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I'll Be Home for Christmas
Chrissie used to love Christmas in her Swiss childhood home… until she lost her husband eight years ago. Add in a prolonged conflict with her sister Meg, and the holidays in the snowy Alps are just too hard to face. Now she’s in quiet Oxfordshire, focused on her daughter Sarah’s wedding.
But when Sarah runs away to her grandparents’ chalet just weeks before the big day, Chrissie heads to the mountains to help – and finds her estranged sister Meg there too. Usually in London at the helm of a thriving chocolate shop, Meg’s hiding the troubles of a tough year.
Trapped by snow in Winterbruck, the sisters must face old tensions, support Chrissie's daughter, and discover that family –and a little chocolate – can make even the coldest Christmas cosy.
But when Sarah runs away to her grandparents’ chalet just weeks before the big day, Chrissie heads to the mountains to help – and finds her estranged sister Meg there too. Usually in London at the helm of a thriving chocolate shop, Meg’s hiding the troubles of a tough year.
Trapped by snow in Winterbruck, the sisters must face old tensions, support Chrissie's daughter, and discover that family –and a little chocolate – can make even the coldest Christmas cosy.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 21, 2026
About the author
Helen Rolfe
63 books141 followersHelen Rolfe also writes as Helen J. Rolfe
Helen Rolfe writes contemporary women's fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and relationships. Characters often face challenges and must fight to overcome them, but above all, Helen's stories always have a happy ending.
Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen's books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath and the Cotswolds. She also loves creating village settings or places with a small-town feel and a big sense of community.
Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia where she eventually turned her attentions back to the career she'd dreamt of when she was fourteen. She studied writing and journalism and wrote articles for women's health and fitness magazines. Helen began writing fiction in 2011 and hasn't missed the I.T. world one little bit... in fact she may just have found her dream job!
To learn more about Helen, find her at:
www.helenjrolfe.com
https://www.facebook.com/helenjrolfew...
https://twitter.com/hjrolfe
https://www.instagram.com/helen_j_rolfe/
Helen Rolfe writes contemporary women's fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and relationships. Characters often face challenges and must fight to overcome them, but above all, Helen's stories always have a happy ending.
Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen's books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries around the world. So far, locations have included Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Connecticut, Bath and the Cotswolds. She also loves creating village settings or places with a small-town feel and a big sense of community.
Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia where she eventually turned her attentions back to the career she'd dreamt of when she was fourteen. She studied writing and journalism and wrote articles for women's health and fitness magazines. Helen began writing fiction in 2011 and hasn't missed the I.T. world one little bit... in fact she may just have found her dream job!
To learn more about Helen, find her at:
www.helenjrolfe.com
https://www.facebook.com/helenjrolfew...
https://twitter.com/hjrolfe
https://www.instagram.com/helen_j_rolfe/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 21, 2026
I’ll Be Home for Christmas reminded me why I love Helen Rolfe’s books. It was a Christmas hug that wrapped me in its wintry embrace and reassured me that everything was going to be alright. Obviously, once I’d got through the rollercoaster of emotions that are a prerequisite to the happy ever after.
I’m going to start with Winterbruck, a fictional town in the Swiss Alps. Everything about it felt authentic, from the chocolateries to the mountain views and avalanche warnings. Having lived in a ski resort, I felt a genuine sense of place and could visualise each element as the breathtaking descriptions took me from the heart of the town to the mountain summits.
The book features a complex family including grandparents, Nanna and Grumpy, estranged sisters Meg and Chrissie, and Chrissie’s daughter, Sarah. Helen Rolfe’s masterful storytelling reveals the twists of their shared histories in tantalising morsels that had me turning the pages hungrily. I must confess to sensibly closing my Kindle at midnight only to return at 2 am and read until the end. I simply couldn’t leave it unfinished.
This is a true ensemble piece, told in Helen’s signature style of alternating chapters for each of the main characters. This time, we heard from Chrissie, Meg and Sarah in turn. The grandparents’ stories were interwoven throughout, and we heard about them from Meg and Chrissie’s memories as well as the collective’s current storylines.
I do enjoy this style of writing and find that it leads me to the much hackneyed ‘one more chapter’ intention.
I loved the story arcs for each character and the gentle way the supporting cast appeared and added rich layers to each of their stories. For me, the emotional impasse between Meg and Chrissie captured my imagination, and I was willing them to find a way to repair their fractured relationship. By no means did Sarah’s story pale by comparison; it was compelling, but I felt more connected to the older women.
The food was a wonderful addition to this book. Oh my, I could have happily raided the fridge after reading about the rich fondue and the luxurious chocolate creations, and don’t get me started on the cinnamon buns and hot chocolate. I may have gained weight just from reading about it all.
I’m going to start with Winterbruck, a fictional town in the Swiss Alps. Everything about it felt authentic, from the chocolateries to the mountain views and avalanche warnings. Having lived in a ski resort, I felt a genuine sense of place and could visualise each element as the breathtaking descriptions took me from the heart of the town to the mountain summits.
The book features a complex family including grandparents, Nanna and Grumpy, estranged sisters Meg and Chrissie, and Chrissie’s daughter, Sarah. Helen Rolfe’s masterful storytelling reveals the twists of their shared histories in tantalising morsels that had me turning the pages hungrily. I must confess to sensibly closing my Kindle at midnight only to return at 2 am and read until the end. I simply couldn’t leave it unfinished.
