Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season?
It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.
But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith?
Holly Martin is slowly on her way to become part of the royalty group of Christmas fiction, especially seeing as I have a review of her second 2016 festive read to share with all of you today! Last year I thoroughly enjoyed her December novels 'Snow Flakes on Silver Cove' and 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage', and this year I really loved 'Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky', the first part of her 'A Town Called Christmas' series (click here to read my review). I've been really excited about picking up this second part, revisit some of the familiar characters and read more about Neve in particular!
Neve Whitaker loves her job at the Stardust Lake Hotel which is owned by her brother Gabe. She’s close to her family and gets to live in a gorgeous location, but she can’t help but continue to feel that something important is missing. More particularly, someone important, namely famous actor Oakley Rey, whom she was in a relationship with until she decided it was better for them to call it quits. But then Oakley arrives on Juniper Island just before Christmas, ready to convince Neve they are meant to be together. At the same time Neve is struggling to keep a big secret from Oakley and her family, and she realises she will have to make some important decisions and she’ll have to make them soon.
It was great to revisit Juniper Island and the Stardust Lake Hotel, which were already introduced in the first part of Holly Martin’s ‘A Town Called Christmas’ series: ‘Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky.’ While that particular novel focused on Gabe and his childhood best friend Pip, we now get to learn more about Gabe’s sister, Neve, who also works at the hotel and is experiencing some romance problems. I really enjoyed the storyline between Neve and Oakley, her ex-boyfriend who also happens to be a famous actor (and a character I’m sure many readers will develop a crush on!). The setting of the novel is simply gorgeous, and I really enjoyed that the author decided to not simply focus on Neve and Oakley, but also include some background stories on other secondary characters, such as assistant manager Adam and Neve’s other brother Luke.
I’ve really fallen in love with Juniper Island and Holly Martin’s writing is incredibly comfortable to get into and enjoyable overall. She knows what chick lit should be all about and creates stories with a large dose of romance, humour, great characters and a guaranteed happy ending. I have to admit I did enjoy ‘Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky’ a bit more than this one, just because I thought Neve and Oakley’s story was a bit slow-paced and I got a bit annoyed by Neve’s behaviour. When you are thinking about picking up this novel, I definitely recommend starting with the first part of the series, just so you know the background details and a bit more about all the characters. Overall, though, Holly Martin has treated us to another lovely festive tale in the form of ‘Christmas Under a Starlit Sky’; a stunning Christmas read which I can see myself picking up again next year, even if it’s just to get a good dose of romance and Christmas cheer!
Rating:
9/10
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.
Evie used to LOVE Christmas, but this year she can’t wait for the tinsel and presents to be a distant memory.
When her best friends offer the use of their cottage in the beautiful French countryside, Evie jumps at the chance. With her soon-to-be-ex-husband, celebrity chef Will Brooke, plastered over the news with his latest ‘love interest’, leaving the country seems like the perfect plan.
Armed with her French grandmother’s tattered notebook of recipes, Evie is determined to ignore Christmas altogether and bake herself back to happiness.
And when Evie meets her next-door neighbour – the très gorgeous doctor Didier she finds a very willing taste-tester. But is it possible that he could be interested in more than just her Tarte Tatin?
With snow falling, a special Réveillon dinner and a little Christmas magic in the air, could Didier even be the one to thaw Evie’s heart? Or will a visit from the ghost of Christmas past change everything?
Another festive read with a lovely Christmassy cover, published by the wonderful people over at Bookouture! I was really excited when I got the chance to read and review Fiona Valpy's 'The French for Christmas', not only because of the great cover and interesting blurb, but also because I was already introduced to Fiona Valpy's work earlier this year. I reviewed her novel 'The French for Always' for my blog (click here to read my review) and I loved it. It was a novel I highly recommend to any chick lit fans, and I personally really enjoyed Fiona Valpy's writing style. So, when I discovered she was releasing a Christmas novel this year, I couldn't miss it!
Evie has had a rough year and she's ready to turn her back on it, but it seems she's standing still and not able to come to terms with things. After having given birth to a stillborn baby and her marriage falling apart because of that, Evie knows she needs some time by herself. Especially since she's confronted with her ex-husband's face everywhere, since he's now a famous TV chef with a new glamorous girlfriend. When a friend offers her a stay at their holiday home in France for Christmas, Evie can't say yes quick enough in order to get away from everyday life and all the memories. In France, Evie discovers the cottage is in quite a deserted area, with only two neighbouring houses inhabited by an elderly couple and a handsome young doctor named Didier. Will Evie manage to put the past behind her this Christmas and start over, even when the holiday season has a few surprises in store for her...?
Personally, I'm just not a big fan of France, but somehow Fiona Valpy manages to make me fall in love with it as soon as I'm reading one of her novels. Just like 'The French for Always', the other novel of hers I've read, 'The French for Christmas' is a wonderfully captivating story with a great cast of characters at its core. Evie is a lovely main protagonist and incredibly easy to warm to. She's been through so much and I really enjoyed seeing her get back on her feet again, trying to find new things in life to make her happy. It almost felt like the author matched the writing style with Evie's character development; the start of the book is quite slow, but as soon as Evie starts to feel better, the pace quickens and different things start happening. It somehow seemed to be linked, which made it even easier to connect to Evie and really dive into the story.
