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The Country Village Christmas Show
A feel-good, festive read to keep you cosy this winter. For fans of Heidi Swain, Sarah Morgan and The Archers.
Recently divorced, the family home sold and her son all grown-up, Clare is at a crossroads. She's dedicated her whole adult life to her family, and now it's time she did something for herself.
In the lead up to Christmas, Clare decides that a bit of time in the countryside might be just what she needs, so she moves back to Little Bramble, the village she grew up in. But living with her mum for the first time in years - and not to mention Goliath the Great Dane - can be challenging.
When Clare finds herself running the village Christmas show, it feels like she has purpose in her life again. Bringing together people from all sides of the community, and all walks of life, will Clare manage to pull off a festive feat like no other? And will she find the new start in life - and possibly love - that she's been looking for?
The Country Village Christmas Show is the perfect romantic read to get cosy with this winter.
Recently divorced, the family home sold and her son all grown-up, Clare is at a crossroads. She's dedicated her whole adult life to her family, and now it's time she did something for herself.
In the lead up to Christmas, Clare decides that a bit of time in the countryside might be just what she needs, so she moves back to Little Bramble, the village she grew up in. But living with her mum for the first time in years - and not to mention Goliath the Great Dane - can be challenging.
When Clare finds herself running the village Christmas show, it feels like she has purpose in her life again. Bringing together people from all sides of the community, and all walks of life, will Clare manage to pull off a festive feat like no other? And will she find the new start in life - and possibly love - that she's been looking for?
The Country Village Christmas Show is the perfect romantic read to get cosy with this winter.
400 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2020
92 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
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July 28, 2025
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I don’t usually read Christmas books when it’s not winter time. Purely because I want to feel the magic of Christmas, and that’s hard to do when there’s sunshine outside. When the team at tandem advised me that the audiobook for The Country Village Christmas Show is available for this title, I decided to give it a show anyways.
Synopsis:
Recently divorced, the family home sold and her son all grown-up, Clare is at a crossroads. She’s dedicated her whole adult life to her family, and now it’s time she did something for herself.
In the lead up to Christmas, Clare decides that a bit of time in the countryside might be just what she needs, so she moves back to Little Bramble, the village she grew up in. But living with her mum for the first time in years – and not to mention Goliath the Great Dane – can be challenging.
When Clare finds herself running the village Christmas show, it feels like she has purpose in her life again. Bringing together people from all sides of the community, and all walks of life, will Clare manage to pull off a festive feat like no other? And will she find the new start in life – and possibly love – that she’s been looking for?
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook for The Country Village Christmas Show and I think the narrator did an amazing job in telling the story. This was a Christmas book and yet I wasn’t able to witness the Christmas magic that Christmas books usually bring! It may have been because it’s almost summer, but I think it was something to do with the book itself.
The plot was interesting, but there was nothing special about it. Nothing stood up in particular, to make this book memorable. Clare is recently divorced and comes back to the countryside, to the place she grew up. Then she meets someone and even then, she’s too afraid to be happy. The romance in the book was terrible; no passion, no attraction, no flirting. The only good scene was the one where Sam opens up about his relationship with his sister and the accident. In terms of love sparks, or steamy scenes, there will be none in this book. So if you came here searching for that, I suggest you instead have a look at some of the books Georgia Le Carre has written.
The only reason this book has a “Christmas theme” is because a Christmas Show happens during the book. And I really enjoyed this part. The auditions for the show in particular. However, I expected more content when it came to this, and it’s just another scene in the book. I would’ve thought it would have more meaning, especially due to the mother’s connection to the hall.
I believe the focus of this book was Claire’s recovery from her divorce, and moving on with her life. The ultimate lesson that even when you think something terrible in your life happened, there is always time for a new beginning. And when I look at the book from this aspect, it did deliver. We had an amazing dog helping Clare out, her son and her mum gave her the support she needed and the feeling of belonging. However, on that same note of mental happiness, when Claire arrived in her town, her mother was clearly depressed. And Claire mentines this a few times, and then all of a sudden, everything is fine again, the mum has fallen in love and her routine is back to normal. We are left with no explanation on this transition and I just feel that this part could’ve been done so much better!
The Country Village Christmas Show a great story to let people know that it’s not the end of the world if you get a divorce, or if you lose someone… A great story to enjoy in your free time, but definitely not my cup of tea.
I don’t usually read Christmas books when it’s not winter time. Purely because I want to feel the magic of Christmas, and that’s hard to do when there’s sunshine outside. When the team at tandem advised me that the audiobook for The Country Village Christmas Show is available for this title, I decided to give it a show anyways.
Synopsis:
Recently divorced, the family home sold and her son all grown-up, Clare is at a crossroads. She’s dedicated her whole adult life to her family, and now it’s time she did something for herself.
In the lead up to Christmas, Clare decides that a bit of time in the countryside might be just what she needs, so she moves back to Little Bramble, the village she grew up in. But living with her mum for the first time in years – and not to mention Goliath the Great Dane – can be challenging.
When Clare finds herself running the village Christmas show, it feels like she has purpose in her life again. Bringing together people from all sides of the community, and all walks of life, will Clare manage to pull off a festive feat like no other? And will she find the new start in life – and possibly love – that she’s been looking for?
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook for The Country Village Christmas Show and I think the narrator did an amazing job in telling the story. This was a Christmas book and yet I wasn’t able to witness the Christmas magic that Christmas books usually bring! It may have been because it’s almost summer, but I think it was something to do with the book itself.
The plot was interesting, but there was nothing special about it. Nothing stood up in particular, to make this book memorable. Clare is recently divorced and comes back to the countryside, to the place she grew up. Then she meets someone and even then, she’s too afraid to be happy. The romance in the book was terrible; no passion, no attraction, no flirting. The only good scene was the one where Sam opens up about his relationship with his sister and the accident. In terms of love sparks, or steamy scenes, there will be none in this book. So if you came here searching for that, I suggest you instead have a look at some of the books Georgia Le Carre has written.
The only reason this book has a “Christmas theme” is because a Christmas Show happens during the book. And I really enjoyed this part. The auditions for the show in particular. However, I expected more content when it came to this, and it’s just another scene in the book. I would’ve thought it would have more meaning, especially due to the mother’s connection to the hall.
