine Walsh was born and raised in Ireland.

She lived in London for a few years before returning to Dublin where she now lives between the mountains and the sea. When not writing she is trying and failing to not kill her houseplants.

For further information, Visit Catherine’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @CatWalshWriter or find Catherine on Instagram.

My huge thanks to Libby Haddock at Allison and Busby for sending me a copy of The Runaway Heiress by Emma Orchard in return for an honest review. It’s so good to read in a genre that doesn’t usually appear on Linda’s Book Bag and I’m delighted to share my review today.

The Runaway Heiress is published by Allison and Busby on 2nd November 2023 and is available for purchase here and directly through the publisher here.

The Runaway Heiress

London, 1815. Cassandra Hazeldon is on the run.

Under duress to marry a repellent friend of her uncle, Cassandra has made her escape, but now she is very much alone. With luck and quick thinking, she finds a refuge in a grand mansion in Mayfair, and a protector in Lord Irlam, or Hal to his friends.

Posing as a friend of Hal’s sister, Cassandra is swept up into the social whirl of a Brighton summer. But the attraction between her and Hal is starting to scorch, and when jealousy is added to the mix, things are set to reach boiling point.

My Review of The Runaway Heiress

Cassandra’s on the run. 

If you’re expecting demure, socially constrained Regency niceties in The Runaway Heiress you have chosen the wrong book! Emma Orchard’s story is fast paced and absolutely sizzles with sexual tension and some pretty racy passages that make not only Cass and Hal hot under the collar, but are highly charged for the reader too! 

Certainly the era is satisfyingly portrayed, particularly through the author’s style and direct speech so that the time is conveyed completely convincingly. Aspects like betrothal, reputation, wealth and so on all fit the genre really well, but it was the dramatic, stormy and very sexy relationship between Cass and Hal that I so enjoyed. 

Hal is a wonderful contradiction of conventional manners, caring for his orphaned younger siblings and upholding reputations, whilst simmering with desire for Cassandra. Cass, meanwhile, is passionate, scrupulously honest and strong, yet vulnerable and threatened so that between the two they epitomise the need to uphold the veneer of civilised behaviour whilst desperately wanting to undermine it. This makes for great tension and brilliant romance. 

I loved the plot. It bubbles with just enough historical detail to create interest, involves a wonderful balance of primary and secondary characters and it steams along at a cracking pace. The concept of a female’s place in society also cleverly underpins the narrative so that there’s an added dimension of feminism to enjoy in the story.

Regency romance is a genre I almost never read and indeed have often avoided thinking it wasn’t for me, but I so enjoyed The Runaway Heiress that I might have to revise my opinions!  The Runaway Heiress is a fast-paced, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable book that held my rapt attention throughout! 

About Emma Orchard

Emma Orchard grew up in Salford and was given tickets to the grown-up library at the age of 11 because she’d read all the children’s books and the librarians were sick of the sight of her. She became obsessed with Georgette Heyer and hasn’t stopped reading her novels since. She studied English Literature at university and went on to work at Mills & Boon and behind the scenes in television and in publishing.

For further information, follow Emma on Twitter/X @EmmaOrchardB and find her on Instagram.

I’ve been meaning to review children’s book The Magic of Forests by Vicky Woodgate for months but life simply got the better of me. However, I’m delighted finally to share my review and would like to thank Natasha Finn at DK Books for sending me a copy way back in August.

The Magic of Forests was published by DK Books on 3rd August 2023 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Magic of Forests

Discover the world of forests, from the inner workings of trees to the legends of ancient woodlands in this magical guide.

What goes on inside a tree? Can trees communicate with each other? Why are rainforests called the lungs of the Earth? What is tree bathing? All these questions and many more are covered in this practical guide to everything there is to know about forests and how important they are to us.

Children aged 7-9 will be led into the depths of forests thousands of years old, and learn about unbelievable natural phenomena, such as the forests that have wandered away from their original homes. As well as the scientific side of forests, this book will delve into the stories people tell about forests, from fairies and the tales of the Brothers Grimm, to fearsome beasts and the real-life historical figures who have explored the most dense and mysterious woodlands.

This magical forest book for children offers:

– Interesting facts, quizzes, activities, and tips all about forests and the natural world.
– Information on everything you can think of about forests, including science, history, how humans use and need them, and much more.
– Easy-to-read text for children aged 7-9 which includes key vocabulary about the natural world.

