Tracy grew up in Berkshire as part of a large and noisy family. She now lives in a small village in Surrey with her motorbike-loving partner and her little rescue dog, Poppy. Prior to becoming an author, Tracy worked for the charity Citizens Advice for over twenty-five years. She held various different roles in her time there, including advising prisoners, representing clients in the County Court, and managing a local office. She worked with an amazing group of volunteers, who gave up their time freely to help their community. She also found it a great avenue for ‘people-watching’, something that as a writer, provided endless inspiration for character development and story ideas.
Since the age of eleven, Tracy has been actively involved in amateur dramatics and she’s acted in many productions, written sketches, and directed shows. Her first role was in Aladdin. She played a jewel in the genie’s cave and was told to ‘stand there and sparkle’ – not exactly taxing stuff. While most teenagers spent their free time obsessing with fashion, make-up, pop music and boys, Tracy would often be found prancing around the stage pretending to be Miss Muffet, Bessie the Milkmaid, and her personal favourite, Aurora the Goose. Adulthood brought with it more serious roles, such as Nora in The Dolls House and Maggie in Hobson’s Choice. She’s also played Viola in Twelfth Night and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Her favourite role was Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley.
Tracy started writing in her late twenties, song lyrics, sketches for pantomimes, before discovering her love for novel writing. Over the years she’s written numerous short stories, a number of which have been published in My Weekly magazine. She’s also been short-listed for several writing competitions, and won 1st prize in the Southern Daily Echo Feature Article competition. In 2024, Tracy’s novel Only For Christmas won the prestigious RNA Festive/Holiday Award.
Tracy describes her writing style as modern tales of romance, with engaging quirky characters, who overcome adversity, grow as people, and conclude in a satisfying optimistic ending.
The perfect Christmas romcom !! Loved Sarah and Lucas!! It just made me so happy and I couldn’t put it down!!! Diana needs an honourable mention as she was an iconic classic cockney Brit !!! Loved her
Sticking with my festive vibes, I started this at the beginning of December and actually it took me a full month to read simply because well life... There was bits in this that truly hooked me in and I couldn't put it down. My initial thoughts about Sarah was just how strong she is, not thinking off anything else in depth. That I managed after I finished the book.
Plot
I enjoyed the plot of this. Very Hallmark Christmas vibes, but this time filling me full of all kinds of emotions! I felt angry because of Stephen, annoyed at Sarah and Lucas with their miscommunication. I felt the love also and towards end my emotions went hay wire nearly launching the book while sobbing. Corbett has done an amazing job writing with care about the work place harassment that can happen to just about anyone and to the length some people will go. It shows the truth behind the feeling when its your boss and you worry about how it will affect your future.
Characters
Sarah is the strong grumpy FMC, she's head strong and independent. I loved her but she frustrated me at times to. She's a typical person to give all the advice and not take it. Lucas is so loveable and just wears his heart on his sleeve. He's the sunshine MMC and he gives of cinnamon roll vibes. Also a little shout out to Mrs Kelsey, god love her!
Recommend
If you are looking for a romance that has underlying issues at its heart, set over the Christmas period then this could be for you.
Favourite Quotes
"A man was looking at her expectantly, waiting to be told how wonderful he was, when in reality all she wanted to do was punch him on the nose and wipe that smug smile from his face."
"That you don't normally have to work this hard with a woman. I imagine you have a harlem full of hotties all clamouring for your attention back home."
" All I know is, time can change things. One day, you can't get out of bed for crying, the next you find yourself having a good time and going out with girlfriends, or choosing a piece of furniture you know they'd hate. Suddenly you realise life without them isn't so bad, and you can cope just fine."
Favourite Chapter/s
Chapter 14.
Summed up in one sentence
A festive slow burn, where walls need to burn to allow the goodness in.
Overall Wrap up
I really enjoyed this and I think if I had managed to get round to finishing it last month it would have been the top read. I loved the smaller plot lines within the bigger picture. Which include Harper and Mrs Kelsey. I thought the subject matters were written with compassion and the story just felt real and relatable.
Stars.
4.75
Spice.
Book Information Only For Christmas by Tracey Corbett.
Genre - Festive romance.
Pages - 298 pages.
Tropes - Grumpy FMC x Sunshine MMC. Workplace/neighbours. Fake dating.
Available on Kindle Unlimited - No
Available Formats - Paperback and Kindle.
Publishing Information - Published on 28th September 2023 by Canelo Escape.