I believe the focus of this book was Claire’s recovery from her divorce, and moving on with her life. The ultimate lesson that even when you think something terrible in your life happened, there is always time for a new beginning. And when I look at the book from this aspect, it did deliver. We had an amazing dog helping Clare out, her son and her mum gave her the support she needed and the feeling of belonging. However, on that same note of mental happiness, when Claire arrived in her town, her mother was clearly depressed. And Claire mentines this a few times, and then all of a sudden, everything is fine again, the mum has fallen in love and her routine is back to normal. We are left with no explanation on this transition and I just feel that this part could’ve been done so much better!
The Country Village Christmas Show a great story to let people know that it’s not the end of the world if you get a divorce, or if you lose someone… A great story to enjoy in your free time, but definitely not my cup of tea.
October 26, 2020
Uninspiring women’s fiction with a tepid romance and a half-hearted Christmas show theme.
A festive and feel-good romance is not my usual kind of read but The Country Village Christmas Show appealed purely for the reason that it features a mature female protagonist and the premise emphasised its community focus. Sadly, however, I found the novel rather superficial and felt it lacked any real depth of emotion making it impossible to relate to with a bad case of insta-love and flimsy characterisation. Whilst the novel is easily readable women’s fiction I didn’t feel there was enough plot development to make for a particularly stimulating read.
Forty-five-year-old former library assistant and mother to a grown-up son, Clare, finds her world upended when her husband of over twenty years asks for a divorce. With the family house sold she reluctantly returns to her childhood home in the village of Little Bramble to live with her seventy-five-year-old mother, Elaine, despite their emotionally distant relationship. Realising that life has passed her by whilst she was completely devoted to her family and son, Clare comes to the conclusion that it’s about time she did something for herself and finds her own path in life. Walking Goliath her mother’s Great Dane sees Clare bump into faces old and new, quickly reconnecting with her former best-friend, Jenny, and getting off on the wrong foot with the handsome forty-something village vet, Sam Wilson. However Elaine seems a shadow of her former self and Clare is convinced it is because the amateur dramatics society, which her mother was so passionate about, folded after the old village hall burned down two years earlier. The arrival of Clare’s flamboyant twenty-one-year-old son, Kyle, with romantic dilemmas of his own sees them team up and decide to organise a Christmas show to christen the new community hall and simultaneously revitalise Elaine!
As Clare contemplates her future and throws herself into village life she keeps crossing paths with vet Sam and feels an undeniable spark. A renowned bachelor and living with his disabled younger sister, Sam has baggage of his own but even he can’t deny the mutual attraction they share, but is either of them ready to take a chance on love? As the story moves between characters and storylines I found it a little too straightforward to the point of boring, not helped by the dialogue which didn’t ever feel natural. The romance between Clare and Sam is unbelievable insta-love and both characters are rather bland meaning a total absence of chemistry and I found their romance the least interesting component of the story. The Christmas show theme is also rather perfunctory and takes until nearly halfway through the book before the idea is proposed. The auditions and build-up are likewise all a little half-hearted leaving me feeling like it had simply been tacked on to fit the festive book genre. Despite the overarching element of romance in the story it is very much one of deepening connections with family, friends and the community. Whilst I appreciated this I did feel the point was heavily laboured with numerous declarations of the value of this new support network rather than simply illustrating it far more eloquently with a more meaningful story.
A festive and feel-good romance is not my usual kind of read but The Country Village Christmas Show appealed purely for the reason that it features a mature female protagonist and the premise emphasised its community focus. Sadly, however, I found the novel rather superficial and felt it lacked any real depth of emotion making it impossible to relate to with a bad case of insta-love and flimsy characterisation. Whilst the novel is easily readable women’s fiction I didn’t feel there was enough plot development to make for a particularly stimulating read.
Forty-five-year-old former library assistant and mother to a grown-up son, Clare, finds her world upended when her husband of over twenty years asks for a divorce. With the family house sold she reluctantly returns to her childhood home in the village of Little Bramble to live with her seventy-five-year-old mother, Elaine, despite their emotionally distant relationship. Realising that life has passed her by whilst she was completely devoted to her family and son, Clare comes to the conclusion that it’s about time she did something for herself and finds her own path in life. Walking Goliath her mother’s Great Dane sees Clare bump into faces old and new, quickly reconnecting with her former best-friend, Jenny, and getting off on the wrong foot with the handsome forty-something village vet, Sam Wilson. However Elaine seems a shadow of her former self and Clare is convinced it is because the amateur dramatics society, which her mother was so passionate about, folded after the old village hall burned down two years earlier. The arrival of Clare’s flamboyant twenty-one-year-old son, Kyle, with romantic dilemmas of his own sees them team up and decide to organise a Christmas show to christen the new community hall and simultaneously revitalise Elaine!
As Clare contemplates her future and throws herself into village life she keeps crossing paths with vet Sam and feels an undeniable spark. A renowned bachelor and living with his disabled younger sister, Sam has baggage of his own but even he can’t deny the mutual attraction they share, but is either of them ready to take a chance on love? As the story moves between characters and storylines I found it a little too straightforward to the point of boring, not helped by the dialogue which didn’t ever feel natural. The romance between Clare and Sam is unbelievable insta-love and both characters are rather bland meaning a total absence of chemistry and I found their romance the least interesting component of the story. The Christmas show theme is also rather perfunctory and takes until nearly halfway through the book before the idea is proposed. The auditions and build-up are likewise all a little half-hearted leaving me feeling like it had simply been tacked on to fit the festive book genre. Despite the overarching element of romance in the story it is very much one of deepening connections with family, friends and the community. Whilst I appreciated this I did feel the point was heavily laboured with numerous declarations of the value of this new support network rather than simply illustrating it far more eloquently with a more meaningful story.
October 29, 2020
2 stars!
I'm really sad to only be giving this books 2 stars but unfortunately it really just wasn't what I was expecting at all. Advertised as a romantic feel-good read, it really is anything but that.
The Country Village Christmas Show follow Clare as she moves back to her small hometown after losing her job, getting divorced and selling her house. Being back in the village Clare grew up in is challenging but she decides to organise a Christmas show in the village to bring the community together and spread a little holiday cheer. And maybe along the way find love.