This is a true ensemble piece, told in Helen’s signature style of alternating chapters for each of the main characters. This time, we heard from Chrissie, Meg and Sarah in turn. The grandparents’ stories were interwoven throughout, and we heard about them from Meg and Chrissie’s memories as well as the collective’s current storylines.
I do enjoy this style of writing and find that it leads me to the much hackneyed ‘one more chapter’ intention.
I loved the story arcs for each character and the gentle way the supporting cast appeared and added rich layers to each of their stories. For me, the emotional impasse between Meg and Chrissie captured my imagination, and I was willing them to find a way to repair their fractured relationship. By no means did Sarah’s story pale by comparison; it was compelling, but I felt more connected to the older women.
The food was a wonderful addition to this book. Oh my, I could have happily raided the fridge after reading about the rich fondue and the luxurious chocolate creations, and don’t get me started on the cinnamon buns and hot chocolate. I may have gained weight just from reading about it all.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sarah gets cold feet weeks before her wedding, flees to her grandparents’ chalet in the Swiss Alps, and accidentally triggers an eight-year sister feud reunion before anyone has even finished unpacking. She wanted space to think about whether marrying Rhys is actually the right decision. Instead, Aunt Meg arrives, Mum arrives, Rhys eventually arrives, and suddenly Sarah’s romantic crisis has become the least complicated emotional emergency in Winterbruck. Nobody has come prepared to communicate. Everyone has brought knitwear.
Chrissie has avoided Christmas in Switzerland ever since her husband died eight years ago, because the chalet is tied to the moment her entire life cracked open. She has been living quietly in Oxfordshire, focusing on Sarah and convincing herself that never going back is a reasonable long-term arrangement. Then Sarah runs directly to the one place Chrissie cannot bear to face. Of course she goes after her. You can spend years avoiding your own grief, but the second your child calls from inside it, suddenly you are at the airport holding a passport and several unresolved feelings.
Except Meg is already there. Meg, Chrissie’s estranged sister, who has spent years running a successful London chocolate shop and maintaining the public image of a woman who absolutely has everything under control. She does not. The business is struggling, the year has been brutal, and Meg has apparently decided the healthiest response is to tell nobody until she is trapped in a chalet with her entire family. Classic. Nothing helps a secret like adding altitude and snow.
Sarah barely knows Meg, which is genuinely wild because this is her aunt, not some obscure woman who appears in one faded photograph every Christmas. So before Chrissie arrives, Sarah and Meg start bonding without eight years of family resentment standing between them translating every sentence into an insult. Sarah gets an aunt. Meg gets a niece who has not already chosen sides. Then Chrissie walks in and realizes her sister has formed a relationship with her daughter, and you can practically hear every emotional cupboard in the chalet fly open at once.
And Sarah’s problem is real. She is twenty, Rhys is twenty-seven, the wedding is coming fast, and everybody around her has already emotionally ordered the cake. But Sarah is the one who has to live inside the marriage once the guests leave. She loves him. She is also wondering whether she has had enough time to figure out who she is before promising herself to somebody else. Running away to Switzerland is dramatic, sure. Marrying a man because canceling would be awkward is dramatically worse.
Meanwhile Chrissie and Meg are snowed in together with their parents, Sarah’s crisis, Meg’s secret, Chrissie’s grief, and enough chocolate to support several difficult conversations. Winterbruck is offensively festive. There are mountain trains, snow-covered streets, roaring fires, hot drinks, and this aggressively cozy village energy that makes continued emotional avoidance look almost rude. The Alps are basically saying, “You two can keep not speaking, but you will be doing it under twinkling lights while somebody hands you pralines.”
The sisters’ feud works because neither of them is really angry about only the thing they claim started it. There is the wedding fallout, yes, but underneath that are years of feeling abandoned, judged, misunderstood, and less loved. They have both been telling themselves a version of the past where the other sister caused the damage and they simply survived it. Then they finally have to hear what those same years felt like from the opposite side. Family feuds last forever because eventually the silence becomes easier to defend than the original wound.
Chrissie’s grief got me. Returning to the chalet means walking back into the place where Christmas stopped feeling safe. She has spent eight years believing avoidance was the only way to remain upright, and now she is surrounded by proof that staying away did not freeze anything in place. Her parents got older. Meg kept hurting. Sarah grew up. Grief does not stop time. It just makes you miss parts of it. That landed. Moving on before the hot chocolate becomes a coping mechanism.
By the time Rhys arrives, the chalet is basically running a full-service family intervention with mountain views. Sarah has to decide whether she wants the marriage or just hates disappointing people. Meg has to admit that being successful on paper does not mean she is okay. Chrissie has to stop treating joy like a betrayal of the man she lost. And the sisters have to decide whether being right about the past matters more than having each other in the future.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas gets 4 stars from me. I wanted Sarah to make the choice that felt like hers, Chrissie to let herself come home without apologizing to grief, and Meg to admit that chocolate cannot personally hold an entire life together, despite making a respectable effort. Snowed-in family tension, wedding doubts, old wounds, Swiss village charm, and emergency confectionery? I was seated.
Merry Mayhem Prize: For Turning One Runaway Bride Situation Into a Full Alpine Summit on Grief, Sisterhood, and Who Has Been Avoiding Whom Since the Wedding
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC, and for sending three generations of emotionally overwhelmed women into the Swiss Alps with snow, chocolate, and absolutely nowhere to hide. Frankly, this is less a holiday and more a medically necessary family intervention with excellent scenery.
