If Every Day Was Christmas

by Donna Ashcroft

Snow is falling, fires are crackling merrily, and Lockton tradition has everyone hanging a promise they’re determined to keep this Christmas on the tree in the village square…

Meg Scott has promised to make a success of her first solo Christmas. She runs a year-round Christmas shop in the little Scottish village, and is a fan of all things mulled, sparkly and festive. So when her warring family shows up on her doorstep, ready to spread discord and tension, Meg is determined not to let them ruin her favourite time of the year.

Meanwhile, Christmas-hating Tom Riley-Clark has been called to the Highlands to help his old friend at The Apple Cross Inn. He’s ready to work hard and has no time for mince pies, tinsel or hanging a promise on the tree: the thought of every day being Christmas is his worst nightmare, and you wouldn’t catch him dead buying a bauble. So everyone is surprised when Christmas-loving Meg and grinch Tom start to get cozy under the mistletoe.

But Tom has a big secret about his past, and in a small town like Lockton it’s hard to keep anything hidden for long. Will everything fall apart when Meg discovers who he really is? The pair are about to learn the hard way that some promises are impossible to keep…

It’s time to curl up for an enchanting festive romance about learning to trust yourself, taking chances and not being afraid to fall in love. Perfect for fans of Nicola May, Debbie Macomber and Milly Johnson.

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

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2020

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Every Day Was Christmas by Donna Ashcroft is a standalone contemporary romance novel. This romance is of course set during the Christmas holiday season as the title indicates.

If Every Day Was Christmas is another holiday romance which takes the biggest Christmas loving person you can find and cross their path with the Grinchiest grouch. Meg Scott loves the holiday and runs a year round shop dedicated to all things Christmas and Tom Riley-Clark wants nothing to do with the Christmas season but the pair are drawn to one another this holiday season.

If Every Day Was Christmas by Donna Ashcroft is another sweet small town holiday romance that oozed all their is of the Christmas season. I’ve come to enjoy these enemies to lovers type of reads where it’s Christmas vs the Grinch in a romantic holiday package. This one had the lovely setting of a charming Scottish village to boot and I always enjoy those exotic to me locales so that made a great bow wrapped around it to tie it altogether.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... A sweet holiday small-town romance featuring the Grinch and Santa’s biggest elf. Meg is all about Christmas. She even owns an all year Christmas shop in her small Scottish village. Tom is all about bah humbugg. He is in town to help out an old friend, never knowing how seriously this place takes Christmas. To further complicate things Tom is also hiding his true identity from the town, for once he wants people to like him for him. Meg also has some complications when her family arrives threatening to put a damper on her festive vibe. So will Meg fa la la la fall for Tom and make his heart grow three sizes?

Meg was such a great character with such a big heart. I loved how into Christmas she was she even wore an elf suit and tons of glitter. Tom was a little prickly, but he too had a big heart. I love the small-town setting and it was fun seeing old friends from previous books. If you are a fan of Christmas reads this is a can’t miss!

This book in emojis 🧝🏻‍♀️ ✨ ❄️ 🎄 🦌 🐕 🎸

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

[Tahera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Scott loves Christmas.

She loves Christmas so much that she has a Christmas themed shop selling Christmas related items all year round in a small town of Lockton, Scotland, a wardrobe that consists of a variety of elf costumes/dresses and a cosmetic preference of face glitter.

I completely get her! I mean who wouldn't want to have a baubles hanging, tinsel twinkling, reindeer discovering, living in a wonderland kind of vibes all year round. Bring in the entry of a handsome hero Tom Riley-Clark, a famous singer who happens to hate Christmas and her broken family who arrive unannounced and Meg finds herself with the task of bringing back the love of the season in their lives and wishing for her own Christmas miracle.

This was a delightful book that would make a good Hallmark movie 😉.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Donna Ashcroft for the e-Arc of the book. The book was published on 9th October 2020.

Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟 twinkling stars!
              🎅🎄❄️✨🎇

[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meg Scott runs a year-round Christmas shop in the small village of Lockton, Scotland. Meg loves everything about Christmas — the ornaments, tinsel, and lights. Enter Tom Riley-Clark, the Christmas hating musician. Tom is the antithesis of Meg. Tom hates everything about Christmas, and as fate would have it, Tom gets rescued by Meg after he suffers a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. What follows are a series of touch-and-go moments that eventually lead to a possible budding romance.

If Everyday Was Christmas is a cute Christmas romance story. I found it to have a very promising start. However, there seemed to be a disconnect in the middle of the story wherein the transition into a romance between Tom and Meg seemed abrupt to me.. Other readers will probably disagree with me on this.

Overall, If Everyday Was Christmas is a cozy romance novel that will please avid fans of the romance genre. I’ve rated it three stars. I liked it.

I received a digital ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Antonella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small Scottish Highlands village is a setting for this Christmas novel. We have a Meg, owner of an all-year-round Christmas shop, and Tom who comes to the village to help a friend out. These two couldn't be more opposite regarding the holidays. I mean, Meg is dressed as an elf the first time they met, and Tom is hiding some secrets and doesn't really care about holidays.

I liked the setting of this book it is really magical. It is what would you expect out of small-town romance novels. With a lot of characters to follow. I was not invested in the romance as much as I would like.

Overall, it is a cute story. A perfect read for fans of Christmas books.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

There comes a point—usually during the couple of days following Thanksgiving—when, fueled by turkey and sweet potatoes. Strands of lights start illuminating all the cracks and crevices. There’s a constant smell of cookies drifting from the oven. Yes, it’s all a big fuss for Christmas, but I can’t help it. Since it only comes once a year, I like to make the most of it.

Meg Scott doesn’t have that need. No, as proprietor of a shop focused on that particular holiday, she always sees the world in shades of red and green. She’s devoted to the season and author Donna Ashcroft uses this obsession to highlight her downright bubbly personality. After all, how can anyone willing to parade around in an elf costume to drum up customers be anything other than charming? Meg practically radiates snowflakes and hot chocolate from the moment she appears on the page.

Yet Ashcroft never veers into the saccharine. Instead, Meg, while embodying the generous and fun parts of the season, remains a realist. So when Tom, a scrooge with a sackful of secrets, shows up in her idyllic village, she’s puzzled by him, but Ashcroft doesn’t let her haunt him like three spirits forcing a change of heart. It’s a burn as slow as a log fire—and just as fiery—with the two gradually getting to know each other, their pasts, and, of course, their problems.

Of which even this winter wonderland has more than a few. While the town itself has a couple of aches, Ashcroft centers the bulk of the drama on her characters. Meg struggles with her family while Tom struggles with himself. Their issues are tactfully dealt with and, in an environment surrounded be Christmas magic, they feel real. While every page feels like a traditional romance, Ashcroft expertly infuses drama and tension, making Meg’s potential happily ever after feel far from certain.

Ultimately, the idea of having Christmas every day is probably best left as a dream. Eventually, the lights burn out and there are only so many days in a row I can bake sugar cookies. Thankfully, Donna Ashcroft has provided the perfect bit of Christmas magic that’s enjoyable any time of year.

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpres...

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Every Day Was Christmas
3.5✨

[Lucy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

If everyday was Chrismas is my first read by Donna and I loved every moment.

Up in the deep Scottish Highlands Meg runs a Christmas shop and loves everything about Christmas, miles away from her family who unexpectedly turn up.

We are introduced to Tom who is visiting to help out at at friends pub but Meg has no idea who Tom actually is.

They say opposite attracts right? One loves Christmas and one hates it, but why? can they find love?

This is delightful and full of the Joy's of Christmas including a reindeer, what's not to love.
One to read all cosy and wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa.