The cover, the title and the premise of this book make it seem like it would be the perfect Christmassy romantic read. However, this isn't romantic and it isn't feel good at all. In fact, a lot of the aspects of this story are quite sad and quite negative and there are never any attempts at turning them into a positive. That is of course excluding Clare's and Sam's developing relationship which I believe is meant to come across as a beautiful love story of two lost people finding each other but is instead just a very tepid love of two very two dimensional characters for whom it is convenient to fall in love.
This leads me to Sam, our love interest in the story. Whilst I could enjoy Clare's character, Sam's gave me a lot of issue to work through. From the very first moment we are introduced to Sam he is shown as a passive aggressive guy with some temperament issues and these are never really acknowledged or fixed throughout the story. He just goes on to have angry outbursts with everyone and then weakly apologises and somehow makes it all okay. Another aspect of Sam that really ruined the character for me was his relationship with his sister Alyssa. Alyssa is Sam's younger sister who has had an accident growing up and ended up in a wheelchair. I would've been delighted for this disability rep if it wasn't for Sam trying to make it all about him. More than once when Sam talks about his sister and her accident he shifts the narrative to himself as if he is somehow the victim. In fact when he tells Clare about it even Clare ends up saying that Sam has "endured a lot" his whole life. This makes no sense to me? His sister is the one who is paraplegic but somehow we are meant to feel and for Sam because he is a weird aggressive and overprotective brother who has to look after his sister? The whole Sam-Alyssa relationship is very strange and doesn't sit right with me.
I was hoping for a wonderfully magical Christmas setting and a feel-good talent show that would create happiness and togetherness but the actual show was rushed and the setting of the book wasn't ever Christmassy at all.
With all that being said, I did appreciate the disability rep in Alyssa and Kyle's pansexuality being introduced and dealt with in a very positive and mature way.
Over all this just wasn't at all what I thought it would be but that doesn't mean it won't be the perfect Christmas read for someone else so please don't let my experience with it dissuade you from reading it and giving it a chance.
I'm really sad to only be giving this books 2 stars but unfortunately it really just wasn't what I was expecting at all. Advertised as a romantic feel-good read, it really is anything but that.
The Country Village Christmas Show follow Clare as she moves back to her small hometown after losing her job, getting divorced and selling her house. Being back in the village Clare grew up in is challenging but she decides to organise a Christmas show in the village to bring the community together and spread a little holiday cheer. And maybe along the way find love.
The cover, the title and the premise of this book make it seem like it would be the perfect Christmassy romantic read. However, this isn't romantic and it isn't feel good at all. In fact, a lot of the aspects of this story are quite sad and quite negative and there are never any attempts at turning them into a positive. That is of course excluding Clare's and Sam's developing relationship which I believe is meant to come across as a beautiful love story of two lost people finding each other but is instead just a very tepid love of two very two dimensional characters for whom it is convenient to fall in love.
This leads me to Sam, our love interest in the story. Whilst I could enjoy Clare's character, Sam's gave me a lot of issue to work through. From the very first moment we are introduced to Sam he is shown as a passive aggressive guy with some temperament issues and these are never really acknowledged or fixed throughout the story. He just goes on to have angry outbursts with everyone and then weakly apologises and somehow makes it all okay. Another aspect of Sam that really ruined the character for me was his relationship with his sister Alyssa. Alyssa is Sam's younger sister who has had an accident growing up and ended up in a wheelchair. I would've been delighted for this disability rep if it wasn't for Sam trying to make it all about him. More than once when Sam talks about his sister and her accident he shifts the narrative to himself as if he is somehow the victim. In fact when he tells Clare about it even Clare ends up saying that Sam has "endured a lot" his whole life. This makes no sense to me? His sister is the one who is paraplegic but somehow we are meant to feel and for Sam because he is a weird aggressive and overprotective brother who has to look after his sister? The whole Sam-Alyssa relationship is very strange and doesn't sit right with me.
I was hoping for a wonderfully magical Christmas setting and a feel-good talent show that would create happiness and togetherness but the actual show was rushed and the setting of the book wasn't ever Christmassy at all.
With all that being said, I did appreciate the disability rep in Alyssa and Kyle's pansexuality being introduced and dealt with in a very positive and mature way.
Over all this just wasn't at all what I thought it would be but that doesn't mean it won't be the perfect Christmas read for someone else so please don't let my experience with it dissuade you from reading it and giving it a chance.
November 10, 2025
On my blog.
Actual rating 1.5
CWs: mentions of vehicle accidents, lost pregnancies
Galley provided by publisher
First things first, I think I was expecting a completely different book here to the one I got and so at least part of my rating can be attributed to that. I was expecting something a little more on the romcom side and a little less women’s fiction-slash-cringefest. Which sounds mean, but that’s what it felt like.
The Country Village Christmas Show follows Clare, who has just come through a divorce after her husband decides he needs to “find himself”. So she packs up and heads home to the village where she grew up. And there she meets a handsome vet, while dealing with reunions with friends, a new career path, and her mother and son’s troubles.
Within about a page of this book, I came to the realisation the writing just didn’t work for me. Which, ultimately, put paid to me liking it at all. Something about it was both simplistic and also, at times, highly melodramatic, so I just couldn’t take it seriously. Not to mention the overload of telling and not showing. I do not need the entire backstory of your son’s birth within the first chapter, thank you.
So really, it was sort of downhill from there. I wasn’t that inclined to care about Clare’s relationship with Sam (not least because of the sheer amount of secondhand embarrassment their meetings gave me), and that was a large chunk of the book. Add onto that the fact that the dialogue just didn’t feel at all realistic (I mean, who tells someone they have lovely hands while flirting).
Well it never looked particularly propitious.
I think probably all this was more of a problem because I am so far removed in age from the main characters. This is why I tend to avoid what gets marketed as women’s fiction – i.e. plain old adult contemporary, but about middle aged women – because I just cannot connect with their concerns, problems, or whatever else. I could honestly care less for reading about people going to get haircuts.
But if, unlike me, you do enjoy the genre, don’t let me put you off picking this one up.
Actual rating 1.5
CWs: mentions of vehicle accidents, lost pregnancies
Galley provided by publisher
First things first, I think I was expecting a completely different book here to the one I got and so at least part of my rating can be attributed to that. I was expecting something a little more on the romcom side and a little less women’s fiction-slash-cringefest. Which sounds mean, but that’s what it felt like.