Next to Evie, I loved the other characters as well, especially Evie's lovely neighbours in France including Bradley Cooper lookalike and handsome doctor Didier. Evie used to love cooking, which is why all kinds of delicious food also feature throughout the book; perfect for a Christmas read, of course! Fiona Valpy's writing style is a true joy to read and mixed together with a captivating and hopeful storyline, a great group of characters and a good dose of romance and festivity, this makes for a wonderful read for this time of 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.
Newly engaged Natalie Butterworth is an easy-going girl. She’ll do anything for a quiet life and if telling a few teensy white lies keeps her friends and family happy, then so what? It’s not like they’ll ever discover what she’s really thinking…
Until one night, thanks to a pub hypnotist, Natalie’s most private thoughts begin to bubble up and pop out of her mouth. Things get very messy indeed. Especially when some sticky home truths offend her fiancé.
Natalie must track down the hypnotist before the wedding is officially cancelled. So along with bad influence bestie Meg, Natalie finds herself in the Yorkshire Parish of Little Trooley - a small village bursting with big secrets, nosy old folk and intriguing Wellington-wearing men.
When the girls get stranded in the village with no means of escape and no way to break the hypnotist's spell, Natalie is forced to face the truths she has been avoiding her whole life...
Kirsty Greenwood (whom all of you chick-lit fans might know from the fabulous 'Novelicious' website) is releasing her first novel, 'Yours Truly', on the 21st of November! I have been looking forward to this novel for quite some time now, especially after all the amazing things I've heard about it from other people. Kirsty Greenwood is named as the new chick-lit author on the scene to look out for, and apparently 'Yours Truly' is incredibly funny and entertaining. I can't wait to read it!
Be sure to pre-order your own copy on Amazon by clicking here!
Katherine Shaw—Kate— is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines.
Friends rally round, connecting her to freelance gigs, and presenting her with a birthday gift— title to land in Scotland—that’s about to come in very handy. Turns out that Kate’s first freelance assignment is to test an Austen-inspired theory: in the toughest economic times is a wealthy man the only must-have accessory? What begins as an article turns into an opportunity as Kate—now Lady Kate—jet-sets to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets prospects who make Mr. Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love? And will Kate be able to choose between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right?
After reading Kim Izzo’s wonderful novel ‘My Life in
Black and White’ (check out my review here), I couldn’t wait to pick up her
other book, ‘The Jane Austen Marriage Manual.’ As a big Jane Austen fan, I had
already heard of this novel, but never actually managed to read it. During my
summer holidays this year I went to Bath for a couple of days, and it
definitely inspired me to pick up a novel with a bit of Austen in it. So,
after admiring the cute pink cover of ‘The Jane Austen Marriage Manual’ and reading the
interesting blurb, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in this story!
Sometimes you simply have one of those weeks, and that
is exactly what happens to Katherine Shaw (known as Kate to the people around
her). After losing her contract-to-contract job within the glamorous magazine
world and the death of her beloved grandmother, things turn out to be even
worse when Kate finds out that due to her mother’s gambling addiction, they are
forced to sell the family home. Thanks to a good friend and her love for
anything Jane Austen, Kate ends up with a freelance assignment to write an
article about the modern-day dating market: is the solution to any female’s
trouble a wealthy husband at her side (in line with Austen’s famous novel ‘Pride
and Prejudice’)? Even though it begins as a job, it quickly turns out to be the
perfect solution to Kate’s own problems. While travelling to fabulous places
like Palm Beach, St. Moritz and London, Kate starts searching for her own Mr.
Darcy. But in the end, does money really bring happiness, or will love still conquer
all?
I loved the Austen element that was included in this
novel. Back in Austen’s time it was indeed money that came in first place,
before love, when it came to finding a suitable husband. This changed over the
years, but it might still be a wise business investment to secure your future
by marrying a rich man instead of marrying out of love. I really liked how Kate
decides to explore this idea, and how the reader can experience how she
struggles between following her mind or her heart. The fabulous locations with
all the rich and glamorous people definitely added to the entertainment value
of the novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Kate’s adventures in these
places. She is a great heroine; smart, independent, persistent (Jane Austen
would have definitely approved!), and I found myself laughing out loud every
now and again while reading about some of the funny situations she managed to
get herself in.
The novel gives us not one, but two handsome bachelors
to dream about. On one side, we have charming older millionaire Scott Madewell,
who is a taken man but definitely the perfect target for Kate and her
experiment, and on the other side we have Griff Saunderson, the manager of a
large estate that has been turned into a B&B, who turns up every single
time Kate finds herself in trouble. The book includes a great mix of
characters, both male and female, and this really made reading the story even
more fun. As an Austen fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the parallels between Kate and
Elizabeth Bennet (the main character in ‘Pride and Prejudice’), which is why I
would definitely recommend this book to any person familiar with Austen and her
work. However, even if you’re not a Jane Austen fan, Kim Izzo’s novel is a
well-written, entertaining and romantic story that deals with a question we all
ask ourselves at one point or another: does enough money guarantee happiness,
or is love simply powerful enough to help you through anything?
Rating:
9/10