Chrissie has avoided Christmas in Switzerland ever since her husband died eight years ago, because the chalet is tied to the moment her entire life cracked open. She has been living quietly in Oxfordshire, focusing on Sarah and convincing herself that never going back is a reasonable long-term arrangement. Then Sarah runs directly to the one place Chrissie cannot bear to face. Of course she goes after her. You can spend years avoiding your own grief, but the second your child calls from inside it, suddenly you are at the airport holding a passport and several unresolved feelings.
Except Meg is already there. Meg, Chrissie’s estranged sister, who has spent years running a successful London chocolate shop and maintaining the public image of a woman who absolutely has everything under control. She does not. The business is struggling, the year has been brutal, and Meg has apparently decided the healthiest response is to tell nobody until she is trapped in a chalet with her entire family. Classic. Nothing helps a secret like adding altitude and snow.
Sarah barely knows Meg, which is genuinely wild because this is her aunt, not some obscure woman who appears in one faded photograph every Christmas. So before Chrissie arrives, Sarah and Meg start bonding without eight years of family resentment standing between them translating every sentence into an insult. Sarah gets an aunt. Meg gets a niece who has not already chosen sides. Then Chrissie walks in and realizes her sister has formed a relationship with her daughter, and you can practically hear every emotional cupboard in the chalet fly open at once.
And Sarah’s problem is real. She is twenty, Rhys is twenty-seven, the wedding is coming fast, and everybody around her has already emotionally ordered the cake. But Sarah is the one who has to live inside the marriage once the guests leave. She loves him. She is also wondering whether she has had enough time to figure out who she is before promising herself to somebody else. Running away to Switzerland is dramatic, sure. Marrying a man because canceling would be awkward is dramatically worse.
Meanwhile Chrissie and Meg are snowed in together with their parents, Sarah’s crisis, Meg’s secret, Chrissie’s grief, and enough chocolate to support several difficult conversations. Winterbruck is offensively festive. There are mountain trains, snow-covered streets, roaring fires, hot drinks, and this aggressively cozy village energy that makes continued emotional avoidance look almost rude. The Alps are basically saying, “You two can keep not speaking, but you will be doing it under twinkling lights while somebody hands you pralines.”
The sisters’ feud works because neither of them is really angry about only the thing they claim started it. There is the wedding fallout, yes, but underneath that are years of feeling abandoned, judged, misunderstood, and less loved. They have both been telling themselves a version of the past where the other sister caused the damage and they simply survived it. Then they finally have to hear what those same years felt like from the opposite side. Family feuds last forever because eventually the silence becomes easier to defend than the original wound.
Chrissie’s grief got me. Returning to the chalet means walking back into the place where Christmas stopped feeling safe. She has spent eight years believing avoidance was the only way to remain upright, and now she is surrounded by proof that staying away did not freeze anything in place. Her parents got older. Meg kept hurting. Sarah grew up. Grief does not stop time. It just makes you miss parts of it. That landed. Moving on before the hot chocolate becomes a coping mechanism.
By the time Rhys arrives, the chalet is basically running a full-service family intervention with mountain views. Sarah has to decide whether she wants the marriage or just hates disappointing people. Meg has to admit that being successful on paper does not mean she is okay. Chrissie has to stop treating joy like a betrayal of the man she lost. And the sisters have to decide whether being right about the past matters more than having each other in the future.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas gets 4 stars from me. I wanted Sarah to make the choice that felt like hers, Chrissie to let herself come home without apologizing to grief, and Meg to admit that chocolate cannot personally hold an entire life together, despite making a respectable effort. Snowed-in family tension, wedding doubts, old wounds, Swiss village charm, and emergency confectionery? I was seated.
Merry Mayhem Prize: For Turning One Runaway Bride Situation Into a Full Alpine Summit on Grief, Sisterhood, and Who Has Been Avoiding Whom Since the Wedding
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC, and for sending three generations of emotionally overwhelmed women into the Swiss Alps with snow, chocolate, and absolutely nowhere to hide. Frankly, this is less a holiday and more a medically necessary family intervention with excellent scenery.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Chrissie and her sister Meg had been estranged for a long time, back well before Chrissie's husband Anthony had died. She would never forgive Meg for what she'd done, even with all the letters and phone calls begging for forgiveness. Chrissie wanted to concentrate on her twenty year old daughter, Sarah, who was getting married on New Year's Eve. But when Sarah left her London home and headed for her grandparents' chalet in Winterbruck, Switzerland, only a few weeks before the wedding, her fiance Rhys, and mother both went into panic mode.
Meanwhile, Grumps (Earl) and Nanna (Astrid) were thrilled to see Sarah, happy to have her for Christmas, and just surrounded her with love. They knew she'd talk when she wanted to. When Meg arrived unexpectedly at the chalet, all were happy to see her - finally Sarah might get to know her aunt. Meg had secrets; she would tell her parents eventually; but she needed to lick her wounds in the peace and quiet of the Alps first. But when Chrissie arrived, also unexpectedly, the reaction was frosty to say the least. What would happen to these estranged sisters, to Sarah, the daughter, niece and fiance, as well as granddaughter? Would the snow, the blizzard, the cold, work its old magic once more?
I thoroughly enjoyed I'll Be Home for Christmas, set in the wintery Christmas season, the complete opposite to our Christmas' here in Australia. Author Helen Rolfe has a beautiful setting, combined with a family drama, and a young woman needing to make her own decisions instead of being directed by the older people in her life. I have previously read one other of this author's work, and enjoyed it too. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for my digital ARC to read and review.