The Country Village Christmas Show follows Clare, who has just come through a divorce after her husband decides he needs to “find himself”. So she packs up and heads home to the village where she grew up. And there she meets a handsome vet, while dealing with reunions with friends, a new career path, and her mother and son’s troubles.
Within about a page of this book, I came to the realisation the writing just didn’t work for me. Which, ultimately, put paid to me liking it at all. Something about it was both simplistic and also, at times, highly melodramatic, so I just couldn’t take it seriously. Not to mention the overload of telling and not showing. I do not need the entire backstory of your son’s birth within the first chapter, thank you.
So really, it was sort of downhill from there. I wasn’t that inclined to care about Clare’s relationship with Sam (not least because of the sheer amount of secondhand embarrassment their meetings gave me), and that was a large chunk of the book. Add onto that the fact that the dialogue just didn’t feel at all realistic (I mean, who tells someone they have lovely hands while flirting).
Well it never looked particularly propitious.
I think probably all this was more of a problem because I am so far removed in age from the main characters. This is why I tend to avoid what gets marketed as women’s fiction – i.e. plain old adult contemporary, but about middle aged women – because I just cannot connect with their concerns, problems, or whatever else. I could honestly care less for reading about people going to get haircuts.
But if, unlike me, you do enjoy the genre, don’t let me put you off picking this one up.
December 30, 2020
After getting divorced and loosing her job Clare decided to go back to her childhood home, and live with her mother. At first she is keeping for herself, until pushed by her mother, Clare tries to build a life for herself again.
This was the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to and I have to say I enjoyed it as it was a easy a smooth “read”.
I strongly appreciated the strong community spirit, especially towards the end of the book and I loved as well Clare’s characters, she has sacrificed so much when being a mother and wife and now she is trying to navigate her life and find her purpose and her way back to what she loved.
However I didn’t really feel the Christmas vibe that was promised and the romantic element was really mild, there wasn’t enough passion for my liking.
However if you are a fan of women’s literature, it’s worth to give it a try.
This was the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to and I have to say I enjoyed it as it was a easy a smooth “read”.
I strongly appreciated the strong community spirit, especially towards the end of the book and I loved as well Clare’s characters, she has sacrificed so much when being a mother and wife and now she is trying to navigate her life and find her purpose and her way back to what she loved.
However I didn’t really feel the Christmas vibe that was promised and the romantic element was really mild, there wasn’t enough passion for my liking.
However if you are a fan of women’s literature, it’s worth to give it a try.
November 27, 2020
This is the first book this author has written and I certainly hope there will be more as simply brillant I was hooked from the first page amazingly well written with great characters and Christmas spirit is certainly about and shows plenty about community spirit families romance and secrets and sharing them to move forward. Well worth more than five stars as so brillant.
Clare has split from her husband her children have left home and she heads home to her mum to decode where she wants to go with life. She moves to the little village of little Bramble and gets worried about her mum as feels her behaviour is strange but can't pin point why. He mum has a big dog and she goes out walking it and meets the local vet who she feels her heart flutter but he's so rude to her and she can't forget that. He's also not interested in love but feels his heart skip a beat but he needs to care for his sister and not find love. She realises the village shows that use to go ahead haven't run since the hall was rebuilt after it was burnt down and when her son turns up on the doorstep after a break up they decide to organise it and will she manage it and in the process how many secrets will come out and will romance be in the air or not for some village people.
Amazingly brillant read
Clare has split from her husband her children have left home and she heads home to her mum to decode where she wants to go with life. She moves to the little village of little Bramble and gets worried about her mum as feels her behaviour is strange but can't pin point why. He mum has a big dog and she goes out walking it and meets the local vet who she feels her heart flutter but he's so rude to her and she can't forget that. He's also not interested in love but feels his heart skip a beat but he needs to care for his sister and not find love. She realises the village shows that use to go ahead haven't run since the hall was rebuilt after it was burnt down and when her son turns up on the doorstep after a break up they decide to organise it and will she manage it and in the process how many secrets will come out and will romance be in the air or not for some village people.
Amazingly brillant read
December 13, 2022
This book was and absolute delight!
I’ve had it on my Kindle for a disgustingly long time (Dec 2020) and I wish that I’d read it sooner. It gave you the perfect escape on a cold winters day,.
Jenny was really strong woman who deserved a happy ending after being in a loveless marriage, I enjoyed the village life and humour when Clare moved home to her mums, her mum was also a lovely character too.
Sam had also wasted a lot of time not being in love with someone for lots of reasons but could Little Bramble bring them both together ?.
I also enjoyed Clare being a mid forties woman who was still worthy and full of life as a lot of books like this focus on younger women.
I’ll be reading the rest of this lovely series.
I’ve had it on my Kindle for a disgustingly long time (Dec 2020) and I wish that I’d read it sooner. It gave you the perfect escape on a cold winters day,.
Jenny was really strong woman who deserved a happy ending after being in a loveless marriage, I enjoyed the village life and humour when Clare moved home to her mums, her mum was also a lovely character too.
Sam had also wasted a lot of time not being in love with someone for lots of reasons but could Little Bramble bring them both together ?.
I also enjoyed Clare being a mid forties woman who was still worthy and full of life as a lot of books like this focus on younger women.
I’ll be reading the rest of this lovely series.
December 3, 2025
There were some aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. The village setting, the wintry themes, and the supporting characters were all enjoyable and gave a cosy feel to the book which is well suited to a festive read.
Other parts were more of a struggle to get through - Clare had great potential for a main character as a recent divorcee trying to know what living life for herself looks like - but the pacing felt a little uneven, with key conversations feeling rushed and other unnecessary plot points being dwelt on.
The dialogue was quite stilted and repetitive, and there was a lot of explicit over-explanation of thoughts and feelings, rather than allowing the reader to go on the journey with the characters. The romantic build-up was lacking in chemistry for me, and I will forever struggle with any protagonist where years of repression can be fixed with a couple of honest conversations.
Was this a cosy, advent calendar read? Yes. Will I be re-reading? Probably not.
Other parts were more of a struggle to get through - Clare had great potential for a main character as a recent divorcee trying to know what living life for herself looks like - but the pacing felt a little uneven, with key conversations feeling rushed and other unnecessary plot points being dwelt on.
