Festive-Blog-Athon Day Twenty: Xmas Book Review A Christmas To Remember by Jenny Hale

What couldn't be better than a Xmas book review as part of Festive-Blog-Athon?

So Here is my Xmas book review for today..

Title: A Christmas to Remember

Author: Jenny Hale

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 10th Oct 2014

Blurb
A beautiful story about the magic of childhood Christmas memories, the strength of family and falling in love when you least expect it.
Everyone loves Christmas – don’t they?
Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.
As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is amazing , the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree! 
The only problem could be her boss… single-dad Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?

As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realises that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… after all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin!



This is the first book I have ever read by Jenny Hale and I loved it!
I am always a big fan of a good Christmas book and this was a superb one! The cover caught my eye straight away on my Kindle, its beautiful with lots of Snow.

We Meet Carrie Blake who is a nanny and she loves her job very much. All her friends are settling down but Carrie's spare time is spent with other peoples families. It breaks her heart and she set's herself a New Year's resolution to embark on a new career and find a new love..But when Carrie starts her last job she wants to go out on a high, house is amazing, kids cute but the problem is her boss single Dad Adam Fletcher...

This book is so magical and so festive too! What isn't too love about a Christmas book around this time eh? Why i have never read a book by Jenny before now is beyond me! I know i'll be buying all her other books now and snuggle down this Christmas with them. 

My Favourite part of this book was everything! I don't think I could fault anything at all, all the characters are written so perfectly that while reading you really feel you are getting to know the characters. By the end of the story I felt all fuzzy, warm and was grinning so much as I enjoyed the ending. Jenny has written this book so perfect that definitely grabs the readers attentions and keeps you hooked with the story.
I don't want to give too much away with this book, but I would say it's definitely one book to read this Christmas and to cherise yourself. 

A Christmas to Remember deserves 5 Pretty Christmas Presents

Festive-Blog-Athon Day Sixteen: Xmas Book Review: The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown ++ Giveaway

Today's on Festive-Blog-Athon is a Xmas Book Review which fits in perfect with all these great christmas books out this year. 

Title: The Great Christmas Knit off

Author: Alexandra Brown

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 6th Nov 2014

This book is great! I am such a big fan of Alexandra Brown's books, I was a little gutted when she ended the Carrington's series but got really excited about a new Village Series.

We meet heartbroken Sybil after she got jilted at the altar but she is saved from despair by her love for knitting. Her home is now bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats and jumpers but after releasing she cocked up at work, she decides to make a quick exit just weeks before Christmas and runs away to the a cute picturesque village of Tindledale.
Sybil discovers Hettie's House of Haberdashery the best for a knit lover to find and ends up helping Hettie out after she finds Hettie is struggling and the shop is due to close...

The Great Christmas Knit Off is just an amazing book! I thought with me not a lover of knitting I wouldn't like the book very much but I am soo wrong! I have never knitted in my life but reading this book with Sybil and the little cute village called Tindledale had me thinking about starting Knitting which I think would be cool!

If your big fan's of Alexandra Brown then your going to love this new book. The little village of Tindledale sounds so cute and all the villagers sound so nice too apart from the nasty Adam from the bookshop to begin with is quite nasty with Sybs! I loved reading about Hettie what a dear she is. Laurence is just so amazing! please can he be my best friend? (Hehe)

One thing I always love reading about Cute villages is how people always come together in bad situations and they all pull through together as one and not leave anyone out. I'm excited to read from Sybil and Tindledale in the future! Hurry writing Alex! (Hehe)

I'm rating The Great Christmas Knit Off  - 5 Twinkling Christmas Lights!

!! Festive Giveaway Time !!
As I loved this book so much, I am offering one lucky winner a copy for grabs!
Due to delivery charges this Giveaway is UK ONLY, Sorry.

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Festive-Blog-Athon Day Two: Top 10 Xmas Books

Hello!
Today's Festive Post is all about Mine & Katie's Top Xmas Book's. We have choosen 5 each of our favourite books and there will be a giveaway at the end so stay tuned!



My Top 5 Xmas Books

 

It is always a tough decision on picking top favourite books as I always love every book I read! These 5 stood out so much to me because the festiveness of all the covers are striking, the stories made me feel so festive and I could always pick them up and re-read them again & again.

Katie's Top 5 Xmas Books

Katie choose these books because she works alot during Christmas and doesn't get as much as time to read as she would like. These books were ideal for her because they include shorter stories or novellas which means she can read as many of these xmas short stories when she get 5mins. She loves all the Xmas covers and makes her feel all festive & warm inside.




!!Festive Giveaway Time!!

Me and Katie are both giving away a copy of one of our top 5 xmas books..
Enter Here..

