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Flying Home for Christmas: A totally charming and hilarious Christmas rom com to warm your heart!

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'A delightful love story brimming with heart and sparkling humour' FIONA GIBSON

When her Christmas Eve flight home to London is grounded by a snowstorm, Thea is desperate to make it back to her family. The only flight available is first thing the next morning, so she books a night's stay at the closest hotel.

But there's a there's only one room, and someone else has beaten her to it.

Logan is tall, gorgeous and charming - and determined to get home for Christmas too. The solution? They're going to have to share . . .

One thing's for it's going to be a Christmas to remember.

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2023

62 people are currently reading
212 people want to read

About the author

Helen Whitaker

24 books14 followers

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5 stars
98 (29%)
4 stars
126 (38%)
3 stars
79 (24%)
2 stars
17 (5%)
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7 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Manon.
2,277 reviews32 followers
November 22, 2023
This book was amazing! From start to finish I was surprised, as the book took directions I didn't see coming. It had a fresh take, and the writing style was very pleasant. I adored this book, and can definitely recommend it to people looking for a great holiday read!
Profile Image for Abbie.
1 review
December 18, 2025
So unhappy to see the use of a phrase “not as spectrum-y as you’d expect”. Until that point the book was a nice easy read, but the author’s inability to write wit without it being unnecessarily offensive ruined it.
Profile Image for Karen.
479 reviews70 followers
October 23, 2023
A lovely heartwarming festive read. I really enjoyed the ‘only one bed trope’ and the drama of being marooned at the airport by the severe weather conditions. Hotel rooms are at a premium and Thea and Logan find themselves double-booked in the only room left in a luxurious hotel. I liked their connection, their humorous conversations and their obvious sizzling chemistry. Aside from the romance, the book also had other poignant themes going on and I liked how these were dealt with. A thoroughly enjoyable Christmassy read.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the eARC for review.
Profile Image for Kayley Hartley.
125 reviews3 followers
December 10, 2024
Really enjoyed, couldn’t wait to keep reading and happy ending. I know it wasn’t the best story in the world, but it was just what I needed, a romance with a christmassy vibe. Easy read and loved it 🥰💕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chloe Rebecca.
555 reviews10 followers
January 3, 2024
I am an emotional wreck after reading this one 🥲🥲🥲 Very bittersweet - so beautiful but so sad too!!

Thea is flying home for Christmas with her family from Portland, where she is currently working, to London. Or at least she would be if there wasn’t a storm stopping her! With the storm causing chaos, Thea thankfully manages to book a (very expensive) hotel room for the night before she can try and get another flight the next day. Only, with all the carnage, the room has been double booked!! Thea and handsome stranger Logan decide to share the room for the night…little do they know that this decision will change their lives. They get to know each other over dinner and part ways the next morning promising to see each other on their return.

As Thea celebrates the Christmas holidays with her beloved Nan and co, she stumbles across some photos on Logan’s social media that lead her to believe that he is not the man she thought he was. Whilst this does turn out to be a misunderstanding, Thea and Logan face even meow troubles when their companies end up intertwined. With Thea’s horrendous boss (this author is the queen of casting horrible bosses!), warring business partners, and hearts on the line…will Thea and Logan’s relationship make it off the ground??

Amazing characters - so well written! Logan was an absolute dream, especially towards the end. Thea was a perfect main character, I loved her so much. I loved how much she cared for her family and how she would do anything for them. How she put up with Fuchsia I have absolutely no idea. I’d have had a nervous breakdown working for such a horror! There are some very tender moments in this book that were incredibly well written. I cried a lot at certain parts and that is credit to the author’s storytelling and ability to evoke such emotion for her characters. Another brilliant Helen Whitaker novel!
Profile Image for Rachel Gilbey.
3,363 reviews570 followers
December 4, 2023
Loved the meet cute between Thea and Logan, as they both end up booking the same top price hotel after being stranded at Portland airport due to weather cancellations.

Naturally as this is fiction they after sharing a ride to the hotel, discover they have managed to double book the same hotel, and end up spending the evening together while they pass the time to the point where the airport reopens.

However they soon go their separate ways for the holidays, but keep in touch only for more and more coincidental meetings to happen in the New Year.