Big thanks as always to Bookouture

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy Christmas stories set in the Scottish Highlands. With the snow and the setting, I always get right into the festive spirit. Meg Scott is living in Lockton, Scotland running a year round Christmas store. This is her first year living away from her family and she has vowed to make it a success. What she wasn't prepared for was her family showing up with all kinds of issues, making things tense. There is also a newcomer to town, Christmas-hating Tom Riley-Clark has arrived in the Highlands to help his old friend at The Apple Cross Inn, while one of his employees recovers from surgery. He and Meg couldn't be more different, but they begin to get cozy and everyone is surprised. The problem is, Tom has a huge secret and in a small town, gossip is going to come out and when Meg finds out, will that end their budding relationship? Throw in a couple of other possible romances, some eccentric villagers and whole lot of Christmas cheer to make this a great Christmas story of new beginnings, trusting yourself and others, romance, and festive cheer.

If Every Day Was Christmas is a fun and entertaining story. I loved Meg. She was so genuine, shared her love of Christmas in an elf costume, helped others, dealt with her family's issues and stepped up to help others in need. She is someone I would love to get to know. I had mixed feelings about Tom. He was a great friend and worker, he helped others in town, but his secret seemed like one that would cause issues, but should have been shared. I understand some of why he wanted to keep it a secret, but if you want to have relationships with people, it is best to be honest. I enjoyed meeting all the various characters and liked what they added to the story. If Every Day Was Christmas by Donna Ashcroft is another sweet small town holiday romance that was full of all things Christmas. This was an enemies to friends to lover trope that worked well with the roadblocks and almost total break that I've come to expect and enjoy. This was an elf and a grinch, so lots of fun. With the amazing setting of a charming Scottish village, wonderful characters and lots of Christmas, I enjoyed this one during my Christmas in July reading.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute read, Tom and Meg are opposite in every way- she loves Christmas and he hates Christmas and everything associated with it, but as you read on and they get to know each other you realise they’re not that different really. Such a heartwarming read about moving on and looking forward with hope. Great Christmas and romantic fuzzy feels, perfect


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Frenchorchidea · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely Christmas read by Donna Ashcroft!!! I absolutely loved it and was hooked from start to the end!!! The writing style is very nice and the characters and settings were just so lovely too! In this book there is romance, mysteries and secrets (a lot of secrets), there is warmth and friendship. It was a fantastic read that I can only recommend! And if you are looking for a book to read around Christmas, this is the one!!! 4 stars out of 5 for me!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and it's books like this that I hate to put down.
With little cutie, Cooper, who I fell in love with, and the Christmas theme it was equally as perfect as The Little Village of New Starts which is also set in Lockton up in the Scottish Highlands.
I love Meg, who also loves Christmas, and my favourite movie: The Holiday! Meg runs her own little Christmas shop, all year round! Meg had so much to deal with and I thought that the author wrote about the sensitive issues so exceptionally well.
It was perfect reading and wonderful to be with these wonderful characters again. I have even come round to Lilith who I didn't like when I read Evie's story.
This book has everything that I wanted, there was the mystery over the vandalism in Lockton and the beautiful baubles (which I absolutely love the idea of,) the mysterious footprints in the snow, secrets that will tug your emotions all ways, budding romances - but can Meg and Tom come together? I loved Tom and I felt for him, too. I hoped that Meg, Davy, and infact all the Lockton residents, would be there for him and also be able to help him.
I thought it was lovely how the story concluded and I hope that there is more to come from these delightful characters.
A definite must-read! I loved it!
My thanks to Bookoutre via NetGalley

[Mayke ☕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me feel cozy. Set in a scottish village, covered in snow, the main character owns a Christmas store, and a good looking mysterious guy. It was like stepping right into a Hallmark movie. When looking for something sweet and cozy to read for Christmas, this is a good one to put on the list. Where some books can lose the Christmas feeling in certain parts of the book, this book managed to hold that throughout the entire story.

