The Christmas Forest

by Rebecca Boxall

In this festive novella by the author of Christmas at the Vicarage, will Enid follow her heart or her head?

Since the tragic loss of her parents, Enid has lived alone in a coastal cottage in Jersey. But this year someone new has come into her Fred, who truly gets her, and who knows how to make her happy. The only problem is that Enid has Asperger’s and doesn’t like to leave her comfort zone—and Fred lives in Australia.

Like Enid, Fred has survived heartbreak and is searching for a way to start again. Could a stranger on the other side of the world really bring new meaning to his life, or is he just setting himself up for another fall—

When Fred invites Enid to Australia for Christmas, her vivacious sister Bess begs her to take a risk for the first time ever. But Enid’s whole life is structured around familiarity. As the festive season approaches, she has a decision to play it safe, or embark on a momentous journey into the unknown?

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Novella, Holiday

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2018

About the author

Rebecca Boxall was born in East Sussex in 1977 and grew up in a bustling vicarage always filled with family, friends and parishioners. She now lives by the sea in Jersey with her husband, children and cat. She read English at the University of Warwick before training as a lawyer and also studied Creative Writing with The Writer's Bureau. She was nominated for the Romantic Novel Awards in 2020.

Rebecca's books have all become bestsellers, two of them reaching No. 1 on the UK Kindle charts, proving popular with readers interested in seasonal novels that are feel-good but touch on some serious issues too. For more information please visit www.facebook.com/christmasatthevicarage or www.rebeccaboxall.co.uk.

About Christmas at the Vicarage:

"I was inspired by Rosamunde Pilcher, my favourite author, whose books I've re-read again and again. There's something so gentle and soothing about her books and I wanted to try to write something similarly feel-good. They always say write about what you know and so I decided to focus on vicarage life as I grew up in a village parish as the daughter of an eccentric vicar. When my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer it was the final push I needed to write a book based on life at a vicarage, with a character inspired by him (the vicar, of course!). He read the book in draft but sadly died before it was published."

Reviews

[Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love all of the terrific holiday books that are out there this year and I hope you are too! Last year, which really was the first year that I actually read a lot of holiday books, I came across author Rebecca Boxall. I fell in love with her 2017 book, Christmas on the Coast, and immediately had to go back and read her previous year's offerings, Christmas at the Vicarage and Home for Winter. All of these were well told, beautiful stories set during the holidays but heartwarming tales for all year. This year, Boxall is back with her newest novella, The Christmas Forest.

Enid lives in a charming coastal town next door to her sister, Bess, in matching "Christmas" cottages where they have lived, side by side, since their parent's tragic death. Enid has Asperger's Syndrome which interferes with a person's ability to "socialize" in a neuro-typical manner but, otherwise, they generally are quite brilliant and nearly always talented in some fashion or another. Through a holiday card exchange, Enid has met Fred who lives in Australia. Fred also has recently lost her mother, for whom he was the sole care-giver as she battled Multiple Sclerosis. Through writing and talking on the phone, the two have formed a bond that they believe is ready for the next step - Enid travelling to Australia to meet Fred in person. However, it is extremely difficult for someone with Asperger's to trust - people, airplanes, strangers in general - and it is even more difficult for them to be "trapped" in a plane. But Enid believes that she is ready - until everything goes to hell in a hand-basket at the airport! Will these two ever be able to overcome the obstacles to be together?

I admit that I loved the story from start to finish and, because it is a novella, that only took an afternoon! While the writing itself is not as taut as with her previous novels, I found the characters to more than make up for that. Perhaps it is because I am part of a  family that has lived with MS and other auto-immune diseases and have a son with Asperger's, I totally and completely related to Enid and a young boy, Dan, as well as Fred, who cared for his mother. They charmed me with their humor, had me crying with their set-backs and made me grin like a Cheshire cat in the end. And that is exactly what a good cozy novel is supposed to do! I loved this story and I hope will too! 

I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of The Christmas Forest from #Netgalley, especially since I have been anxiously waiting for this book since last Christmas! Thanks also to #RebeccaBoxall and @AmazonPublishingUK !