Meanwhile, Grumps (Earl) and Nanna (Astrid) were thrilled to see Sarah, happy to have her for Christmas, and just surrounded her with love. They knew she'd talk when she wanted to. When Meg arrived unexpectedly at the chalet, all were happy to see her - finally Sarah might get to know her aunt. Meg had secrets; she would tell her parents eventually; but she needed to lick her wounds in the peace and quiet of the Alps first. But when Chrissie arrived, also unexpectedly, the reaction was frosty to say the least. What would happen to these estranged sisters, to Sarah, the daughter, niece and fiance, as well as granddaughter? Would the snow, the blizzard, the cold, work its old magic once more?
I thoroughly enjoyed I'll Be Home for Christmas, set in the wintery Christmas season, the complete opposite to our Christmas' here in Australia. Author Helen Rolfe has a beautiful setting, combined with a family drama, and a young woman needing to make her own decisions instead of being directed by the older people in her life. I have previously read one other of this author's work, and enjoyed it too. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for my digital ARC to read and review.
August 21, 2026
Perfect for fans of Shari Low, Heidi Swain and Cathy Bramley, this sounds like the ultimate festive escape to the snowy Swiss Alps! 🇨🇭❄️
Chrissie once adored Christmas in her childhood home in Switzerland, but after losing her husband eight years ago and becoming estranged from her sister Meg, those magical festive memories have become painful ones.
Now settled in peaceful Oxfordshire and concentrating on her daughter Sarah’s upcoming wedding, Chrissie is hoping for a fresh start… until Sarah unexpectedly runs away to her grandparents’ Swiss chalet just weeks before the big day! 😱💍
Chrissie heads to the mountains to bring her daughter home — only to discover that her estranged sister Meg is there too.
And then the snow comes down… ❄️
Trapped together in Winterbruck, the sisters have no choice but to confront their complicated past, deal with the tensions between them and put their differences aside to support Sarah.
I absolutely love the sound of the family dynamics in this story. There’s heartbreak, unresolved sibling tension, wedding chaos, secrets and the promise of healing — all wrapped up in a gorgeous snowy setting with plenty of chocolate thrown into the mix! 🍫❤️
✨ Christmas in the Swiss Alps
✨ Estranged sisters
✨ Family secrets
✨ Wedding drama
✨ Snowed-in setting
✨ Second chances
✨ Heartwarming friendships & family
✨ Chocolate! 🍫
✨ Festive feel-good vibes
This feels like the perfect book to curl up with on a chilly evening, preferably with a blanket, a hot chocolate and a box of chocolates within reach! ☕🍫
A heartwarming story about love, loss, forgiveness and discovering that sometimes the people who drive you crazy are the very people you need most.
If you enjoy cosy Christmas fiction with plenty of heart, complicated family relationships and a beautiful festive setting, add this one to your Christmas TBR! 🎄📚❤️
Chrissie once adored Christmas in her childhood home in Switzerland, but after losing her husband eight years ago and becoming estranged from her sister Meg, those magical festive memories have become painful ones.
Now settled in peaceful Oxfordshire and concentrating on her daughter Sarah’s upcoming wedding, Chrissie is hoping for a fresh start… until Sarah unexpectedly runs away to her grandparents’ Swiss chalet just weeks before the big day! 😱💍
Chrissie heads to the mountains to bring her daughter home — only to discover that her estranged sister Meg is there too.
And then the snow comes down… ❄️
Trapped together in Winterbruck, the sisters have no choice but to confront their complicated past, deal with the tensions between them and put their differences aside to support Sarah.
I absolutely love the sound of the family dynamics in this story. There’s heartbreak, unresolved sibling tension, wedding chaos, secrets and the promise of healing — all wrapped up in a gorgeous snowy setting with plenty of chocolate thrown into the mix! 🍫❤️
✨ Christmas in the Swiss Alps
✨ Estranged sisters
✨ Family secrets
✨ Wedding drama
✨ Snowed-in setting
✨ Second chances
✨ Heartwarming friendships & family
✨ Chocolate! 🍫
✨ Festive feel-good vibes
This feels like the perfect book to curl up with on a chilly evening, preferably with a blanket, a hot chocolate and a box of chocolates within reach! ☕🍫
A heartwarming story about love, loss, forgiveness and discovering that sometimes the people who drive you crazy are the very people you need most.
If you enjoy cosy Christmas fiction with plenty of heart, complicated family relationships and a beautiful festive setting, add this one to your Christmas TBR! 🎄📚❤️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🚨 SPOILER ALERT: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
I am giving I'll Be Home for Christmas by Helen Rolfe a cozy, festive 4-star review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Get ready to wrap yourself up in a warm blanket because this Christmas tale brings all the heartwarming holiday charm, snowy cabin aesthetics, and sweet festive romance right to your Kindle screen!
ARC Disclosure: A huge thank you to NetGalley, publisher Boldwood Books, and author Helen Rolfe for providing an early digital review copy (eARC) of this book! All thoughts, fanatical reactions, and honest reflections shared in this review are entirely my own.
The Review
I'll Be Home for Christmas by Helen Rolfe is a delightful holiday story that delivers a truly heartwarming escape! I loved this story a lot, even though it took me a little bit to settle into its rhythm at the start. Once the pacing hit its stride, the cozy festive atmosphere and emotional depth completely hooked me.
