I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Little Christmas House by Tracy Rees Published by Bookouture on 22nd October 2021
Genres: Chicklit, Christmas, Humour, Love & Romance
Pages: 311
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle
In gorgeous Hopley village snow is falling and twinkly lights are going up but Holly Hanwell feels anything but Christmassy…
It’s meant to be the most wonderful time of the year but thirty-year-old Holly Hanwell doesn’t really feel like celebrating… not after the bombshell news her boyfriend is leaving her to have a baby with someone else. So Holly’s organised a quiet Christmas in her cosy little house and plans to avoid the traditional village festivities, and anything resembling a man, at all costs.
That is until she bumps into sexy newcomer Edward. He recently bought Christmas House, at the edge of Hopley, but the renovations on the crumbling building are more than he’d bargained for. Sheltering from the snowy weather in the warm village café, Edward makes Holly laugh over delicious mugs of hot chocolate, topped with cream and sprinkles. Despite the spark between them, Holly knows she needs to protect her already fragile heart and she’s determined NOT to fall in love this Christmas.
But holiday magic works in mysterious ways and they keep crossing paths – at the nativity show, the carols, gift shopping – and then a festive crisis at Christmas House unexpectedly brings them together. Yet just as Holly realises her feelings are growing for handsome but complicated Edward she discovers a secret from his past which makes her question everything she thought she knew about him…
Will Holly and Edward’s December romance be over before it’s begun? Or will this be a Christmas to remember?
A completely addictive, feel-good Christmas read! Perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Sarah Morgan and Carole Matthews.
Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is the first book I have read by Tracy. I loved the idea of a house called Christmas and the cover is so enchanting.
I loved that there were 3 POVs in this book. Holly, Edward and little Eliza. Seeing their differing feelings and views on the same situation was enlightening and quite funny at times.
Holly has had a rather crap year. I could tell from the prologue that Alex wasn’t the man for her. I was shocked and saddened when I heard the reason they had broken up but I did think Holly was better off without him. Holly is such an inspirational character. She shows us that when life falls apart you can put it back together. It might not be what it was before or even what you expected but you will make it work.
Edward is the perfect dad. He dotes on little Eliza and always puts her first. He’s also quite the dish. I can see why Holly fell for him. It must be so hard being a single parent but he manages to keep it all under control, with a little help of course.
Little Eliza. Oh, what a sweet little girl. She is so grown up and yet so childlike at times. I really loved reading her chapters and seeing things through her eyes. She has such a magical way of looking at the world.
Tracy has created this magical place with Christmas House. I absolutely loved the house and its grounds. I could see it being such a lovely home.
If you need a feel good Christmas book then this one’s for you!
About Tracy Rees
Tracy Rees was the winner of the Richard and Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ Competition and her books are paperback, ebook and audio bestsellers. A Cambridge graduate, she had a successful eight-year career in nonfiction publishing and a second career practising and teaching humanistic counselling before becoming a writer. She lives in Wales.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
@AuthorTracyRees Thank you!