The Magic of Forests is perfect for children with an interest in nature, geography, and legends, and anyone who wants to learn all about the science and history behind forests. Author Vicky Woodgate introduces a beautifully-illustrated and informative book to teach your child everything they need to know about forests in this follow up title to the popular The Magic of Sleep and The Magic of Seasons.

My Review of The Magic of Forests

An exploration of forests.

Sometimes it’s quite hard to say anything about a book that doesn’t just repeat the blurb! So it is with The Magic of Forests. It’s a super book for children simply brimming with information, facts and wonderful illustrations.

In common with all the DK books I’ve had the privilege to read, The Magic of Forests is produced to the very highest standard. It is a fantastic size for home use or for sharing in other settings like schools. It has a durable and robust cover that makes it excellent value for money because it will be long lasting if many young hands come into contact with it. If I had any quibble at all it is that a couple of pages have background illustrations that removed a little clarity from the text for someone with challenging sight, but that is really nit-picking!

That one small comment aside, I loved this children’s book. The iterative image of Mimi the cat leading children though all the information is witty, effective and huge fun. It really engages young readers. The Magic of Forests contains so much information, with quiz sections and activities as well as all the facts, that it is a book a child can come back to time and again. Aimed at 7-9 year olds, I can easily see The Magic of Forests remaining a firm favourite with young readers well into secondary age. I thought the indoor and outdoor activities suggested were just lovely.

Whilst The Magic of Forests would be a fantastic gift book for any child with even the remotest interest in nature, it would make a stunning addition to any school setting. There’s science, nature, the environment, people, and so much more that it could easily be a catalyst for classroom activities. As a result of reading The Magic of Forests, I found myself researching the ‘Fabulous Forest Folk’ and the book could easily promote research skills (even just through using the Index and Glossary to show children how to use a reference book for example), project work (I’d never really thought about underwater forests as forests before) and oral presentations about the different animals included perhaps. The folklore of forests from different countries would be a wonderful introduction to multi-cultural story-telling. Indeed, there’s so much packed into this magnificent book it almost made me want to get back in a classroom to share it with children, and those who know me will realise that’s one heck of a compliment to Vicky Woodgate.

Text, new vocabulary, facts and figures aside, it’s impossible not to mention the brilliant illustrations. They really are quite wonderful and any reluctant reader would be drawn in completely. The colours, flora and fauna are presented with a naïve style that appeals to young readers whilst retaining an elegance that doesn’t belittle them, making the book feel accessible and grown up at the same time.

The Magic of Forests does exactly what it should. It educates, fascinates and engages and provides a fabulous insight into nature. I thought it was excellent.

About Vicky Woodgate

Vicky Woodgate has been drawing since a toddler! This passion for scribbling lead her to a career in commercial art for 20 years. After graduating from Chelsea College of Art in London, she worked all over the planet on fun interesting projects in TV, Film and Theme Parks, painting huge murals, backdrops and sets, she then moved into illustrating and publishing.

In 2016 she signed her first book deal to write and illustrate books for children and has been having fun ever since! Her very first book Urban Jungle for Big Picture Press was all about animals in cities around the world, the idea coming from a trip to Athens where she spotted tortoise living in the centre of the city! Next up was A World Of Birds and soon to be released A World of Dinosaurs – Also with Big Picture Press.

Her new book which she is SUPER proud of is called The Magic Of Sleep published by DK – its PAWSOME and Yawnsome!

She currently lives on the south coast of England with her husband and sleep expert Moka cat, a demanding old Siamese who has a love for fish, smooths and sleep.

For further information, visit Vicky’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @vickywoodgate and find Vicky on Instagram and Faceboook.

I’ve had the privilege of reviewing some brilliant books for My Weekly and the latest of my reviews, is the wonderful Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu.

Published by Harper Collins on 12th October 2023, Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone is available for purchase through the links here.

Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone

Mrs. Sidhu – unofficial Aunty to everyone, caterer, and amateur sleuth from Slough – spices up the lives of Berkshire’s elite with both her mouth-watering dishes and her sharp detective skills. But when she stirs up trouble among the rich and ruthless, she finds herself an outsider in her own community.