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters Enid and Bess lived in little cottages, side by side on the small island of Jersey. Enid had Asperger’s which made routine a very important part of her life. Her online meeting of Fred saw Enid happy as Fred understood Enid, knew what she needed and just ‘got her’. But Fred lived in Australia near Perth – a long way from Jersey. When Fred invited Enid to visit for Christmas, he knew it’d be a hard decision for her. But eventually Enid decided that yes, she would fly to Perth from Gatwick Airport. She had everything worked out – Bess was ecstatic that Enid was going out of her comfort zone.

What would happen as Enid took the first steps to leave her home and England? Her whole life had been one of playing it safe – what would be the outcome?

The Christmas Forest was a perfect read for Christmas Day – I thoroughly enjoyed this novella by Rebecca Boxall, finding it a feel-good experience with no sign of COVID (!!), just unexpected snow falls, happiness and contentment. And the title of the book is perfect too – but you have to read it to discover why 😉 Recommended.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that the first half of the book was boring. I kept waiting for something to happen. And when Enid got to the airport it finally started to click. I got my part of action I was waiting for.
This book had a lot of characters with names I’ve never heard before. And this made it more interesting.
Also, reading about a person who had Asperger syndrom was different. In a way, I got to understand (even for a minimal percentage) how a person who suffers of this disease feels like. It’s hard and we should never take life for granted. We should always thank God for what we have. And even more if we are healthy.
In conclusion, this book had something to teach me and every other reader who chooses to read it.

[Amanda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 rounded up to 4🌟

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a nice Christmas romance, the story of two sisters, one with Asperger syndrom, Are they going to follow their hearts? I just love the magic around Christmas. The three main characters are putting up the story.
Thank you Netgalley for this copy

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella length book will pull at your heartstrings. The Christmas Forest is a warm and emotion filled story about a woman named Enid who has Asperger. Today, Asperger's syndrome is technically no longer a diagnosis on its own. It is now part of a broader category called autism spectrum disorder. Someone who has it is just as smart as other folks, but they have more trouble with social skills. They also tend to have an obsessive focus on one topic or perform the same behaviors again and again. The sister's, Enid and Bess live next door to each other and have a warm,strong sisterly relationship with Bess popping in to check on Enid several times a day. Enid goes out of her comfort zone when she takes a chance on love with Fred. He is so sweet and tender with her, fully understanding her ways. Both sister's have a romance but one has some unexpected twists and turns along the way. There are plenty of other charming characters we meet along the way as well.
Pub Date 20 Nov 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gentle tale of Enid and Bess, two sisters who are very close but who are very different people. Bess is outgoing and sociable and Enid likes routine and has Aspergers.

Both sisters struggle to find lasting love, but there might be something about this coming Christmas which is going to change things for both of them.

I really enjoyed this book, there are not many books which have someone with Aspergers in them and since I have a son with that condition, I was interested to see how Enid was characterised. The author did a good job of it; I wasn't quite as sure about the characterisation of Fred, who was Australian, lol. I also liked the secondary characters, friends of the two sisters who were more like family.

The epilogue tied up the loose ends very nicely and I think if you are looking for a nice read with a festive twist, you can't go far wrong with this book.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Rebecca Boxall, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me this book so I may bring you this review.

The Christmas Forest by Rebecca Boxall is one of the few Christmas books that I have read that will stick close to my heart. This Christmas story is unlike I have ever read before. I prefer reading stories that are creative where the author thinks outside of the box. She did just that. For this very reason I would gladly read and review for her again.

Rebecca Boxall’s main character is Enid suffers from Asperger’s. What makes this book so unique and unforgettable is you see the world through her eyes. You will see the joy she gets spending time with children and speaking about her love of owls. How the children are on the same level she is. Sadly, in this book you will see her in panic mode and emotional lows as well.

My ultimate favorite storyline that Rebecca did and needs to be highly commended for was the budding friendship between Enid and Fred. I have read and 190 books this year. No two characters deserved to be together more. Nor have I read a sweeter yet old fashioned love story than this one. Fred looked past Enid’s Asperger’s and saw who she really was. He loved her for her. These two were meant to be together.