!! Enter Here !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to follow Katie's blog for tomorrow's post...
http://intothebookcase.wordpress.com/

Coming Home For Christmas by Julia Williams Blog Tour

Today I am part of Coming Home for Christmas' Blog Tour, Now firstly the cover is so pretty and so full of glitter which sparkles! Now people who are fans of Julia's books will remember Cat,Pippa and Marianne from A Merry Little Christmas so It was great to catch up with them.

The three friends are all dreading Christmas...

Cat needs to get off the ‘has-been’ heap and rescue her flagging TV career but the demands of her extended family are reaching fever pitch and she barely has time to breathe. Meanwhile, Pippa has got too many balls to juggle as a struggling single mum trying to hang on to her family farm. And Marianne’s marriage is looking distinctly rocky now her beloved husband’s ex is back on the scene.

Happy Christmas? Forget it.

But Christmas is a time for miracles, and when the villagers learn they must fight for what they love, it becomes clear that there is festive magic in the air.

Suddenly for Cat, Pippa and Marianne, it’s looking like it might just be a Christmas to remember …

Coming home for Christmas was great, It was nice to catch up with Cat,Pippa and Marianne but also catch up with whats been going on in Hope Christmas although this year is going to be a tough one for them when a building company LK Holdings want to build a hotel on the fields behind Pippa & Dan's farm which could be disaster for the farm. The Village all come together with Pippa being the lead of stopping them.

I loved reading this book so much! It wasn't an uplifting book until near the end. It was quite serious as the village didn't know what was going to happen to them with LK Holdings wanting to buy people in the village out.
I loved reading Dan's diary and how he was coping after his accident in which he's pushed his wife/ex Pippa as he wants her to be happy and he feels he's letting her down..which is so heartbreaking to read.

I would recommend anybody to read this book! If you haven't read any of Julia's books you can still read Coming Home For Christmas on its own, the characters and story line is easy to follow without having to read the other books.
I am a fan of Julia Williams' books as she definitely knows how to get us in the festive mood and connecting with the characters.

Coming Home For Christmas is 4 twinkling, glittering, heartbreaking, tough love stars         

Book Review: Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin

Title: Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe
Author: Rebecca Raisin
Publisher: Carina UK
Publication Date: 15th October 2014



Blurb

You are invited to the wedding of the year!

Snow is falling thick and fast outside the Gingerbread Café and inside, its owner Lily is planning the wedding of the year. Her wedding! She never dreamt it would happen, but this Christmas, she’ll be marrying the man of her dreams - in a Christmas-card-perfect ceremony!

The gingerbread is baking, the dress is fitted and the mistletoe’s in place – for once, everything’s going to plan. That is until her mother-in-law arrives... Suddenly, Lily’s famous cool is being tested like never before and her dream wedding is crumbling before her eyes.

In the blink of a fairylight, the Gingerbread Café has been thrown into chaos! Lily thought she had this wedding wrapped up, but with so much to do before she says ‘I do’, can Lily get to the church on time – and make this Christmas sparkle after all?

Verdict
I first started reading The Gingerbread Cafe series in January and I have loved the series ever since. As much as i love Christmas and the cover for this book is so beautiful, I was dreading reading as I knew its the last book in the series and I love all these characters ever so much!

So Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe is about all  Lily's and Damon's wedding, the days leading up to the wedding are always the most nerve wrecking, Especially when Damon's mother arrives and Lily's patience is going to be tested for sure.

I just loved this book ever so much! CeeCee and Missy certainly had me in fits of giggles at times! I wished I could go to the gingerbread cafe every day, the way the gingerbread cafe is described in this book for Christmas is just amazing, I wish I could see the Gingerbread Christmas Tree in person myself.

I definitely cried when Lily was walking down the isle to meet her husband to be Damon..I listened to so many love songs while reading Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe but the one that sticks in my mind all the time now is One Thousand Years..it is the most beautiful and amazing song, the tears certainly flow! It was great to catch up with other characters from the little town of Ashford.

My Favourite Character? I cannot choose just one Character as I love them all the same and I always feel like I know them all in person..you will understand when you read the books :-)

I don't want to give too much away in this review as I want all the readers to appreciate the book themselves and enjoy the characters just as much as I do..But I can promise you will laugh, you will cry,you will smile a lot and you will feel all festive throughout the book.

Rebecca is the most amazing writer and friend I have ever known. The books Rebecca writes always entice her readers and gets the readers excited while reading. I wished Rebecca's books werent just e-books as if I saw her books in paperback form on the shelves I would be squealing for joy as the covers are always beautiful and would stand out so much!

Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe is 5 Festive Amazing Beautiful Twinkling Christmas Stars
Perfect Christmas Read of 2014!
                      




