Christmas in Coolsbay: A cosy friends-to-lovers romantic comedy

by Belle Henderson

Demi Holly is home for Christmas. . . reluctantly Drama teacher Demi's dreams of being waited on all Christmas by her mum and dad are becoming less likely by the second. Thrust into helping with the annual yarn bombing event, in memory of her late aunt, she’s torn between family obligations, sister rivalry and more importantly sexting her gorgeous boss in Edinburgh.

But she won’t be a martyr. Entangled in a whirlwind of unexpected events, Demi finds herself playing a game of truths, rescuing a man from the top of a hill and dressing up as an elf – more than once.

Full of twists, plenty of mince pies and a few psychedelic mushrooms, Demi must find a way to navigate the stormy waters of family tension, sordid secrets and her feelings for a person she thought she’d probably never have to see again. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Portia Macintosh or Lindsey Kelk. This enchanting tale will leave you with a smile on your face and a renewed belief in the magic of Christmas.

Genres: Christmas

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2023

About the author

You Grow Girl - out now!

Belle Henderson is a lover of books, big hair and training her beagle not to eat all her furniture and possessions. She lives in sunny Swindon, UK with her family and said naughty beagle.

Belle co-wrote her first romantic comedy in 2019 whilst on maternity leave. In 2020 she was made redundant and in-between parenting and tearing her hair out, she has created another five stand-alone chick lit books, all set in the fictional seaside location of Coolsbay, based in the South-West of England.

People’s idiosyncrasies fascinate and occasionally amuse Belle. She loves to home in on these quirks which subsequently help to breathe life into her characters.

Belle’s books are quirky, romantic, laugh out loud and always a little toe-curling.

Come swoon (and cringe laugh) with Belle.

Connect with Belle
Facebook.com/bellehendersonauthor/
Instagram:@bellehendersonauthor
TikTok:https://vm.tiktok/ZMesW9RQA
Twitter:@BelleHe2159983

Reviews

[andshe.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's never too early for a cutesy Christmas read!! What wasn't to love with this one.

As always, the characters were relatable, and there was definitely one or two that had that quirky personality. I absolutely adored Joyce - literally the grandma we all want to adopt, right!! Demi & Nick are proper sweet together too it was like a match made at Christmas 🎄 😍
Can we just take a second to appreciate the wool dream team like I liked the yarn bombing idea, since covid we've had postboxes wool - bombed and they are super cute it definitely brightens the street up and became the talk of my little area.

This had all the Christmas/wintery vibes it literally made me want to get a thick cosy blanket out some hot chocolate, put the pretend fire on my TV [because I don't own a real one] and just snuggle up with this book in hand.

You just have to add this to your Christmas tbr!!
So honoured to be on Belle Hendersons ARC Team. Thank you lovely for the advanced copy of this festive and romantic book.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy to be an ARC reader for Belle Henderson and her new book! It's never too late or too early for a Christmas read! 🎄

What did I love? (it's a Belle book so the real answer is: everything heh heh, but I shall narrow it down to some points anyway)

🎆 Belle always writes fun and relatable main characters.
🎆I loved the sisterly relationship in this one!
🎆 Amber yay!
🎆 Joyce you cutie though!
🎆 The little girl! Ahhhhhhhh
🎆 Cute and cosy vibes! Can I move here and befriend these characters please?!
🎆 I love how everything (but no spoilers) is always rounded up at the end for us. For cutesy books like this, I think that's just perfect.
🎆 Christmas vibes. I love my light mornings and evenings, but this book actually makes me look forward to those incoming chilly days. Warm toasty socks, hot chocolate and the comfort of home!

A really lovely enjoyable read. As always with a Belle book, I recommend! Get this book on your list and be ready for a cosy Christmas with a cosy read!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Belle Henderson for my ARC of Christmas In Coolsbay, my first Christmas read of the year, and this really gave me those first festive feelings!
I really love Belles writing, and her characters are so fun, real, and relatable. I really enjoyed the family relationships and community feel in Coolsbay, which is what Christmas is all about.
This was such a cute, cosy rom com, perfect for snuggly down and reading this Christmas!

Christmas In Coolsbay is out now & free on Kindle Unlimited!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Belle Henderson, for a gifted copy of this read.

I must admit, I hold a special place in my heart for works by Henderson. Her writing style never fails to capture my attention, and I always find myself eagerly awaiting her next release. Her latest rom-com, in particular, is a true gem - a perfect festive read that I highly recommend to fellow book enthusiasts.

