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Huntersbrook House #2
The Heart of Winter
With the promise of December in the air and the hedgerows laced with frost, Huntersbrook House has never looked more beautiful. Once the Craig family's beloved home, the house has been transformed into a magnificent countryside venue. And the Christmas wedding of a well-known film actress is the perfect way to launch the new venture. Yet even as the fires are lit, the Craig children are feeling the chill. Pippa is skating on thin ice with her reckless personal life. Joey, preoccupied with the business, is blind to his fiancée's struggles; while Lainey's future is dealt an unforeseen cruel blow. As the wedding approaches, everyone hopes the house will weave its magic in time for the big day. But can the Craigs put their problems aside and pull together as a family once more?
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
54 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Emma Hannigan
23 books164 followersEmma Hannigan was an Irish author and blogger, best known for writing about her experience of suffering from cancer.
With a family history of breast and ovarian cancer, Hannigan's mother and maternal aunt tested positive for the responsible gene, BRCA1. She also received a 'positive' result in August 2005, which carries an 85% risk of developing breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. In 2006, Hannigan underwent a bi-lateral mastectomy (or both breasts removed) and a bi-lateral oopherectomy (or both ovaries removed) to reduce the risk of cancer developing to 5%. However, breast cancer soon developed, "in the neck, shoulder and under my arm", in 2007. After repeated treatment, a tumor always reappeared. She died at age 45 after her tenth battle with cancer.
With a family history of breast and ovarian cancer, Hannigan's mother and maternal aunt tested positive for the responsible gene, BRCA1. She also received a 'positive' result in August 2005, which carries an 85% risk of developing breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. In 2006, Hannigan underwent a bi-lateral mastectomy (or both breasts removed) and a bi-lateral oopherectomy (or both ovaries removed) to reduce the risk of cancer developing to 5%. However, breast cancer soon developed, "in the neck, shoulder and under my arm", in 2007. After repeated treatment, a tumor always reappeared. She died at age 45 after her tenth battle with cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 7, 2015
Don’t be put off by the fluffy cover on this one. Yes, it is an uplifting, easy to read family drama that is just perfect for the build up to Christmas, but it is one with hidden depths as some of the themes explored in the book are quite dark and moving. The Craig family have come to the decision that the only way to save the magnificent house that has been their family home for three generations is by reopening it as an events venue. It is a lovely read about a really lovely family, the sort you could just imagine slotting into. However, that is on the surface, underneath they have their problems. One member of the Craigs will find their life starting to spiral out of control, another will get the rug well and truly pulled from under their feet by unexpected news and yet another will need to learn to put family and loved ones first for a while. And that is just for starters, there is as an incredible amount of drama packed into this book. The characters themselves all feel very real, people you could meet on any day of the week and I very quickly warmed to them, in fact I wanted them to adopt me. I could easily get used to live on an Irish country estate!
Although it can be read as a standalone it is the second in a series. This of course puts the onus on the author to give a new reader all the background information he or she might need without info dumping. This did mean that, especially in the first part of the book, sometimes the dialogue went a bit wobbly and didn’t feel quite natural. Once I had all the information I needed though, it just seemed to flow and flow and flow.
The real star of the book is the house itself, Huntersbrook.An Irish Downton Abbey setting, one that really makes you long to join the Craigs at Christmas for mince pies around a real Christmas tree beside a crackling log fire.
If you want a nice cosy heartwarming read with a real Christmassy feel to it, then this would be right up your street.
Although it can be read as a standalone it is the second in a series. This of course puts the onus on the author to give a new reader all the background information he or she might need without info dumping. This did mean that, especially in the first part of the book, sometimes the dialogue went a bit wobbly and didn’t feel quite natural. Once I had all the information I needed though, it just seemed to flow and flow and flow.
The real star of the book is the house itself, Huntersbrook.An Irish Downton Abbey setting, one that really makes you long to join the Craigs at Christmas for mince pies around a real Christmas tree beside a crackling log fire.