[Lindsay♫SingerOfStories♫ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Every Day Was Christmas was a charming small town novel. Meg owns a year-round Christmas shop in her small Scottish town and she loves all things Christmas. Tom, however, is a complete Grinch. He is in town helping out with a friend's pub, but opposites attract and past secrets are revealed.

This book had so many elements that I love--small town setting, hate to love/major difference in relationship, and of course: Christmas! Of course everything was predictable but I never mind this when it comes to holiday reads. I'm in it for the warm fuzzies and this book delivered. I would definitely read other holiday stories by this author!

[Fay Flude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes these books can be a tad too sweet for me, but not this one.
The magic ingredients were present because I instantly liked the setting, Lockton, a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands and covered very generously in snow (thst is important for a Christmas book if you live anywhere where snow is a rare sight), the characters and the idea that one half of the romance-to-be loves the Christmas festivities and the other half definitely doesn't.
Meet Meg, owner of the all year round Christmas Shop and Cafe, who dabbles with glitter daily and tends to wear elf costumes. She is looking for perfection as Christmas Day has tended to be the only happy day in her family life with sister Emily and forever warring parents Kitty and Oliver, but is this wish realistic?
Meg has escaped her family and vern in Lockton for 3 years and her Christmas wish this year is to spend Christmas alone. The tree standing in the village square becomes adorned in baubles filled with people's promises, a tradition that spans 200 years. There is always a promise made to the community by the villagers too and this year they want to raise funds to mend the village hall roof.
This is the sort of book where even the problems melt quickly like snow in the glare of the sun and you just know that come what may Christmas WILL be magical and the happy ending will exist.
Full of mistletoe, decorations, great characters including Lilith the Italian woman running the local hotel and twins Danny and Johnny at The Anchor Inn, plus a cute dog called Cooper and a temporary home called Christmas Cottage for Tom Riley-Clark to spend time bah-humbugging in, and you have a recipe for a charming, easy festive read where love does flourish.
How will Meg thaw Tom's heart? Read the book to discover the secrets Tom is running from and how being different can bring people together.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meg owns a 365-day-per-year Christmas shop in a small Scottish village. (Amazing how it's able to stay in business let along prosper, but that's neither here nor there.) She dresses like a sexy elf everyday (by choice) and spackles glitter on her face. She loves Christmas because it's the only day of the year her parents ever got along. She's trying to avoid them, but her mom and sister show up mysteriously on her doorstep a few weeks before Christmas, followed a few days later by her dad...

Tom is a former famous musician who hates Christmas because his wife left him on Christmas day 3 years prior and his grandmother died the same day. He shows up to help a friend in the village and is dark and moody and angsty (I'm assuming because MUSICIAN) and is worried that someone will recognize him (hilariously, only one person does and that's because she sells gossip mags in her store...dude is not nearly as famous as he thinks, but more on that in a bit). He's so anti-music he hides his friend's guitar in a closet so he won't have to look at it...

Of course Meg & Tom fall for each other, even though they're total opposites. Of course there's a misunderstanding and he thinks she's only with him because of his (ALLEGED) ~fame~ WHEN IN FACT SHE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE HIM AT ALL EVEN THOUGH HE WROTE & SANG HER FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG EVER. And of course the big Christmas concert to raise money for the village rec center is nearly wrecked because a 'blizzard' prevents the musical acts that were booked from showing up and so OF COURSE Tom has to save the day. (The musical acts and the extra bartenders & waiters can't show up, but 300 people from the village and neighboring town do show up...even though the bartenders/waiters are from the same neighboring town? And Tom plans to leave town after the concert despite the fact no one can't supposedly get to the village?)

But it's Christmas so there's a happy ending for everyone! Tom & Meg end up together! Meg's parents make up (their years long rift is because of a miscarriage 15 years ago they never spoke about...okay sure)! Meg's kid sister finds a passion! One character finally gets her husband to like jam!

This book started out cute, but I just found myself getting more & more annoyed as the book went on. Everything was predictable and the characters were pretty one-note (all of the side characters have one personality trait: "nosy", "helpful", "worrywart", "Italian" etc). A lack of communication causes 99% of the issues (because of course they do). Some of the writing was awkward and clunky. It was fine, but nothing to write home about.

