Um convite muito especial

by Trisha Ashley

Não se pode dizer que Meg seja fã do Natal. Nunca se entusiasmou com as músicas da época, o azevinho e as decorações amorosas, e ainda por cima este ano está a recuperar de um problema de saúde. E, no entanto, quando recebe um convite para passar as festas no campo, numa paisagem coberta de neve, dá por si a aceitar.
Ao chegar à acolhedora casinha no cimo de uma colina, Meg começa a perguntar-se como será passar um Natal como deve ser. Mas ainda nem acabou de se instalar quando se depara com um rosto familiar: Lex, uma paixão mal resolvida dos tempos da faculdade. Apesar do ambiente festivo que os rodeia, Meg agora só quer fugir... de Lex e dos segredos do passado de ambos. Mas... se ficar... será que é desta que se deixa render, por fim, à magia do Natal?

Divertido, inteligente e terno (e com umas deliciosas receitas à mistura!), o novo romance de Trisha Ashley vai aquecer-lhe a alma e derreter-lhe o coração...

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

472 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Trisha Ashley is now a full-time novelist, but she has been known to work for stained glass makers and/or plumbers. She likes to paint, eat, drink, and read literary biographies. Her previous hobbies included getting divorced and packing to move. She claims to have once actually eaten Bronte burgers at the Branwell café, but her publisher declines to verify this. She lives in North Wales.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trisha Ashley writes a gloriously immersive festive read that is just perfect for getting into Christmas, full of humour, set in the fabulous snowy location of the Lancashire Moors. The romance elements are decidedly low key, although there is a comedy of errors when it comes to relationships between various characters in the novel. 36 year old Meg is a artist, a renowned portrait painter, living in London, whose best friend and flatmate, Fliss, has got married and moved out. She has suffered from a debilitating bout of pneumonia, left weakened and looking to convalesce. However, her plans are derailed when famous crime novelist and epigrapher, Clara Mayhem-Doome, commissions her to paint both her and her well known husband, poet Henry, insisting that Meg stay at their Victorian Gothic home, The Red House, where she will have the opportunity to take things easy.

Clara, a force of nature, invites Meg to experience a traditional family Christmas, something that Meg has never experienced before, having grown up in her beloved commune that served as her family in the Black Mountains of Wales where solstice and winter celebrations took precedence. Meg is surprised at how well she fits in with the vegetarian family, not to mention with the wonderful cook, Den, and Tottie, committed gardener and bee keeper. She is included in all the family Christmas traditions and rituals, and those of the local community. 8 year old Teddy provides the wonder and magic of Christmas seen through the eyes of children. Living close by are other family members, Sybil and her son, Mark, planning on turning his Underhill estate into a exclusive wedding venue, and the fly in the ointment, Lex, an unwelcome and unnerving reminder of a misunderstod past when he lost his young wife, Lisa, to cancer. He is not happy to see Meg, an unwanted presence, although he is mistaken about what he believes she did in his past, but is Meg going to be able to tell him the truth of what happened?

In a heartwarming Christmas story, Ashley gives us intrigue, brimful of family drama, whilst doing a splendid job of providing detailed rituals and pre-Christmas traditions, laced with paganism and local history. The highlights are the diverse range of characters, from Meg's adopted grandfather, River, to the likes of Den, Tottie, Clara, the self obsessed Rollo, an ex-boyfriend of Meg's and the hideous Piers. This is a wonderful read, of the spirit of Christmas, of family secrets, of the art of portrait painting, all set in a atmospheric location with the requisite snowy weather for the season. This is my first read of Trisha Ashley and I have to say that I really loved it. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is no secret that Trisha Ashley is dear to my heart.
I usually love her books and appreciate her as an author, so when she was coming out with her new Christmas novel The Christmas Invitation I was pretty excited.

Unfortunately, this time it didn't work out. And it is probably me, not the novel.

You see, I had hard time concentrating on the story, was lost when trying to figure out what was going on and to be honest, I mistook characters more then once.
I blame the fact that I read it during last trimester of my pregnancy, when was so hard for me to focus on anything.

The story follows to POVs, one written in first person, and another written in third.
At first I wasn't a fan of it, but then I realized that it helps me to focus on which perspective I was reading, so I started to like it.

Maybe I should give this book another chance once again in few years, and see what I'll think about it.
Maybe I'd like it more the second time.

Read this and more reviews on my blog https://bookdustmagic.com

[Celia {Hiatus until August} · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,8⭐
Muito fraquinho. Demasiado extenso.
Personagens sem ligação. Forçadas.
Os livros desta autora, habitualmente cativam-me. Este foi lido à "pressa", maçou-me 🙄
Se fosse a minha primeira leitura, não leria mais nenhum.
Ponto positivo: A capa é giríssima 😁

[Fabulous Book Fiend · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy a book written by Trisha Ashley, and ones set around Christmas in particular. This book did surprise me a little, as I struggled a bit to get into the story, but once I got going, I literally didn’t want to put it down. It’s one of those books that I miss now that I have finished it; I’m sure other readers will recognise that feeling.

