Hi, I hope you’re all having a lovely December so far and are looking forward to Christmastime, if you celebrate it.

I LOVE Christmas! I love the quality time spent with family and friends, Church, the food, drinks, films and of course, books! Time is ticking on so I thought I’d share some of the Christmassy/Wintery reads that I highly recommend, and that have been recommended by some of my fellow book lovers, for you all to enjoy! A big thank you to all who contributed xx

‘Twelve Christmas Crackers and a Boxing Day Treat’ is the ultimate escape kit from the rigours of the family festivities; a chance for you to take five and unwind before pitching back into the fray! These adult short stories will have you puzzling and pondering, laughing and crying, snorting and sighing. Most have a twist in the tail and will keep you guessing until the last line; all are themed around Christmas. ‘The Anniversary Trip’ has been filmed under the title ‘Second Honeymoon’ and was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Keith Bullock is the author of two published novels: ‘Winning Ticket’ (2017) and ‘Beyond the Sad-faced Clown’ (2018). Work begins on a feature-length film of ‘Winning Ticket’ by award-winning director Kaush Patel, in the autumn of 2018. With this collection of short stories, Keith has set out to amuse and refresh the weary Christmas celebrant in need of a little escapism and “me” time and themes range between cold, blood-thirsty reality, wishful virtual reality and wild, unadulterated fantasy. Relax, turn over the pages and meet your perfect fireside companion.

To purchase click HERE

ICYMI – My review – Twelve Christmas Crackers and a Boxing Day Treat by Keith Bullock #BookReview #Christmas #ShortStories

‘Literally couldn’t put it down!… makes you laugh and tugs at the heartstrings, all in one go!… absolutely perfect!… breath-taking… made me cry and it made me laugh… filled me with festive warm feelings… Love love LOVED it!!.’ Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars

Christmas is coming but it doesn’t feel that way for Esme. Jilted by her cheating fiancée Warren and mourning the death of her beloved grandmother she’s determined not to let life beat her and books a trip to Lapland, on a holiday that her grandmother had always dreamed of taking.

Beneath the indigo skies of Lapland, love is the last thing on Esme’s mind but she can’t ignore a spark with Zach, a broodingly handsome actor, also nursing a broken heart. But when Esme is bombarded by messages from Warren promising he’s changed and she discovers that Zach is hiding something-will her head be turned? And when a trip to the northern lights reveals the full extent Zach’s own secret past is there any hope that Esme will get the happy ending that her grandmother wished for her?

Readers are falling in love with The Christmas Wish:

‘Put a smile on my face!… I’ve LOVED it!… the most heart-warming of stories… loving every single page… drawing you in and not letting you go until the end of the very last page… totally captivated!’ Chat About Books, 5 stars 

⇑⇑⇑ That’s me! I didn’t realise I’d been quoted here until now! 🙂 🙂 🙂 

 

‘I absolutely loved this story. Got me feeling festive and ready for Christmas already! I lost myself in this story… It was perfect!… A brilliant heart-warming ending too… Beautiful.’ Between the Pages Book Blog

‘I loved this book from the first page, it was so enchanting… had you hooked… full of heartbreak, romance, finding out what you really want from life… Worth far more than five stars and didn’t want it to end… Simply brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘5++++stars. Loved this story right from the beginning… it was like I was there… I fell in love with the characters… Highly recommended.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘I loved everything about it and devoured it in one day straight!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Loved, loved, loved this Christmas book. I would highly recommend it to all. Thank you Tilly Tennant for this wonderful story.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Amazing… I read this story over the course of 48 hours and that says a lot considering my kids are needy lol.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Fabulous… I only meant to read a chapter or two but have ended up finishing it in one sitting!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Beautifully written… romantic, heart–warming… unputdownable. I loved it.’ The Cosiest Corner

‘Once started I had to finish.’ Fabulous Book Fiend, 5 stars

‘A book that I couldn’t put down. Pretty awesome… I read it in one sitting… I have no words to describe the emotions it invoked.’ The Karibbean Kollective, 5 stars

‘A once in a life-time trip of discovery, learning to love yourself, finding yourself and taking back your life. A heart-warming festive story set in a stunning location. Once I started reading I just could not stop!!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘This book had me in tears! A wonderful story of love, Christmas, and reclaiming yourself!!!’ My Life as a Dog Bed

To purchase click HERE

My review – The Christmas Wish by Tilly Tennant @TillyTenWriter @bookouture #BlogTour #BookReview

Bunch Courtney stumbles upon the body of Jonathan Frampton in a woodland clearing. Is this a case of suicide, or is it murder? Bunch is determined to discover the truth but can she persuade the dour Chief Inspector Wright to take her seriously?