[Silke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I Loved this!

If Every Day Was Christmas is exactly what I am looking for in a Christmas novel.
Give me a small town with quirky inhabitants.
A Grinch like love interest, who is still charming.
And a heroin who has a kind heart and doesn't need a prince to save her.
Perfect mix!

And If Every Day Was Christmas has it all!

Our main character Meg is all about Christmas. She even owns a Christmas store all year round!
Insert love interest Tom who comes to the little Scottish town to help a friend out and to escape all the bad Christmas memories that have tainted his holiday cheer. When his car breaks down en route he is saved by a woman dressed as a Christmas Elf. Cause that is how Meg does all her Christmas Deliveries...

Did I catch your attention? Yes! Go get this book! If you read one Holiday Novel this year, let it be this little gem!

[Snezana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a small village in Scotland, this book creates the perfect, magical, Christmas setting you want. The snow is falling, the mountains provide stunning views, and the villagers are all about Christmas. However, not all is that simple, and our main characters have to jump through a lot of hurdles to find their happiness.

One of our main characters is the epitome of Christmas - she's a walking, talking, glittery elf (well a human, but dressed as an elf almost 90% of the time) and owns a Christmas shop, and her love interest hates Christmas due to the past events that still haunt him today. Will they find comfort in each other? Can they change for each other? Do opposites really attract?


At times the small town/village mentality was frustrating, as characters would meddle too much into the fates of our main characters, I also found it endearing because this is a Christmas story, in which people care about each other honestly and deeply. That's what I expect from a Christmas story and I want to see in one.

The main characters go through their struggles, as well as some side characters too. We follow the development of events and come to a very expected conclusion, but a lovely one nonetheless.

If you love a good, romantic, a little bit cheesy read (bring on the cheese), this is perfect. Filled with romance and all the right Christmas feels, family time, friendliness it's going to put you in the right mood.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely magical christmas read. Meg loves Christmas and runs an all year round Christmas shop, her troubled family descend on her disrupting her Christmas peace and the Christmas hating stranger also turns up. The characters are all wonderful and there are several lovely scenes to lose yourself in. A great book.

[Fatima A. Alsaif · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finally & surprisingly enjoyed reading a holiday-themed novel! It has the right level of hallmark holiday spirit, a light, kind of family friendly story, a nice plot, everything I needed during a rough period and trying to enjoy the season.
My only critique is when Meg & Tom’s relationship developed into romance felt abrupt to me. Otherwise, it was a very light and decent book.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]









If Every Day Was Christmas

by Donna Ashcroft

Pub Date: 09 Oct 2020   |   Archive Date: 09 Oct 2020

Member Reviews

 Antoinette G, Reviewer

Lockton, a small village in upper Scotland where it seems to snow every day sets the scene for the book. The central character, Meg, is a woman who embodies Christmas year round, She owns a Christmas shop in the Village. Tom is an outsider who recently moved to Lockton and has closed Christmas and all that comes with it , in his life. The book touches on family issues, friendships, coming to terms with ones past and lots of Christmas spirit in this heartfelt book. I really liked the village's Promise Tree. A very nice Christmas story which I am sure will be loved by all who love Christmas and reading Christmas books. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bookoutre for the opportunity to read and review this book. The release date is 11/9/2020.

Was this review helpful?

[Jacquelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I would give this more stars, but it just didn’t do it for me. I did listen to it as an audiobook and I wasn’t a fan of the narrator. I had a difficult time staying engaged in this book.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally along comes a book that doesn’t pretend to be all Christmas themed and then has the briefest mention of the festive season leaving the reader disappointed and wanting more. This is so not the case with the fabulous new book from Donna Ashcroft, If Every Day was Christmas, this book just screams Christmas the whole way through. You only need to look at the cover which shows Meg’s Christmas shop and that will get you in the festive mood. Then when you delve into the story it’s non-stop holiday mode from beginning to end and I loved every minute of it.