If you want a nice cosy heartwarming read with a real Christmassy feel to it, then this would be right up your street.
November 10, 2015
The Heart of Winter sees us return to Huntersbrook House, setting of Driving Home for Christmas, and a return to the Craig family. Once again Huntersbrook House is the key to the book, but this time as a an events venue, and the book is set in the run up to Christmas.
Although this is a sequel, that is set around 3 years after the original, it can definitely be read as a standalone. Enough relevant information is provided, but due to the huge range of character development between the two books, it may be recommended to read Driving Home For Christmas first, purely to really get a feel for the family.
Almost everyone from the first book is back, with a couple of exceptions, 1 a lot more notable than the other (which isn't even referenced). My favourite character is still Pippa, the youngest sibling. She is unpredictable, fun loving and has a large amount of growing up to do. And this time she really does get herself into some sticky situations, which are tough for her to get out of. But at the bottom of it all she has a heart of gold, and even if she does need a bit of a wake up call, has her family's best interests at heart.
Joey, who felt rather vulnerable and a bit of a fitness fanatic, has had what feels like a complete personality transplant and is more focused on his job and trying to become partner, and the growing of the Huntersbrook House business to pay attention to his girlfriend. It felt like a complete 180 degree turnaround and I felt I liked him less than I did as a result.
Lainey is the oldest sibling and life has possibly changed more for her, than the others. She still has a rock relationship with her mother, Holly, but is now a mother of her own. However then a tragedy strikes Lainey and she has to learn to cope with a whole new reality. And its while Lainey is dealing with this, that leads to major changes in all manner of the relationships between Craig family members.
Then there is Holly, the family matriarch, who just wants to spend more time with her grandson, and is as always excited about decorating for Christmas.
The perspective jumps around between Holly, Joey, Lainey and Pippa and occasionally some of the other characters but its always easy to know who we are focused on, as its the section heading. This allowed us to get up, close and personal with all of the Craig clan, and I love getting to know my characters really well, as it allows you to feel emotionally attached to them .
The Heart of Winter, was an excellent story and was highly enjoyable, I loved the setting in Ireland of Wicklow, and also Dublin, and Emma Hannigan is moving her way up my list of Irish Fiction writers that I love. I am really hoping that this isn't the last we see of this fabulous family, or their handsome house.
Thanks so much to Headline and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
Although this is a sequel, that is set around 3 years after the original, it can definitely be read as a standalone. Enough relevant information is provided, but due to the huge range of character development between the two books, it may be recommended to read Driving Home For Christmas first, purely to really get a feel for the family.
Almost everyone from the first book is back, with a couple of exceptions, 1 a lot more notable than the other (which isn't even referenced). My favourite character is still Pippa, the youngest sibling. She is unpredictable, fun loving and has a large amount of growing up to do. And this time she really does get herself into some sticky situations, which are tough for her to get out of. But at the bottom of it all she has a heart of gold, and even if she does need a bit of a wake up call, has her family's best interests at heart.
Joey, who felt rather vulnerable and a bit of a fitness fanatic, has had what feels like a complete personality transplant and is more focused on his job and trying to become partner, and the growing of the Huntersbrook House business to pay attention to his girlfriend. It felt like a complete 180 degree turnaround and I felt I liked him less than I did as a result.
Lainey is the oldest sibling and life has possibly changed more for her, than the others. She still has a rock relationship with her mother, Holly, but is now a mother of her own. However then a tragedy strikes Lainey and she has to learn to cope with a whole new reality. And its while Lainey is dealing with this, that leads to major changes in all manner of the relationships between Craig family members.
Then there is Holly, the family matriarch, who just wants to spend more time with her grandson, and is as always excited about decorating for Christmas.
The perspective jumps around between Holly, Joey, Lainey and Pippa and occasionally some of the other characters but its always easy to know who we are focused on, as its the section heading. This allowed us to get up, close and personal with all of the Craig clan, and I love getting to know my characters really well, as it allows you to feel emotionally attached to them .