Despite the title this wasn't an overly Christmassy book in fact the majority of the story takes place in the year after the first Christmas. And thus it could easily be read at any time of the year.

I loved getting to know Thea and Logan. Logan I especially loved his job in the same was as I hated Thea's boss. There is a lot of miscommunication throughout, and it's really touching some of the moments with Thea's family.

I loved her voice notes to her Nan.

This was an enjoyable story, from an author that made me very curious to visit Portland, as it's not a place I've ever read a book in before, but could really get the vibe of the place from her words.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Profile Image for Aislinn Cody.
69 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2023
Lovely Light and Festive - The perfect holiday season read!

I really enjoyed Whitaker's fun new spin on the 'There's only one bed' trope, with the sprinkle of Christmas. We follow Thea desperately trying to get home to London for Christmas before being marooned in the airport by snow. Left with no choice but to stay the night at the airport hotel and try again tomorrow, Thea is hit with another issue, the last room in the hotel has just been taken - by Logan, who is also desperate to get out of town. (Side note: if I had to share a room I would nominate him to be honest!). As they jump back and forth in their story ( a lot of backstory), you become wrapped up in their airport hotel world and almost forget the reasoning for being there in the first place. The sparks between them light up the page and I was addicted to them instantly.

This was fun and enjoyable read, perfect for lazy wintry days. A great Christmas stocking filler!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Thebooktrail.
1,879 reviews337 followers
October 2, 2023

description


Now why can't my delayed or cancelled flights end up like this? haha I have actually been stuck in an airport hotel with a group of people when a flight got grounded - a few times actually but next time I'm going to take this book and hope to get some inspiration and tips from it haha

It is an unusual rom com and therefore i liked it as it felt fresh and funny. Whilst a lot of the story is set in the hotel at the airport, there's lots of interesting backstory and more. Fun characters and a good story in Portland airport! Tell you what, I am in half a mind to fly into that airport and just hang around a day or two. There's no hotel of the same name as in the book though - I checked.

Seriously though, I have had delayed flights at xmas - always the most stressful time to travel - and this story also hit a nerve
Profile Image for Kirsty (BookBlogger).
2,055 reviews62 followers
November 16, 2025
Flying Home for Christmas by Helen Whitaker

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

When her Christmas Eve flight home to London is grounded by a snowstorm, Thea is desperate to make it back to her family. The only flight available is first thing the next morning, so she books a night's stay at the closest hotel.

But there's a there's only one room, and someone else has beaten her to it.

Logan is tall, gorgeous and charming - and determined to get home for Christmas too. The solution? They're going to have to share . . .

One thing's for it's going to be a Christmas to remember.

My Opinion

Flying Home For Christmas was a lovely, festive read. Helen Whitaker has written a novel with some charming characters that was emotional in places. A great read for the holidays.

Rating 4/5
Profile Image for Kate (bookishkenyannerd).
559 reviews2 followers
October 13, 2023
Took me a while to get into this but I was excited at the fact that they got stranded at the airport and ended up in a one bed situation at the only free room they could get close to the airport.

They had an instant connection though circumstances kept them apart until they met again, this time in a situation that would have them in a forbidden romance of sorts, each being on opposing sides of a company war.

The story took a heart-wrenching turn towards the end as Thea had to deal with a life-changing turn of things, but Logan was there to support her even as they tried to figure out where they would end up.

He also supported her when she was having a dilemma about work and her manipulative boss. He was her cheerleader even if he messed up at a point, but it all worked out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Shannon.
8,416 reviews428 followers
November 30, 2023
lots of mixed feelings for this British holiday romance that was really slow to start but did eventually capture my heart towards the end.

Two strangers get snow-stormed and have to share an airport hotel room as they wait for their flights home for Christmas to get rescheduled.

While both feel a connection it took forever for them to reconnect and once they did there was some cringey workplace misunderstandings about stolen work ideas.

Unfortunately I was bored by a lot of this book but I did enjoy the parts about losing a loved one and finding ways to keep their memories alive.