Banished to the kitchen by her boss and sentenced to an endless loop of aubergine bhajis, Mrs. Sidhu seizes the opportunity to whip up a new recipe for success – getting a job as a private chef at an exclusive celebrity rehab retreat. But when a therapist is found dead in the quiet village, Mrs Sidhu’s appetite for mystery is rekindled.

As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that the killer is picking victims through a twisted raffle at the village fete. Is a vengeful spirit returning to exact a horrifying revenge, or is there an impostor among the residents hiding a deadly secret?

My Review of Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone

My full review of Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone is a total treat of a read, being fast paced, witty, funny and totally captivating. I absolutely loved it and it’s one of my favourite reads this year!

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Suk Pannu

Suk Pannu wrote for Goodness, Gracious, Me and five series of the Emmy Award winning Kumars at No. 42. He’s written for BBC’s My Family and is a regular contributor to TV and Radio sketch and topical shows with spells on The News Quiz, Swinging, Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive.

His debut cosy crime novel, Dead and Scone is published by HarperCollins.

For further information, follow Suk on Twitter/X @sukpannu and find him on Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to participate in the blog tour got The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani. I’m delighted to share my review today.

TheTwelve Days of Murder is published by Zaffre today, 26th October 2023 and is available for purchase here.

The Twelve Days of Murder

Find the truth. Solve the murder. Never reveal your secret.

Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at university: The Murder Masquerade Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, but they were always fictional – until their final Christmas puzzle, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again.

Now, the remaining members receive an invitation to a reunion masquerade, to be held in a beautiful and remote country house in Scotland. The game begins, and it feels just like old times.

Until the next morning, when Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree.

It quickly becomes clear that in this game, the murder will be all too real, and the story is bringing long-hidden secrets to the surface. If they hope to survive the festive season then they will need to face the truth about what happened on that fateful night twelve years ago.

My Review of The Twelve Days of Murder

Several friends are spending Christmas together.

The Twelve Days of Murder seethes with menace and toxicity as the Masqueraders reunite for a Christmas Murder mystery weekend. From the very beginning when we witness Charley’s journey to the meet up, there is a sense that something nasty is going to happen and because so much is seen from Charley’s perspective, the reader is totally enmeshed in the story. 

The structure of the narrative is so clever. The freshness and ingenuity of the plot is enhanced by the traditional five act structure, and the lynchpin of the familiar Twelve Days of Christmas song, reimagined so violently and viscerally, makes the story both captivating and rather unsettling. With an almost hypnotic pendulum of timed past sections gradually adding to the understanding of the current events, Andreina Cordani provides intriguing detail. I thought the way the tenses in the writing reflected the action worked brilliantly and gave an immediacy to the present day sections. Part One sets up the insidious, untrustworthy nature of all the characters, giving tantalising glimpses into who they really are beneath the surface so that I found myself well and truly hooked into wanting to find out more. It’s such a clever trope of people playing multiple roles, not just in their murder mystery gatherings, but in real life, so that the thin veneer of civilisation is in danger of cracking at any moment. This has the effect of making the reader suspect every single character of being a murderer, and as clues are presented and the truth uncovered, Andreina Cordani takes her reader on an interesting, thrilling and dangerous ride. 

The setting is equally traditional and equally innovatively used. The characters are trapped by the weather, lack of phone signal and blocked roads, but they are also trapped by their own secrets and lies so that the tension is ramped up throughout. I loathed almost of all of them, trusted none of them and was entirely mesmerised trying to decide who was likely to be the next victim and who the perpetrator might be. There’s an uncomfortable pleasure in trying to work out those elements that almost makes the reader feel as culpably unpleasant as the people. I thought this was such skilled writing.

The themes woven into The Twelve Days of Murder are so pertinent to today’s world of cronyism, class division, bullying and corruption that the book has an edginess that enhances its impact. I think that whilst it’s a captivating story, it’s one that lingers after it is finished in a rather disquieting fashion, making the reader think.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Twelve Days of Murder. It’s brilliantly plotted, fast paced and entertaining and absolutely perfect for setting down to read on a cold winter’s afternoon, although it might make you look twice at any guests staying over Christmas! 

About Andreina Cordani

Before writing her first novel, Andreina Cordani was a senior editor and writer for women’s magazines including Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan. Her assignments included interviewing gun-toting moms on the school run, ordering illegal DIY Botox online and learning to do the splits in eight weeks.