The Heart of Winter, was an excellent story and was highly enjoyable, I loved the setting in Ireland of Wicklow, and also Dublin, and Emma Hannigan is moving her way up my list of Irish Fiction writers that I love. I am really hoping that this isn't the last we see of this fabulous family, or their handsome house.
Thanks so much to Headline and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.
October 26, 2015
We first met Craig family in Driving Home for Christmas. Please don't worry if you haven't read Driving Home for Christmas, I can promise you all that you won't feel lost. You will find The Heart of Winter a comforting read. Huntersbrook House has been in Joey's mother's family for three generations. Money had been poured into saving the stunning Georgian residence. Joey Craig came up with the idea to turn Huntersbrook House into a countryside wedding venue. Emma Hannigan certainly is a writer who understands exactly how women think.
December 25, 2016
This was really lovely and great having characters from another book brought back into it.
December 16, 2018
At first I was annoyed with the characters: with pippa with the drugs (with which I wasn’t at ease reading), and lainey with the baby obsession. But it passed and it was a really nice story overall - I couldn’t put the book down. Though I wouldn’t call the book a romance
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2019
Another excellent read by this author. Look forward to reading the others by her.
November 22, 2014
Having enjoyed Emma Hannigan’s previous book The Summer Guest I was delighted to be offered a copy of The Heart of Winter. Only on finishing the book did I realise that the Craig family previously appeared in Driving Home for Christmas which was published last year. Although this is a perfectly good read as a stand-alone book I think the early chapters would have read a little smoother if the author hadn’t had to try so hard to cement the characters personalities to allow for those of us who hadn’t already met them.
The Craig family are in the final stages of turning the family country house, Huntersbrook, into a party venue, the whole family has pulled together to keep the house in the family, well nearly the whole family as Pippa the youngest daughter of Holly and Paddy focus is on partying her way through life and leaving others to do the hard work.
Lainey the eldest daughter lives close to her parents with her husband Matt and father-in-law Jacob but it’s clear that she feels that she was hard-done because Holly had suffered from post-natal depression after she was born and she was cared for by her Grandmother Maggie while she recovered. Following Maggie’s death Lainey has thrown herself into the family project as well as looking after her young son Ely.
Joey is the only son and very ambitious, he and his girlfriend Skye are also working hard to get the house ready for its first guests but when Joey gets a promotion he seems to think Skye should change to reflect his new role. He didn’t really impress me very much!
The plot is fairly predictable, with many family dramas including those of the old family retainer Sadie, who at eighty years old is still running after the younger members of the family, whipping up food at the drop of a hat or babysitting little Ely, a real marvel! This is a book about family relationships so there are moments of tension that are eased by a few well-chosen words which put the world to rights. The story is told in alternate chapters by Lainey, Joey and Pippa which is easy to follow as each chapter is headed by the character involved and has the added bonus of giving glimpses of their lives away from Huntersbrook.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as The Summer Guest mainly because many of the characters appeared a little flat, possibly because there were so many of them. Of the three children, the only one with any spark was Pippa, and as a consequence her story was by far the most interesting of the three. Lainey was just a bit too whiney in her constant harping back to her childhood while Joey came across as a bit of a jerk who did little except think a lot of himself. As family dramas go this is a heart-warming read which serves to underline the importance of family especially during the bittersweet ending.
I’d like to thank the publishers, Headline, who gave me a copy of this book through Bookbridgr in return for this honest review.
The Craig family are in the final stages of turning the family country house, Huntersbrook, into a party venue, the whole family has pulled together to keep the house in the family, well nearly the whole family as Pippa the youngest daughter of Holly and Paddy focus is on partying her way through life and leaving others to do the hard work.
Lainey the eldest daughter lives close to her parents with her husband Matt and father-in-law Jacob but it’s clear that she feels that she was hard-done because Holly had suffered from post-natal depression after she was born and she was cared for by her Grandmother Maggie while she recovered. Following Maggie’s death Lainey has thrown herself into the family project as well as looking after her young son Ely.
