All I Want For Christmas

Romance In The Lakes #1

by Tracey Mayhew

Will Christmas be the only thing Jess finds herself falling in love with this festive season?

After a devastating loss tore her family apart, Jess Harrison left the lakeside village she calls home and hasn’t looked back.

Three years on, she returns to help Holly Richards, her best friend and business partner, through her own rough patch and quickly finds herself falling back into village life as if she’s never been away.

But a chance meeting with a handsome stranger soon has Jess confronting her own ghosts of Christmases past and she finds herself accepting his offer to help her rediscover her Christmas spirit.

Can friendships, both old and new, help restore Jess’ faith in Christmas and will she find love along the way?

Discover the wonder of Christmas with this endearing romance, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Debbie Macomber, Trisha Ashley and, of course, all things Christmas!

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Contemporary, Holiday, Contemporary Romance, Amazon

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2018

About the author

Author also writes under T.J. Mayhew

I'm an independent author who writes small town contemporary, sweet romance.

I also write and independently publish YA fantasy under the name T. J. Mayhew.

You can find me on:

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/traceymayhew...

INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/traceymayhe...

YOUTUBE:
www.youtube.com/@TraceyMayhewAuthor

AMAZON:
http://author.to/traceymayhew

PINTEREST:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/tjmay2102...

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

All I want for Christmas is the first book in the Romance In The Lakes from author Tracey Mayhew. It is an enjoyable festive read full of friendship, family, and returning to the family home.

Take a journey with Jess Harrison as she returns from London to her hometown in the Lake District to support her best friend Holly and her family, plus join Jess as she tries to rebuild relationships and discover some new ones, and deal with a personal journey of acceptance.

I found the book a real page-turner as it left me wanting to know what happened next at the end of every chapter and I found myself unable to put the book down, telling myself I will read just one more each time, but never managing it.

I was drawn into Jess’s life and that of her best friend Holly. Jess is a sweet, caring woman and I connected with her right away.

The small town is beautiful, especially as the book is set in the run-up to Christmas with the festive season running wild in my imagination. It really got me in the spirit to hunt down my local Christmas market and join in with the celebrations.

All I Want for Christmas is the perfect read for a cold winter’s evening. One you can enjoy snuggled up under your favourite blanket with a mug of hot chocolate.

[Sheila Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is the epitome of the Christmas spirit. Jess has returned to her childhood home to help her best friend Holly and her family deal with a family split. It has been 3 years since Jess moved to London and she has her own family issues to handle. As she settles in for her one month stay, she realizes the importance of family and friends are to her own well being. She meets Glenn, a newly transplanted policeman and with his help, begins to see new possibilities for herself. The author does not tiptoe around the emotional upheaval caused by a disintegrating marriage on children, nor does she sugarcoat the lasting repercussions of losing a loved one. Rather, the author spotlights the pain and anger, yet shines that same light on hope for a better future. A wonderful Christmas story of the power of love among family and friends.

[Lisa Nicholls · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book is the perfect vehicle for getting into the Christmas spirit. It is all about hope, love and friendship. The main character Jess has had a painful experience which has kept her away from home for a long time, but she puts all that hurt aside to help her best friend Holly and her children after they experience their own trauma. When Glenn enters Jess's world and sees her for who she truly is it seems possible that she can find happiness again. These two characters so deserve a happily ever after.
The story is full of Christmas traditions that make the reader think warmly of Christmases past and look forward to Christmases in the future.
I loved the sense of friendship and community in the village the story is set. Everyone knows everyone and cares for their welfare. It seems like an idyllic place to live.
I couldn't be more delighted that this book is the first in a trilogy for I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet. I can't wait to read Holly's story next, which I'm sure will be every bit as good as Jess's story.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read about family, friends, love and so very much more!

Jess moved from her home in Cumbria after she and her Dad just couldn't get on following the death of her mother; parting on bad terms means she hasn't been in any hurry to return. However, when one of her friends needs her, Jess is on her way without even thinking about it. First thing on her arrival she bumps into a stranger. With Christmas on it's way, Jess longs to just ignore the festivities but everyone else is full of festive spirit - will they manage to carry Jess along with them?