She lives on the Dorset coast with her family where she reads voraciously, occasionally makes TikTok videos and swims in the sea. She is the author of two dark thrillers for young adults, The Girl Who… and Dead Lucky. The Twelve Days of Murder is her first novel for adults

For further information, visit her website, follow Andreina on Twitter/X @AndreinaCordani and find her on Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My grateful thanks to Kirsten Knight at EK Books for sending me a copy of the children’s book Butterfly Girl by Ashling Kwok and Arielle Li in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

Butterfly Girl was released by EK Books in the UK on 10th October and is available for purchase here.

Butterfly Girl

Butterfly Girl is a charming and sensitively illustrated book about friendship and making space for animals, even in an urban environment. Olivia, who loves butterflies, has to leave her home in the countryside and move into a city apartment. Feeling lonely without her fluttering friends, she realises she needs to transform her bare balcony if she wants her friends to visit — and that turns out to be a great way to meet her new neighbours!

My Review of Butterfly Girl

Olivia has moved to the city.

As I have come to expect from EK Books, Butterfly Girl is beautifully produced with physical qualities that mean it is hard wearing and robust. Made from managed forestry, with a strong cover and wonderful end papers, Butterfly Girl would be wonderful as a home gift for a young reader or could be perfect for use in educational and social settings. Indeed, I have to comment immediately on the end papers at the back of Butterfly Girl as they are not only beautifully illustrated, but they have 5 wonderful sections of facts about butterflies and guidelines for creating a community butterfly garden that will guide and inspire readers of any age.

Butterfly Girl is a heart-warming story too. Olivia loves butterflies and is surrounded by them in the country, but when she moves to the city her life becomes grey and friendless. The fabulous artwork illustrates this as it moves into a more monochrome palette.  Olivia sets out to recreate a setting that will bring butterflies to her again and in doing so, by helping others build a more beautiful environment, she gains not just butterflies, but friends too. I loved the fact that the people in the story are illustrated as multi-ethnic and multi-generational because it makes the book inclusive.

The language used in Butterfly Girl is accessible for young readers and with far more illustration to text there’s nothing daunting to deter the most reluctant reader. However, alongside the beautiful illustrations, the great balance of text to image, and a lovely story in its own right, it is the themes that make Butterfly Girl such a success. It’s a book that gently teaches about the environment. It shows children how they do have power to change the area they live in, giving children status in what can be a challenging world, it shows how helping others can lead to friendship and happiness and it reassures children whose own circumstances are daunting,  perhaps in having to move home like Olivia, that it can be a positive thing.

I thought Butterfly Girl was a smashing children’s book and thoroughly recommend it.

About Ashling Kwok

My enormous thanks to Kate Shepherd for sending me a copy of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar way back in August. I’m delighted finally to share my review today.

Published by Hera, The Gingerbread Christmas Village is available for purchase through the links here.

The Gingerbread Christmas Village

Everyone deserves a Christmas treat…

The annual Wheaton gingerbread exhibit (a model village made of gingerbread) and grotto has been an important part of the sleepy Cotswold hamlet’s Christmas celebrations for decades.

For years the gingerbread exhibition drew visitors from across the region and each year the model town grew more elaborate and ambitious but recently, interest has been dwindling. The gingerbread grotto needs to be rehomed or close forever.

Sixty-four-year-old Margi, the event’s founder, has had enough of village life (and its total lack of eligible men) and is planning to sell up and head to Birmingham to live closer to her niece.

She has lost her spark and her Christmas spirit and decides this will be her last gingerbread village, but despairs when she finds her only support is her old friend, Izzy, her niece Lucy from Birmingham, and Fern, the shy young farmer’s daughter. Oh, and Patrick, the gorgeous, reliable school caretaker.

As if this wasn’t enough, Lucy is determined to get her out dating again and persuades her to try some online dating apps but Margi’s had her heart broken too many times and wonders if she has just missed her chance.

Can they save the Gingerbread Grotto and can Margi get her old spark and her Christmas spirit back?

My Review of The Gingerbread Christmas Village

Margi has lost her Christmas spirit.

What a lovely, lovely Christmas story. I had expected a heart-warming book but had reckoned without Kiley Dunbar’s cinematic style that creates the Cotswold setting of Wheaton so evocatively. The village is brilliantly depicted so that it is as if the reader is walking the streets of Wheaton, but descriptions never detract from the glorious storytelling so that The Gingerbread Christmas Village is a total joy to read. 