Kindle

Book News: Christmas in the Snow by Karen Swan

How Pretty does this cover look? 

Karen Swan is back this winter with a new Christmas book! 

Who's excited!?!

No secret stays buried forever...

In London, the snow is falling and Christmas is just around the corner - but Allegra Fisher barely has time to notice. She's pitching for the biggest deal of her career and can't afford to fail. And when she meets attractive stranger, Sam Kemp, on the plane to the meeting, she can't afford to lose her focus either. She learned to shut off her emotions long ago and only her sister and best friend Isobel knows why. But when Allegra finds herself up against Sam for the bid, their passion quickly turns sour.

In Zermatt in the Swiss Alps, a long-lost mountain hut is discovered in the snow after sixty years and the last person expecting to become involved is Allegra - she hasn't even heard of the woman they found inside. But it soon becomes clear the two women are linked and, as she and Iz travel out to make sense of the mystery, hearts thaw and dark secrets are uncovered, long buried by the snow.

With glamorous locations and heart-breaking twists, Christmas in the Snow is all you need in your stocking for a truly decadent Christmas holiday.
The perfect gift - even if it's just to yourself.

Christmas in the Snow is out 6th November
!!Pre-order now!!

Paperback                  Kindle

Book News: The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan

Rosie Hopkins is back again this year...Yay! So Happy to have another Jenny Colgan Festive book this year!

Rosie Hopkins, newly engaged, is looking forward to an exciting year in the little sweetshop she owns and runs. But when fate strikes Rosie and her boyfriend, Stephen, a terrible blow, threatening everything they hold dear, it's going to take all their strength and the support of their families and their Lipton friends to hold them together.

After all, don't they say it takes a village to raise a child?


The Christmas Surprise is out on 6th November
Pre-order now!!

Hardback                  Kindle

Book News: The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews

Yes..it's coming to that time of year and the festive books are coming out and Guess who is back? Yep you guessed the ever so fabulous Carole Matthews is back with another Christmassy book called The Christmas Party!

Louise Young is a devoted single mother whose only priority is providing for her daughter, Mia. Louise has a good job in a huge international corporation and she's grateful for it. The only problem is her boss who can't keep his hands to himself, but Louise can handle him. What she really doesn't have time for is romance - until she meets the company's rising star, Josh Wallace. 

Louise usually says no to evenings out but she's decided to let her hair down tonight. It's the office Christmas party, she has a pretty dress to wear and she's looking forward to some champagne and fun. She's completely unaware that others around her are too busy playing dangerous games to enjoy the party - until she's pulled into those games herself . . . 

Romance is in the air and secrets are about to be uncovered. It's going to be a night to remember at The Christmas Party.



The Christmas Party is out in paperback on 23rd October
Get Pre-ordering now!

Paperback                Kindle

Book Review: Just For Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

Title: Just For Christmas
Author: Scarlett Bailey
Publisher: Ebury
Publication Date: 7th November 2013

Blurb

Her best friend's wedding...

When Alex Munro learns that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone - and as far away from Edinburgh as possible.

Moving to a Cornish cottage, which comes complete with the world's scruffiest dog, Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities.

Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan - and somehow Alex doesn't want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost one fiancé, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again...

Verdict

Yep its correct i've read a Christmas book in September...ooops!
I never got chance to read Just for Christmas last Christmas and i just had the urge to read a Christmas book the other day so I picked Just for Christmas off my shelve and settled down to get sucked in, and Straight away you are sucked in with the little Cornish village that Alex Munro has escaped to..

I loved the book so much, I loved the Christmas feel but also the real life dramas that happens around that special time too. Alex Munro is the new Harbour Master in the little Cornish village of Poldore in which she has escaped miles and miles away from Edinburgh from her best friend Marcus and her Dad...

Bouy is definitely the star of the book at the start being the smelly old dog who won't leave Alex alone and follows her everywhere to then being the hero and helping Alex in a situation.
I Loved all the characters so much especially Alex and Ruan, you could tell they had chemistry although Ruan wasn't letting himself get close to anybody again after his girlfriend left him.
Alex seemed such a sweet lass but also still in love with her best friend in which you know is never going to happen but she got stuck in with her work right away!

The village of Poldore really does stick in your mind and there's a few times while I was reading I wanted to be right there in the village with it being Christmas. You also can tell the village come together when there is trouble which is fantastic!

I have read Scarlett Bailey's Previous books and I loved them loads so I knew I was going to love Just For Christmas just as much! The Cover is beautiful and very glittery which stands out on shelves for sure!
Just For Christmas deserves 5 Magical, Christmassy, Romantic Stars and I look forward to read more of Alex & Ruan!