Review: 'A Winter's Wish' by Alice Ross (2016)

Amelia is at breaking point. She’s just lost her job and Doug, the love of her life, still hasn’t broken up with his girlfriend. Surely a trip to the quiet countryside is just what she needs?
Phil is about to leave beautiful Buttersley for the other side of the world! The sunny shores of Australia will mean a new life with his girlfriend, but something is holding him back…
Ella has never felt this way before – Jake O’Donnell is the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen. And the more time she spends babysitting his kids, the more her feelings grow!
Stan should be happy. He loves his wife and their adorable baby girl more than anything! So why, when everything’s finally going right, are they arguing more than ever?
One thing’s for sure, even when Buttersley’s first snowflakes begin to fall, it’s never too cold for love to blossom…
Today I’m sharing my review of a book I’ve been looking forward to sitting down with for quite some time! Several months ago I got the chance to read and review Alice Ross’ ‘A Summer of Secrets’, the first part of her ‘Countryside Dreams’ series which is being published by Carina UK. I really enjoyed the book (click here to read my review), which was followed by ‘An Autumn Affair’ (click here to read my review), another great read, and now we’ve been treated to the third part, ‘A Winter’s Wish.’ This one has a lovely winter cover and seemed to be a promising read to relax with during the lead-up to Christmas…!
This winter won't be a calm one for some of the inhabitants of Buttersley as the coldest season seems to have quite a bit in store... Phil loves his pub at the heart of the town, but he also loves his girlfriend Rachel who has asked him to move to Australia. He can't help but have second thoughts; is this a decision he will be able to make? Amelia is leaving her hard-working London-based life and tumultuous love affair behind her to visit her older sister Annie, hoping the quiet will help her to refocus and pick up the pieces. Stan is struggling as a new dad, but things with his wife only seem to be getting worse. Ella has a secret crush on her boss' husband; a crush she can't seem to shake off... What will the winter months have in store for all of them and will their Christmas wishes come true?
In 'A Winter's Wish', the third part of the 'Countryside Dreams' series by author Alice Ross, we once again return to the village of Buttersley where we are invited to join four new characters: Phil, Amelia, Ella and Stan. Each of these characters has their own story to tell in which we also meet some familiar faces from the previous instalments of the series. What I personally love about Alice Ross' writing and this book series is the fast pace and the focus on different characters that are in a way linked to one another. There definitely was no boring moment while reading this novel and I thoroughly enjoyed every single chapter, discovering more about the characters and their separate storylines. 
Even though this is the third part of a series, it is a novel that can quite easily be read as a stand-alone. This mainly has to do with the fact that while there are some familiar faces and places mentioned in the book, the focus lies on four completely new characters and you get more than enough background information to follow it all without any specific prior knowledge. I love how the book deals with different issues, as each character is going through something different; issues that are all linked to general women's fiction topics such as love, family and friendship. I already can't wait for the fourth part, even though I'll be quite sad to see the end of this book series! Overall, 'A Winter's Wish' is a wonderful and warm winter read; Alice Ross is a great storyteller and this series is one of my favourites of 2016, with even more to come in the new year...!

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.