Format in Which i Read - Paperback.
Where my copy come From - From my blind date with a book from There'sabookmark4that.
POVs - Dual pov, however its not separated by chapter.
Single/Dual/Multiple Timelines - Single timeline.
1st or 3rd Person - 3rd person.
HEA, HFN or Cliffhanger - HEA
Series or Standalone - Standalone.
Trigger Warnings - Check content warning before reading as there is a few sensitive subjects and on page harassment.
My favourite part of the day this past week has been cosying up reading this book. This book sheds a light on an important issue that is abuse in the workplace and, reminds us that there’s always a silver lining at the end of a long journey. Dr Moore is one of my fave book boyfriends ❤️ he’s sincere, gentle and wholeheartedly honest in moments when he probably felt terrified. This book had me smiling from ear to ear, highly recommend 🥰
This book was just what I needed to read. It was funny, cringe and you wanted to just throw the book at times. The characters were lots of fun, there was one who I just couldn't stand and wanted every bad thing to happen to them. The story flowed really good and I laughed out loud at times. Such a fab book to read at Christmas.
4 ⭐️I realllllllly enjoyed reading this. It was light hearted, slightly Christmassy and nicely paced. Just felt good the entire time I read it to be honest. No bad thoughts. Would definitely recommend for the first Xmas read !!
Sticking with my festive vibes, I started this at the beginning of December and actually it took me a full month to read simply because well life... There was bits in this that truly hooked me in and I couldn't put it down. My initial thoughts about Sarah was just how strong she is, not thinking off anything else in depth. That I managed after I finished the book.
Plot
I enjoyed the plot of this. Very Hallmark Christmas vibes, but this time filling me full of all kinds of emotions! I felt angry because of Stephen, annoyed at Sarah and Lucas with their miscommunication. I felt the love also and towards end my emotions went hay wire nearly launching the book while sobbing. Corbett has done an amazing job writing with care about the work place harassment that can happen to just about anyone and to the length some people will go. It shows the truth behind the feeling when its your boss and you worry about how it will affect your future.
Characters
Sarah is the strong grumpy FMC, she's head strong and independent. I loved her but she frustrated me at times to. She's a typical person to give all the advice and not take it. Lucas is so loveable and just wears his heart on his sleeve. He's the sunshine MMC and he gives of cinnamon roll vibes. Also a little shout out to Mrs Kelsey, god love her!
Recommend
If you are looking for a romance that has underlying issues at its heart, set over the Christmas period then this could be for you.
Favourite Quotes
"A man was looking at her expectantly, waiting to be told how wonderful he was, when in reality all she wanted to do was punch him on the nose and wipe that smug smile from his face."
"That you don't normally have to work this hard with a woman. I imagine you have a harlem full of hotties all clamouring for your attention back home."
" All I know is, time can change things. One day, you can't get out of bed for crying, the next you find yourself having a good time and going out with girlfriends, or choosing a piece of furniture you know they'd hate. Suddenly you realise life without them isn't so bad, and you can cope just fine."
Favourite Chapter/s
Chapter 14.
Summed up in one sentence
A festive slow burn, where walls need to burn to allow the goodness in.
Overall Wrap up
I really enjoyed this and I think if I had managed to get round to finishing it last month it would have been the top read. I loved the smaller plot lines within the bigger picture. Which include Harper and Mrs Kelsey. I thought the subject matters were written with compassion and the story just felt real and relatable.
Stars.
4.75
Spice.
Book Information Only For Christmas by Tracey Corbett.
Genre - Festive romance.
Pages - 298 pages.
Tropes - Grumpy FMC x Sunshine MMC. Workplace/neighbours. Fake dating.
Available on Kindle Unlimited - No
Available Formats - Paperback and Kindle.
Publishing Information - Published on 28th September 2023 by Canelo Escape.
Format in Which i Read - Paperback.
Where my copy come From - From my blind date with a book from There'sabookmark4that.
POVs - Dual pov, however its not separated by chapter.
Single/Dual/Multiple Timelines - Single timeline.
1st or 3rd Person - 3rd person.
HEA, HFN or Cliffhanger - HEA
Series or Standalone - Standalone.
Trigger Warnings - Check content warning before reading as there is a few sensitive subjects and on page harassment.
I love finding a surprise 5 star book that not many people have read before and I could go into it completely blind. This book was just a spontaneous purchase from The Works in their 3 for £6 sale - I figured that if I didn't like it then I would just donate it to a charity shop in the New Year. But oh my god I love it so much!!!