Helen Rolfe does a wonderful job of building a festive world filled with family warmth, second chances, and classic holiday comfort. The character dynamics are sweet and grounded, making the journey toward Christmas Day feel truly rewarding. If you love stories about coming home for the holidays, cozy winter cabin vibes, and heartwarming connections, this is a fantastic addition to your seasonal reading list!
The Good
The festive setting and cozy holiday ambiance are top-notch! Once the story finds its rhythm, the emotional connections and charming winter elements make it impossible not to root for a happy holiday ending.
The Not So Good
It took a few chapters to really get into the flow and rhythm of the pacing, but once it locked in, the rest of the book was a joy to read
I am giving I'll Be Home for Christmas by Helen Rolfe a cozy, festive 4-star review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Get ready to wrap yourself up in a warm blanket because this Christmas tale brings all the heartwarming holiday charm, snowy cabin aesthetics, and sweet festive romance right to your Kindle screen!
ARC Disclosure: A huge thank you to NetGalley, publisher Boldwood Books, and author Helen Rolfe for providing an early digital review copy (eARC) of this book! All thoughts, fanatical reactions, and honest reflections shared in this review are entirely my own.
The Review
I'll Be Home for Christmas by Helen Rolfe is a delightful holiday story that delivers a truly heartwarming escape! I loved this story a lot, even though it took me a little bit to settle into its rhythm at the start. Once the pacing hit its stride, the cozy festive atmosphere and emotional depth completely hooked me.
Helen Rolfe does a wonderful job of building a festive world filled with family warmth, second chances, and classic holiday comfort. The character dynamics are sweet and grounded, making the journey toward Christmas Day feel truly rewarding. If you love stories about coming home for the holidays, cozy winter cabin vibes, and heartwarming connections, this is a fantastic addition to your seasonal reading list!
The Good
The festive setting and cozy holiday ambiance are top-notch! Once the story finds its rhythm, the emotional connections and charming winter elements make it impossible not to root for a happy holiday ending.
The Not So Good
It took a few chapters to really get into the flow and rhythm of the pacing, but once it locked in, the rest of the book was a joy to read
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ll Be Home for Christmas is a wonderfully comforting festive read, full of snowy Alpine charm and the kind of emotional depth that makes holiday fiction feel truly meaningful. Chrissie’s journey—from avoiding Christmas altogether to being pulled back into the heart of her family’s chalet—sets the tone for a story about healing old wounds and rediscovering connection.
The dynamic between Chrissie and her sister Meg is beautifully handled. Their estrangement feels real and lived‑in, and watching them navigate long‑standing tensions while trapped together in Winterbruck adds both humour and tenderness. Meg’s struggles, hidden beneath the glossy success of her London chocolate shop, give the story an extra layer of empathy that I really enjoyed.
Sarah’s runaway‑bride moment brings urgency and warmth to the plot, and the snowy setting is irresistible—cosy, atmospheric, and perfect for a festive escape. The novel balances emotional moments with gentle charm, and the theme of family (plus a little chocolate) making even the hardest Christmas feel cosy is genuinely uplifting.
A lovely, feel‑good seasonal read ideal for anyone who enjoys heartwarming women’s fiction with a wintry backdrop and characters you want to root for. It left me with that soft, contented glow that only a good Christmas story can deliver.
with thanks to Helen Rolfe, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
The dynamic between Chrissie and her sister Meg is beautifully handled. Their estrangement feels real and lived‑in, and watching them navigate long‑standing tensions while trapped together in Winterbruck adds both humour and tenderness. Meg’s struggles, hidden beneath the glossy success of her London chocolate shop, give the story an extra layer of empathy that I really enjoyed.
Sarah’s runaway‑bride moment brings urgency and warmth to the plot, and the snowy setting is irresistible—cosy, atmospheric, and perfect for a festive escape. The novel balances emotional moments with gentle charm, and the theme of family (plus a little chocolate) making even the hardest Christmas feel cosy is genuinely uplifting.
A lovely, feel‑good seasonal read ideal for anyone who enjoys heartwarming women’s fiction with a wintry backdrop and characters you want to root for. It left me with that soft, contented glow that only a good Christmas story can deliver.
with thanks to Helen Rolfe, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Chrissie used to love Christmas in her Swiss childhood home.... until the loss of her husband eight years ago. Add in a prolonged conflict with her sister Meg, and the holidays in the snowy Alps are just too hard to face. Now she's in quiet Oxfordshire, focused on her daughter Sarah's wedding. But when Sarah runs away to her grandparents' chalet just weeks before her big day, Chrissie heads to the mountains to help - and finds her estranged sister Meg there too. Usually in London at the helm of a thriving chocolate shop, Meg's hiding the troubles of a tough year. Trapped by snow in Winterbruck, the sisters must face old tensions, support Chrissie's daughter, and discover that family - and a little chocolate - can make even the coldest Christmas cosy.
Winterbruck is a fictional town in the Swiss Alps. We get a dysfunctional family. I liked the author's writing style. Each of the main characters told their story in alternating chapters. Chrissie's twenty year old daughter Sarah was getting married on New Year's Eve, but she ran off to her grandparents' chalet in Switzerland a few weeks before the wedding. I quite liked the well-developed characters. I also liked where the story was set. This was a delightful book to read.
Published 21st August 2026
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author#HelenRolfe for my ARC of #IllBeHomeForChristmas in exchange for an honest review.
