Book Review - The Christmas Holiday by Phillipa Ashley

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Title: The Christmas Holiday

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 10th November 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

She’s planned the perfect Christmas. But fate might have other ideas…

Krystle didn’t have a normal childhood and longed for warm family Christmases with presents under the tree. Now she makes sure everyone else has the perfect Christmas she never had, bringing beautiful decorations to cheer as many people as possible.

With her festive business booming, she decides to celebrate by renting a secluded house in the Lakes, with a plan to make this the ultimate yuletide getaway.

But fate immediately throws a spanner in the works in the form of a broken-down car, a flooded river and Max; a man who despises Christmas.

Krystle becomes determined to show Max the joys of the holiday. She won’t take no for an answer.

Can she melt Max’s Grinch-like heart? And can he show her that life doesn’t need to go to plan to take you somewhere magical…

Let Sunday Times bestseller Phillipa Ashley whisk you away to the Lakes this Christmas, with a story full of unexpected romance, second chances, snowflakes and starlight! Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Karen Swan and Heidi Swain.

I was so caught up in this story that I completely missed my stop on the tube.  I was so involved in the lives of the characters that the bit I was reading, I needed a resolution before I was able to look up and realise I had overshot my stop! 

This book had everything but above all we have Mrs Christmas, mountain rescue, drama, a grinch style character, and even more drama, oh and Christmas.  Not to mention two very different Christmas parties, and a surprising Santa who meets some truly wonderful children. 

Add in the break up of one relationship, a growing closeness between our two protaganists, Jake our furry friend who is so key to bits of the story, a new group of friends, and some heartbreaking backstories, and we have all the ingredients for what really is a truly wonderful story. 

I loved every second of this book, from its quite dramatic opening, not to be repetitive the fairly dramatic finale section, and everything in-between, this book really got under my skin and really do think this could be the author's best book to date. 

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