Right from the opening pages, I was completely engrossed in the plot. The two main characters, Demi and Nick, are both incredibly likeable and well-crafted. Henderson has a unique gift for blending moments of heartfelt emotion with humour in a way that feels both authentic and entertaining. This latest work is no exception - it showcases her talents to perfection.

I could go on for hours about the various aspects of this book that I found enjoyable, but I don't want to spoil anything for potential readers. Suffice it to say, this is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance novel. It would make the perfect gift for any bookworm during the Christmas season.

If you've already read it, I'd be delighted to hear your thoughts and chat more about this wonderful read.

“Christmas at Coolsbay” is available now and well worth grabbing in any format!

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Co...

[Chloë Blyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If only we all had this mentality, a lot of hearts would be saved from being broken. If people aren't willing to make the effort with you then they don't deserve your love and presents."

This is a lovely sweet Christmas rom com with elements of a tear-jerker.

The characters all come together to create a perfect Christmas story...

👧 The little girl, Neve, absolutely stole my heart as she learnt the lesson quoted above.

👫 Demi and Nick make a great couple, despite it seeming unlikely at the start, and I think Alistair deserved to come out much worse!

👭 Demi and her sister Evie reconnect in a way that can only happen when you're forced to share a room with your sibling AND run a yarn-b*mbing event together, I really enjoyed their storyline.

⛰️ Atticus - what a fun and unusual character!

👵 Joyce had me on board from the start.

Expect laughs, smiles, maybe a few tears, and a helping of Dolly Parton references!

Highly recommend 😊

[Lucy Dunphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 but rounding up to 5.

I feel like I'm going to have a book hangover after finishing this. Definitely my favourite book by Belle Henderson so far.

From the first page I was smiling and really liked Demi. Belle creates such likeable and relatable characters in her books. You get a sense of such community spirit in Coolsbay and get to meet some quirky characters.

There are some laugh out loud moments as well as some truly heartwarming ones. From sibling rivelry, a very funny misunderstanding and an absolutely swoonworthy hero that is Nick (hello new book boyfriend), Christmas in Coolsbay is the ultimate festive read that I can whole heartedly recommend.

I finished this with the biggest smile on my face and wanting to shove several mince pies in my face

I received this advance reader's copy from the author. All opinions are my own.

[C.J. Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story with lots of quirky characters and all set in the now familiar fictional town of Coolsbay (as per most of Belle’s other books.) It sounds lovely, the sea, the sand, a great community, I’d like to live there.
After living away for a long time Demi is going back for Christmas and she really doesn’t want to but circumstances have forced her. I enjoyed this book as much for the quirky characters and curious family relationships as the story. It’s more than your typical romcom, there’s sadness as well as joy and the male lead is interesting! Read this if you want to get immersed in the magic of Christmas with romance and misunderstandings thrown in. And yarn bombing, who doesn’t love to see those strange creations on the top of pillar boxes?
Definite five stars from me.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable story. Demi resigns her job when her secret lover is made her boss and heads off to spend Christmas with her family in Coolsbay where she grew up. Unfortunately her older sister is also home for Christmas and they don’t get on. Forced to work together to organise a yarn bombing event in memory of a beloved aunt, they have to put their differences aside.

[Amy B Garratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable story, Demi coming home for Christmas and dealing with estranged relationships and a Christmas wish from beyond the grave… Fun and touching lessons learnt, and festive cheer!

[mrsljgibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would firstly just like to say a big thank you to the author who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of her book, for my kindle, in return for my honest review.

Yet again, this was an amazing story from the wonderful Belle Henderson. Everything of hers that i have read, i have loved and this one was no exception, i absolutely loved everything about it.

The storyline was wonderful and I hadn’t read anything like it before, i loved that it had a knitting/crocheting theme and i found this really fun to read about.

There are quite a few characters within this story and i absolutely loved them all and getting to know them all too!! The main character, Demi Holly was such a good character and i loved the storyline of her re-connecting with her ‘ little big sister!! ‘ Nick was also such a cool character too and i loved his relationship with his family, especially his little sister, he was just such a wholesome character and i loved him.

As the title suggests, this book was set at Christmas time and thats definitely my favourite time of year, so this was an extra special story!

I loved this book, it was full of wonderful characters, friendship, building bridges and a little bit of Christmas magic - perfect…….