In January of 1940 a small rural community on the Sussex Downs, already preparing for invasion from across the Channel, finds itself deep in the grip of a snowy landscape, with an ice-cold killer on the loose.

To purchase click HERE

My review – Winter Downs #BlogTour #BookReview @Jancoledwards @penkhullpress @BunchandDodo

In this book that you hold, a true story unfolds,
Of a Christmas not too long ago.
Where I’m lead to believe, on a cold Christmas eve,
Three Siblings played out in the snow.

As all children do, when the snow bustles through,
They built an acquaintance to scale.
But not a snow man, as suggested by Dan,
They built a snow queen, Elaine Gale

And they started to tell, how she’d cast an old spell,
For every child to be cruel.
For if no names exist, on Santa’s nice list,
There would be no Christmas at all.

But little did they know, as they played in the snow,
Before the night was through.
That story they told, would find life in the cold.
And every word would come true.

To purchase click HERE

My review – The Christmas Tale of Elaine Gale by Daniel Thompson @AuthorDThompson #BookReview #childrensbook

A gorgeous country house hotel, a liberal dusting of snow, a cosy weekend away…what more could Lizzie ask for at Christmas?

Every Christmas Lizzie promises herself that things will change and she will leap into the new year a new woman. And yet here she is again, at the beginning of December and nothing is different. Her girls have grown up and left home, her husband Henry is slumped in front of the TV and she is alone in the kitchen, seeking refuge in the cooking sherry and talking to her Gary Barlow calendar. She’s also been very diverted by handsome new neighbour Marcus and she knows she shouldn’t be …

So when best friend Ann suggests a weekend away in the country, Lizzie jumps at the chance. Will this Christmas escape give Lizzie some much needed perspective and allow her to mend her marriage? Or will Marcus prove to be too much of a distraction?

A funny feel good festive read about rediscovering the magic of Christmas – just the thing to curl up with on a cold winter’s night.

What everyone’s saying about Lizzie’s Christmas Escape:

‘This is sooo much more than a festive read…a powerful and emotional story that will stay with me for a very long time to come …simply stunning!‘ By the Letter Book Reviews

‘What a corker of a book! Relatable, enticing, full of humour and drama in double doses and with a huge dollop of Christmas sprinkled in! It’s pace doesn’t slow down for a second, from the first page you are hooked!’I Blog Books

‘I loved every page of this amazing, beautiful, lovely book. Highly recommended! Renita D’Silva

‘It makes you laugh and cry in equal measure, completely draws you in and on finishing I felt I had spent time with a couple of good friends. Like a glass of mulled wine it left me feeling warm and fuzzy. inside – perfect Christmas reading.’ Bloomin’ Brilliant Books

‘Heartwarming and will make you smile and shed a tear or two. A cosy jim jam and dressing gown kind of book to snuggle down with‘The Reading Shed

‘Make sure this is on your Christmas shopping list!’Deja Reads

‘It made me laugh and cry in equal measure … A great book about the strength and support of friendship no matter what life throws at you and how making the wrong decision can sometimes be the right one all set to the background of Christmas.’Jo’s Book Journey

‘Very relatable characters and a story written to make you laugh and cry makes this a great read!‘Angry Grey Cat Reads

‘An all round fun author to read!’Eat Your Books Out

‘This is an excellent book which swept me along so well that I read it in less than a day. I loved the characters and the story and will definitely be reading more by this author. This is definitely a book to read curled up with a mug of tea or hot chocolate.’ Bookloverwormblog

‘Fresh and funny!’For the love of Books

‘A very good story’ Rachel’s Random Reads

To purchase click HERE

My review – Lizzie’s Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow @ChristieJBarlow @bookouture #BookReview

Via Heide Goode…..

A delicious selection box of Christmas tales

Festive Treats is a selection box of Christmas tales stuffed full of delicious delights and surprises. Fifteen of the best writers around present you with seasonal stories that are, by turns, joyful, wondrous, bittersweet and heart-warming.

Includes stories by:
AA Abbott
Justin Lee Anderson
James Brogden
David Croser
Margaret Egrot
Katharine D’Souza
Simon Fairbanks
Heide Goody
Iain Grant
Hilary Mortz
Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn
Suzanna Stanbury
RE Vance
A Stuart Williams
Debbie Young

FREE on kindle!! Click HERE

Recommended by Steph @ https://steflozbookblog.wordpress.com/ –

Will this Christmas romance be just for the holidays?

