Book Review - My Year of Saying No by Maxine Morrey

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Amazon UK

Title: My Year of Saying No

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 16th April 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Lottie Wentworth has never been more pleased to hear Big Ben ring in the new year and wave goodbye to The Year of Saying Yes!

When a long-term relationship ended, her best friend’s scheme to get Lottie back in the swing of things seemed like a good idea. She’s kept her promise to Jess to see it through but, as a lover of the quiet life, Lottie couldn’t be happier to say hello to a brand new year – The Year of Saying No!

Unfortunately, the one thing she still seems unable to say no to is the crush she has on her best client and now friend, Army veteran, Seb Marshall. But she’s working on it, and with rescue dog Humphrey at her side, she knows that she’ll manage just fine.

Lottie’s decision to stop trying to please everyone has brought a sense of relief beyond what she had expected. Her actions and determination have also begun to send ripples throughout her life and those closest to her, bringing about changes none of them could have expected.


But will all those changes be for the good?

Another very enjoyable story from Maxine Morrey. 

There were many many occasions where I wanted to either slam Seb and Lottie's heads together, or lock them in a room - either way for them to work out what I'd realised very early on that they would be made for each other!! 

Despite the characters not really wanting to admit to their true feelings, much less act on them, the rest of the book did nothing but please me greatly. 

I loved the idea of Lottie's year of saying no - well saying no to things she really doesn't want to do, and it's lead to her family viewing her differently and i loved the way it inspired positive changes in her friends lives too. 

One thing Lottie though did say yes to, was getting a rescue dog, and Humphrey is just adorable,and he's not even the only dog in this story.  I do love dog loving humans!

I really enjoyed Lottie and Seb's interactions, they have such a great connection between them, and I was willing them to see sense continually. Their friends and families were also characters I really liked. 

I always enjoy books from this author, and this was no exception.  I seem to have scrambled my brain so I can't get my thoughts in order, but I do really recommend it,  it's great to while away a few hours from the current horrors of the real world situations.  Pure fun escapism. 

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

Book Review - #No Filter by Maxine Morrey - #HolidayReading Mexico

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: #No Filter

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 7th November 2019

Rating: 4 Stars

In an Instagram world, can you find love just by being yourself…

Popular lifestyle blogger, Libby Cartwright, is being boggled by business when help shows up in the shape of gorgeous but shy, Charlie Richmond. Libby’s determined to keep it at ‘just good friends’ – she’s dated someone from ‘Corporate Land’ before and it didn’t end well. As she and Charlie begin spending more time together, Libby is starting to waver  – until she discovers something which makes her question if she’s ready for love.

Still reeling, she suffers another blow as her blog is attacked in a national newspaper, for promoting unachievable perfection. Libby knows it’s not true – but the only way to prove that is to strip off the armour she’s been wearing for years.

Is she brave enough to show the world she’s far from perfect? And will Charlie be by her side if she does…

I do love a book featuring a blogger, and I really enjoyed getting to know Libby and her lifestyle blog. 

She is a bubbly person, whose mouth often lands her in trouble, not to mention she is just slightly clumsy!

It is clear though instantly that to my eyes that there should be something going on between her and Charlie.  

Alas being fictional characters it meant a large amount of wanting to knock some sense into them from this reader, before either of them may see the light. 

My one bugbear with this book though is actually the blurb, I kept waiting for things to happen thinking that the bits mentioned in the blurb are huge plot points... and well it was all things happening towards the end. 

So my advice to you, is don't even read the blurb, go in completely blind and fresh and you will have a much more enjoyable reading experience. 

Libby, Tilly, Amy, Marcus, Charlie and Alex are the main characters in this, and I loved the way they all interacted.   

It's an entertaining story and I'm glad I finally sat down and read it. 

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

Book Review - Coming Home To Wishington Bay by Maxine Morrey

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Amazon UK

Title: Coming Home To Wishington Bay

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 1st May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Home is where the heart is…

Holly doesn’t have time for a holiday this year. But when her job threatens to send her over the brink, her boss insists she take a sabbatical. So she packs her bags and escapes to her beloved grandmother Gigi’s house on Wishington Bay, which has sat empty since Gigi passed away.