The dialogue was quite stilted and repetitive, and there was a lot of explicit over-explanation of thoughts and feelings, rather than allowing the reader to go on the journey with the characters. The romantic build-up was lacking in chemistry for me, and I will forever struggle with any protagonist where years of repression can be fixed with a couple of honest conversations.
Was this a cosy, advent calendar read? Yes. Will I be re-reading? Probably not.
August 27, 2023
2.5 stars, it started off well but there was a lot of cringe/awkward moments that made it difficult to read.
October 24, 2020
I love discovering new authors and Cathy Lake is certainly a new author for me. Having enjoyed reading ‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ as much as I did, I can guarantee that I will be reading more of her work in the future. I absolutely adored reading ‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ but more about that in a bit.
I took to the character of Clare from the start. She was married but is now divorced and her son is now an adult at university, having moved out of the family home. For many years Clare has been a wife and a mother and both of those jobs took up all her time and energy. Now she has to create a new life for herself and put herself first for a change. The only problem is that she doesn’t know how to. The marital home has been sold and Clare goes to stay with her Mam at her house. They haven’t always had the closest of relationships so they have to learn to be around each other again and try and get along. Something is bothering Clare’s Mam and Clare is determined to find out what it is. Clare seems to want to retreat into her shell to start with but her mother ‘encourages’ her to get out and about, which Clare does do. Clare is a lovely woman, who deserves her ‘happy ever after ending’. Does she get her ‘happy ever after’ ending? Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, The Country Village Christmas Show’ was an amazing read and then some. The festive and colourful grabbed my attention from the start, the synopsis drew me in and then the story within the book’s covers just seemed to hypnotise me. To say that reading ‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ became addictive is a massive understatement. I couldn’t have put this book down if I had tried. The book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it went everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story and the pages turned over at speed. Part of the reason for my addiction was the fact that I had taken to Clare from the start and I also loved the character of Sam and I had to know how the story panned out for the pair of them. I vine read the book over the course of a single day, which is quite fast for me.
‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ is superbly written. She certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story. Cathy has one of those warm and friendly writing styles that reads more like a conversation between friends than an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Another huge plus point for me about this book was the fact that the story involved dogs, which include ‘Goliath’, who is a Great Dane and ‘Scout’, who is a yellow Labrador. I can honestly say that this book made me laugh out loud as I pictured the dogs’ shenanigans as they happened. I especially loved the tug of war that Goliath has with the postman through the letterbox with whatever post he has that day. That brought back memories for me- I didn’t have a Great Dane but I had a Rhodesian Ridgeback, which is another huge dog, and we used to have a tug of war and dragged me all over the floor. I was gripped by this story from start to finish. I can honestly say that this is a fun and festive read and has to be one of my favourite reads of 2020.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Cathy’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I took to the character of Clare from the start. She was married but is now divorced and her son is now an adult at university, having moved out of the family home. For many years Clare has been a wife and a mother and both of those jobs took up all her time and energy. Now she has to create a new life for herself and put herself first for a change. The only problem is that she doesn’t know how to. The marital home has been sold and Clare goes to stay with her Mam at her house. They haven’t always had the closest of relationships so they have to learn to be around each other again and try and get along. Something is bothering Clare’s Mam and Clare is determined to find out what it is. Clare seems to want to retreat into her shell to start with but her mother ‘encourages’ her to get out and about, which Clare does do. Clare is a lovely woman, who deserves her ‘happy ever after ending’. Does she get her ‘happy ever after’ ending? Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, The Country Village Christmas Show’ was an amazing read and then some. The festive and colourful grabbed my attention from the start, the synopsis drew me in and then the story within the book’s covers just seemed to hypnotise me. To say that reading ‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ became addictive is a massive understatement. I couldn’t have put this book down if I had tried. The book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it went everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story and the pages turned over at speed. Part of the reason for my addiction was the fact that I had taken to Clare from the start and I also loved the character of Sam and I had to know how the story panned out for the pair of them. I vine read the book over the course of a single day, which is quite fast for me.
‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ is superbly written. She certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into the story. Cathy has one of those warm and friendly writing styles that reads more like a conversation between friends than an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Another huge plus point for me about this book was the fact that the story involved dogs, which include ‘Goliath’, who is a Great Dane and ‘Scout’, who is a yellow Labrador. I can honestly say that this book made me laugh out loud as I pictured the dogs’ shenanigans as they happened. I especially loved the tug of war that Goliath has with the postman through the letterbox with whatever post he has that day. That brought back memories for me- I didn’t have a Great Dane but I had a Rhodesian Ridgeback, which is another huge dog, and we used to have a tug of war and dragged me all over the floor. I was gripped by this story from start to finish. I can honestly say that this is a fun and festive read and has to be one of my favourite reads of 2020.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Country Village Christmas Show’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Cathy’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
October 16, 2020
I'll admit it did take me a while to get into this book, but once I worked out who the characters were, and got used to the, I really did find it to be a very enjoyable story.
It's all about family, and finding yourself, and rebuilding yourself after a divorce.
I really loved Kyle, Claire's grown up son, who seems just a lovely young man (I can't be old enough to be saying things like that surely?). Then there is Claire's mother Elaine who is interesting character, and I did enjoy the eventual reveal as to why she is the way she is, even if it did come almost too late into the book.
And I loved the sections focusing on Sam, the local vet, and his relationship with his sister Alyssa.
Easily my favourite character though was Goliath, the Great Dane, from his battles with the postman, to the situations he gets into, including dragging Clare through a hedge - he is also instrumental in a hilarious incident in the vet surgery between Clare and Sam!
In fact I think most of the comic moments probably feature Goliath in some way shape or form, he is just one big lovely doggy. Although coming up quick second is the first few meetings between Clare and Sam which are awkward and amusing,
A slow but lovely story that I found really got going once plans for the Village Christmas Show start, and I loved everything relating to the show. It left me with a sense of community and Christmas spirit.
Thank you to Zaffre and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
It's all about family, and finding yourself, and rebuilding yourself after a divorce.
I really loved Kyle, Claire's grown up son, who seems just a lovely young man (I can't be old enough to be saying things like that surely?). Then there is Claire's mother Elaine who is interesting character, and I did enjoy the eventual reveal as to why she is the way she is, even if it did come almost too late into the book.