A fun, festive romantic comedy to curl up with this winter. If you love Josie Silver’s One Day in December, you’ll love Mandy Baggot’s heart-warming festive romance.

Lara Weeks is heading to New York with best friend Susie for the Christmas trip of a lifetime.

A festive break in the snowy Big Apple visiting the tourist hotspots, not to mention the shopping, seems like the perfect way for Lara to get over her ex-boyfriend. Or maybe make him so jealous he begs for a second chance.

Enlisting the help of gorgeous actor, Seth Hunt, doesn’t quite go to plan, but there’s something about him that has Lara wishing for a different kind of happy ever after…

To purchase click HERE

Recommended by Joanne Baird @ https://portobellobookblog.com/ –

‘Embraces the spirit and the message of the movie…A must read’ – Karolyn Grimes, actress, ‘Zuzu’ in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
‘Beautiful and uplifting…Written with such heart it warms the soul’ – Claudia Carroll, bestselling author of ‘Meet Me in Manhattan’
‘A compelling, magical, festive cracker of a book’ – Alexandra Brown, bestselling author of ‘The Great Village Show’
An angel gets its wings…
Belle has taken all the Christmas decorations down. This year they won’t be celebrating.
As foster parents, Belle and Jim have given many children the chance of a happier start in life. They’ve loved them as if they were their own. They shouldn’t have favourites but little Lauren has touched their hearts. And now her mother is well enough to take her back and Belle can’t bear the loss.
Hence, Christmas is cancelled.
So when Jim crashes his car one icy December night, after an argument about Lauren, Belle can only blame herself. Everything she loves is lost. And Belle finds herself standing on The Ha’Penny Bridge wishing she had never been born.
But what happens to a Christmas wish when an angel is listening…
Will Belle realise, before it’s too late, that her life is the most wonderful life of all?
Inspired by the timeless tale of beloved Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, Carmel Harrington’s next book tells the story of Belle, a young woman and foster carer from Dublin who faces the hardest decision of her life this Christmas on The Ha’Penny Bridge.
Full of Irish charm, magic, and the warmth of the festive season this is an emotional, heartwarming story that will stay with you long after you’ve reached ‘The End’. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern & Jojo Moyes.
Carmel is the bestselling author of The Life You Left & Beyond Grace’s Rainbow, voted Romantic eBook of the Year 2013.

To purchase click HERE

‘I love all of Sue Moorcroft’s books!’
Katie Fforde

One Christmas can change everything…

Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet.

To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organising the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye?

Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends new and old make this a Christmas to remember after all?

Curl up with the gorgeous new book from the Sunday Times bestseller, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.

To purchase click HERE

THE MOST PERFECT CHRISTMAS FEEL-GOOD READ!
‘Every time you discover a new Milly book, it’s like finding a pot of gold’ Heat

Eve Glace – co-owner of the theme park Winterworld – is having a baby and her due date is a perfectly timed 25th December. And she’s decided that she and her husband Jacques should renew their wedding vows with all the pomp that was missing the first time. But growing problems at Winterworld keep distracting them …

Annie Pandoro and her husband Joe own a small Christmas cracker factory, and are well set up and happy together despite life never blessing them with a much-wanted child. But when Annie finds that the changes happening to her body aren’t typical of the menopause but pregnancy, her joy is uncontainable.

Palma Collins has agreed to act as a surrogate, hoping the money will get her out of the gutter in which she finds herself. But when the couple she is helping split up, is she going to be left carrying a baby she never intended to keep?

Annie, Palma and Eve all meet at the ‘Christmas Pudding Club’, a new directive started by a forward-thinking young doctor to help mums-to-be mingle and share their pregnancy journeys. Will this group help each other to find love, contentment and peace as Christmas approaches?

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Perfectly Imperfect Woman; a gorgeous read full of love, life, laughter – and crackers!

To purchase click HERE

One day, four lives, and a wintery web of secrets and lies.

On a chilly morning in December forever friends Shauna and Lulu touch down at Glasgow Airport on a quest to find answers from the past.

George knows his time is nearing the end, but is it too late to come to terms with his two greatest regrets?

His grandson Tom uncovers a betrayal that rocks his world as he finally tracks down the one that got away.

And single mum Chrissie is ready to force her love-life out of hibernation, but can anyone compare to the man who broke her heart?

After the success of the No1 best seller One Day in December, comes the second unmissable read in Shari Low’s Winter Day trilogy.