Joey is the only son and very ambitious, he and his girlfriend Skye are also working hard to get the house ready for its first guests but when Joey gets a promotion he seems to think Skye should change to reflect his new role. He didn’t really impress me very much!
The plot is fairly predictable, with many family dramas including those of the old family retainer Sadie, who at eighty years old is still running after the younger members of the family, whipping up food at the drop of a hat or babysitting little Ely, a real marvel! This is a book about family relationships so there are moments of tension that are eased by a few well-chosen words which put the world to rights. The story is told in alternate chapters by Lainey, Joey and Pippa which is easy to follow as each chapter is headed by the character involved and has the added bonus of giving glimpses of their lives away from Huntersbrook.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as The Summer Guest mainly because many of the characters appeared a little flat, possibly because there were so many of them. Of the three children, the only one with any spark was Pippa, and as a consequence her story was by far the most interesting of the three. Lainey was just a bit too whiney in her constant harping back to her childhood while Joey came across as a bit of a jerk who did little except think a lot of himself. As family dramas go this is a heart-warming read which serves to underline the importance of family especially during the bittersweet ending.
I’d like to thank the publishers, Headline, who gave me a copy of this book through Bookbridgr in return for this honest review.
July 25, 2015
Huntersbrook has always come alive at Christmas. A Georgian home, to a grown up family, traditions have been set over the years and winter is a magical time in this Southern Irish House. The Craigs have a plan and hope to bring the house back to one of laughter and happiness. The recession has hit everyone, but has it changed the core values and personalities that were there all along? Holly and Paddy welcome back their children, Pippa, Lainey and Joey, along with a few stragglers, as they prepare for their new Huntersbrook venture...
Emma Hannigan has brought us back into the house of her earlier novel, Driving Home For Christmas, and back into the folds of the Craig family. No longer the full estate that they used to own, Huntersbrook has been pared back and still needs more money. The family have plans, and need to work together as a unit to get it up and running. A medical emergency takes one chilkd out of the equation and another is too busy wining and dining clients up in Dublin to be of much help. Can the third sibling pull things together or will Holly have to say goodbye to the home that has been in her family for generations?
As I live in a period house, Huntersbrook is a place I can almost touch or smell. The kitchen, with its constant to-ing and fro-ing, the hallway, chillier than it should be, the unused bedrooms, chilly with radiators switched off for months at a time. The atmosphere is tangible and just perfect for Irish fiction. There are many, many houses like this on our island, and unfortunately, their upkeep means not many are maintained, with plenty being left to ruin. This novel, like Driving Home For Christmas, shows how a family can become attached to their homestead, but may not realise how much until the threat of losing it becomes real.
Emma Hannigan has re-introduced the Craigs with gusto. The family has expanded, and some old friends are back. Once again, the supporting characters are great and the writing is smooth and extremely readable. I think I preferred the more mature Craig siblings, but Lainey was irritating at the start. She was very self centered and quick to dismiss was a bit like a dog with a bone: approach with care.
This novel can be read as a stand alone, but there is quiet a bit of back story that would be missed. Not essential, but adds to the feel of the characters and location. Overall, another great read from a wonderful author. A nice fresh approach to female fiction.
Emma Hannigan has brought us back into the house of her earlier novel, Driving Home For Christmas, and back into the folds of the Craig family. No longer the full estate that they used to own, Huntersbrook has been pared back and still needs more money. The family have plans, and need to work together as a unit to get it up and running. A medical emergency takes one chilkd out of the equation and another is too busy wining and dining clients up in Dublin to be of much help. Can the third sibling pull things together or will Holly have to say goodbye to the home that has been in her family for generations?