The plot is so entertaining, partly because much of it is highly relatable making the reader feel as if the action could be true. Similarly, it is Margi’s conversational tone that makes the reader feel included, as if an old and much loved friend is chatting to them. I felt as if I’d known and loved her for years.

And this familiarity is at the heart of the novel’s success. What a total joy to discover a woman in her mid sixties who is central to the action and not a mere add on to cater for the more mature reader. She may have lost some of her Christmas spirit at the start of the story, she may be stubborn and too concerned with what others think of her, but she is vivid, real and strong, making her attractive and engaging. It is impossible to read about her, understand her innermost thoughts and witness her actions without wanting to shake her, to cheer her and to wish for the most perfect ending for her. 

Indeed, I found all the characters completely real, warm and engaging. I was half in love with Patrick from the moment I met him and I thought Fern was a wonderful counterbalance to Margi. At the younger end of the age spectrum she illustrates just how we shouldn’t judge others by initial appearances.

And, aside from a hugely entertaining (and, at times, surprisingly emotional) narrative I think it is the themes that make The Gingerbread Christmas Village such an uplifting and enjoyable read. There’s a real sense of community – with a full spectrum of local issues from business rivalry and historic grudges to the use of social media and local planning that could easily happen in any rural village. But the strongest and most affecting theme of all here is Kiley Dunbar’s wonderful exploration of love. She pitches it to perfection, making The Gingerbread Christmas Village the kind of book that makes you feel warm, happy and determined – like Margi –  to live your best life.

I thought The Gingerbread Christmas Village was simply lovely. It made me feel some of that magic of Christmas from when I was a child and it is a total tonic of a book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

About Kiley Dunbar

Dr Kiley Dunbar is a Scot living over the border in Northern England where she teaches English and creative writing, devours romance novels, fusses over Amos the Bedlington Terrier, and loves two little Dunbars. She thinks making imaginary people find happiness and fall in hopelessly in love has to be the best job in the world.

For further information, visit Kiley’s website, and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Georgia Hill for sending me a copy of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

I can’t believe it’s over 7 years since I last read anything by Georgia! It was back in 2016 that I reviewed While I Was Waiting in a post you’ll find here.

Published by Bloodhound, New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is available for purchase here.

New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage

Christmas is the perfect time to fall in love. . .

The little English town of Lullbury Bay is a magical place to spend Christmas, and for Honor Martin it is the high point of her year.

However, newcomer Jago, doesn’t share her merry mood. After the devastating loss of his father he’d be happy to never hear another Christmas carol again.

But to help his little sister replace bad memories with good ones, he reluctantly joins in the festivities. As he gets to know her teacher, Honor, could she be the one to restore his love of Christmas?

My Review of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage

Avril, Jago and Merryn are starting a new life.

What a thoroughly lovely story. New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is the tale of a fresh start and the impact of the past on who we are today, all wrapped in romance and Christmas making for an interesting, entertaining and absorbing read.

The Dorset coastal setting is so well described by Georgia Hill as she places her reader right in the centre of the run up to Christmas. All the senses are catered for with wonderful food and drink, biting cold, raging seas and the touch of comforting hands so that there’s a smashing visual quality to the writing that feels immersive and convincing.

I loved meeting all the characters. There’s a real sense of community and yet everyone is distinct and appealing. The narrative is lightened by Merryn’s occasional malapropisms, and I found myself thoroughly respecting Avril as she starts over again. However, it is Jago and Honor who hold the reader rapt. I so wanted them to be together but you’ll need to read the book to find out if my wishes came true. Interestingly, I have absolutely no interest in religion, but the vicar Verity truly lived up to her name, enabling others to see the truth in their own lives without her pushing any particular religious belief so that I received the same kind of comfort from her that Jago finds. 

There are dramatic moments to the plot, but I thought the real attraction of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage came through the underpinning emotions and concepts. Indeed, alongside the exploration of family and the potential for cosy romance, Georgia Hill considers weightier themes that add depth, layers and interest. At the heart of New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is grief, a sense of responsibility and what it means to be true to yourself and honest with others. These concepts are beautifully and sensitively handled so that there’s much to think about whilst being absorbed in an entertaining, Christmassy story with a festive atmosphere created partly through a cracking playlist woven into the action.