Perfect for the fans of Jojo Moyes, Debbie Johnson, Amanda Prowse and Marian Keyes.

To purchase click HERE

Recommended by Sharon Riley Sant (AKA Tilly Tennant!)

One night will change their lives forever…

Georgia Bailey is closing up her little charity shop in Oakbarrow when she gets a mysterious late night call from a stranger, threatening to jump off the town’s bridge.

Something about the man’s voice is faintly familiar but all she can do is stay on the line and after talking for hours, losing sense of time passing, coax him back from the edge.

The next morning, Georgia walks to work, buys a festive latte from Leo (who she’s had a crush on for months!) at the local coffee shop, and is shocked when she suddenly recognizes the voice from last night…

A heartwarming festive love story that reminds us that even in the darkest of times, hope is always just around the corner!

To purchase click HERE

One twinkling winter’s night, Ruby wakes her sleeping children and escapes for a new life in the countryside. It’s a choice that will change her life beyond all recognition…

Arriving at the cosy little rental cottage as the first snow begins to fall, Ruby doesn’t regret leaving her bully of a husband for a moment, but she does feel guilty about uprooting her kids so close to Christmas. She can only wish that one day soon her son will forgive her.

It’s not long before the family are settled in and drinking hot chocolate by the fire, the flames kept roaring by a neighbouring woodsman called Angus. As big as a tree, but as gentle as a dormouse, all Ruby’s instincts tell her to be wary of letting this gorgeous stranger get too close. Is that the first tingle of festive magic Ruby can feel? Or might it even be hope?

As Christmas day approaches and a blizzard sparks a power cut across the entire village, Ruby must force herself to believe in Christmas miracles again. Was she right to put her trust in Angus? With only flickering candles to guide her through the darkness, will she ever find her way back to the light?

Wrap yourself up in this utterly gorgeous festive romance, perfect for anyone who loves Heidi Swan, Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond – and Christmas!

**This novel can be read as a standalone.**

To purchase click HERE

Recommended by Carla Buckley (Kovach)

‘A heart-melting and laugh-out-loud read that you do not want to miss … will have you hooked from start to end.’ By The Letter Book Reviews, 5 stars

Escape to the cosy little village of Appledore for an absolutely hilarious second chance at love. Will this Christmas prove that miracles really can happen when you least expect them?

A year after she separated from her husband, Gianni, on Christmas day, Chloe’s heart is finally on the mend as she unpacks the decorations for her first ever festive holiday alone. That is, until the phone rings…

It’s the manager of Gianni’s new seaside restaurant in Appledore, begging for Chloe’s help. Equally famous for his gold-leaf Christmas puddings and his explosive temper, Gianni has been really stirring up a sensation with the locals – and not in a good way! It’s the last thing she wants to do, but Chloe knows she is the only one that can help.

As pans fly and the temperature in the kitchen rises, Chloe’s calming influence and magic touch might just get critics back on side in time to save the restaurant from sinking like a sad soufflé. But as Chloe’s eyes meet Gianni’s as they tussle over a plate of turkey tartlets, could there also be a chance for new romance on the menu?

A laugh-out-loud festive treat that will give you the tingle of freshly hung tinsel. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Abby Clements and Debbie Johnson.

To purchase click HERE

Recommended by Mick Williams –

From the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary comes the essential companion to the smash-hit movie, LOVE ACTUALLY.

Set in contemporary London just before Christmas and weaving together a series of touchingand hilarious stories, LOVE ACTUALLY is a romantic comedy that looks at the funny, sad and often stupid sides of love.

With an all-star cast, including Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson, LOVE ACTUALLY is for everyone that’s ever been in love and laughed about it …

To purchase click HERE

Recommended by Aileen McKenzie –

A powerful psychological thriller to chill you over Christmas – the twists of Karen Swan, the suspense of BEHIND HER EYES, the gripping intensity of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR …

‘Packs a killer twist’ Prima

‘Wickedly funny’ Sunday Mirror

I am missing. Held captive by a blue-eyed stranger. To mark the twelve days of Christmas, he gives me a gift every day, each more horrible than the last. The twelfth day is getting closer. After that, there’ll be no more Christmas cheer for me. No mince pies, no carols. No way out …

But I have a secret. No-one has guessed it. Will you?

To purchase click HERE

So, do any of the above take your fancy? I hope so!

Are there any books you think should have been included? I’d love for you to share your recommendations with us in the comments.

Happy Christmas reading 🙂