And I loved the sections focusing on Sam, the local vet, and his relationship with his sister Alyssa.
Easily my favourite character though was Goliath, the Great Dane, from his battles with the postman, to the situations he gets into, including dragging Clare through a hedge - he is also instrumental in a hilarious incident in the vet surgery between Clare and Sam!
In fact I think most of the comic moments probably feature Goliath in some way shape or form, he is just one big lovely doggy. Although coming up quick second is the first few meetings between Clare and Sam which are awkward and amusing,
A slow but lovely story that I found really got going once plans for the Village Christmas Show start, and I loved everything relating to the show. It left me with a sense of community and Christmas spirit.
Thank you to Zaffre and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
December 4, 2020
“The Country Village Christmas Show” by Cathy Lake is the perfect escapism to the country any time of the year and is a pleasant undemanding, relaxing read to while away the time for readers of the romantic/comedy genre.
Clare, recently divorced and having just sold her marital home, moves back into her childhood home with her elderly mother Elaine, in the picturesque village of Little Bramble. Having given her whole life to her family, she decides it’s time to do something for herself. However, living back home with her mother who she’s never been particularly close to, along with the pet dog a Great Dane called Goliath, it soon becomes challenging. Following the burning down of the local village hall several years ago, the amateur dramatic society haven’t put on a Christmas show since. Can Clare rally the villagers and Elaine to resurrect the annual show and maybe find love at the same time?
Apart from the emotional and family life themes woven into the story, there were some funny moments too. I particularly felt united with Clare when she was walking Goliath for the first time. As someone who regularly baby sits a big dog, I related to being pulled along on a walk and dealing with large steaming piles of dog mess. I was also intrigued to see the inclusion of a specific gay relationship in the story of which I haven’t read about before.
Although the story was romantically quite predictable and the characters storybook picture perfect, it was an enjoyable enough read and for regular readers of this type of feel good festive romance stories, I imagine Cathy Lake’s novel will be the perfect read for them.
3.5 stars
Clare, recently divorced and having just sold her marital home, moves back into her childhood home with her elderly mother Elaine, in the picturesque village of Little Bramble. Having given her whole life to her family, she decides it’s time to do something for herself. However, living back home with her mother who she’s never been particularly close to, along with the pet dog a Great Dane called Goliath, it soon becomes challenging. Following the burning down of the local village hall several years ago, the amateur dramatic society haven’t put on a Christmas show since. Can Clare rally the villagers and Elaine to resurrect the annual show and maybe find love at the same time?
Apart from the emotional and family life themes woven into the story, there were some funny moments too. I particularly felt united with Clare when she was walking Goliath for the first time. As someone who regularly baby sits a big dog, I related to being pulled along on a walk and dealing with large steaming piles of dog mess. I was also intrigued to see the inclusion of a specific gay relationship in the story of which I haven’t read about before.
Although the story was romantically quite predictable and the characters storybook picture perfect, it was an enjoyable enough read and for regular readers of this type of feel good festive romance stories, I imagine Cathy Lake’s novel will be the perfect read for them.
3.5 stars
October 22, 2020
A gorgeous uplifting Christmas read!
I really enjoyed this novel, it's beautifully written with a cast of characters that are impossible not to root for.
Goliath the Great Dane deserves a special mention, from dragging Clare through a hedge, to terrorizing the poor postman and to the hilarious incident he causes in the vets - he would fail to bring a smile to your face.
It just missed out on 5⭐because it did take me a little while to get into, but it is well worth sticking with for its community spirit and Christmas cheer.
Overall, a fabulous heart-warming read that will have you crying with laughter one minute and actually crying the next (don't forget the tissues!). Ultimately leaving you with that warm festive glow.
Perfect for anyone looking for that special slice of Christmas magic!
A huge thanks to Zaffre Books for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this novel, it's beautifully written with a cast of characters that are impossible not to root for.
Goliath the Great Dane deserves a special mention, from dragging Clare through a hedge, to terrorizing the poor postman and to the hilarious incident he causes in the vets - he would fail to bring a smile to your face.
It just missed out on 5⭐because it did take me a little while to get into, but it is well worth sticking with for its community spirit and Christmas cheer.
Overall, a fabulous heart-warming read that will have you crying with laughter one minute and actually crying the next (don't forget the tissues!). Ultimately leaving you with that warm festive glow.
Perfect for anyone looking for that special slice of Christmas magic!
A huge thanks to Zaffre Books for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
October 29, 2020
I loved everything about this book, you can imagine being curled up reading this under a blanket when it is frosty and bitterly cold outside, It is the perfect remedy to warm you up. I really liked Claire, after her marriage has ended she has no where else to go other than her mums house, she might not have the best relationship with her mum but she is going to make it work. It really showed me how amazing a small community in a village can be? all pulling together and her close friend reminded me of my best friend, how we will do anything for each other. I liked the bond Claire and Sam have and wished for them both to be happy together. I was a tiny bit jealous of Claire being able to get a job at the Old Oak Stables, as that is like one of my dream jobs. But I was excited for her and loved everything about that part of the story. I found it an amusing, beautiful story, one that I didn’t want to end and one that I would re-read over and over again.
November 5, 2020
This book made me so happy. It follows a woman called Clare who is recently divorced and has to move back in with her mother in the town that she grew up in. Clare is feeling very lost after the breakdown of her marriage, being made redundant from her job,and her son going off to university. But after moving back to Little Bramble, she reconnects with her mum and old friends, and with the help of her mum's loveable Great Dane, Goliath, she starts to find herself again. She was only supposed to be in Little Bramble for a few weeks while she got back on her feet, but it's not long before she's wondering if she could stay longer.
I loved this book. It made me feel happy and sad and there were so many amazing characters who were all important in their own way. I really struggled to put this down and it's one that I will definitely read again and again. It was a lovely feel good story with a nice ending. I give it 4 stars.
I loved this book. It made me feel happy and sad and there were so many amazing characters who were all important in their own way. I really struggled to put this down and it's one that I will definitely read again and again. It was a lovely feel good story with a nice ending. I give it 4 stars.
October 29, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this festive novel! From the beginning I warmed to the main character of Clare and got into the story really quickly. The other characters were all well developed and I liked that each of the characters had their own story too.
I liked the style of writing as it was easy to follow and so I read a lot of this book in one sitting which I don’t often do. I kept reading just one more chapter as I wanted to know what would happen next for Clare and the other characters.