It was refreshing to see Enid and Fred write old school letters back and forth through the mail as form of communication. This day in age with texting and email that is lost on this generation.
Kudos to the graphic artist who designed the cover it is beautiful! It immediately caught my eye and needed to know what the book was about.

At the end of this book Rebecca does give some references to Asperger’s. Many are documentaries and some books.

This book would be great turned into a Hallmark Christmas Channel Movie. It has a lot of great elements to be a big hit. I would definitely watch it!!

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Forest by Rebecca Boxall. An emotional Christmas romance with interesting and unique characters A lovely holiday read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Forest is a lovely holiday read . The story of two sisters, one out going and bubbly and one who had Asperger’s and struggles with socializing.

It is well written, and you grow to love “quirky” Enid and her thoughts quickly. This is not your normal holiday romance but it is one I truly enjoyed reading because of that. Highly recommend for those that love a good holiday read!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely story, which took me only a few hours to read from start to finish. Loved the characters and the ending is how i had hoped it would be. It's the first time that i have read any books by Rebecca Boxall and am now eager to read more. Recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gentle, thoughtful look at life and love in an English coastal island village. Christmas plans and celebrations frame the setting for the interactions.
The story is told through several points of view; each POV shift is clearly identified and true to the world view of the character. I felt like I came to know the three lead characters pretty well, but I either missed an important bit of information about a few of the secondaries, or it was brought in close to the end as an interesting twist to redirect us from the path we thought their storylines were going to take. Either way, I really enjoyed the unique characters and the story told here.
I voluntarily read an advanced review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned book. Enid suffers with Asperger's Syndrome and is invited to spend Christmas in Australia with Fred. Her sister Bess encourages her to leave her comfort zone and accompany him. Will she do it? The book's premise was strong, but the narrative lacked continuity. About 60% into the book, I finally called it quits. I received an electronic copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enid and Bess, sisters, live in side by side cottages in Jersey. Enid has Asperger’s and doesn’t like to leave her comfort zone. She is quite happy living next door to her sister, but on a whim one Christmas, she joins a Christmas card program. She and Fred, who lives in Australia, begin a long-distance friendship writing and talking on the phone over the year and Fred has invited Enid to visit him. How can she possibly fly across the world to spend Christmas with someone she has never met? This was a story of facing your fears, friendship, understanding, loneliness and love. If anything is going to go wrong for Enid, it does. Not only does Enid have to face her fears, but so does Bess. She is settling for a life that does not really make her happy and can Bess taking chances encourage her to do the same. The sisters were great characters, even though I wanted to shake Bess a few times. My heart broke for Enid and I could feel her fear at times. Each year Rebecca Boxall writes a Christmas novella and I have been enjoying them all. This one had characters that really grabbed me and I was rooting for them all the way. Dan, a young boy in the story with difficulties of his own, grabbed my heart and reminded me so much of my grandson. I thoroughly enjoyed this short, sweet novella and recommend it to anyone looking for something to read on a cold, wintry afternoon.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

How better to start December than with a short light Christmas read? I really enjoyed this one.

I liked the fact that it centered around a main character who has Asperger’s. Enid was likeable and relatable and though her emotions and actions were not always rational, I could always understand where she was coming from.

Sure, pretty much all of this novella (apart from one event, which shook things up a bit) was pretty predictable, but I had fun with this one nonetheless. If you are looking for a seasonal read to pick up and read over Christmas, you could do worse than picking up this cozy little gem.

[Dora (Swift Coffee Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My full review will be available from 26th Jan, 2018 on my blog: http://swiftcoffee.blog/2018/12/26/th...

I rated this book 3.5 on my blog!

I'm normally very picky about romance/women's fiction - I love them, but there are so many too fluffy, too cheesy crap out there it's hard to find one that's truly amazing. The fact that the main character is someone with Asperger's convinced me to read this one. I hoped this would be something different than all the others.

In a sense it was different, but not as much as I was expecting. I liked it anyway. It wasn't very much what I thought it would be: not regarding the story, not the setting, not the autism (at least not exactly). I still managed to feel warm after finishing it, and I think when reading a Christmas themed book, this is probably one of the most important things.

