Review: 'A Christmas in Disguise' by Katie Fforde (2015)

When Jo’s friend Andi asks if she’ll stand in to cook Christmas lunch for her employer, Jo reluctantly agrees. She knows Andi will lose her job if she doesn’t, and wants to help out her friend.
Jo is nervous because Andi’s boss is a well-known celebrity diva, who outright refuses to have anyone but Andi cook for her. But she also insists Andi wears full chef's whites so the girls think they’ll get away with it … it’s the perfect Christmas disguise.
But when Jo runs into one of the guests - good looking and very smart Anthony - things get even more complicated…
First of all, Merry Christmas to everyone! :) Christmas is the perfect time of year for so many things, butone of them is definitely short stories. I love reading a great novella or short story every day of the year, but around Christmas time these quick reads are a great way of cheering yourself up on a winter's day or to get into the festive mood! Last year, author Katie Fforde released a collection of Christmas stories titled 'A Christmas Feast' and this year she is treating us to another story filled with holiday cheer, namely 'A Christmas in Disguise.' I always enjoy Katie's works, so definitely looked forward to checking out this short story in the weeks before Christmas!
When Jo is asked for a Christmas favour by her best friend Andi, she can't help but say 'yes'. Andi works as a chef for Caroline, a celebrity diva who is never done with her demands and wants a Christmas dinner made by Andi. However, Andi wants to go and visit her family, so Jo, who is also a trained chef, decides to go in disguise and pretend to be Andi for the day. However, Jo never expected to run into handsome Anthony, who also asks her for a favour, and before Jo knows it she finds herself in all kinds of trouble...
'A Christmas in Disguise' is another lovely festive short story by author Katie Fforde and a great read to pick up during the cold December days. It can be a bit tricky to really write a short story with characters that leave an impression, characters you warm to, because you only have a limited amount of space to do so. However, Katie Fforde really managed to do just that in this novella, making it a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience!
Protagonist Jo is a trained chef who works as a hotel receptionist and volunteers at an animal shelter for dogs. During the holiday season, Jo's best friend Andi needs some help to take over her job as a chef so she can go home to her family. Jo wants to help out her friend, but has no idea what exactly she has gotten herself into. I really liked the storyline and it had moments that made me laugh and a good dose of romance as well. 'A Christmas in Disguise' is a sparklingly fun short story, perfect to pick up in the lead-up to Christmas if you're looking for a quick and entertaining festive read!

Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.