As I live in a period house, Huntersbrook is a place I can almost touch or smell. The kitchen, with its constant to-ing and fro-ing, the hallway, chillier than it should be, the unused bedrooms, chilly with radiators switched off for months at a time. The atmosphere is tangible and just perfect for Irish fiction. There are many, many houses like this on our island, and unfortunately, their upkeep means not many are maintained, with plenty being left to ruin. This novel, like Driving Home For Christmas, shows how a family can become attached to their homestead, but may not realise how much until the threat of losing it becomes real.
Emma Hannigan has re-introduced the Craigs with gusto. The family has expanded, and some old friends are back. Once again, the supporting characters are great and the writing is smooth and extremely readable. I think I preferred the more mature Craig siblings, but Lainey was irritating at the start. She was very self centered and quick to dismiss was a bit like a dog with a bone: approach with care.
This novel can be read as a stand alone, but there is quiet a bit of back story that would be missed. Not essential, but adds to the feel of the characters and location. Overall, another great read from a wonderful author. A nice fresh approach to female fiction.
February 6, 2017
This is the second book in a series but can be read as a standalone which I've done. Having said that I would have liked to have read book one first to get to know more about the characters.
I found this to be a lovely Christmasy read in an Irish setting. It's told mainly from the children's point of view- Lainey, Joey and Pippa. As an irish girl I really enjoyed this read. It brought me back to my younger days when I inhaled books from Irish authors like Patricia Scanlon, Maeve Binchy and Cathy Kelly.
I found this to be a lovely Christmasy read in an Irish setting. It's told mainly from the children's point of view- Lainey, Joey and Pippa. As an irish girl I really enjoyed this read. It brought me back to my younger days when I inhaled books from Irish authors like Patricia Scanlon, Maeve Binchy and Cathy Kelly.
December 17, 2015
I was expecting a light and fluffy festive read - but I got something far more than that. Thoughtfully written with a raft of great characters and some gritty themes. This is my first book by Emma Harrington - but it won't be my last.
November 23, 2015
Loved this book. I read the other in this series and enjoyed that too. Could be read though without reading the first book.
December 18, 2016
A lovely Christmas read. Didn't have me desperately wanting to turn the page but was a "nice" book with a lovely family feel.
December 4, 2019
Loved these books would be good to have a third
July 14, 2016
Just recieved this book and will read it and leave my review soon
December 22, 2018
The Huntersbrook House duo of books are really one of the best things to read over Christmas – the warm and friendly family atmosphere both set around Christmas as this is the time of the year where the mother of the three sibling main characters puts everything into decorating the house for the festive period. This book picks up on where “Driving Home for Christmas” left off, although the grandmother and matriarch has since passed on and Huntersbrook House has been repurposed as a bed and breakfast / event venue as a means of generating income to keep it in the family.
The three siblings are in a slightly different position, with slightly different problems to the first book, and it felt to me like they’d grown up immensely for different reasons. Some of the problems brought up in the first book (for instance the relationship between Lainey and her mother) are carried on through to here, but again everything is tied up with a happy festive bow by the epilogue which made me cry throughout it. Quite possibly the only one thing that really annoyed me is the one plotline that the author left hanging, even though in conversation one character said to another “I’ll tell you this some other day”! I felt like the personality of each of the children became even more pronounced in this book, thankfully I did like all three to begin with (and therefore loved them more) otherwise I would have bordered on hating one of them by the end of this.
Like its prequel, this book is written in a different voice (although all in third-person) for each chapter, though there is more emphasis on the characters in the older generation this time around. Hannigan once again manages to capture a slightly different tone for each, reflecting their different roles in the story such as Lainey as the older sister. It’s a slight pity that there aren’t more books in this series, I would have loved to have another Christmas with the Craig family! I wonder when Holly’s seemingly open invitation to every other imaginable character to spend Christmas at Huntersbrook House will eventually reach me…
The three siblings are in a slightly different position, with slightly different problems to the first book, and it felt to me like they’d grown up immensely for different reasons. Some of the problems brought up in the first book (for instance the relationship between Lainey and her mother) are carried on through to here, but again everything is tied up with a happy festive bow by the epilogue which made me cry throughout it. Quite possibly the only one thing that really annoyed me is the one plotline that the author left hanging, even though in conversation one character said to another “I’ll tell you this some other day”! I felt like the personality of each of the children became even more pronounced in this book, thankfully I did like all three to begin with (and therefore loved them more) otherwise I would have bordered on hating one of them by the end of this.