The setting of Little Bramble was also perfect for the story; the lovely countryside descriptions, the relaxing dog walks and the evidently quieter pace of life has me wanting to move to somewhere like this village!
I also think this book would make a really good film and one I would definitely watch. This book is a really enjoyable read and is one that I would recommend to others!
I liked the style of writing as it was easy to follow and so I read a lot of this book in one sitting which I don’t often do. I kept reading just one more chapter as I wanted to know what would happen next for Clare and the other characters.
The setting of Little Bramble was also perfect for the story; the lovely countryside descriptions, the relaxing dog walks and the evidently quieter pace of life has me wanting to move to somewhere like this village!
I also think this book would make a really good film and one I would definitely watch. This book is a really enjoyable read and is one that I would recommend to others!
December 2, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley, Bonnier Zaffre and Cathy Lake for my arc of the County Village Christmas Show in exchange for an honest review.
Published: 29th October 2020
The Country Village Christmas Show sees Clare at a crossroads in her life. Recently divorced, made redundant and with her only son off at university she is back living with her own mother in the hamlet of Little Bramble. So when cage finds herself running the village Christmas Show she discovers a purpose for herself again.
I'm sad to say that this book wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I thought it would be a fun festive read but it is fact in places quite the opposite. The character's stories are in fact all quite sad. I also wasn't a fan of the writing style which I found to be a bit overly descriptive and childlike in places. Which is sometimes expected of a debut author. Sadly not for me!
Published: 29th October 2020
The Country Village Christmas Show sees Clare at a crossroads in her life. Recently divorced, made redundant and with her only son off at university she is back living with her own mother in the hamlet of Little Bramble. So when cage finds herself running the village Christmas Show she discovers a purpose for herself again.
I'm sad to say that this book wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I thought it would be a fun festive read but it is fact in places quite the opposite. The character's stories are in fact all quite sad. I also wasn't a fan of the writing style which I found to be a bit overly descriptive and childlike in places. Which is sometimes expected of a debut author. Sadly not for me!
December 11, 2020
Clare is recently divorced, and has moved to live with mum back in Little Bramble, a village she grew up in. While adjusting to life living with her mum and her Great Dane, Goliath, Clare finds herself organising the village’s Christmas show. Does Clare end up discovering herself in this process - finding happiness, maybe love?
This is an easy, funny and heartwarming read which is perfect for getting into the festive mood. There are lots of warm and fuzzy descriptions of hot chocolate, hearty log fires, blankets - which makes this a great read to snuggle up in a cosy nook to read with a hot drink 😊 I liked the characters and the overall storyline.
This isn’t my usual go-to genre as I really love in-depth character development, which this book didn’t capture. Having said that there wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy in this story.
Overall great festive read which I would recommend to read over the holidays! ❄️
This is an easy, funny and heartwarming read which is perfect for getting into the festive mood. There are lots of warm and fuzzy descriptions of hot chocolate, hearty log fires, blankets - which makes this a great read to snuggle up in a cosy nook to read with a hot drink 😊 I liked the characters and the overall storyline.
This isn’t my usual go-to genre as I really love in-depth character development, which this book didn’t capture. Having said that there wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy in this story.
Overall great festive read which I would recommend to read over the holidays! ❄️
October 15, 2020
I had high hopes for this book but overall it flopped. The characters are great to read about and I really enjoyed the family relationship between Clare, Elaine and Kyle. However that is the one of the only good things I have to say about this book.
It became so tedious to read the repetitive scenes that were written in the same awkward pacing and ended with a similar poetic line for each chapter break or end.
The romance was about as steamy as ice water and I wanted to rip my hair out reading their interactions that felt robotic and bland.
There was some lgbt+ representation with Kyle the son being pansexual and it was great to see a book not focus on the family taking this in a negative light but instead not reacting to it as though its normal which I loved to see in this story.
The atmosphere was non existant, if you're looking for a Christmas read I would suggest elsewhere!
It became so tedious to read the repetitive scenes that were written in the same awkward pacing and ended with a similar poetic line for each chapter break or end.
The romance was about as steamy as ice water and I wanted to rip my hair out reading their interactions that felt robotic and bland.
There was some lgbt+ representation with Kyle the son being pansexual and it was great to see a book not focus on the family taking this in a negative light but instead not reacting to it as though its normal which I loved to see in this story.
The atmosphere was non existant, if you're looking for a Christmas read I would suggest elsewhere!
November 21, 2020
(I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
Unfortunately, this book wasn’t what I expected from it.
My main problem was with the dialogue between the characters. It just did not feel realistic or relatable to me at all, and it made the characters lack depth. In addition to that I also found the internal monologues of both of the main characters to be repetitive throughout the book.
There were also a few really odd scenes in the first half of the book which did not seem to fit in with the tone of the rest of the story, and they left me unable to take the rest of the book seriously.
I did really like the village, and how it almost was a character in itself. It gave the book a very cosy setting.
I also have to say I absolutely love the cover, I love the art style and it’s an adorable and festive scene. I am half tempted to keep the book just for its cover!
Overall, this just wasn’t the romantic and Christmassy book I had hoped for, and it ended up being something that is just not for me.
Unfortunately, this book wasn’t what I expected from it.
My main problem was with the dialogue between the characters. It just did not feel realistic or relatable to me at all, and it made the characters lack depth. In addition to that I also found the internal monologues of both of the main characters to be repetitive throughout the book.
There were also a few really odd scenes in the first half of the book which did not seem to fit in with the tone of the rest of the story, and they left me unable to take the rest of the book seriously.
I did really like the village, and how it almost was a character in itself. It gave the book a very cosy setting.
I also have to say I absolutely love the cover, I love the art style and it’s an adorable and festive scene. I am half tempted to keep the book just for its cover!
Overall, this just wasn’t the romantic and Christmassy book I had hoped for, and it ended up being something that is just not for me.
January 3, 2021
3.5/5
This was a cute read! If you're looking for a super cute Christmas-y read, I wouldn't necessarily pick this one as it only really became Christmas orientated from Chapter 24, but as a whole it was an enjoyable read and a sweet countryside romance novel.
