Hazel never set out to be a wedding planner. She was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Ollie's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty venue, word about Hazel's expertise soon spreads.
But Hazel's clients expect the very best - she's promised lawyers Gemma and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. But as weather, in-laws and wilful brides conspire against her, can Hazel get two very different couples to walk up two very different aisles to say 'I do'? And will she find her own happy ending if she does?
Why so excited? --> I love Abby Clements. She's a wonderful author and her novels always make me feel good. I can't wait to read 'The Winter Wedding', especially since I love books about weddings/wedding planners. So excited!
Fanny Blake - 'House of Dreams' (5 November)
In the hilltop villa with its spectacular views across rolling countryside to the straits of Gibraltar, Lucy anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and sister.
They’re spending the weekend together to say farewell to Casa de Sueños, the house in the mountains of southern Spain where they grew up.
Her sister, Jo, landing at the airport with her fractious four year old, dreads the prospect of this time with her family which will fulfil their mother’s last instructions that they celebrate her birthday together. Only this time their mother won’t be there.
Tom, their brother, remembers the chaos of his bohemian upbringing and wants nothing more than for their stay to go off without a hitch. Then a beautiful face from his past appears at the villa...
Why so excited? --> If anyone is looking for a bit of sunshine now the weather is getting colder and the days are shorter, Fanny Blake's new novel 'House of Dreams' will be the perfect read to pick up this November!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Cecelia Ahern - 'The Marble Collector' (5 November)
A forgotten childhood. A discovered life.
What if you only had one day to find out who you really were?
When Sabrina Boggs stumbles upon a mysterious collection of her father’s possessions, she discovers a truth where she never knew there was a lie. The familiar man she grew up with is suddenly a stranger to her.
An unexpected break in her monotonous daily routine leaves her just one day to unlock the secrets of the man she thought she knew. A day that unearths memories, stories and people she never knew existed. A day that changes her and those around her forever.
Why so excited? --> Cecelia Ahern has been one of my favourite authors since I received 'P.S. I Love You' as a gift and loved it from start to finish. I love the touch of magic her novels always seem to have and I already can't wait to check out 'The Marble Collector'!
Rosie Blake - 'How to Stuff Up Christmas' (5 November)
'Tis the season to be jolly. Unless you've found an intimate picture of another woman on your fiance's phone...
Eve is heartbroken after discovering her fiance is cheating on her. Being surrounded by the joys of Christmas is more than Eve can bear, so she chooses to avoid the festivities by spending Christmas alone on a houseboat in Pangbourne. Eve gets gets an unexpected seasonal surprise when handsome local vet Greg comes to her rescue one day, and continues to visit Eve's boat on a mission to transform her from Kitchen Disaster Zone to Culinary Queen.
But where does Greg keep disappearing to? What does Eve's best friend Daisy know that she isn't telling? And why is there an angry goose stalking Eve's boat?
Why so excited? --> I just know this will be one of the funniest Christmas novels of 2015; no doubt about it! I love Rosie Blake's fun writing style and I can honestly say I'm really excited to see she will be releasing a festive novel this year. Definitely have high hopes for this one!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Cressida McLaughlin - 'A Christmas Tail' (5 November)
Catherine ‘Cat’ Palmer realizes that bringing an adorable puppy into work is a bad idea, especially when it gets her the sack. Deciding it’s the perfect opportunity to launch her dog-walking business, Cat enlists the help of flatmates Polly and Joe. After all Primrose Terrace, the street where they live, is full of home-alone hounds.
Getting to know the owners and their precious pooches isn’t all plain sailing, but soon Cat is making friends, particularly with sexy Mark and his Collie, Chips. But is he the right man for her?
With her talent for misadventure, Cat’s new life starts to show some cracks, and when one of the street’s loveable schnauzers gets ill, it looks like this Christmas could be turning into a dog’s dinner. But Cat has never given up on anything in her life – and this is one Christmas that’s definitely worth saving…
Why so excited? --> 'A Christmas Tail' was earlier this year released as a four-part e-book serial set in Primrose Terrace. I've had the pleasure of reading the first part of the series and I really enjoyed it. I really hope I will be able to pick up the entire book this Christmas, because I know I'll end up loving it!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Debbie Johnson - 'Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper' (5 November)
For single mum Maggie, Christmas has always been a family occasion – her daughter Ellen filling the house with her bubbly warmth and mistletoe, her dad Paddy having one too many festive tipples, and the traditional family Christmas tree looking like a drunken elf vomited a rainbow all over it.
But this year, with both Ellen and Paddy away for the holidays, Maggie’s facing a truly blue Christmas – alone with nothing but a bottle of Baileys and an M&S turkey dinner.
Until walking the snowy streets of Oxford, Marco Cavelli quite literally crashes into her life – and, complete with broken leg, becomes her unexpected houseguest. All dreamy brown eyes and 6’5” of gorgeousness, the man is hotter and more delicious than a freshly baked mince pie.
Though Maggie always thought it’s a truth universally acknowledged that you never kiss a man in a Christmas jumper?