The first half of the book was going on pretty slowly, and many times I felt we were never gonna get to the point, but the second half made up for it. Actually there was a huge plot twist that came completely out of the blue and I was just blinking, like what the hell? Some minor plot twist came later, too, and actually, I felt some of them a bit unlikely (especially the major one), but it was fun, and I didn't have to suspend belief THAT much. Just enough for a Christmas tale. :)

The characters were good, though not ones I felt very strongly for. They all had their own individual personality, though, and the fact that I didn't feel particularly attached might be because of the relatively short length of this story. (It's more of a novella than an actual novel.) At first I wasn't too happy about the several POV either (there are three narrators, Enid - the girl woman with Asperger's, her love interest Fred and her sister Bess), but by the end it didn't bother me anymore. One thing I should point out though: the whole time I felt like I was reading about way younger people. When I learn the fact that these people were all around 40 and above, I was actually surprised. Somehow because of the style, or the thinkink of the characters, or I don't know, I had the feeling I was reading a new adult novel. Actually, if I only read a couple of lines, I might have thought it to be young adult, but of course it was obvious from the start that these are adults and not teenagers. It maybe made sense for Enid, regarding her condition (she might seem at times childlike because for obvious reasons she doesn't get the social interactions/attitude), but it didn't for the others.

There's one thing I couldn't make sense of: there are 3 narrators, Enid, Bess and Fred. Or, I should say, 3 narrators, Enid, Bess and somebody unknown talking about Fred. These are 3 POVs, and though according to their writing it would be impossible to distinguish between them, it would be okay with me, but... why Enid and Bess talk for themselves and Fred doesn't..? What did the author want with this? Is there a reason? It bothered me pretty much, I kept forgetting I was reading about Fred, because I always expected him to talk in the first person, too. It would've been okay if it had some purpose, but I simply couldn't figure out what it was. Except for this his thoughts and acts were delivered the exact same way the others' were. We didn't know any more than he knew, saw and thought. I just...don't get it.

Otherwise, I enjoyed this little book pretty much. This was a good Christmas read, I think many people would enjoy it!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters Enid and Bess live in neighbouring cottages on the island of Jersey. Enid has Aspergers, which has had a knock on effect on the way she lives her life. She likes her cat, hedgehogs and routines which to others seem odd, but that is the way she is.

Enid and Australian Fred have been in contact with each other for years following a Christmas card swap. Initially with letters, photos and then phone calls. After Fred's Mum dies, Enid decides to tackle her Asperger demons and visit Fred in Western Australia. But things don't go to plan.

It took a couple of chapters for me to warm to this book, but after that I was right in the story. It gets a big thumbs up from me.

[♏Vanessa♏ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally I Christmas book with something original

In the beginning I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this, but I got invested fairly quickly, and couldn't put it down. Part 1 is very slow, part 2 picks up a bit, but overall it's not a fast paced book at all. Part 3 was hearwarming.
Our fmc has Asperger's and life isn't always easy as a result, Even so, and with the help of her younger sister, she thrives. Her sister is a big protagonist in the story too.
The story goes from England to Australia depending whose pov it is.
Over all a great Christmas story, with amazing narration and a HEA.

[Kirsten Ensman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant story

Best part of book is Harry carolling. I laughed and cried because I was so surprised and touched by that part. The entire story was well done. Enid and Dan's characters were well written. I enjoyed the concept of the play. All of the characters were wonderful well except the dreaded bad boyfriend who well was useless. Who knew that someone with so many quirks could protect another person so fiercely. Just wonderfully written.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this through the Goodreads Giveaways for an honest review.

The Christmas Forest hooked me from the beginning. What a great book, filled with sweet romance and some action. I loved the characters - especially having the different points of view.

[Alicia Justice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is poorly written and I was so lost half the time while reading. It was hard to remember where they were in the story. If they were in the US or England because everyone talked like everyone else. Honestly, it showed me that the author didn't do her research at all.

[Patricia Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Efforts and joy

Very much enjoyed the English terms. A young womans life challenged by Autism and her very eventful life. Life is not an easy piece of cake all the time. (Smile).

[Jane Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book with a sweet story. The characters were lovely and well drawn, and of course there was a happy ending!

[Debbie Vetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise!!