If you really enjoy tepid love stories and the miscommunication trope then this might be more up your alley. It was the first book by Helen Whitaker for me and I won't be in a rush to read any more of hers soon.
133 reviews3 followers
October 13, 2023
Thanks to Kimberley at Hodder Books for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Flying Home For Christmas is my first book by Helen Whitaker. The book took a while to get going. But after a slow start, I enjoyed the scenes between Thea and Logan as they have lovely chemistry and an instant connection. While this book is billed as “there’s only one bed”, it’s also “rivals at work” as various things come between Thea and Logan to stop them from being together. When the latter trope was introduced, I felt the drama crank up a notch. Thea’s friendship and camaraderie with her co-workers is lovely to see along with her relationship with her family. I will definitely check out another one of Whitaker’s titles in the future.
Profile Image for HiddenGirlBooks.
94 reviews33 followers
October 10, 2023
Poignant, sweet romance with a dash of festive cheer. Thea is trying to get home to England for Christmas but when her flight is delayed by a snow storm she ends up booking a fancy hotel room the only problem is Logan had booked the same room…

Thea and Logan’s story was likeable and lovely and I might be a bit in love with Logan. This book also dealt with heavier themes of family and escaping clergies control. It was a beautiful festive story. Low in cheesiness and hig on the real meaning of the season,
Profile Image for Mae of Scotland.
386 reviews
November 11, 2023
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Helen Whitaker for letting me have an ARC copy of Flying Home For Christmas review.

Traveling home for Christmas is one of those festive rites. Christmas never feels truly like Christmas without the anticipation of the journey home to be with our loved ones. We pray for an easy journey, for the weather to behave, and for our fellow travelers to be full of joy and Christmas cheer (not channeling Scrooge or the Grinch). Unfortunately, Christmas travel plans rarely are plain sailing or go to plan, but a perfect meet cue for a sweet, heart-warming festive romance where the two strangers collide on the fateful journey on the way home for Christmas.

I loved the premise of the story and meet cue to bring Thea and Logan together. There is an instant connection between them, bringing warm chemistry between them and easy camaraderie with comical banters. There are some big bumps in the road for Thea and Logan in their story, but I found their character development didn’t always live up to the conflict thrown into the story.
Thea is a charming, kind, intelligent, and relatable character, but at times a wallflower and conflict evasive that causes her more trouble. She finds a backbone after the all-is-lost moment of the story, but I feel she could have been a bit fiery at points. I liked Logan’s supportive nature and his problem-solving instincts, but at times I thought he was pushy and stand-offish with other characters.

The secondary cast of side characters is full of some wonderful personalities that bring a sparkle to the pages. I loved the dynamics of the relations between Thea’s family and her work colleagues. Be prepared to laugh and cry with the side characters, I feel they stole the limelight in the book for me.

The writing starts elegant with a slow-paced Christmas lights twinkle rhythm but ramps up into dizzying rapid flickering changes that can leave your head spinning. I felt there was a lot packed into this book. Thea’s life couldn’t catch its breath with a revolving door of unfortunate events that happened to her. Part of me struggled with the reality of getting a working visa for the US. It’s not that simple, yet Thea seems to have zipped through it. I did like the real portrayal of the difference in work ethos and vacation time between the US and the UK in the book.

The one weakness for me was the busy plot, there were a lot of secondary plot conflicts going on for me. It gets very crowded and rushed at some points in the tension between Thea and Logan. I would have a little more of the romance between Thea and Logan, which starts brilliantly when they are in the midst of the Christmas travel chaos but seem to get lost in the mayhem of Thea’s life after the festive season ends. After the heart-wrenching moment happens, it does bring Logan and Thea back in a satisfactory way rekindling their warm romantic connection that sparked at the start of the book. However, I feel they lost their way a bit in the middle, still enjoyable once over this molehill.

A sweet, heart-warming festive romance where the two love interests meet on the fateful journey on the way home for Christmas. If you have a journey to face this coming festive session, this is a sweet Christmas Cookie romance to chill out with listening to Chris Rea sing ‘Driving Home For Christmas’ to you.
Profile Image for Laura Jones.
416 reviews2 followers
December 8, 2023
When Thea's Christmas Eve flight to London is cancelled due to a snowstorm, she urgently needs a place to stay. The only option is a hotel, but while Thea is settling into her room in walks Logan, a handsome and charming traveller also trying to get home for Christmas. It appears the hotel has double booked the room, so with no other choice, they agree to share the room, setting the stage for an unforgettable Christmas.