But Holly’s dreams of a coastal escape take an unexpected turn. Holly didn’t expect to spend time with any man this summer – let alone an Aussie Adonis…but when she meets her next door neighbour Gabe and his little dog Bryan, it’s clear her quiet summer of strolling along the sand and wandering through the seaside village’s tiny streets on her own will come with a hefty dose of distraction.

With a summer to fill and Gigi’s wonderful and surprising house to sort through, Holly knew it would be a summer packed with old memories. She just didn’t expect to make so many new ones…

Coming Home to Wishington Bay is the new gorgeous uplifting rom-com from Maxine Morrey, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Tilly Tennant!

It feels like ages since I last read a Maxine Morrey rom-com, but falling into the pages of this book really did feel like coming home.   There was just such a comforting, cosy feel to this story, and even when I wasn't reading, my heart was with Hollie in Wishington Bay. 

I'll admit the basic concept is one that has been done before - girl inherits property from relation in different location to where she lives, and then has to decide what to do with it.  However its all the other bits of the book that make it so special. 

The handsome Australian doctor next door and his adorable sausage dog, Bryan who has an emotional back story of his own.  There is Holly's brother and his pregnant wife, who are so excited for the baby, but also really concerned about Holly.  And there is the Bay itself which is gorgeous sounding, and if its anything like the cover, probably stunning to live in too. 

I just really enjoyed the writing in this story, the descriptions and dialogue.  It doesn't have the largest amount of characters, but that just adds to its charm as the ones that are featured you get to know so much better.  Although not alive Gigi was also a big presence in the book, and I really felt I got to know Hollie's grandmother quite well. It was obvious she had a great sense of humour. 

As much as I was enjoying the book there were moments where I just wanted to lock Hollie and Gabe in a room together and not let them out until they had realised the obvious! 

Coming Home to Wishington Bay is a truly lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I really hope this isn't the last we see of this location or characters. 

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

Book Review - The Best Little Christmas Shop by Maxine Morrey

Amazon UK

Title: The Best Little Christmas Shop

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital 

Publication Date: 3rd November 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Home for the holidays…

Icing gingerbread men, arranging handmade toys and making up countless Christmas wreaths in her family’s cosy little Christmas shop isn’t usually globe-trotter Lexi’s idea of fun. But it’s all that’s keeping her mind off romance. And, with a broken engagement under her belt, she’s planning to stay well clear of that for the foreseeable future…until gorgeous single dad Cal Martin walks through the door!

Christmas takes on a whole new meaning as Lexi begins to see it through Cal’s adorable five-year-old son’s eyes. But, finding herself getting dangerously close to the mistletoe with Cal, Lexi knows she needs to back off. She’s sworn off love, and little George needs a stability she can’t provide. One day she’ll decide whether to settle down again – just not yet.

But the best little Christmas shop in this sleepy, snow-covered village has another surprise in store…

So cute, so festive, so almost had me in tears but also laughing...simply fabulous! 

Easily one of my favourite Christmas books I've read this year, its full of family and Christmas and what really is the best little Christmas shop about. I loved this shop so much would have loved to work there myself.  And the shop is central to the story, as its Lexi's family business and also where she first meets Cal and George. 

Cal is the village heart throb, and not only that he is a single dad to five year old George.  The reasoning behind his single fatherhood status is not something I would have predicted and generally with what has gone on in Cal's past I have felt really sorry for him at times. 

George is the shining star of the book is is a bundle of cuteness, says some fantastic things and generally lightens up any scene. I absolutely loved him and his bear. 

Lexi is a bit harder to really get to know mainly as the things she is hiding from Cal are also hidden infuriatingly to the reader so although we can guess at what exactly is going on with her, I wasn't completely sure and it did take me a bit longer to really start rooting for her.   I think that is in part because is was a F1 race engineer but there is hardly any formula one in this book - with such an exciting original job I would have loved to have seen more about that life. 

Lexi has a huge family and I loved getting to know them all. She is the youngest with 3 older, protective brothers, and they really added to the story, especially some of the sub plots. 

