Welcome to Thornwaite, a quaint village tucked up in England’s beautiful but rainy Lake District… where homecomings happen and surprises are in store for the four Holley sisters… the cozy chaos of the busy vicarage.
After several years away from home, Anna returns for Christmas… and an important announcement from her father. As much as she once loved the village, coming back is hard and puts Anna’s social capabilities to the test.
Avoiding her sisters’ bossy questions, she heads out to the local pub one night, and meets a handsome stranger nursing a pint. Somehow, unburdened by expectations, Simon seems like the perfect person to spill all her secrets to—including a hopeless, long-held crush on her sister’s boyfriend. Confident she’ll never see him again, Anna returns home… only to discover the next day that Simon is actually her father’s new curate!
Anna is beyond mortified, but Simon won’t let her retreat into her usual shyness—and for once Anna is forced to confront the past, and all the fears and feelings she’d tried so long to hide. But with his own heartache that needs to heal, can Simon help Anna to make this the most magical Christmas either of them have known?
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT KATE HEWITT’S BOOKS:
‘Perfect summer holiday reading’
‘I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it is by far my favourite of this series, Kiss Me at Willoughby Close is an absolute treat and Jace is a complete swoon-fest and the kind of man dreams are made of.’
‘The welcoming atmosphere of the place is fabulous and I love how the people who are living there are starting to get very close. To me they are starting to feel like a chosen family more and more, which is another part of the story I liked a lot. Kiss Me at Willoughby Close is a terrific charming and romantic book.’
‘Kate Hewitt has written another brilliant story, which is a perfect addition to her wonderful series.’
‘Kate Hewitt has a way of drawing the reader in and captivating them with these stories. I really hope this isn’t the last we see of the residents of Willoughby Close as this series has been by far one of my favourites and I would be sad to see the series come to a close.’
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A cleverly developed entertaining book. Light reading.
Just ok, wouldn’t recommend
warming holiday read!
Short and not a lot of development or resolution. Wanted more because I appreciated the characters.
Was ok.
A lovely easy read.
Loved the story, but was not so sure at first. It is slow reading. I think mostly it was the attitude of the main character. Love the ending. Good clean book.
It was kind of a sad story. The daughter who has not come home for many years, this year comes home only to find it will be the last time it is the family home. She and the family are still dealing with grief over her brother’s death 20 years before which has left her unable to deal with the people she knows. I can’t quite figure if she will have a relationship with the new vicar or not. Everyone is dealing with the changes but no one ever mentions what happens to the families faithful old canine as these changes take effect. So in the end I was left going what!!
This book encompassed so many personal feelings and emotions that come with family dynamics.
Wonderful story based yes at the holiday time around a Vicar family…the Holley family . This is Anna and Simon’s story. One that has me in tear. Also have to know what is going on with these sisters. Weirdness abounds in this family of girls. Very good book.
A Vicarage Christmas by Kate Hewitt.
Anna and Simon. Anna is the daughter of the pastor of the church and Simon is the curate. Anna is home for the first time in years for the holidays and meets Simon. They fall in love. I love the storyline in this book. This is a good clean read. I really enjoyed the book.
Wow this book is very deep and emotional. I was ugly crying . Such a sad story.
It’s Christmas and Anna is home for the holiday season. This is her first time home in four years. She has stayed away for so long on purpose. She has a hard time dealing with her family and the village life.
The first night back is too much and she escapes to the local pub to breathe. There she meets a handsome stranger named Simon. After one too many ciders she spills all her depressing sad feelings. Knowing she will never see him again made it easy to confide in him.
The next day Anna goes to meet the new curate that will be working with her dad. Surprised she finds the new curate is Simon. Now fully embarrassed and hurt she gets angry with him. How will she make it through the season? Can Simon convince her he has her best interest at heart ?
The characters are well-developed and are continuing to grow, as this is just the beginning for the Holley sisters. The next book will be about Esther. Which will allow us to grow with them. I am interested to find out more about the other secrets the sisters have.
Anna has some serious self-esteem issues on top of a lot of guilt she is carrying around. Simon has some guilt of his own as well. Together they may just have the strength they need to heal.
christmas kissing love actually hugh grant GIFBreak out the tissues ladies!! You’re in for a tear jerker. This book will grab you by the heart-strings and twist you up. It is a deep emotional read. So be prepared. I highly recommend this book for all you sentimental peeps!
I enjoyed Vicarage Christmas by Kate Hewitt, book one in The Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite series. Anna has not returned home for many years for a variety of reasons. She is shy, stutters in public events, and being home reminds her of the events when her brother died. She escapes the Vicarage, walking to a nearby Pub where she encounters Simon. Simon, a newcomer to Thornthwaite, is an excellent listener and gets Anna to open up to him. He understands how Anna is feeling, as he experienced a similar situation. Simon recently changed careers, attending ministry school after being a teacher, and is about to join Anna’s father at the church. The more time these two spend together the more they become attracted to each other. It felt like Anna and Simon knew each other before their recent meeting. Anna knows she couldn’t be a proper Vicar’s wife is unsure that she should pursue the relationship. Yet, neither of them desire to stop seeing the other. We are introduced to Anna’s sisters as a way to set the stage for future books in this series.
I loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down, reading it in one day. Ms. Hewitt drew me in and did not let go until I read the last page. I definitely recommend this book to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book