To be honest, I wasn't all that thrilled when first started reading this book, BUT, I am a die hard. When and/or where the story really grabbed me I'm not sure, all I know is I am so glad I read it to the end. It's such an open story of real life, how we cope, how we adjust, how we protect, how we love. Thank you Ms Boxall for this delightful story.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Christmas Story!

I loved this Christmas story set in England and Australia. All the characters were fun with quirky personalities. Fun ending!

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't seem to review it on the app without a rating, but I typically don't rate titles I don't finish.

This had a very weird focus on Enid and her Asperger's syndrome. I understand that it can be a big deal in a person's life. I get that there is a learning curve for those who don't know about it. My problem is that Enid seems to be defined entirely by the Asperger's and she gets no real personality. I don't feel like it's fair that every social interaction needs to mention that she has Asperger's. She's a normal person too, who supposedly managed into her 30s without a diagnosis. The sister's perspective is even worse, because she just worries about how her sister will react to everything, and then talks about it.

It also is annoying that the author chose to repeat information across viewpoints. Enid tells of a bad encounter at a church. Then the sister later mentions Enid doesn't go to church after a bad encounter. I already knew that.

I made it about 35% before quitting. I feel bad, because I did win a free electronic copy in a giveaway on Goodreads. It is one of the few I have ever won, and of course it's one that I don't like.

Maybe it isn't as bad if you know people with Asperger's or you want a book about the syndrome and how someone copes? I just wanted a fluffy holiday book.

[Susan Mather Barone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the Christmas Forest, but I must have thought this was a novel, not a novella. I felt it ended too soon. The plot was tidied up at the end, so no loose strings. The story begins in the UK with one of the main characters, Enid, deciding whether to meet her Christmas card penpal, Fred, who lives in Australia. She and her sister Bess lost their parents in their 20s. The two sisters live in cottages next to each other. Enid has Asperger's Syndrome, something I am familiar with, so it was interesting to have a character with autism navigate the world around her with her need for routines, her honest, blunt answers to people, etc. Enid was an interesting character too for taking care of hedgehogs like she does. The book is named for the Christmas play she helps put together in the community. Bess encourages her sister to break out of her routines and to meet Fred. By the time Enid goes to the airport, I was feeling anxious for her. I won't give too much away too many of the obstacles though. I was surprised the book ended quickly, but overall and enjoyable read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book about family, different kinds of family. The one with friends and good companions. This is a book about mental illness, autism and one of the main characters Enid has Aspergers disease and she is very routine driven and has lost both of her parents. This book is told from the point of view of Enid, Bess and Fred and told in 3 parts. This is about the power of Chrsitmas. Enid is looking forward to seeing her pen pal Friend in Australia Fred. This books spans the period of December 7 - December 25 and takes place on Jersey Island. This is the story about learning to deal with tradgedy and being happy despite the ups and downs. The Christmas Forest is a play about animals and hedgehogs. Enid has a hedgehog. This is a good Christmas story to read because of it is about the true meaning of Christmas a time for people to come together and be happy despite whatever happens and how to keep going in the face of adversity and forgiveness. This is a good story.

[Cari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading The Christmas Forest was a lot like cozying up on the sofa with a cup of steaming hot chocolate and a Hallmark Christmas movie. The characters were endearing and unique, with one of them being a woman with Asperger's (I think this is the first romance I've read with such a character and it was refreshing). While this is undoubtedly a story set around Christmas time (hence the title), this is not as full of fa la la la la, mistletoe, and yuletide sentiments as one might expect, so if you're one of those Grinchy individuals who are turned off by too much sappy holiday joy, I think you can go ahead and proceed with this book. On that note, maybe this isn't quite Hallmark Christmas movie status... but it was as enjoyable as one.

[MaureenAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Rebecca Boxall's Christmassy novels and this was no exception.

The book was written from the viewpoint of 3 people, Enid who has Asperger's, Bess her sister and best friend and Enid's love interest by correspondence, Australian, former cricket professional, Fred.

It was beautifully written and, as usual, with Rebecca's books it was a comfort read in that all turns out well in the end, despite some hiccups along the way.

As well as being an enjoyable read, I felt that the book gave me some insight into Aspergers and the difficulties encountered by those who have this condition as well as their relatives and friends.