Winterbruck is a fictional town in the Swiss Alps. We get a dysfunctional family. I liked the author's writing style. Each of the main characters told their story in alternating chapters. Chrissie's twenty year old daughter Sarah was getting married on New Year's Eve, but she ran off to her grandparents' chalet in Switzerland a few weeks before the wedding. I quite liked the well-developed characters. I also liked where the story was set. This was a delightful book to read.
Published 21st August 2026
I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author#HelenRolfe for my ARC of #IllBeHomeForChristmas in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I would like to thank Boldwood Books, Netgalley and Helen Rolfe for the E ARC of this book.
Christmas is hard for Chrissie, as she lost her husband eight years ago. She no longer wants to spend Christmas in the Swiss Alps with her parents as this is where she and her daughter received the news.
This Christmas she has enough on her plate with her daughter Sarah’s upcoming wedding in the New Year. However, when Sarah runs away to her Grandparents just before Christmas Sarah is worried. On the spur of the moment Chrissie heads home to discover that her estranged sister Meg has also headed home for Christmas. As neither sister have spoken for many years will this Christmas season see them reconnect, relive happy older memories, make new ones, many there maybe romance as well.
I loved the setting and the characters. I would love to do the Jungfrau Mountain Trian ride that Meg and Sarah did, it sounded so magical. The village sounded a lovely place to visit and the chocolate shop a definite stop.
This book will whisk you away to snowy days in the Swiss Alps with touring mountains, a quaint village and characters that make you root for them. Definitely a book to be added to your Christmas reading pile.
Christmas is hard for Chrissie, as she lost her husband eight years ago. She no longer wants to spend Christmas in the Swiss Alps with her parents as this is where she and her daughter received the news.
This Christmas she has enough on her plate with her daughter Sarah’s upcoming wedding in the New Year. However, when Sarah runs away to her Grandparents just before Christmas Sarah is worried. On the spur of the moment Chrissie heads home to discover that her estranged sister Meg has also headed home for Christmas. As neither sister have spoken for many years will this Christmas season see them reconnect, relive happy older memories, make new ones, many there maybe romance as well.
I loved the setting and the characters. I would love to do the Jungfrau Mountain Trian ride that Meg and Sarah did, it sounded so magical. The village sounded a lovely place to visit and the chocolate shop a definite stop.
This book will whisk you away to snowy days in the Swiss Alps with touring mountains, a quaint village and characters that make you root for them. Definitely a book to be added to your Christmas reading pile.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a story of a family in crisis. Chrissie hasn't spoken to her sister Meg, a chocolatier, after an acrimonious split over Chrissie's choice of husband, her daughter Sarah has run away to her grandparents in Switzerland over doubts about her upcoming marriage on New Year's Eve. Meanwhile Meg's life has also hit a rocky patch and things come to a head when they all end up at the grandparents chalet in Switzerland just before Christmas.
Although there is plenty of negativity in this story there is also plenty of love to balance this out. Chrissie's and Meg's back stories are gradually revealed explaining the reasons behind the split and Sarah's worries about her impending nuptials become clear. A heartwarming story about family issues tempered with chocolate (see what I did there).
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.
Although there is plenty of negativity in this story there is also plenty of love to balance this out. Chrissie's and Meg's back stories are gradually revealed explaining the reasons behind the split and Sarah's worries about her impending nuptials become clear. A heartwarming story about family issues tempered with chocolate (see what I did there).
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.
August 22, 2026
Am I ready to embrace Christmas already? Maybe :) I don't mind to read about a lovely winter story though.
The story started out by introducing the main characters and it became clear to me rather quickly, that everyone loves each other a lot and them being re-united in a place that comes with memories sounds like a perfect idea on paper. It also becomes clear rather quickly, that everyone comes with their own issues and it feels a bit like running away from something, hoping to find clarity.
And this is exactly what I got here. The main woman of the story all struggle with something in their life. Each in their own way. Coming together comes with it's own unique challenges.
This was such a heartwarming story about family bonds, moving on, accepting what happened (and I understood why Chrissie was holding a grudge for so long) doesn't define you and adding a cosy atmosphere and a lot of chocolate on top.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story started out by introducing the main characters and it became clear to me rather quickly, that everyone loves each other a lot and them being re-united in a place that comes with memories sounds like a perfect idea on paper. It also becomes clear rather quickly, that everyone comes with their own issues and it feels a bit like running away from something, hoping to find clarity.
And this is exactly what I got here. The main woman of the story all struggle with something in their life. Each in their own way. Coming together comes with it's own unique challenges.
This was such a heartwarming story about family bonds, moving on, accepting what happened (and I understood why Chrissie was holding a grudge for so long) doesn't define you and adding a cosy atmosphere and a lot of chocolate on top.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 31, 2026
I absolutely love this authors books and was excited to see they had a new book out with an theme as this was perfect reading for my Christmas in July reading tradition. I read this in one sitting on a very hot day but was instantly transported to the Swiss alps and surrounded by cosy images of hot chocolate by a roaring fire.
This was a beautiful heartwarming and engaging read that highlighted how family dynamics and relationships are not always straightforward and how sometimes obstacles need to be overcome. The storyline was so much more than just a cosy Xmas read as it also highlighted that Christmas is not always as perfect as it is perceived to be and can be a difficult time for some which gave it a very realistic feel and made it highly relatable.