This book contains my favourite romance trope, fake dating. In this case, the FMC Sarah pretends to date her colleague Lucas in order to avoid the unwanted advances of her boss Stephen who won't take 'no' for an answer. Some people may think that fake dating is boring because it's predictable that they are going to actually fall for each other in the end, but I just adore it. There is enough dilemma and suspense in the plot to make it compelling and addictive - I found myself thinking about this book at work and couldn't wait to get home to read more chapters to find out what happened next on their journey.
MMC Lucas is such a cosy cinnamon-roll who helps get Sarah to fall back in love with Christmas, and to also be open to dating (for real) again after she was jilted at the alter years ago. He is the greenest of green flags - with his support for sister currently going through a divorce, his love for his nephews, caring for his elderly neighbour despite her protests, and most importantly for protecting Sarah from harassment. He is the type of MMC that I wish all MMCs were.
Let's take a moment to talk about how vile Sarah's boss Stephen is. I was practically puking every time he made an arrogant comment about how women can't resist him and acted clueless about why Sarah kept rejecting his advances. I was honestly flabbergasted at how somebody could be that ignorant and shallow. He was written so well that every reader will instantly detest him. It also brings to light the important topic of workplace harassment and how some women will be afraid to speak up out of fear of losing their jobs.
I would highly recommend this to anybody looking to read a cosy, Christmas romance.
Absolutely amazing, I don’t care how cliche the airport scene was I absolutely loved it, true Julia Robert’s style indeed. This book not only encapsulates how a living partner truly is but how pain and trauma shouldn’t be the narrative that defines you, you never remain “stuck” forever. Absolutely adored the characters, wishing for a Lucas in my life. Loved the personality of Sarah and I believe everyone should have friends like Georgia, Jafrina & Harper. Love how Tyler aided Sarah when she was in trouble, Mrs Kelsey was iconic and Carla was so lovely. Stephen Stokes can die in a hole
Adored the airport scene as well as the Christmas market scenes they were lovely. Stephen is an asshole especially the museum ball scene glad he’s lost his job
Despite a few errors in writing such as words being the wrong way round or the wrong words being written in place, this book is a lovely soft romance which has definitely made me more accepting of Christmas love
5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion. Billed as a festive romcom the story runs through December, with descriptions of Christmas activities, trees and decorations scattered through the pages. I liked that the storyline was not a typical nurse / doctor romance although Sarah's job as Head of HR did not seem to give her an understanding of harassment in the workplace. However, I appreciate this was a part of the twist so could not be addressed as quickly as it would have been in real life. I liked the inclusion of Fred, and Mrs Kelsey, interesting characters in their own right. I recommend this as an unusual festive romcom.
First christmas book i have ever read and tbh i wasn’t really a fan. I loved how it was set it london it was so funny to recognise the places they were going. Especially after reading so many american or canadian books. I hated the female lead she was so woe is me and i just never understand why they say oh i cant date because i have to be a strong independent woman like you can be strong and independent in a relationship you don’t need to rely on your partner for everything. Lucas was great he was sweet and loving but she was the worst i wouldn’t read again i really was struggling towards the end to get through it but i just can’t dnf books
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really enjoyed the book. The characters were lovely (except one in particular and everyone who will read the book, know who I mean). It’s a bit festive but even more romantic. It’s a slow burn read and without much spice. Also I have to say that I didn’t had the feeling that I’d would miss out on anything throughout the reading (not like it was too many informations but it was just right). But what I have to admit, that I didn’t liked the part before the finale and the communication, the epilogue was cute as a June’s bug though. Very cute romantic December story <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was exactly the kind of sappy, cute Christmas insta love story I needed. I loved that it was an adult romance instead of all of the teenage romances that's out there. There was absolutely zero spice but it was really cute and I really loved the plot. It was like every predictable Christmas romance movies but it felt like a nice break from all the heavy fantasy reads lately.
This was such an enjoyable and entertaining festive read. I couldn't put it down and I read it in one sitting. This was just what I needed to read. The author's writing was good and the pacing was just right, plus there was a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
It was okay I suppose, took a while to actually want to read this and I did find it only got good during certain moments and kinda dulled down after. Worth a read but won't write home about it unfortunately
What a lovely story. It's a bit obvious how it would end, your typical romcom book/story, but i loved it all the same. Great read to get you into the christmas spirit.