The central character in the story, Meg, is a skilled artist recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia. She is approached by a rather forceful lady, Martha, who wants her to paint portraits of her and her husband, Henry. The request is accompanied by an invitation to spend the festive season with the couple in their country house set in a small hamlet high on the Lancashire moors. Having been raised in a commune, Meg has never celebrated a ‘conventional’ Christmas, and accepts the opportunity to experience something different. Once she arrives at Martha’s home, she finds herself enveloped in a household full of interesting characters. Unfortunately, one member of the extended family is Lex, someone with whom Meg has an unfortunate history. She hopes that if she can avoid him, her stay may still be an enjoyable one, but fate seems to have other ideas. There are quite a few other surprises in store for her too during her snowy Christmas visit.

This is another delightful tale from Trisha Ashley, filled with amazing characters and wonderful settings. Martha’s house and household were so warm and welcoming that I would love to be snowed up there for Christmas myself. Fans of her books will recognise quite a few familiar names from Trisha’s previous stories. I loved all the twists and turns in this book; I was never quite sure what would happen next and who would turn up. As well as drama and romance, there was a nice amount of humour in the story. I can’t fail to mention a very cute little dachshund who quite stole my heart. I can certainly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who enjoy a really snowy Christmas tale; it would also make a perfect addition to a Christmas stocking.

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was so much extraneous detail in this...who was travelling with who and in what car, what they were eating for dinner, the complex back story of every minor character. I dutifully ploughed through it all, page after page, thinking the purpose of all of this would all become apparent at some point but I don't think it ever did, I think it's just how this author writes. Not for me I'm afraid.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Christmas book this year and although it is only September it very quickly got me into the festive spirit. Not long into it and I found a story that had brilliant quirky characters bulging from its chapters. This was going to be such a treat!
Meg is the central character with the story mostly taking place high in the hills of a small Lancashire village. The Red House is set on its own grounds, and easily cut off by the seasonal weather from the village below. Meg brought up as a bit of a free spirit in a commune, doesn't celebrate Christmas. She has been artist commissioned to paint the portraits of Clara, a historian, and fictional crime writer and her famous recluse poet husband Henry Doome. Their extended family are lively characters that constantly come and go every hour of the day.
I won't go into the heart of the story that is something to be unwrapped from each chapter like an unknown gift. Some of what is inside will make you laugh while others venture into the past because sometimes we have to go back before we can move forward after been stuck in a rut for so long.
There are mysteries to be solved, romance to be kindled and the past to be reconciled. One character made me laugh for his persistence, though he could be given the most annoying cringeworthy character award too. Rollo, self-centred and very entertaining to read about. I just kept getting an image of Dick Dastardly in my mind every time he appeared in the story, especially in his little sports car.
A lovely cozy, curl-up book that made me feel part of it all!
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have honestly reviewed.

[Verity W · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more. Trisha Ashley has long been an autoread-autobuy author for me. But I just didn't love this. There's too much going on, the plot feels like a mashup of things that Ashley has done before (and better) and although it was nice to see some old friends and locations from previous visits to Trisha-world, that didn't make up for the fact that the Heroine and her love interest didn't actually spend that much time together and you didn't really get to see why they liked each other so much. It's nice and festive though, I suppose that's something. Never mind. I'll just go and re-read Winter's Tale again - that's still my favourite.

****Copy from the publisher in return for an honest review*****

[Paula Reis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicioso conto de natal

[Helena Rodrigues (Aromas de Cor ~ Livrólicos de Cá e de Lá) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosto sempre de ler um livro da Trisha nesta altura do ano. Costumam ser fofinhos, apropriados ao ambiente natalício e já disses fofinhos?
Este não fugiu à premissa, um pequeno vilarejo idílico algures em Inglaterra, uma personagem feminina forte mas um pouco abalada por uma doença e um acontecimento do passado e claro o personagem masculino fugidio e misterioso que parece não nutrir sentimentos muitos bons pela nossa protagonista.
Meg é uma personagem forte, que parece levar a vida com ligeireza mas que carrega em si o desaparecimento da mãe e a dor de perder um filho. No entanto, apoiada por uma família pouco convencional consegue triunfar e tervums carreira como retratista de sucesso. O que Meg não vê chegar é o seu passado, na forma de Lex, um homem algo atormentado após a perda da sua esposa (mas não é tanto isto que o atormenta mas antes pensar que a traiu...)
Meg e Lex conheceram-se na faculdade, houve um acontecimento que os afastou e a colocou numa situação complicada e eis que a tia de Lex convida Meg para fazer os retratos de família e a passar o Natal com a família. E será no seio dessa família que Mega vai encontrar as respostas que preencherão as lacunas do seu passado.
As personagens são agradáveis e até algo exóticas, a escrita descritiva, prende-se em alguns pormenores, achei a narrativas pouco lenta, até que se precipita para um fim surpreendente.
Mas achei a história bonita ainda que precipitada no final. Penso que muita coisa ficou por contar no que diz respeito à história da mãe de Meg. Não deixa por isso de ser uma história cativante de uma das minhas autoras favoritas.