Like its prequel, this book is written in a different voice (although all in third-person) for each chapter, though there is more emphasis on the characters in the older generation this time around. Hannigan once again manages to capture a slightly different tone for each, reflecting their different roles in the story such as Lainey as the older sister. It’s a slight pity that there aren’t more books in this series, I would have loved to have another Christmas with the Craig family! I wonder when Holly’s seemingly open invitation to every other imaginable character to spend Christmas at Huntersbrook House will eventually reach me…
March 25, 2025
This was such a good book! From the moment I started reading, my interest was piqued. I wanted to know what would happen next and how the characters would develop.
Pippa’s growth, in particular, stood out to me. I was really curious to see if she would turn things around, and I’m glad she did. Her maturity over such a short span of time was impressive—she not only stood up for herself but also for her family, which I really admired.
The book also highlights how friendships can shape your life, for better or worse. It’s a reminder that having the right friends matters. I loved the sense of togetherness and the bond between the characters.
Now, Lainey? She pissed me off. I kept thinking, Girl, why are you so angry? Nobody’s your enemy! But I was relieved that she figured things out in the end. That said, I feel like the reconciliation between her and her mom was rushed. There was so much more they needed to unpack, and the conversation just felt… underwhelming. I wanted more depth there (personally).
But overall, I really liked how the story unfolded. The budding friendship between Jodi and Pippa was so wholesome, and I enjoyed seeing all the characters find their way. It’s a warm, feel-good read, and I’d definitely recommend it!
Pippa’s growth, in particular, stood out to me. I was really curious to see if she would turn things around, and I’m glad she did. Her maturity over such a short span of time was impressive—she not only stood up for herself but also for her family, which I really admired.
The book also highlights how friendships can shape your life, for better or worse. It’s a reminder that having the right friends matters. I loved the sense of togetherness and the bond between the characters.
Now, Lainey? She pissed me off. I kept thinking, Girl, why are you so angry? Nobody’s your enemy! But I was relieved that she figured things out in the end. That said, I feel like the reconciliation between her and her mom was rushed. There was so much more they needed to unpack, and the conversation just felt… underwhelming. I wanted more depth there (personally).
But overall, I really liked how the story unfolded. The budding friendship between Jodi and Pippa was so wholesome, and I enjoyed seeing all the characters find their way. It’s a warm, feel-good read, and I’d definitely recommend it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2025
This novel is far less wholesome than the cover makes it appear. A family running a large house as an event venue in Wicklow is the frame for the story.
A young woman meets a man in a nightclub in Dublin and he gets her onto hard drugs. They continue clubbing and adjourn to his apartment during the day and go back clubbing the next night. The venues enable them because those taking drugs will continue drinking for longer. Inevitably the guy turns out to be selling drugs to anyone in sight and just wants a bit of flash on his arm for cover. By the end bad things have happened and the guy claims to be leaving the drugs behind, but I don't believe him for a moment. That stuff is addictive. Not nearly enough is said about the consequences or side effects or the collateral damage - destruction of rainforests, women mules imprisoned, violence, gangs living off the proceeds - we just see vapid film stars.
A young woman meets a man in a nightclub in Dublin and he gets her onto hard drugs. They continue clubbing and adjourn to his apartment during the day and go back clubbing the next night. The venues enable them because those taking drugs will continue drinking for longer. Inevitably the guy turns out to be selling drugs to anyone in sight and just wants a bit of flash on his arm for cover. By the end bad things have happened and the guy claims to be leaving the drugs behind, but I don't believe him for a moment. That stuff is addictive. Not nearly enough is said about the consequences or side effects or the collateral damage - destruction of rainforests, women mules imprisoned, violence, gangs living off the proceeds - we just see vapid film stars.