This is a wonderfully Christmassy story, and its full of the warmth of the season. I loved pretty much every about this book and desperately hope this isn't the last we see of Cal, Lexi and George. 

Thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - The Christmas Holiday by Maxine Morrey

Amazon UK

Title: The Christmas Holiday

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 22nd September 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Fall in love this winter on a romantic trip around the world ending in a fairy-tale winter wedding!
As winter comes to London, journalist Mia Walker is desperately hoping for her big break as a travel writer, dreaming of exotic locations and sun-soaked beaches. When she’s invited to write a romantic travel piece that ends in a huge winter wedding in London, she jumps at the chance. The only trouble is, the photographer is renowned adventure-junkie Hunter Scott, who Mia last saw five years ago when she ended their engagement.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and Mia knows she’d be mad to say no – even if it does mean spending weeks travelling round the world with the one man she never wanted to see again! But as the wedding approaches, and the magic of Christmas begins to take hold, Mia can’t help looking out for mistletoe – and wishing she hadn’t cancelled her own engagement after all…

Want to travel around the world for two months in the run up to a Christmas Wedding? Want to take your own top notch photographer and journalist with you, to document the trip?  Or better still do you want to be a fly on the wall of this trip, from the comfort of your own home, travelling virtually on this trip with Liv, Sandy, Mia and Hunter?  Well thats exactly what will happen when you read the Christmas Holiday. 

It is an enjoyable story of travel, romance, new experiences, and two exes that perhaps shouldn't be working together. It is clear no matter what Hunter and Mia say that there is still a spark of something between then, but its also clear that  5 years can make a difference to a person. 

I absolutely loved all the travel elements, especially taking in India and Malaysia. In all the places visited they four have some fantastic experiences, from kayaking alongside manatees, to the Taj Mahal to some beautiful snowy scenes, not to mention the rains in Malaysia. 

Its a mix of fun, plus also just what is Hunter keeping hidden from Mia? I loved Olivia and Sandy, especially how kind and down to earth they seem despite being ridiculously rich. They are simply wonderful people and I enjoyed reading about them. 

I'd say this book has more of a focus on the holiday than Christmas, which is fine as its still early in the year to be reading heavy Christmas books, and I enjoy holidays.  The writing is engaging and I was swept away by parts of the story, and didn't want to stop reading it at any point. 

This is a light and fun book to read, and its already whetted my appetite for Maxine Morrey's second Christmas book for the year. 

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

Guest Post - Five Top Tips For Holiday Packing by Maxine Morrey

Some years ago, I had the chance to do a certain amount of travelling. The trips were all long haul and always involved a silly o’clock pick up time which ruled out any faffing about time prior to the taxi arriving. Consequently, I came up with a few tips I always employed to make the packing go as smoothly as possible. And although I no longer travel that much, I still use these tips – they’re just as handy for a couple of nights away as they are for longer holidays!

• Make a list of Must Not Forgets
  Passports, medications, favourite toys – put all of the things that you cannot afford to forget on a list, and check each item off only when it is safely packed in your hand luggage.
• Have a ready packed, duplicate toiletries bag
  Inevitably we need to use items from this at the last minute, and then have to try and stuff it into the case. Having a bag of duplicate items means you can just grab and go with no fuss!
• Make up outfitsEver come back with piles of stuff you didn’t wear? You really don’t need a dress/shirt for every day, plus a change for dinner. Believe me, you won’t wear it all! Make up outfits using items you can mix and match. If you only wore a shirt for an hour or two at dinner, then barring any spillage incidents, give it a good airing and it will be ready for another evening.
• Prepare for creasesI’ve read and tried plenty of tips on how not to get creases in your clothes when packing and frankly, none of them work. Some techniques might help lessen them but if you have a fabric prone to creasing, then whatever you do, it’s going to happen. Basically. you have two choices: just accept that you may look a little more rumpled than usual for the duration and roll with it. If you hang stuff up as soon as you can upon arrival, a lot of the worst creases will drop out. If you really can’t then pack a travel iron for the nicer stuff – but remember, you’re on holiday and a few creases in your beach t shirt really doesn’t matter.
• Most importantly – Books!
  One of the bits I do like about packing is deciding what to take to read, but books can soon add to the weight limit, especially if you’re planning on kicking back and getting a lot read! (Aah, bliss!) This is really when e-readers come into their own. It’s often an idea to load up with any new books you’re after at home because some wifi, especially free, can be very slow and a bit patchy. But don’t forget your charger and any adapter plug you may need for the country you’re visiting! And, of course, don’t forget to download The Christmas Holiday!