Donna Ashcroft strikes the perfect balance between humour and the more serious issues being explored in the story and the writing and descriptions of Lockton in the run up to the most wonderful time of the year are just brilliant. I could easily picture myself there in the village with the snow on the ground eager to visit Meg’s all year round Christmas shop to buy some of the quirky decorations she is obsessed with. Well let’s face it Meg is engrossed with Christmas 365 days a year and there’s nothing wrong with that at all especially with the year we are after having. So whether you read this book in December or at the height of the summer it really doesn’t matter because it will be sure to bring a smile to your face.

The setting of Lockton in the Scottish Highlands is the same as Donna’s previous book, The Little Village of New Starts, which I absolutely loved and I had been hoping we would get to learn about Meg in future books and thankfully she was the sole focus of this new story. Her best friend Evie, whose story we followed previously, is away until the very end of this book and yes I did miss her but what was going on with Meg more than made up for her absence. Not to mention the cast of quirky characters I had already encountered in the first book all make a reappearance here along with a few new people. Morag from the post office, Fergus and Agnes from Buttermead Farm, Davy from the Apple Cross Inn all came instantly back to my mind as soon as they were mentioned. But there is one in particular, a newcomer to the village who turns Meg’s carefully ordered Christmas world and heart very much upside down.

On the outside Meg is all glitter and sparkles and her outfits are always Christmas themed or if not a Christmas colour or decoration has to feature in some way shape or form. She is bubbly and set up her all year round shop in homage to her most favourite day of the year so she could experience it over and over again. Her shop is her security blanket and it makes her feel safe. The random acts of kindness she performs and the buzz of giving gifts and finding the perfect decorations or a gift for people to give never wears off for her but deep down she is hiding something. She does her utmost best to avoid her family members and contact is strictly limited unless something serious crops up. For someone who loves a time of year that is all about family and being together and spreading kindness, love, warmth and good cheer this seems utterly ridiculous. But there had to be a solid reason behind Meg’s stance when it came to her family. She has made a promise to herself that her first proper Christmas in Lockton will be a happy one and that she will not return home to her family only to experience another row and have the day ruined for her seen as her mother and father can never get on.

Meg was a fabulous character and really you can’t help but fail to like a character whose favourite movie is The Holiday. As soon as this was mentioned I wanted to leave the book down, despite how much I was enjoying it and go and watch said movie. I loved her joyful spirit and that even though her shop might have been a little bit out of the ordinary and you wondered how could she sustain herself all year on something that perhaps has the potential for two months profit. I loved how she never gave up and just wanted to spread as much happiness and positivity as possible. I suppose she did this because she knew past Christmas experiences and the connections she has with her family just weren’t there or fully happy ones. She was channelling the lack of something in her own personal life into the shop and making others happy. I felt sad for her when she said she doesn’t do relationships because there was too much that could potentially go wrong. Has seeing what has happened to her mum and dad made her like this?

Meg has her perfect plan for Christmas in her flat above the shop which not surprisingly is rammed with as many Christmas decorations and lights as she can fit. But all these plans are up scuttled when her sister and mother arrive to stay and subsequently her father follows them. As she has ran away from them the fact they have come to her perhaps that means the time is now that things must come out into the open. What is eventually is revealed was very surprising and I refer back to the more serious issues I mentioned up above.

This is where I think Donna Ashcroft struck the perfect balance between all the fun and frolics surrounding Christmas, I’m thinking the case of the destroyed messages on the Christmas tree and the residents decorations being messed about with - not the conclusion I had anticipated with regard to this that’s for sure, and the deeper hidden messages behind it. That Christmas is not always perfect for everyone and there is so much pressure on people to buy and do the right thing, that for those whom this time of year brings heartbreak and lots of memories they or their reasons cannot be forgotten.