A few parts of the novel I didn't enjoy so much was that occasionally that characters, especially their speech, seemed a little stiff and there were many emotional/weirdly heavy monologues that offset some lighthearted moments in the book which made it a little jarring at times.
What I did love was the representation in this book! It was slipped in subtly but with intent, and I loved how Lake interwove a range of representation in this novel.
This was a cute read! If you're looking for a super cute Christmas-y read, I wouldn't necessarily pick this one as it only really became Christmas orientated from Chapter 24, but as a whole it was an enjoyable read and a sweet countryside romance novel.
A few parts of the novel I didn't enjoy so much was that occasionally that characters, especially their speech, seemed a little stiff and there were many emotional/weirdly heavy monologues that offset some lighthearted moments in the book which made it a little jarring at times.
What I did love was the representation in this book! It was slipped in subtly but with intent, and I loved how Lake interwove a range of representation in this novel.
November 1, 2020
Lovely book, but not overly festive, by a new author for me. Not too many characters and a lovable Great Dane called Goliath who gets up to mischief on occasions. Claire returns to her childhood home to stay with her mother, following her divorce. She reconnects with Jenny, her best friend from school who finds herself pregnant with twins. Claire also meets the village vet Sam on a few occasions and there are some will they, won't they moments. Beautifully written and I hope this book is a success for Cathy.
December 27, 2020
I enjoyed this gentle read about new beginnings and family dynamics which creates a comforting sense of hopefulness for the festive season.
The gradual preparations for the Christmas Show echo the development of Clare and Sam’s friendship, while the strong community spirit, which is particularly enjoyable, guarantees a heart-warming winter read.
The local landmarks, village history and individual domestic scenes are so well described that it is easy to picture them through the changing season and they add plenty of atmosphere to the lives of the distinctive characters who populate Little Bramble.
The gradual preparations for the Christmas Show echo the development of Clare and Sam’s friendship, while the strong community spirit, which is particularly enjoyable, guarantees a heart-warming winter read.
The local landmarks, village history and individual domestic scenes are so well described that it is easy to picture them through the changing season and they add plenty of atmosphere to the lives of the distinctive characters who populate Little Bramble.
December 31, 2022
Typical chic lit, light and enjoyable albeit predictable
November 25, 2023
3.5 stars, I didn't enjoy this as much as the Allotment story but it was still very sweet. I had wanted to go back after I realised the other book was 4 in the series and I am pleased I did. I liked the writing style and the characters, they were very endearing.
abandoned
December 6, 2024Sadly, DNF @ 37%. Almost 150 pages in and it's still October. I can already tell at this point this should be 100 pages shorter. I liked the idea of the story though.
September 30, 2020
With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
First time reading this Author and what a FANTASTIC book it really does make you think .
I also think so many of us can definitely identify with. Certain aspects of this book I can highly recommend to all
First time reading this Author and what a FANTASTIC book it really does make you think .
I also think so many of us can definitely identify with. Certain aspects of this book I can highly recommend to all
October 26, 2020
This lovely story boasts page after page of deliciously delightful characters. From Clare’s wonderful mother, Elaine to her quite lovely son, Kyle there’s every reason to plan a visit to Little Bramble.
There’s something for everyone in this book, I just loved every moment.
Clare is the centre of the story and it’s her metamorphic path that carries the sequence of events to their festive conclusion.
Of course, with an ungainly Great Dane, Goliath, sharing centre stage, it goes without saying that there must be a hunky vet on the horizon. Rest assured, Sam is very much the perfect guy for that role.
There are some fabulous extra characters including Clare’s best friend from her schooldays, the vicar and the postman, who has a special relationship with Goliath.
I am finding it hard to pin-point the best bits but, the candidates include – Tai-Chi in underwear, the ‘I’m Spartacus’ style confessions to burning down the village hall and Clare’s inability to avoid mud.
I found that this was a wonderful story which wasn’t simply a Christmas tale but a glimpse at how returning home can be good for the soul.
Take a visit to Little Bramble, you won’t be disappointed.
There’s something for everyone in this book, I just loved every moment.
Clare is the centre of the story and it’s her metamorphic path that carries the sequence of events to their festive conclusion.
Of course, with an ungainly Great Dane, Goliath, sharing centre stage, it goes without saying that there must be a hunky vet on the horizon. Rest assured, Sam is very much the perfect guy for that role.
There are some fabulous extra characters including Clare’s best friend from her schooldays, the vicar and the postman, who has a special relationship with Goliath.
I am finding it hard to pin-point the best bits but, the candidates include – Tai-Chi in underwear, the ‘I’m Spartacus’ style confessions to burning down the village hall and Clare’s inability to avoid mud.
I found that this was a wonderful story which wasn’t simply a Christmas tale but a glimpse at how returning home can be good for the soul.
Take a visit to Little Bramble, you won’t be disappointed.
October 29, 2020
I loved the cover of the book, a snowy village scene was enough to tempt me on a dull, drizzly day.
Even though it was clear it was going to be twee and a little predictable, I wish I could have felt more connection to the main characters. Clare, a recent divorcee, on her own since her adult son left home goes back to the comforts of her home town for Christmas.The story of her life is told at the start and it important to get background to understand her feelings towards Christmas this year.
Moving back to stay with her mum, she throws herself into being involved in the village Christmas show . She meets a man, Sam, and we see how a friendship matures and leads to love.
It is predicable that this story would have a happy ending and how everything would be well for Clare at the end.
The style of writing feels like the author is trying to use as many descriptions as possible per paragraph and the whole book felt fluffy throughout.
Having said that, I read it start to finish and had a smile on my face at times. In these uncertain times, why not read a nice, pleasant book!
Even though it was clear it was going to be twee and a little predictable, I wish I could have felt more connection to the main characters. Clare, a recent divorcee, on her own since her adult son left home goes back to the comforts of her home town for Christmas.The story of her life is told at the start and it important to get background to understand her feelings towards Christmas this year.
Moving back to stay with her mum, she throws herself into being involved in the village Christmas show . She meets a man, Sam, and we see how a friendship matures and leads to love.
It is predicable that this story would have a happy ending and how everything would be well for Clare at the end.
The style of writing feels like the author is trying to use as many descriptions as possible per paragraph and the whole book felt fluffy throughout.
Having said that, I read it start to finish and had a smile on my face at times. In these uncertain times, why not read a nice, pleasant book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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