New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage is charming, heart-warming and multi-layered story imbued with the real meaning of Christmas – love, hope and family. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About Georgia Hill

Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and timeslip romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. There’s always a dog. It’s usually a naughty spaniel of which, unfortunately, she has had much experience. She lives near the sea with her beloved dogs and husband (also beloved) and loves the books of Jane Austen, collecting elephants, Belgian chocolate and Strictly Come Dancing. She’s also a complete museum geek and finds inspiration for her books in the folklore and history of the many places in which she’s lived.

She’s worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making things up was what she really wanted to do.

She’s been happily creating believable heroines, intriguing men and page-turning stories ever since.

For further information, follow Georgia Hill on Twitter/X @georgiawrites, find her on Facebook, or visit Georgia’s website.

How can it possibly be five years since I last read a Sarah Morgan book, The Christmas Sisters reviewed here? Am I insane? I’m delighted to remedy that today by sharing my review of Sarah’s latest Christmas book, The Christmas Book Club and I’d like to thank Sian Baldwin at Harper Collins for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Published by HQ on 26th October, The Christmas Book Club is available for purchase through the links here.

The Christmas Book Club

A long-lasting friendship
Every year, Erica, Claudia, and Anna reunite for their book club holiday. They’re bonded by years of friendship and a deep love of books, but there is still so much they keep from each other . . .

A perfect Christmas escape
At the cosy Maple Sugar Inn, Hattie specialises in making her guests’ dreams come true, but this Christmas all she wants is to survive the festive season. Between running the inn and being a single mother, Hattie is close to breaking point.

The start of a brand-new story…?
Over the course of an eventful week, Hattie sees that the friends are each carrying around unspoken truths, but nothing prepares her for how deeply her story will become entwined in theirs. Will this Christmas be the end of the book club’s story or the start of a whole new chapter?

My Review of The Christmas Book Club

Erica, Claudia and Anna are staying at Hattie’s hotel.

My goodness. The Christmas Book Club is the most perfect Christmas read. It’s a complete love letter to friendship and family with added romance and a glorious smattering of books thrown in. I thoroughly appreciated Sarah Morgan’s carefully pitched celebration of the romance genre in her story.

The Maple Sugar Inn is a wonderful setting. Hattie has created a place to stay that is so vividly depicted by Sarah Morgan that it made me want to check in immediately. There’s just enough mention of gifts, snow, food and roaring fires to entice the reader and enhance the narrative. The setting is everyone’s dream of the perfect winter experience and is a glorious backdrop to the action.

The women at the heart of the story are vibrant and realistic. Each has her own doubts, issues and secrets and the rapport between Erica, Claudia and Anna feels so natural that it’s impossible not to want to be part of their lives. There are references to their appearance, but I so enjoyed the greater focus on their personalities and their lives, because this is the heart of who we are. I cared what happened to them. I was even convinced by Delphi and this is testament to Sarah Morgan’s skill because I frequently loathe children in fiction as too stereotyped. Here, however, Delphi helps the narrative to progress but in a highly realistic and appealing manner. 

I thought the plot was equally attractive. The events are completely plausible and the outcomes hugely satisfying, so that I think The Christmas Book Club would be an ideal Christmas film. Much of the action is predicated on feelings and emotions so that there is something for every reader to relate to.

Consequently, despite the fact that The Christmas Book Club has every ingredient desired for a gorgeous, escapist winter read, it is the depth of human understanding Sarah Morgan displays that made me love it so much. Issues of trust and the impact of upbringing, the concepts of family, marriage and responsibility, the ways in which we can lose sight of what is most important in our lives, the acceptance of change, and so much more, permeates these pages so that this lovely story also helps the reader to reassess their own life, to find joy in the small things and even, perhaps, to reconnect with those they may have become distanced from. 

I loved The Christmas Book Club. I suggest putting your phone on silent, making a hot chocolate and totally immersing yourself into this heart-warming, life affirming and entertaining book. It really is rather special. 

About Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of romance and women’s fiction. She has sold over 21 million copies of her books and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe.

Sarah lives near London, England and when she isn’t writing or reading, she likes to spend time outdoors hiking or riding her mountain bike.

For further information, join Sarah’s mailing list by visiting her website. You can also find Sarah on Facebook or Twitter/X @SarahMorgan_ and on Instagram.