Meg has her family to deal with and the shop and she has always had the best of intentions to help people. But when newcomer Tom Riley Clark arrives in the village to help Davey run the pub over the festive season, well he sets the cat amongst the pigeons. Isn’t she meant to be closed off to love and fearful in engaging in a relationship? Yet there is something about him that she just can’t pull away from even if they are the polar opposite of each other. Tom for example hates Christmas with a passion, I don’t think he was best pleased when Meg more or less vomited Christmas all over his cottage, but I think he probably had good reason to and I knew if I was patient enough the answer would be revealed to me in time. There were plenty of little clues regarding Tom dropped in but I was enjoying reading the story and the antics of the residents far too much to want to rush ahead and try and slot these pieces together. The wait for the reveal and the ultimate conclusion was more than worth it though.

Tom and his basset hound Cooper are only really in the village as a helping hand to Davey. He doesn’t plan on getting involved with the day to day lives of anybody there nor does he want to help out with the Christmas concert being organised to raise funds for the restoration of the village hall. Tom has lots of feelings of emptiness that he can’t shake and he never makes promises to anyone because he knows he won’t keep them. He never seemed to let his guard down and was in a permanent state of misery more or less. He seemed angry at the world and clearly couldn’t move on from what had deeply affected him in the past. What could have happened to make him detest Christmas so much? He is all about retreat and stays away from relationships as he is not in the market for one. But when he first meets Meg when he is stranded in the hills above the village, well she does something to him and if she keeps going the way she does maybe his barriers might began to fall down? Or would it be that simple? After all can he continue to shut everyone and everything out especially the thing that was once very much his passion and his livelihood?

If Every Day was Christmas was a brilliant read and I really hope that this is not the last we have heard from the residents of Lockton. Please Donna Ashcroft keep writing about this special village and all who live there. There was so much going on in this wonderful story that I never noticed the pages flying by. The will they, won’t they of Meg and Tom and getting to the root of their issues? The question of whether Meg’s family will resolve all their long harboured secrets and just the wonderful images of a village cut off by snow and all coming together to make Christmas even more special, well it was just all brilliant and such a pleasure to read and I know many other readers will feel exactly the same way.

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has always been brilliant with her books but this one is just outstanding and gets you hooked to it straight away it’s well written and the characters are amazing and makes you think about Christmas so much. Full of village life Christmas romance and starting life again. Such a heartwarming read you will not want to end.
Meg is living in lockton a small village in Scotland and she runs an all year round Christmas shop she just loves Christmas. They have a magic tree where you put your Christmas promise on and wish. She’s out and comes across Tom who is coming to stay in the village but he can’t stand Christmas at all after having a difficult time at Christmas in the past. They both get friendly and megs mum and sister turn up to and she can’t understand why but the mum is holding a secret from her and when her dad turns up can they sort themselves out and be happy again together or not. Meg and Tom get very friendly but although they feel attracted to each other he can’t stand Christmas and doesn’t want to get get close to another person who he will let down again. He’s also holding a secret from her and when she finds out can they work through it to be happy or has it gone to far and can she turn him around to enjoy Christmas again or will he leave the village never to come back.
Fantastic read and well worth more than five stars.

[librarybythebeach · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Every Day was Christmas is set in a small Village in Scotland, the perfect backdrop for Christmas. Meg Scott is the owner of an all-year-round Christmas shop (goals) and can often be found dressed as an elf and covered in glitter. The Scottish setting was definitely my favorite aspect of this book, particularly small town romance! There were a lot of characters to keep track of in this one and one open door romance scene but overall it was a light and fun Christmas romance!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely Christmas book.

Tom turns up in Lockton determined to remain anonymous and avoid the pain of Christmas. Meg adores Christmas!

A lovely escapist read!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute, super Christmassy read filled with love, misunderstandings and forgiveness! I will definitely look for more by this author!

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first novel by Donna Ashcroft, and I delighted in this fun and festive tale which was every bit as good as I'd hoped!