I look forward to reading what this authors writes next
This was a beautiful heartwarming and engaging read that highlighted how family dynamics and relationships are not always straightforward and how sometimes obstacles need to be overcome. The storyline was so much more than just a cosy Xmas read as it also highlighted that Christmas is not always as perfect as it is perceived to be and can be a difficult time for some which gave it a very realistic feel and made it highly relatable.
I look forward to reading what this authors writes next
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This story has the ambiance, the snow, and a family that is struggling with many things. As they arrive at different times and no one knows others will be there, it will lead you on an adventure on a mountain in the Swiss Alps. Life sometimes finds a way to get people together, and we watch as things untangle, some things become clearer, and the family starts to talk. When they start talking to each other, they learn a lot; things get revealed, and they are all home for Christmas, but will they come together and reconnect or stay estranged? I won't say anymore, but this was emotional; they discovered many things about themselves, and the family has to decide where they want to go from here.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.
August 19, 2026
I loved this! It felt like a warm festive hug. Although there are romance subplots throughout, this really is a story about family, grief and making up for lost time. The setting was just dreamy and I almost felt like I was snuggled up in a Swiss cabin myself! It made me so nostalgic for childhood holidays in the mountains.
I found myself at times frustrated by, and at other times completely understanding of, every character’s perspective - Sarah, Meg and Chrissie all felt like real people and that’s why this worked so well. The resolution felt well earned after following each of their journeys, and I loved that everyone got their happily ever after!
My favourite Helen Rolfe book so far, thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
I found myself at times frustrated by, and at other times completely understanding of, every character’s perspective - Sarah, Meg and Chrissie all felt like real people and that’s why this worked so well. The resolution felt well earned after following each of their journeys, and I loved that everyone got their happily ever after!
My favourite Helen Rolfe book so far, thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ll be home for Christmas follows 3 women as the embark on different stages of their lives, estranged sisters Meg and Chrissie, and Chrissie’s daughter Sarah.
When they all end up at Meg and Chrissies parents chalet in Switzerland, at the same time, they find themselves faced with the task of dealing with their pasts and making big decisions for their futures.
I really enjoyed this book, the three different pov characters were well written, they each had their flaws, but you could see the growth that each had on and off the page.
It was a cosy fluffy festive read with a dash of emotion and left me really hankering for fondue and chocolate.
When they all end up at Meg and Chrissies parents chalet in Switzerland, at the same time, they find themselves faced with the task of dealing with their pasts and making big decisions for their futures.
I really enjoyed this book, the three different pov characters were well written, they each had their flaws, but you could see the growth that each had on and off the page.
It was a cosy fluffy festive read with a dash of emotion and left me really hankering for fondue and chocolate.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This story follows 3 women in various stages of life and troubles. Chrissie and Meg are estranged sisters and Sarah is Chrissie's daughter. Chrissie lost her husband 8 years ago and can't bear to be at her parents Swiss home where she learned the news of his death. Meg is hiding a personal and career loss and Sarah is having wedding jitters. Meg and Sarah are enjoying getting acquainted, when Chrissie arrives, she is not happy to see Meg. A truly touching story of loss, hurt and finding a way back again. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Helene Rolfe was just the right book for me to read with this hot weather we have been having where I live. It gave me a glimpse of winter weather and put me in the holiday mood.
I like a runaway bride story, and this one has all the right parts and characters in it to make it fun to read.
The sister dynamics was not something I expected but made me feel the family troubles and how they worked through old hurts made me like the story even more.
Thank you NetGalley, Helen Rolfe and Boldwood Books for the copy of I’ll Be Home for Christmas. This is my personal review.
I like a runaway bride story, and this one has all the right parts and characters in it to make it fun to read.
The sister dynamics was not something I expected but made me feel the family troubles and how they worked through old hurts made me like the story even more.
Thank you NetGalley, Helen Rolfe and Boldwood Books for the copy of I’ll Be Home for Christmas. This is my personal review.
August 22, 2026
I’ll Be Home for Christmas was such a cozy and heartwarming festive read. I loved the snowy Swiss Alps setting, and adding a chocolate shop into the mix made it feel even more Christmassy.
What I especially enjoyed was that it wasn’t only about romance. There’s family, grief, complicated relationships between sisters, and a daughter who suddenly throws everyone’s plans into chaos. It gave the story a little more emotional depth while still keeping that comforting Christmas feel.
A lovely festive escape with snow, family drama, second chances, and plenty of chocolate. Exactly the kind of book I want to curl up with at Christmas. 🎄
What I especially enjoyed was that it wasn’t only about romance. There’s family, grief, complicated relationships between sisters, and a daughter who suddenly throws everyone’s plans into chaos. It gave the story a little more emotional depth while still keeping that comforting Christmas feel.
A lovely festive escape with snow, family drama, second chances, and plenty of chocolate. Exactly the kind of book I want to curl up with at Christmas. 🎄
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Loved this story about family Meg and Chrissie are sisters that had a falling out at Chrissie's wedding and haven't spoken since. Meg just lost her job and Sarah, Chrissie's daughter is engaged to Rhys and are planning a wedding New Year's Eve. She is 20 and he is 27. She can't decide if she is ready or not as they are very different. he decides she is going to visit her grandparents in the Swiss Alps to think. Little does she know her aunt Meg is coming, her mother ends up coming and Rhys end up there too. Follow this journey to see what happens. A GREAT READ.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Sarah has got nerves about her upoming wedding so she decides to go and spend Christmas with her Grandprents in The Swiss Alps. Meg has lost her job and decides to go and stay with her parents, what neither of them know is that the other is going, and Meg fell out with Sarahs mum years ago. Sarah devides she wants to get to know her auntie, all is going well until Chrissie, Sarahs mum, shows up too.