[Carina Carvalho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aborrecido !! 🙄 Por norma gosto dos livros desta escritora mas este foi uma seca. 438 páginas com muita palha e pouca ação. Primeiro que a história desenvolva ... e o final ?!! Previsível. Ainda assim está bem escrito e tem uma ou outra cena com humor mas sinceramente achei muito fraco. Romance então nem vê lo.

[Gillian Fewins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really rather rubbish

This book starts with great promise,however the characterisation is so poor, the use of adverbs when trying to shortcut description, so overused, that I felt it was written by someone in a book writing group who had hardly ever put pen to paper.

Ms Ashley however, obviously has written many books and so my only conclusion is that this was written to a formula and on a deadline.

It shows.

I don't like giving poor reviews, but I can only hope that publishers take note. Churning out poorly written nonsense is not creativity.
The plot line is unbelievable - no-one behaves as these characters do even allowing for dramatic license!
My advice would be don't buy this book.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fall into a Trisha Ashley books the way I tuck into a nice warm bowl of Christmas spirit. With joy, abandonment and pure happiness.

What’s not to love about a Trisha Ashley books, the characters are always a great mix, sure some of them are a bit bristly to start off with but they soon Thor out and the throughly enjoyable to get to know.

The story is full of wit, humour, happiness, friendship, love and a little bit of sorrow.

It will engulf you in a big hug of Christmas spirit, dose you in an overdose of happiness and leave you smiling from ear to ear at Trishas amazing writing skills and the way she always transports you to another place. One not to be missed.

[Charlie Cavill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Over detailed description about things that don’t effect the plot

We really don’t need a description of how to set a table, exactly how the tree went up or every step taken. Too many characters and no investment in any of them as they barely interact between the mundane tasks they do that are described for pages. I know the main character has never had an Xmas but most of us have so we don’t need a know every last detail. Unbelievable plot connection of the families.

[Chloe · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d at 30%

Hated the characters, hated the town, hated the ‘chapters of memoir’ and particularly hated the minute detail being given on absolutely everything.
Plus the dialogue was stilted and unrealistic.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5*

[Silvia Devitofrancesco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Recensione presente nel blog www.ragazzainrosso.wordpress.com
Meg, ritrattista di professione, non ha mai festeggiato il Natale. Cresciuta in una comune in Galles, è legata ai riti di festeggiamento del solstizio invernale e dello Yule, tuttavia, quest’anno, per lei un’importante opportunità di lavoro bussa alla sua porta proprio pochi giorni prima dell’inizio del periodo delle feste. Clara è un’epigrafista con la passione per i romanzi gialli e assieme a suo marito Harry, poeta molto noto, ha deciso di commissionare a Meg i loro ritratti. La donna, quindi, dovrà momentaneamente stabilirsi presso l’imponente residenza della coppia e trascorrere con loro due e il relativo parentado le festività. Le sorprese per Meg non sono ancora finite! Quest’occasione lavorativa le permetterà di rincontrare Lex col quale vi è una situazione incompresa e in sospeso da moltissimi anni.

“Si scambiarono una di quelle occhiate tenere che rendono i componenti di una coppia sposata da una vita così simili fra loro, per quanto possano essere fisicamente differenti.”

Più che di un romance natalizio si tratta di un romanzo corale ricco di personaggi che fanno via via il loro ingresso sulla scena come se si trattasse di un palcoscenico, ognuno con il proprio carattere e la propria storia da raccontare. L’impressione finale è quella, a mio parere, di trovarsi in un piccolo universo familiare nel quale si discute di eventi privati e di segreti che vengono a galla senza che l’ospite (in questo caso il lettore) possa aver modo d’inserirsi nella conversazione.

Inizialmente a catturare l’attenzione è Clara con le sue vicende, ricordi e studi. Senza dubbio si tratta di un personaggio ingombrante che, conquistata la scena, fa fatica a fare un passo indietro a favore degli altri personaggi. La stessa Meg sembra essere un personaggio di contorno nonostante il suo agire sia pressoché costante. È lei, infatti, a creare ed è intorno a lei che l’intreccio narrativo si dipana. Stessa cosa dicasi per Lex presentato, secondo me, molto superficialmente per il ruolo che ricopre.