Happy travels!

Thank you so much Maxine for this great set of Holiday packing tips. At the time of preparing this post, I was only 10% of the way through The Christmas Holiday, and wow I can tell already I'm in for a big treat. Really looking forward to reading the rest of the book. 

Fall in love this winter on a romantic trip around the world ending in a fairy-tale winter wedding!

As winter comes to London, journalist Mia Walker is desperately hoping for her big break as a travel writer, dreaming of exotic locations and sun-soaked beaches. When she’s invited to write a romantic travel piece that ends in a huge winter wedding in Scotland, she jumps at the chance. The only trouble is, the photographer is renowned adventure-junkie Hunter Scott, who Mia last saw five years ago when she ended their engagement. 

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and Mia knows she’d be mad to say no – even if it does mean spending weeks traveling round the world with the one man she never wanted to see again! But as the wedding approaches, and the magic of Christmas begins to take hold, Mia can’t help looking out for mistletoe – and wishing she hadn’t cancelled her own engagement after all…

Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36060746-the-christmas-holiday

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071VV3ZKS/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738

Author bio:
Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten. Coming in first, she won a handful of book tokens - perfect for a bookworm!

As years went by, she continued to write, but 'normal' work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, aswell as a book on Brighton for a Local History publisher. However, novels are what she loves writing the most. After self publishing her first novel when a contract fell through, thanks to the recession, she continued to look for opportunities.

In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK's 'Write Christmas' competition with her romantic comedy, 'Winter's Fairytale'.

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words, can be found tackling her To Be Read pile, sewing, listening to podcasts, and walking.

Twitter            @Scribbler_Maxi

Instagram        @scribbler_maxi

Facebook         www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor

Pinterest          ScribblerMaxi

Website           www.scribblermaxi.co.uk

The Christmas Holiday Weekend Blitz Giveaway

1 winner

Prizes:

Signed copy of The Christmas Project

The Christmas Holiday notebook

Galaxy chocolate bar

Chocolate penguins and snowballs

Elephant keyring

UK ONLY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you like the sound of  Maxine Morrey's The Christmas Holiday, then you are in for a treat as she also has a second Christmas book coming out this year - The Best Little Christmas Shop. 

In order to help her celebrate publication day for that in November, please lend your support to this Daycause campaign, and let's see if we can get Maxine to trend. 

Book Review - The Christmas Project by Maxine Morrey

Amazon UK

Title: The Christmas Project

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication Date: 14th November 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Christmas in the city has never been more magical!

Professional organiser Kate Stone has never – NEVER – been tempted to hit a client over the head with a snow shovel, but Michael O'Farrell is the most obnoxious – and heart-stoppingly gorgeous – man she has ever met. If he weren't her best friend’s brother, she would not have waited on his doorstep in the freezing cold for five minutes, let alone an hour.

Kate knows, however, that her job isn’t just about tidying up, sometimes she needs to be part therapist too, and Michael clearly needs her help to declutter his heart as well as his home.

But with the festive season just around the corner there isn’t much time to get Michael’s house ready for the O’Farrell family celebrations, but everyone knows that at Christmas anything can happen…

The Christmas Project is full of fun and giggles. There are a couple of  images that I think will stay with me a long time, including a scene that had "thong" and "The Hungry Caterpillar" in the same sentence, which I think you will agree doesn't happen that often. 

I loved Kate and Michael's banter between them. They start off hating each other, but accepting that as a favour to Janey (Kate's best friend, and Michael's sister) that Kate has a job to do whether Michael likes it or not. Their attitudes towards each other as the job progresses slowly mellow into what could potentially be described as friends. 

They clearly start to care for each other, but equally one or other of them seems to have a permanent foot in their mouth for the amount of words said to the other, that really is very amusing. Kate loses her professional cool, and Michael just can't quite say what his brain is thinking. 

