Welcome to the Lakeside Cottage . . . a place for loved ones to share the perfect seasonal escape . . .
The Carmichaels are gearing up to make this festive season the Christmas of all Christmases, as this blended family gathers at the Lakeside Cottage for a Boxing Day wedding...
Lowry can't help but think her mum's whirlwind marriage is more than a little rash. But after she raised her single-handedly, Lowry is determined to be there in return.
Helen has watched her ex-husband remarry three times already. The fourth might succeed in breaking her heart. Or it might force her to finally move on.
Martha has worked for the Carmichaels for over three decades and has guarded all their secrets. Now she has a secret of her own. Admitting it will be the hardest thing she's ever done.
These three women will do anything for their loved ones. But as revelations come to light amongst the stunning snowy countryside, the greatest lesson will be learning how to live for themselves too.
Oh,to be back at the Lakeside Cottage was wonderful. What a string of characters. I loved how they were all connected, yet apart at the same time. Lowry was a very interesting character, a breath of fresh air for the Carmichael family, as I feel her mum was on Mr Carmichael. Emmet, River and Teddy as brothers were all different, yet all wanted their fathers love and attention. Lowry and Emmet made an interesting coupling, forging friendship first, I really liked how that grew and flourished. Martha was great too, the mother really even though not related, I feel her love to each child, even Scarlett really helped to keep them grounded and her friendship to Helen was lovely, they really forged a forever friendship.
Once again the descriptions of the cottage, church and surrounding areas were beautiful and I really felt festive when the family went hunting for a Christmas tree and then decorated the house, and cutting the tree around the tv really tickled me and is definitely something my family would do too.
I can’t wait to see who stops in the Lakeside Cottage next.
I absolutely love this authors books and reading them is like being wrapped in a comforting hug. It felt good to be back at lakeside cottage again and getting to know its latest inhabitants.
Although this is the second book in the lakeside series it could be read as a standalone as the story is separate from the previous one
Loved how the characters came to life on the page and how the author has written about different family dynamics and the role each person played in this blended family.
Loved the descriptions of the setting and the Christmas feel of the book although this was so much more than just a festive read.
Look forward to seeing who the next inhabitants of lakeside cottage are and their story.
I have never read a story by Erin Green before but will definitely read more of her novels after finishing this one.
The novel is focused on Lowry and the Carmichael family and a Boxing Day wedding which is taking place between Lowrys Mum and Rupert Carmichael.
There are lots of characters involved (no spoilers) but my favourite by far was Martha.
I enjoyed the beautiful setting of the story, it added to the romance of the story and I loved the fact it was set at Christmas time. A lovely romantic festive story.
Thanks to Netgalley, Headline and Erin Green for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Who doesn't love a book with Christmas in the title. This is the second in the series about the Lakeside Cottage. This time it deals with the Carmichael family. The story is told from the viewpoint of an ex- wife, soon to be step-daughter and the Carmichael long term employee. A large "blended" family with plenty of drama, revelations and romance in the mix.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Wow, what a family! It is way too complicated to explain but you soon get used to the family dynamics.. A family wedding and Christmas celebrations in this Lakeside cottage make for an interesting festive tale.
A few days after finishing reading this and my head is still spinning. I'm not sure I've read about a more complicated and surprising set of family dynamics ever.
There is so many connections and interconnections between all the Carmichael gang, that it's amazing how easy the story is to follow, once you have the basics sorted in your mind.
The fact that Lowry is only just meeting everyone for the first time, helps as a storytelling device to let her and the reader to get to know everyone.
What did take my by surprise mainly cos I rarely read blurbs is that I was expecting this to be related to Summer Dreams at Lakeside Cottage, and can now safely say they are two very standalone stories, with no connection other than the setting.
Featuring a massive blended family, a birthday, Christmas and a wedding, in addition to almost as many ex-wives to rival Henry VIII, and an adorable cat with kittens - there is a lot going on this story. And it was a pleasure to read it.
I really felt for Lowry as coming into this family, to watch her mother marry Rupert, can't be easy, and her first encounter with her new step-father to be doesn't really go according to plan.
There are secrets galore within this family and I loved discovering each and every one of them.
It was a very enjoyable story to read, set once again in a fabulous location.
Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Christmas Wishes at the Lakeside Cottage by Erin Green
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Headline and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
Welcome to the Lakeside Cottage . . . a place for loved ones to share the perfect seasonal escape . . .
The Carmichaels are gearing up to make this festive season the Christmas of all Christmases, as this blended family gathers at the Lakeside Cottage for a Boxing Day wedding...
Lowry can't help but think her mum's whirlwind marriage is more than a little rash. But after she raised her single-handedly, Lowry is determined to be there in return.
Helen has watched her ex-husband remarry three times already. The fourth might succeed in breaking her heart. Or it might force her to finally move on.
Martha has worked for the Carmichaels for over three decades and has guarded all their secrets. Now she has a secret of her own. Admitting it will be the hardest thing she's ever done.
These three women will do anything for their loved ones. But as revelations come to light amongst the stunning snowy countryside, the greatest lesson will be learning how to live for themselves too.
My Opinion
Erin Green has written a lovely, festive novel. This was my first trip to the Lakeside Cottage but I am sure that I will be back in the future. With some great descriptions, this was an enjoyable read.
Wohoo, we are back at the Lakeside cottage. This time, the Carmichaels are gearing up to make this festive season the Christmas of all Christmases, as this blended family gathers at the Lakeside Cottage for a Boxing Day wedding.
I mean, what can seriously go wrong with 4 ex-wives, 4 siblings, 1 bride-to-be, and 1 concerned daughter all under the same roof of a beautiful cottage.
Be prepared for some drama, last-minute revelation, and, of course, romance.
There are plenty of characters to get to grips with, but it never felt that there were too many in the storyline. The plot is enjoyable, funny, and flows well and is told from the POV of Lowry, Helen, and Martha, all three very likeable.
It was nice to be back to the familiar Lakeside Cottage, though I loved that we returned at Christmas time.
Christmas Wishes at the Lakeside Cottage is a perfect festive story!
Many thanks to @Netgalleyuk, @erin_green_author, and @headlinebooks for the chance to read the ARC.
#ChristmasWishesattheLakesideCottage #NetGalleyThis was a different type of Christmas story that was interesting to read. The complex and convoluted relationships within the Carmichael family were a bit confusing at times - no wonder Lowry wasn't sure what her mother was into. An easy read once you figure out the (not entirely plausible) relationships! I liked the fact that Lowry worked for the RSPCA and lived in Pendlebury, which is close to my home town!
Such annoying and unlikeable characters and too much time spent on the needless complexities of the family dynamics (instead of character development). Would've been much better as a straight romance between Emmet and Lowry with some observations from Martha who was the only lovely character in the mix.
A quirky novel, not sure how much I have taken to it. The characters are very mixed and I like them. But as the story line goes, unable to decide where this leads and if it’s for me?
A very interesting story of a blended and very complicated family. Who’s who in this unique story. It should be made into a movie with all the shenanigans etc.
I tried to finish this book several times but alas I did not. I kept seeing so much potential but not enough to pick it up the next day. I saw a happy ending coming but moving from one character's perspective to another kept throwing me off.