Why so excited? --> I just loved Debbie Johnson's previous release 'Pippa's Cornish Dreams' and can't wait to read 'Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper' (that's one brilliant title, I love it, haha!). I think this will be some lovely Christmas reading and look forward to picking it up next month!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Karen Swan - 'Christmas on Primrose Hill' (5 November)
On Primrose Hill...
Twinkling lights brighten London's Primrose Hill as Christmas nears - but for Nettie Watson, it's not parties and presents that she wants.
Promises are made.
For Nettie, Christmas only serves as a stark reminder of the life she used to have... One day she made a promise to never leave home, and so far she's stayed true to her word.
Promises are broken.
Under the glaring spotlight of the world's media, Nettie is unexpectedly caught up in a 21st century storm... Her exploits have made her a global name and attracted the attention of one of the world's most eligible men - famous front man, Jamie Westlake. But now she has his attention, does she want to keep it?
Why so excited? --> Karen Swan is one of the authors who releases a stunning Christmas novel each year. Just looking at the book cover is already getting me excited about this and I can't wait to read it!
Lindsey Kelk - 'A Girl's Best Friend' (5 November)
First Tess was a girl with a plan.
Then she was a girl with a dream.
Now she’s a girl who’s come back to earth with a bump.
When the opportunity arises to join her best friend, Amy, in New York for Christmas, Tess jumps at the chance. The only fly in ointment is that Nick, the man who broke her heart, lives there. And Charlie, the man she turned down, has just started talking to her again. And she has just four days to take a photo for a competition that could save her career.
But aside from that, everything is going to be great: it’ll be the best Christmas ever. Won’t it?
Why so excited? --> Lindsey Kelk's name on a book cover is already enough to get me excited, so 'A Girl's Best Friend' is definitely one of the November 2015 releases I am most looking forward to reading. I have to be honest and say I'm not a big fan of the book cover, but that's definitely not going to stop me from picking it up as soon as I can!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Jennifer Joyce - 'The Mince Pie Mix-Up' (6 November)
’Tis the season to be jolly but for Calvin and Judy the usual festive bickering has already begun! Judy’s convinced that her husband has it easy – no glittery wrapping paper, no playground gossip and absolutely no Christmas baking.
Calvin wishes he could trade in his obnoxious boss and dull nine-to-five job to spend more time kicking back with his kids – how hard can Judy’s life really be?
But after a magical mince pie mix-up, one thing’s for certain – by Christmas Day, life for Judy and Calvin will never be the same again. Perhaps the grass isn’t always greener after all…
Why so excited? --> I love the good old plot of characters switching lives/bodies and I have a good feeling 'The Mince Pie Mix-Up' will be a thoroughly entertaining festive book to pick up next month. Looking forward to giving this a chance!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Jenny Stallard - 'Boyfriend by Christmas' (19 November)
It's bad enough to be perpetually single, without also being the dating journalist for a major lifestyle website. And Genie Havisham has just been set her toughest deadline yet: find a boyfriend by Christmas or find a new job.
Determined not to end the year alone and jobless, Genie sets out to find where all the eligible bachelors in London have been hiding, using whatever means possible.
But among the terrible dates, one night stands and the unexpected return of her 'supposedly reformed' ex-boyfriend, could Genie have overlooked what's been right under her nose all along?
Why so excited? --> I'm not familiar with author Jenny Stallard, but already like the sound of her upcoming release 'Boyfriend by Christmas.' Oh, and I love the Christmas cracker cover!
Chrissie Manby - 'A Wedding at Christmas' (19 November)
What comes to mind when you picture a wedding at Christmas? A gorgeous white dress accessorised with a thick velvet cape... bridesmaids in red velvet too? An arch of Christmas greenery: holly and ivy and boughs of fir. Candles and fairy lights. Snow!
Chelsea Benson has just twelve weeks to organise her perfect winter wedding. Her family and friends pitch in to help, but sisterly squabbling, issues with money and an Ice-Queen mother-in-law soon threaten Chelsea's plans for her big day. And that's without the firework fiasco...
Rescuing Chelsea's dream of a proper family wedding might just take all the magic of Christmas...
Why so excited? --> All these fabulous Christmas novels are making me so excited about the upcoming month! Chrissie Manby is treating us to a lovely tale, combining the festive holidays with a winter wedding... Already love it!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Claire Sandy - 'Snowed in for Christmas' (19 November)
Everybody wants it to snow at Christmas... Don't they?
Asta's plane touches down in Ireland as the first flakes of snow begin to settle.
The weather turns what should be a flying visit into a snowed-in Yuletide with her chaotic, eccentric family. Asta fled her village years ago, with a secret hidden deep within her. That secret is now a feisty sixteen year old, Kitty, who's keen to meet her long-lost relatives.
There are many family mysteries among the presents under the lopsided Christmas tree. Missing the man she left behind in London, drawn to the man she meets in the snow, might there also be a cure for Asta's long-broken heart?
Why so excited? --> Last, but certainly not least is Claire Sandy's 'Snowed in for Christmas'! I already love the sound of this cozy and comfy Christmas-themed novel (and it's simply lovely cover!) and am sure it will be the perfect read to get me ready for the Christmas season of 2015!