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read if you like:
🎄Clean romance
🎄Yarn bombing
🎄Cute Christmas read

I’m normally a massive grinch when it comes to anything Christmasy before the end of November. I know I know, don’t hate me😂. So when I saw this I was like oh god, I’ll guess we will give it a go!

Boy oh boy, am I glad I read it… from the very first page I was laughing. Belle’s writing is just great, she drew me in and had me invested in these Characters and their Christmas.

✔️The phrases, inner dialogue, banter between characters was perfectly done, I thoroughly enjoyed this and was laughing throughout!
✔️The characters are so relatable!
✔️I absolutely adored neve, I mean come on. What sweet, smart, thoughtful little girl😭
✔️the yarn bombing dream team were just perfect, a little dysfunctional family at times😂

Unfortunately, I spotted the massive red flag right from the start. The way Alastair was acting, I knew he was a dirt bag. I’m surprised it took Demi that long to see his true colours🙄.

This was a perfect Christmas /winter vibe! Now excuse me while I go and watch hallmark Christmas movies on channel 5.

[Henriette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Christmas and I love first person stories, but only when I love the main character. Fortunately I loved Demi so it was a blast to read her story when she reluctantly returns home for Christmas and all the yarn in the story was an added bonus for me as I love to crochet.

This book was a nice escape for me! I felt like I was there, experiencing first hand all of Demi's adventures and misadventures if you can call them that. I kept hoping her relationship with her sister Evie would improve and I really enjoyed Demi's interactions with her parents and her old childhood friend Nick. I think Nick's 5 year old sister Neve was one of my favorite characters in the whole story.

Overall a very enjoyable & quick Christmas read.

[Karen Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review
We have Christmas, yarn bombing and a love story all in one. What more could you ask for.

I admire people who are talented with needles and it is my goal in 2024 to learn how to be better at needlework, crochet or knitting.

The book is just lovely, it flows really well and I loved the characters. Coolsbay sounds idyllic.

I love Belle's writing and am excited to see what's next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lucy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Christmas books where the main character goes back home and this one was so good! I loved all the interesting side characters and the focus around the “yarn bomb” in memory of Demi’s auntie.

I found myself laughing out loud a lot throughout the book, there was a lot of good humour and comedy moments!

It was one of those books where I felt like I was a part of it, getting caught up in the festivities and atmosphere of their Christmas.

[Marina Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back home in Coolsbay for Christmas after a long time away, Demi’s mind isn’t on spending Christmas with the family, but on sneaking off with her hot new man, Alastair. Making a new friend on the train journey sets in motion a series of events that Demi never expected and forces her to revisit the past and reevaluate her future. I loved Demi, she’s funny, colourful, theatrical and completely adorable. Nick with his vintage vibe and glasses was brought to life perfectly by Belle and despite being a very funny book, there’s real romance here. The sibling rivalry between Demi and her ‘little’ big sister, Evie, was perfectly written and very true. Other favourites were Demi’s parents who were an absolute hoot and Nana Joyce definitely tugged at the heartstrings. The Dream Team were so hilarious and having such fun that I might have to take up knitting. This is a fabulous read from Belle Henderson, full of everything you need to get you in the mood for the festive season – comedy, romance and a warm fuzzy feeling of everything Christmas should be with a little bit of Coolsbay ‘woo woo’ thrown in. Wonderful. Read this now, don’t wait for Christmas.

[Jennifer Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of Belle Henderson's that I've read - and it won't be the last!

Christmas in Coolsbay was such a cosy, festive, sweet read. There's romance, comedy AND a bunch of brilliant characters to fall in love with! I loved following main character Demi on her journey, she's funny, adorable and colourful and you are always rooting for her. Joyce was super fab, too! Belle's writing style is so flowing, it makes it hard to put the book down.

[B.R. Maycock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cheeky, fun sibling rivalry Christmas read. Exactly what I needed and perfect for a Christmas read!

[Angela Pearse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It’s funny, touching, romantic and has all the feels! Belle Henderson has such a lovely style of writing I was immediately drawn into the festive drama. There was never a dull moment and the characters are so well done, especially the dream team ladies. At one point I thought there was going to be a knitting needle duel!

The antics that went on in this story made me LOL, and the main characters, Nick and Demi, are so cute together - it just hit all the right spots for me. A treat of a Christmas romcom, I highly highly recommend!