A wonderful read, and especially for everyone who is not exactly bursting with Christmas spirit themselves. There are some real problems amongst the characters and the author manages to write about the downs and the ups in a very positive way. Flowing easily, this story has a great mix of everything that's going on all the way through, making the most of the location of the lakes and carrying the reader along to a very satisfying conclusion. It's good to be reminded that Christmas doesn't halt everything else which is going on in people's lives. Of course - for me - the inclusion of a charismatic canine had me grinning every time he made an appearance! A very pleasurable, well-written novel with excellent dialogue between the characters and easily worth 4.5*.

[Rolé - Hooked By That Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess left her beloved home town after her mother’s death. She was devastated and her father was drowning in his own grief. The two of them couldn’t come together in their grief, and instead a rift formed, which is why she moved away. Now Jess is back to help her best friend, Holly, keep her life together after her husband cheated on her. Glenn is the newest attractive face in town. He and his dog literally runs into Jess on her first day back. Jess and Holly had so much pain and grief to deal with. Glenn showed Jess that it is possible to find happiness again.

This book has a lot of highs and lows, but there was hope throughout it all. It shows the powerful impact other people can have just by being there and supporting someone with whatever they may need. Sometimes we just need someone to listen. The book addressed grief and loss in a very emotional, but supportive way, and I might have shed a tear or two. It’s about the enduring strength of friendship and the healing that love can bring.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Lcr · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I Want For Christmas is a charming romance set in the Beautiful Lake District. When Jess returns home she doesn't expect to enjoy Christmas but meeting Glenn, and Yogi, is the best thing that could have happened. This book sensitively deals with some difficult issues such as bereavement and marriage breakdown and the pain and anger that result. The power of love, family and friendship are central to this sweet Christmas romance. I recommend this book.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Hallmark feel. It's not bad but sometimes you need a little more than just the squeaky, clean Hallmark stories.

[Amanda Sloothaak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I connected to Jess (the main character) immediately & she makes a believable & interesting growth throughout the book. The pacing is perfect; it has a good flow. It doesn't linger to long in moments where it shouldn't.

This is a genuine & beautiful written novel which brings you in the mood for christmas. Now I know I read it early (september) but I will definitely revisit this novel closer to christmas again!

[MaryEllen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a slow moving romance, entertaining and with snappy dialogue. The characters are realistic and likable.

Still, I DNF. There is implied sex and a few uses of a literal curse word.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Dreams

Jess returned home for the first time in 5 years since the death of her mother. She was met by Yogi, a giant slobbery dog, and his owner, Glen. Her dead friend was going through a break-up with her husband and needed support for herself and two abanded children. What a Christmas to celebrate!

[Michelle Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminiscent of a Hallmark movie.
Characters can be too predictable at times.
Having said that, it is a great festive read to get you into the Christmas spirit.

[Ida Lukasik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess and family

Jess lost her mom 6 yrs ago. She and her dad are estranged. She goes home to help friend through a rough patch. Meets Glenn and this is where fun happens. It is a good ,make you feel good read

[Nealia Y. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read!

This is the first book by Tracey that I have read and it will not be my last! The story is very true to life and believable. Combining the reality of grief, love and unexpected turns of life make this a great read. I needed tissues at times and couldn’t put it down!

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review to Follow.

[Jeri Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of All I Want for Christmas

This was a cute story and I will recommend her books to anyone who loves romance novels. She keeps you involved from page one until the end.

[Emma Bennet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly festive read

Loved this UK based romance with a fantastic, feisty heroine and can't wait to read more books by this author.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I said in one of my reviews somewhere, since it is, or was, depending on how you look at it, the Christmas season, I was only reading Christmas books, and since my Christmas books are currently being used as hills for my Christmas houses, I had to go with plan B and read what I could find on my e-reader. This was one of the books I could find. It's too new for me and if I saw it in a bookstore I wouldn't have given it a second thought because of it being new, but I wasn't in a bookstore, I was at home, so I started reading. This too new book I read is All I Want For Christmas by Tracey Mayhew, she's not old either and she's also a Goodreads author, so go look her up.