I loved Janey too, she holds both Kate and Michael together very well, and is a great all around support character, with her family. It is clear she loves both of them a lot, so its no wonder that it was her idea to get Kate to work her magic on Michael's house. 

For Kate is an expert house organiser, or declutterer sort of person and is determined to transform Michael's life in time for him to be able to host a family Christmas. She also helps out in an animal shelter at the weekends, and there is one particular dog that you need to keep an eye out for. He is gorgeous. 

If you are looking for a fun book to read in the run up to Christmas, then The Christmas Project is a very good choice. It is full of humour, and all around good feelings. The story is written in an easy to read way, and I always looked forward to picking up my kindle for the next bit of the story. 

Thank you so much to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this copy of the book. This was my honest opinion. 

Guest Post - Maxine Morrey's Write Christmas Experience - #CarinaChristmas

This year Carina ran a "Write Christmas" competition for all aspiring writers, to send in submissions, with the winner being given a Carina contract, and book deal. This is Maxine Morrey's experience with the competition.

Being told I’d won the Carina UK ‘Write Christmas’ competition was a bit of a surreal moment. For one thing, I was in a hospital bed with a fair bit of anaesthetic still floating around inside of me!

This year, I really decided to go for it, when it came to writing competitions. Although I’ve had articles and a local history book published, writing novels has always been the thing I’ve enjoyed most, and what I really wanted to do. So although I do send off agent queries intermittently, my main plan for the year was to enter as many competitions as I could. If nothing else, it was good practice, not only for writing itself, but also for managing deadlines. 

That aspect certainly came into play with the ‘Write Christmas’ competition! When it first came to my attention, I was working on another entry – but I really liked the sound of a Christmas themed book and had an idea tucked away that I thought might work. In the end, by the time I got the synopsis ‘just right’ and read everything through so many times, the entry was sent off with less than ten minutes to spare on the midnight deadline!

Once it was sent, I moved on to the next competition. I also had some medical stuff scheduled in August – realising I was due to have general anaesthetic on the day of the Carina winner announcement, I joked on Twitter that I was quite glad I’d be under sedation that day as it would be less painful that not winning! 

When I came back from theatre, I picked up my phone to ring my husband to let him know that he couldn’t cash in the life insurance just yet! That’s when I saw an email entitled ‘Write Christmas’. Honestly, I really thought it was one of those ‘Thanks for your entry. I’m sorry to say…’ messages. I blearily opened it anyway – and read that the publishers had been trying to contact me and could I give them a call! I read it about ten times, just to be sure! By this time, it was nearly 5 o’clock, so I wasn’t sure if they’d still be there or not but fumbled about dialling just in case! 

Victoria Oundjian, the Carina editor who’d sent the email, was lovely and told me that they’d absolutely loved the chapters I’d sent in and couldn’t wait to discover the rest of the story! I couldn’t believe it! She was so enthusiastic and encouraging – it just felt wonderful! I couldn’t stop grinning – even when I found out that the deadline was less than a month away! My blood pressure was through the roof with the excitement! I wasn’t allowed to make any announcements but I ended up having to tell the nurse that I’d just got a book contract because they weren’t going to let me home due to the super high blood pressure! She was almost as excited as me and told the rest of the team! So much for secrets! Luckily, I hadn’t mentioned the competition or the name of the publisher but their support was really heart warming! 

It was a very surreal day, all in all – and I have to say, I was so glad when the winning announcement was made on Twitter the following day – because a teeny bit of me was worried I’d just made it up in an anaesthetic induced haze! 

About Maxine Morrey

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten. Coming in first she won a handful of book tokens -  perfect for a young bookworm! 

As years went by, she continued to write, but 'normal' work often got in the way. Finally, she really decided to go for it, and wrote. Really wrote. And after a while she had a bunch of articles, and a non fiction book to her name. But her real love is writing novels and the magical escapism it affords - for both writer and reader. After self publishing her first novel when a contract fell through as the publishers succumbed to the recession, she continued to look for opportunities. 