Lo stile della prosa appare sì curato ma nel complesso lento, con numerose parentesi descrittive che, a mio parere, tendono a rallentare ancor di più la narrazione rendendo sempre più difficile per il lettore riuscire a immedesimarsi o quantomeno a seguire le vicende.

Un romanzo che, secondo me, presenta troppi “ingredienti” e, per questo, non decolla.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was more of an family saga in a way but I liked that. Meg was a person that didn't like conflictions and such but she was right in the middle of various ones. I liked Lex, his attitude towards her at the beggining annoyed me, if he just would had let her speak to him all those years, the guilt he felt may have been reduced, but alas that wasn't the case. The family was all diferent but they all loved each other very much, there's nothing like family. The ending felt a little rushed in the romance part but I liked it nonethless

[Adelaide Silva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Guardo sempre um livro cuja estória tenha a ver com o Natal e os livros da Trisha são normalmente fofinhos e passados nesta época natalícia, mas este achei muito fraquinho e por isso não consigo dar mais que 2,5*

[Marta Rodrigues · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esperava mais. Achei a escrita da autora bastante pormenorizada, o que me aborreceu imenso, daí ter demorado quase um mês para o terminar. Além disso, senti que a história não avançava e só nas últimas cem páginas comecei a gostar de ler este livro.

[Diana N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Demorei cerca de 2 meses a ler este livro. Acho que foi a leitura que mais demorei a concluir. Não é que seja uma má história, mas é simplesmente chata. Os acontecimentos demoram imenso tempo a desenrolarem-se e quando se concluem é quase tudo muito previsível.

[Ylva Sørli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Vânia Sousa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este livro é daqueles que eu tinha muitas expetativas e depois revelou-se ser um livro daqueles "que enrolam, e enrolam e enrolam"! Na minha opinião se fizessem o livro mais pequeno ganhava mais!

[Sapphi · Rating 2 out of 5]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
(It's slightly broken for me now. This book could have been halved simply by not repeating itself so often.)

[Tanya Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas for me always starts with a good book and if that's the case for you then this is a book for you. It has that feel good vibe you need but with an undercurrent of dislike, sad experiences and disillusion.

Meg has never experienced Christmas as she grew up in a commune with a fabulous sounding family with Oshan as a non blood brother and River who she calls grandad. The commune didn't celebrate Christmas but celebrated the winter solstice. Therefore when she is railroaded into taking on a commission to paint the portrait of Clara and Henry she experiences her first Christmas.

It's wonderful to read the opinions of someone's first Christmas as an adult. With all the excitement of a child's perspective from Clara and Henry's great nephew Teddy who also happens to live with them.

The characters being all from different backgrounds but loving life entwined as a true family shows that if someone is special to you they become your family despite there being no DNA to prove it.


I will be keeping this book to read again next year.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

This is such a lovely and heart-warming story; it will be a perfect read for the 2019 Christmas Season!

Every year I look out for the books that are being released so I can make a list of the ones I want to read and after reading the blurb for this one and seeing that stunning cover it was straight on the list – and having read it I have to say it was such a lovely book to read, it is certainly one I will be recommending and I have given it 5 stars!!

I thought that the book has some excellent characters, they were so well developed and I loved their interaction and how their relationships came together as the book progressed too.

I thought it was a real treat to read and I loved every page, there was something happening in each chapter and I was hooked right from the outset – I loved everything about it and the setting is superb!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it took me a while to get into the story I warmed to the character of Meg quickly and the others grow on you without a doubt despite being the most eclectic mix of humans you could imagine! The story is fantastical, far fetched with a hint of farce but full of heart and humour and very in keeping with Trisha Ashley’s style. There’s a mix of everything in here from persistent exes to blasts from the pasts but all tied together well with a great dollop of extended family Christmas festivities, this is a great relaxing escape.

[Shirleyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to just say that this is the very first Trisha Ashley book I've read on a kindle rather than a paper version, so I am attributing that to my slow start to the book. But once I got going, I couldn't get enough of this book and was completely hooked. Full of wonderful likeable, lovable and most definitely quirky characters. I adore Trishas style of writing and can highly recommend this feel good festive read. I particularly loved little Pansys appearances, one in particular had me "ahhing" out loud. A must read.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious. I think this needs some serious editing. I found it too bogged down in unnecessary details. Do we really need to know what they're eating for every blooming meal and that the heroine doesn't like goat's cheese?!

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's always something about the cover of a Christmas novel that attracts you to it & this one didn't disappoint. Having been a fan of Trisha Ashley books since I first read 'The twelve days of Christmas', This was warm, heart warming, funny & the recipe for a perfect family Christmas 🎄

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me quite a few chapters to get into this book as there are so many different threads to the story. Everything that takes place is totally beyond belief but I did like the cast of quirky characters and it’s certainly a festive read.