The book begins with Jess Harrison returning to her hometown, a place she tells us she never planned to see again, but the only thing that could get her to return would be a call in the middle of the night from her best friend's daughter. That's what did it anyway. After all those years away, she's now coming home to be with her best friend and business partner, Holly Richards. A month ago Holly found out that her husband of fourteen years had been cheating on her, now he's left and living with another woman and she's left with her two teenage, angry children. She spends most of her time crying from what I can tell, not taking care of much else, and has her daughter so worried that she calls Jess.

So Jess comes back to the place she grew up, the place her and Holly started their tea room, the place her mother died and her relationship with her father fell apart. But this is a Christmas book, that's why I'm reading it right? Right. Before I even get to the place that tells me why Jess refuses to come home any more I get to this unfortunate part:

Usually, I have the radio on but it seems that every station is already playing Christmas songs and they're the last things I want to hear, right now. I don't do Christmas at the best of times but when it's three in the morning and Roy Wood is singing about how he wants it to be Christmas every day...(I wish)I just don't have the energy for that.

Why do they play Christmas songs so earl these days, anyway? I mean, it's bad enough that the shops start stocking Christmas cards and decorations straight after Halloween but I'd still like to know I could switch on the radio without being bombarded by infuriatingly annoying pop songs about the most overrated time of the year.

I mean, let's put things into perspective: Christmas is one day of the year when people pretend to be happy...

She almost lost me at that, but I kept going because it couldn't get worse than that. Why do you start decorating so early, why do you decorate so much, why do you love Christmas so much? Any other questions of that type you want to throw at me I've already heard, the answer is the same, it's Jesus' birthday. But Jess no longer loves Christmas, she doesn't even like it. She no longer loves spending time with her friends, and her family, putting up the decorations, all that stuff, she no longer want anything to do with it. But it's time I find out what is keeping her from coming home, I find this:

Closing my eyes, my thoughts drift to my relationship with my own father; we're not angry at each other, not really...we just don't know how to be around each other now that Mum's gone. When she passed away, we were both in a lot of pain and I'd held on to a lot of anger at the world for taking her from us...In the end, Dad and I just co-existed for a while, both of us finding it easier to find solace in other places than in each other....Once I'd sorted myself out I'd tried to help him, tried to make him realise Mum would want him to move forward but it was too late; he was stuck and nothing would move him out of the rut he was in.

So they fought and fought and snapped and snipped at each other until Jess decided to leave telling her father she would be back when he was ready to talk properly, but she hasn't heard from him since so I guess he isn't ready to talk, properly or not. And that's why it's been three years since she's been home.

Then there is Glenn, his last name is Campbell so why his parents named him Glenn I'm not sure, it wasn't very nice though. He is thirty seven years old, has moved to town because the girl he was going to marry had an affair with the best man, also known as his best friend. He has a dog and he loves Christmas. I'd marry the guy. If I was thirty seven that is. He even tells Jess that he is the Christmas guru and is going to show her what Christmas is all about. We'll see.

So we have a woman whose mother has died and she no longer talks to her father, a father who hates the world, a woman whose husband ran off with his secretary, two kids who no longer have contact with their father, and a man whose soon to be bride had an affair with the best man. How Christmasy could this book get? Maybe we could gather up all these people and go Christmas caroling one night. It was fun to read, that's what matters.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great Christmas romance about coming home and coming together during the holidays. Jess returns to her hometown to help out her best friend who happens to be going through a very difficult time. But it also means that she will now be in the same town as her estranged father. Both have struggled to carry on after the death of Jess's mother, each mourning in different ways, and it has served to only push them further apart. A chance meeting with a Newfoundland dog (and his owner!) sets Jess on a path that just may change her whole lookout and her whole life. A story of love and loss, of traditions and coming together at the holidays, "All I Want for Christmas" is a heartfelt and enjoyable Christmas read.