Meg Scott runs a shop that sells Christmas themed produce all year round in Lockton, Scotland. She loves all things Christmassy, so she isn't best pleased when her argumentative family arrive threatening her high spirits. Tom Riley-Clark isn't a festive fan and doesn't realise that Lockton takes the festive frivolities very seriously when he agrees to help his friend and owner of The Apple Cross Inn. Who knows what might happen when Meg and Tom's paths cross...

If Every Day Was Christmas was a wonderful, heartwarming tale set in the leadup to Christmastime. The village formed the perfect setting for the holiday season and Donna Ashcroft painted a magical picture of all of the wonderful imagery such as snow, reindeer, mince pies, elves, and a Christmas tree full of promises. The author can really craft a story and I was gently enveloped into a blanket of warmth and snugness. This was not, however, a sickly sweet tale as it also included some strong, thought-provoking themes and real-life issues, and I read this in double-quick time as I didn't want to put my Kindle down!

Overall, If Every Day Was Christmas is a fabulous, spirit-lifting, festive treat that I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was definitely drawn to this book by its title, and rather lovely cover. What I didn't realise until I was quite early on, but already hooked, was that I had a sneaking feeling this wasn't the first book set in Lockton.

So quick glance on Amazon confirmed my suspicions, which definitely explained the references to things I'm sure happened in the previous book, which would be great reminders for those that read it, but just slightly weird to anyone like me that hasn't - as they felt like memory prompts rather than designed to fill in missing gaps.

But that was only with regards Lockton and the other villagers, I had no such misgivings about Megan and Toms' story.

Ok, so was a bit dubious about Tom initially but that's only because he makes it clear he doesn't like Christmas, whereas as I'm a huge fan of the season, I was instantly interested in Megan's story as she runs a Christmas all year shop and is full of spark and joy.

Although I say joy, but really she'd rather spend Christmas alone, than deal with her family again, as her parents seem to get on only on Christmas day but not the rest of the year, and she doesn't seem to know her younger sister that well at all. So it was rather fraught when the family descended on her for most of December.

I really enjoyed getting to know Megan and Tom, and getting to the root of Tom's secrets. It is an easy story to lose yourself within, and I found it to be a rather quick read, that was really enjoyable.

I enjoyed the village of Lockton, their Christmas Promise tree is rather special, and there are various animals popping up here and there, all of which I wanted as pets, including the most apt animals for this time of year!

It's just a really lovely book with a great feel to it, and I really shouldn't' leave it as long before I read another book by Donna Ashcroft.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Chari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg runs an all year Christmas shop and café in a little Scottish village and loves all things Christmas. Tom, an ex-famous singer has come to the village to help out at the local pub over the festive season and hates Christmas, especially his own hit Christmas song. For two hundred years, the village have hung promises on their town Christmas tree, when Meg discovers Tom has a secret about his past will they move past it, or will they discover that some promises are impossible to keep?

"If Everyday was Christmas" is a really sweet story, with lots going on. Meg has family problems, and is horrified when her mum and sister decide to show up unannounced and uninvited to her home for Christmas and equally as horrified when she discovers her dad doesn't know that they have flown to the other end of the UK for the holidays and then shows up himself, equally as unannounced and uninvited. Tom doesn't want any one to know he used to be famous and practically freaks out whenever anyone so much as says he looks familiar. He has a big backstory about why he hates Christmas, he also has a few super sweet phone calls with his Grandad that are well placed. If I had one criticism it would be, although Tom has his reason for not wanting people to know he used to be famous, it also isn't like he HAS to declare it, he doesn't need to go around his neighbours claiming he's an ex-famous person for legal reasons, so when Meg finds out, because she doesn't recognise him, she thinks he looks vaguely familiar but can't quite place him, even when his song is playing in the background, she takes it to heart that he didn't tell her, like he's lying. At the end of the day, love, he told you his name and where he was from, if you chose not to invade his privacy and google him, that's your problem. #justsaying