A wonderful story following the lives of 3 different women.
Sarah has got nerves about her upoming wedding so she decides to go and spend Christmas with her Grandprents in The Swiss Alps. Meg has lost her job and decides to go and stay with her parents, what neither of them know is that the other is going, and Meg fell out with Sarahs mum years ago. Sarah devides she wants to get to know her auntie, all is going well until Chrissie, Sarahs mum, shows up too.
A wonderful story following the lives of 3 different women.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is (obviously) a christmassy read set in the beautiful Swiss Alpes.
The writing is great and so are the main characters with all of their flaws and feelings. I loved the family aspect in this story and how they had to (and managed to) work through their differences. The closed proximity aspect tends to make me feel uneasy whenever differences/trouble arise, but it was really well done here. It’s a heartwarming story, perfect to curl up and escape your own life for a while.
Thank you to Boldwood Books, Helen Rolfe and NetGalley for this ARC!
The writing is great and so are the main characters with all of their flaws and feelings. I loved the family aspect in this story and how they had to (and managed to) work through their differences. The closed proximity aspect tends to make me feel uneasy whenever differences/trouble arise, but it was really well done here. It’s a heartwarming story, perfect to curl up and escape your own life for a while.
Thank you to Boldwood Books, Helen Rolfe and NetGalley for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First, the descriptions of the food were enough to keep me reading. I swear I could practically smell the cinnamon buns and chocolate!
At its heart, this is a story about a family coming together, with each person facing their own personal struggles and finding their way back to one another. The setting was absolutely gorgeous and described so beautifully that it felt like a place I would visit in a heartbeat.
This is a warm, emotional Christmas story that will definitely give you all the feels.
At its heart, this is a story about a family coming together, with each person facing their own personal struggles and finding their way back to one another. The setting was absolutely gorgeous and described so beautifully that it felt like a place I would visit in a heartbeat.
This is a warm, emotional Christmas story that will definitely give you all the feels.
August 22, 2026
Sarah is getting nervous about her upcoming wedding to Rhys because he is 7 years older with more life experience and she is only 20 years old as her mother keeps reminding her. To get her thoughts in order, she has run off to Switzerland to visit her grandparents who cannot attend the wedding in England for health reasons. Ever since her father died in the military service, her mother has done her best to make everything right, but has had nothing to do with her sister, which Sarah does not understand. This is a wonderful heartwarming story about family.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A story of reconciliation and family. We follow two sisters and a daughter/niece. The sister ate long estranged and changes bring a out trips to the Alps to the grandparents home for Christmas. We follow as the chance for moving forward together appears to be unlikely due to the trauma of past events. I enjoyed the characters and story.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I receieved an ARC of this from Netgalley and it was just the book I needed. I adored the characters, their faults made them seem more human. The setting made it feel all that more christmassy, without shoving christmas down your throat. Im a hug fan of christmas books but they usually fall in the 3 star mark for me but this just had that little bit extra. I loved watching the family relationship get repaired and loved how simple the ending was. I would highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sarah is due is get married in the New Year but has got cold feet so she flies to her Grandparents house in Switzerland to think. While she's there her mothers estranged sister also arrives. The two have never had any contact so enjoy learning about each other then Sarah's mother arrives and is horrified that her sister is there.
This is a story of family and the issues that can arise.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my arc copy
This is a story of family and the issues that can arise.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my arc copy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Relationships, frayed or stretched to the limit, are the heart of this story. Sisters with a long term estrangement are finally forced to see each other after several years. A daughter with a wedding days away is struggling with doubts, some of them caused by her clingy mother. The Swiss Alps are the background for this wonderful family novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
I loved that the story takes place in Swiss Alps, as someone who goes skiing there every year I absolutely adored the set up for the story.
The story was very interesting and characters well builds. the conflict between Chrissy and Meg was well explained and the resolution was real. Chrissy and her daughter relationship was also well written. Each character had a chance to tell their story.
Overall it was a cute story.
I loved that the story takes place in Swiss Alps, as someone who goes skiing there every year I absolutely adored the set up for the story.
The story was very interesting and characters well builds. the conflict between Chrissy and Meg was well explained and the resolution was real. Chrissy and her daughter relationship was also well written. Each character had a chance to tell their story.
Overall it was a cute story.
August 6, 2026
Review of an Advanced copy received from NetGalley
A delightful wintry tale set in fairy tale surroundings in Switzerland. It is a hug in a book with a sprinkling of chocolate. An indecisive Bride -to-Be visits her grandparents to think about her future . Her quest brings to the surface internal family rifts and sets a course of action in place to rectify past errors in judgement
A delightful wintry tale set in fairy tale surroundings in Switzerland. It is a hug in a book with a sprinkling of chocolate. An indecisive Bride -to-Be visits her grandparents to think about her future . Her quest brings to the surface internal family rifts and sets a course of action in place to rectify past errors in judgement
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a nice story revolving around family at Christmas time. It has plenty of emotional drama and sweet romance. The location sounded wonderful and the chocolate even better. I always know I’m going to get a good story from this author.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A beautiful feel good read set around family relations and snow capped scenery. Not so much a Christmas story but a winter wonderland read.
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