[GuiltyPleasures · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess and Glenn—she returns to her hometown when her business partner’s daughter calls and asks her to; he’s one of the cops in town. She left three years before after becoming estranged from her father because neither of them had handled her mother’s death well. When Jess and Glenn meet, they both feel an attraction, but she’s only planning to be in town for a few weeks and then is heading back to London to her job. The two quickly fall for each other and her Dad actually seems receptive to Glenn and his dog. There are some obstacles of her own making, but they seem headed towards their HEA. The book is pretty well-written, but her father’s attitudinal about-face seems quite unrealistic. Hence 4 stars rather than 5.

[Kerry Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jess' bestie is not coping too well with discovering her husband's infidelity, Jess returns to Ullswater where she meets the local police officer who she's instantly attracted to. Only, Jess has no intention of staying but she does want to mend bridges with her father.
This is a beautiful book full of the wonder and magic of Christmas dealing with heartbreak, loss and grief yet showing that love can make things better.
So full of Christmas cheer, laughs and a perfect hea.
I couldn't recommend this book more, I'm so pleased I picked it up and keen to read Holly's story next.
Wonderful cosy book
Kerry Kennedy author

[Dawn Brick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free and I enjoyed it so much that once I had finished I had to get the second book in the series 'Because of You' immediatedly, even though I probably have more than 100 unread books on my ereader. The same goes for the next 3 books. I was really disappointed when I was finished the series. It was a good clean romance and no pages I had to skip over which are in many of the books. All the characers throughout the series were intertwined in the series which was really great. Just an all round enjoyable Christmas collection.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and Fun

This book was everything a “Hallmark” Christmas romance should be. Sweet, fun, cute and just a hint of sexy thrown in to know it’s a romance lol

The spice level could have been higher but I think it worked well in this story to have the splice times faded a bit.

Glenn is an absolute gem of a man, his patience is so perfect to balance out Jess’s overthinking nature ❤️

[KayLynn Zollinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet Christmas book. This book delves into the very real and painful realities of divorce (the difficulties for adults and children alike) and the pain and grief from losing someone you love, especially around the holidays. But it also provides hope. Hope that there is life beyond heartbreak. Lots of Christmas traditions abound, and I found myself wishing I lived on the lake with Jess, Glenn and all their friends. I will definitely finish this series. I'm already attached to this beautiful little town and its quirky residents.
On a scale of Christmas Cheer, I give this a 5/5.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was so cute. There were real life issues and feelings that needed to be worked through. The love story progressed at a natural pace and the chemistry felt so real. I loved Jessica and Glenn. They were so fun to picture together. What a beautiful story of family, friends, and new love in your home town. Hopefully the best friend can divorce her cheating husband in the next book!

[Sharon Tupper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book!

This is my 2nd book from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was funny and sad and romantic all in one - and clearances, too, I might add, which I appreciate when reading a book! I look forward to reading more of her books!

[Joan]

First person talking to the reader. Made it hard to lose myself in the story, and a touch confused about the timelines.. Shades of “Does not compute, Will Smith..” ( showing my age there.....)

Dnf. Not rating.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, simple Christmas love story with average characters. Just an easy read for this busy time of year. Wasn't a big fan of the first person narration, talking to the reader as if we were standing in front of her.

[Pam Couch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas with family and friends

You can never go wrong with a dog in the story! Glenn and Jessica certainly have their ups and downs. Author Tracey Mathew has demonstrated how we can grow through through life's painful experiences.

[Bonnie Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Christmas read

This was a cute Christmas read. A little bit of angst and just the right amount of romacd. Decent world and character development. That all being said...editing was HORRIBLE! Too many commas in every sentence along with grammar errors too many to count.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, gentle story dealing with grief, love, and helping a friend through a difficult time. Jess has come home after being away for 6 years following the death of her mother. She unexpectedly meets Glenn and his dog shortly after returning home. Cute holiday read.