December 19, 2023
“Within minutes the house was silent. As Christmas Day rolled in, Huntersbrook protected the Craig family majestically as they slept soundly in their beds.”
THE HEART OF WINTER BY EMMA HANNIGAN
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This book surprised me. I really liked it. It left me such a warm feeling. I adored the Craig’s family and the whole setting of the book was so magical.
It was true to how a family’s dynamics are and I loved that. Seeing them solve their issues and problems and being so self aware of them was a breath of fresh air.
The only problem I had with this book, was with the writing. It was not that good at times and their were a lot of grammatical errors in the book. Also it was too long.
Other than that I loved the feeling it left me with.
THE HEART OF WINTER BY EMMA HANNIGAN
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This book surprised me. I really liked it. It left me such a warm feeling. I adored the Craig’s family and the whole setting of the book was so magical.
It was true to how a family’s dynamics are and I loved that. Seeing them solve their issues and problems and being so self aware of them was a breath of fresh air.
The only problem I had with this book, was with the writing. It was not that good at times and their were a lot of grammatical errors in the book. Also it was too long.
Other than that I loved the feeling it left me with.
January 2, 2024
Just finished this book just before the end of Christmas. It had some cozy moments, but then some characters that had been some kind of important, just "disappear" (like Missy).
On the other hand, I really hated the fact that Lainey considers that a surrogated child would be the son or sister of their already born child, as if an adopted child would not be, as the surrogated would have the same DNA as the father, while the adopted one would have a total different DNA. I think that a brother or a sister are not just those who share their DNA, it is much more than that!! Really disappointing comment nearly finishing the book that made me feel weird and not letting me rating it with a better score.
(Rating: 2,5)
On the other hand, I really hated the fact that Lainey considers that a surrogated child would be the son or sister of their already born child, as if an adopted child would not be, as the surrogated would have the same DNA as the father, while the adopted one would have a total different DNA. I think that a brother or a sister are not just those who share their DNA, it is much more than that!! Really disappointing comment nearly finishing the book that made me feel weird and not letting me rating it with a better score.
(Rating: 2,5)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2023
I hadn’t read the first book in the series. I wish I had thought…..just to get background.
It’s based around a family who have to get together, get along and cease squabbling. Family life huh?!
I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this although it’s not my usual genre I could very easily be swayed.
It’s based around a family who have to get together, get along and cease squabbling. Family life huh?!
I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this although it’s not my usual genre I could very easily be swayed.
February 10, 2017
Started off by disliking one of the characters immediately, however as the book moved on I changed my mind and really enjoyed this story.
December 8, 2017
This was such a great book! It didn’t take itself too seriously but at the same time, you really cared about the characters and the way the story twisted and turned in a really uplifting way!
January 21, 2018
Good light read
March 19, 2018
Wonderful read
Fantastic book. So moving and most stories real to life. I would recommend to book to any type of reader
Fantastic book. So moving and most stories real to life. I would recommend to book to any type of reader
Read
June 7, 2019Very good book, easy read
November 25, 2019
I loved this book so much. It’s so similar to my own family’s idea of how Christmas should be and I adore that. The sense of family is lovely and it really does have a moral without being preachy!
December 26, 2019
Loved this. It’s the perfect Christmas novel, contains many themes and issues, is written from multiple perspectives without it being confusing or annoying, and best of al, it’s set in Ireland.
February 18, 2020
Another fabulous and heartwarming read from Emma Hannigan.
March 4, 2021
VERY ENJOYABLE AN EASY LIGHT READ AND LOVELY STORY ABOUT FAMILY AND LOVE
October 6, 2022
It was a nice light read. We tagged along the Huntersbrook family and saw their personal struggles and bumps along the road and how they come together to save their house.
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