If you enjoy light-hearted and romantic Christmas-themed stories this is definitely one for you.
Profile Image for Sheri Radford.
Author 10 books20 followers
January 16, 2024
This novel had lots of sweet moments, and Logan was an appealing love interest for Thea, but most of the plot could have been resolved if these two characters had just talked to each other instead of making silly assumptions. The delightful gay best friend and the evil, inept boss were cardboard characters. The work plot was silly and unbelievable. Much of the story didn't even take place at Christmas.
59 reviews1 follower
November 13, 2024
I loved the start of this book and the writing remained strong, but the stumbling blocks on the road to romantic happiness frustrated me (and really not in a good way). That only the beginning of this book actually happened at Christmas didn't help my enjoyment either, as I'd expected a Christmas story and there's a lot I'll forgive for some festive cheer. I'd be open to reading another book by the author, but I would read the reviews more carefully as this one didn't hit the spot for me.
2,025 reviews10 followers
October 16, 2023
Logan and Thea meet at an airport when their flights are cancelled. With only one hotel room left they end up sharing, and a dinner that gives them both hope that will lead to more when they are back from the holidays. But things don't go how either expected and they meet again when they least expected to. A fun read, but I would have liked something more from Logan's point of view.
Profile Image for Amy Dora.
435 reviews12 followers
November 3, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this festive romp which was really magical and i loved the romance between Thea and Logan. It fulfilled all my desires from a cosy festive book.
Profile Image for Savannah Leigh.
10 reviews
November 24, 2023
Listened to it in my car on the way to work and school. I would categorize this as simply a sweet book. Very hallmark, not the kind of book you’re engulfed by but definitely something I enjoyed reading. A nice break from an intensive series or stand alone in my opinion and a wonderfully wholesome love story.
Profile Image for Emmie Rose.
937 reviews12 followers
December 12, 2023
4.5 stars

Flying Home For Christmas is the second book I've read of Helen Whitaker's and has solidified her as an auto-buy author for me. I love her writing and I love how heartfelt and fun this book was.

I loved the premise of this one and that we got the one bed trope, but what I loved more was seeing their journey after they both left the hotel. While there was some miscommunication in this book it honestly didn't bother me and I actually felt that it added to the story and the tension between Thea and Logan.

This book made me laugh out loud but also sob because some parts just really hit home for me. This was such a beautiful story about love and family and one I really recommend.
Profile Image for Annemarie Donnelly.
69 reviews
December 12, 2023
This was a refreshing and sweet holiday romance with tropes like being snowed in at an airport and the “only one bed” dilemma. Most of the book takes place outside of Christmas time, and had a fun twist on work and family relationships.
Profile Image for Elisabeth Blowers.
85 reviews
January 2, 2024
This story was moving, funny, heartwarming and engaging. The characters were loveable, the story took unpredictable turns which meant that you didn't want to put the book down. A new author to me, Helen Whitaker is an author I will look out for in the future.
155 reviews
November 11, 2024
My 100th read of the year and wow wow wow.

I just loved it. So many tropes ticked off in this book. The film he made for her Nan - adorable!!! This was a fabulous read and one of very few 5* for me this year.
228 reviews
January 5, 2025
3rd Person Thea single POV

Such a good guy. Real insecurities from FMC.
Loved the Leytonstone setting. Very very very real description and family setting.

Picked this up at the library on a whim but happy I did.

Great meet cute.
Profile Image for Lexy.
319 reviews27 followers
December 25, 2023
First book I’ve read by Whitaker. It was an easy read. Abit festive with a few plot twists. The writing style is easy. Overall an enjoyable read.
Profile Image for aneika.
39 reviews
January 4, 2024
3.5
Such a cute romance book!
I love the characters in this book especially Thea, Logan and Teddy.
I am absolutely in love with Logan, he is the man.
I loved the first part of the book when they met in some special circumstances but later on I got for me a bit to much work related and a too slow slow burn. The end of the book was again really cute but also sad because of Nan‘s death.
But in general I loved to read it over Christmas season.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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