Noël

by Cressida Ellen Schofield

Bring your baggage home for the holidays!

It should be the most wonderful time of the year but for the Binghams of Magpie Cottage it’s not so much deck the halls as deck your relative.

Margaret wants to create the perfect family Christmas. Bernard wants some peace & quiet to enjoy his retirement. Becca wants her ex-boyfriend to call. Natalie wants the admiration & respect of her parents & siblings. Dan wants a drink. Nick wants to try for a second baby. Evie doesn’t know what she wants…

Throw in two disagreeable pensioners, an offended vicar, a broken boiler & a stolen turkey for the perfect festive farce…but when tragedy strikes everyone is forced to set aside their hopes & fears and exercise some seasonal goodwill.

230 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2016

Reviews

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the cover I think it looks stunning and makes me think of drinking hot chocolate when it is freezing weather outside. It was a easy read with lots of characters to meet. I was constantly laughing with this book and it made me think of my family. I look forward to book two. 

[Joanne Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mix of laughter and sadness

I really enjoyed this book, after meeting Natalie in the Izzy Brown stories, I was looking forward to reading more, and it didn’t disappoint.

Set in North Yorkshire, enter the Christmas spirit with a family that experience everything in just 4 days.

[Leah Cariss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book

Made me want to read more and not put the book down.

So many twists and turns.you really get the feeling you are the cottage with the family

[Claire (Cem) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd one. Not really close to what I expected, and yet I could barely put it down. I kept finding myself reading a page or two whenever I had a moment even if that's all I could manage. And other times, reading for a couple hours straight.

The realness to the characters is almost painful at times. Their own quirks, insecurities, feelings of jealousy, and a hundred other things. There are times where I honestly thought they were all mad, and the story too. But I still desperately wanted to see how it worked out, what would happen next.

Yes, it's a Christmas story. But unlike most, there is no easy happily ever after here. It's thought provoking and real. I loved it. And I'll certainly be reading more titles by this author as a result.

[Amanda Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Cressida Ellen Schofield's Incapability Brown so Noël, the first book in The Magpie Cottage Chronicles, has been on my To Be Read list for some time. I should have read it before Christmas because it is as stuffed full of festive spirit as the average turkey on Christmas morning. I loved the Binghams and all their quirks and flaws, and soon felt as though I was part of the family. As with Incapability Brown, the writing was witty and assured, and the author pulls no punches as she dissects family life and examines what makes siblings tick. All the characters were utterly believable but I particularly liked Becca. She may not be the most loved of the Bingham children, or the most beautiful, but she was totally credible. If you love family dynamics, humour and a great story you simply must download this book!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, with a deep understanding of the issues faced by even the most normal-seeming household when thrust together over the festive season. Ms Schofield handles her characters very well, to the extent that you feel you are part of the family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to further news from the Bingham household.