In August 2015, she won Carina UK’s ‘Write Christmas’ competition. Her first romantic comedy from HarperCollins (Carina UK) 'Winter's Fairytale' is due out in November and is available for pre order now. 

Maxine lives in Sussex, England with her husband and when not wrangling with words, can be found adding to her To Be Read pile, sewing, walking and wondering when they are going to invent a robot for ironing.

Twitter - @Scribbler_Maxi

Instagram - @scribbler_maxi

Facebook - www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor

Pinterest - ScribblerMaxi

Website - www.scribblermaxi.co.uk

What a brilliant story Maxine, and after an operation, that must have been the best news to start you on your recovery. Congratulations and its a great book. 

For more #CarinaChristmas click here

Book Review - Winter's Fairytale by Maxine Morrey - Blog Tour

Amazon UK

Title: Winter's Fairytale

Author: Maxine Morrey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 10th November 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

Step into a winter wonderland and fall in love in the snow this Christmas…
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

A few weeks before Christmas and a sudden blanketing of snow has closed the roads and brought public transport grinding to a halt, stranding Izzy miles from home and in desperate need of rescuing.

That doesn’t mean she’s looking to bump into Rob and spend a cosy weekend holed up in his swanky flat watching London become a winter wonderland! Because Izzy and Rob have history…

Six months ago, they were standing in the vestry of a beautiful country church, while best man Rob delivered the news that every bride dreads on their big day.

But at the time of year when anything is possible, can Rob and Izzy let go of the past and let Christmas work its magic? Or will this be one holiday wish that Izzy lets walk right out of her life…

Winner of the Carina UK #WriteChristmas competition

As I sat down to write this review, I couldn't help but feel the title is so completely correct and apt in this books case. This is a beautiful fairytale for adults, set in and around Christmas, with a healthy helping of romance, from a wedding dress designer. By the end I was almost in happy tears, such was the love in the book. 

Izzy is a wedding dress designer, and despite only 6 months ago suffering her own nightmare of a wedding, she has thrown herself into her work. Until that is she bumps into Rob again. Rob was the messenger of bad news at Izzy's wedding, and Izzy hasn't quite forgiven him. 

However as circumstances conspire for them to spend more and more time together,  and its clear there may be something more than grudging friendship between the pair. 

Then we are introduced to Rob's family, and in particularly Mike and Jenny. They were easily my favourite characters, and I was finding myself really enjoying scenes where the whole family dynamic was in play, as they are the sort of family I would love to have. Warm and loving, and I got the feeling I was part of them, and that I must have known them longer than I had. They were so comfortable to be around, it was a pleasure. 

There are some lovely descriptions in Winter's Fairytale, including those of Rob's house and the location they all spend Christmas. There are also some funny bits of the book.

What is refreshing for Winter's Fairytale, is although I would just about class it as a romance, there is no sex at all.  I would perhaps suggest its a story of a family and friends at Christmas, with a sub-plot of romance. 

I can completely understand why Maxine Morrey won the Carina #WriteChristmas competition, this year, as this story draws you in and won't let you go. It is beautifully written, very easy and pleasurable to read. 

Thanks so much to Carina and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest review. 

About Maxine Morrey

Maxine Morrey has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten. Coming in first she won a handful of book tokens – perfect for a young bookworm!

As years went by, she continued to write, but ‘normal’ work often got in the way. Finally, she really decided to go for it, and wrote. Really wrote. And after a while she had a bunch of articles, and a non fiction book to her name. But her real love is writing novels and the magical escapism it affords – for both writer and reader. After self publishing her first novel when a contract fell through as the publishers succumbed to the recession, she continued to look for opportunities.

In August 2015, she won Carina UK’s #WriteChristmas competition. Her first romantic comedy, Winter’s Fairytale, is out on the 10th of November and is available for preorder now!

Maxine lives in Sussex, England with her husband and when not wrangling with words, can be found adding to her To Be Read pile, sewing, walking and wondering when they are going to invent a robot for ironing.


Her website is: www.scribblermaxi.co.uk
You can also find her on Twitter @Scribbler_Maxi
On Facebook www.facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor
On Instagram @Scribbler_Maxi

On Pinterest @ScribblerMaxi