Go to an island, my publisher said. Reclaim your writing mojo, he added. Be inspired, he suggested. Oh, sexy shenanigans, was I inspired. Drew Carolla would do that to a woman. Reclusive and brooding, an ex-pilot-come-sexy-woodcutter-come-luxury-wedding-venue-owner-come…here. Writing romance doesn’t come easy when you don’t have a muse, and I was on a deadline. Four weeks to write my next … next bestseller or face being dropped by my publisher. Thankfully, watching Drew chop wood, sweaty and shirtless, soon had the words flowing like water through Cornish coastline rock pools.
But Drew had his own stories to tell. Why did his luxury wedding venue no longer host weddings? Why did he scoff at the idea of romance? And why, despite that, did he look at me like he wanted to wake up on Christmas morning and find me naked in his bed?
Conundrums. Drew was full of them. Too bad I wasn’t writing psychological thrillers.
Would Drew Carolla, a man who didn’t believe in romance, inspire my greatest love story or leave me with unfinished chapters?
A Novel Christmas is a holiday-themed, friends to lovers, contemporary romance standalone featuring a hot ex-pilot and a sassy romance writer.
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Another Fantastic read. How do you get the guy to fall in love with you? Write a story about him but change the names to protect the innocent or not so innocent. This Christmas story is very well written. A great story line with depth. You have a jinxed male hero who is determined to live a life a solidutide. You have a strong heroine who is determined to crack his shell. It was refreshing to read a story of a beta male for once. Everyone but the Drew seems to love this Cal. Cal makes friends with Brian the farmer and Archie the dog.
I know this place was fictional in the story but I can so imagine Karensa as a beautiful place on this island. The images the author built, I felt I was right in the story with Drew and Cal.
The references to Christian Grey the best and had me laughing. If you follow this author, then you would understand these references she tosses in the book.
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a feel good read.
To say I enjoy Lynsey Stewart’s writing style is an understatement. Her last book, a sexy little novella called Stripped Bare, was one of my top reads of of 2018 so I was thrilled to read A Novel Christmas. The entire premise of the book is perfect. Novelist, Caroline “Cal” Dixon is suffering from a serious case of writers block so she embarks on a month long trip to a private retreat called Karensa on the island of Costentyn in Cornwall. Cal is hoping for a bit of inspiration to get the words flowing again and she gets just that in Karensa proprietor, Drew Carolla. Swoony, sexy, sensitive Drew runs Karensa and he is a self professed jack of all trades master of none. The second is gentle, warm brown eyes met her blue ones, Cal knew she just might have found the inspiration she was looking for. But what Cal doesn’t know is that circumstances have Drew guarding his heart.
Gahhh, this story ticked all the boxes for me. Drew was a perfect hero; sexy, swoony, yet romantic and vulnerable. I fell head over heels in love with him. Cal was a smart, funny, heroine that was likable and relatable. Her writing woes and her efforts to unblock her words was realistic and I rooted for her every step of the way. Lynsey created a world filled with charming characters and the unique setting for the story was a perfect backdrop. I absolutely enjoyed this sweet, funny, read that had a punch of steam and a whole lot of heart. The fact that is was set around Christmas simply added to the charm.
To say I am a fan of this author would be an understatement. Each book of hers is better than the last and that’s saying something, since they’re all fantastic. However, this book is on a totally different level. It is so much more than just a romance novel. This is the type of story you read from classic romance novelists. She didn’t just capture our hearts with a romantic story. She painted a picture with words and captured all the majestic colors of the island where you could feel the sea, smell the heather and breathe the clean air. The story brought us into the world of romance authors and gave us a peak into their process, all the while creating a beautiful love story. At times this story felt like it transported me to a different time period. A world where we should all become familiar with. A place where you could sit and reflect on everything or just free your mind.
Within this story we get to meet Drew and Cal. Drew is a man with a past that he doesn’t want to deal with in his future. However, what he doesn’t realize is that he’s letting his past dictate his future. Cal, is the romance writer from London trying to find her inspiration again. So she goes to Cornwall to find her muse. Where she meets Drew and is immediately fascinated by him. This story takes several twists and turns and makes you want to keep reading. Within the story there are several interesting local characters. These are people you want to meet and learn more about. They are colorful, quirky, and charming. She brings the characters and the various places we visit in the book to life by her attention to details, even down to the dog who has his own personality.
There’s so much I want to write about this book but it wouldn’t be fair to the author. So I suggest you read the blurb for more information and definitely read the book. What I can tell you is that these are two beautifully flawed individuals who are looking to see where their place is in life and love. Questions that arise such as is it worth the risk of letting go and taking a chance? Is isolation a place or is it a state of mind? You can be in a great big city and be alone or you can be on a island and have it all. When or do you decide to take a chance? Is the risk worth a possible reward or heartbreak?
For all the romance readers fear not, you’ll get the smiles, laughs, swoons and heat but you’ll also experience some angst as well as hope and devotion.
As you can tell I was captivated by this book and read it fast, but then I went back and read it again to absorb and experience the magic of it all. Do yourself a favor and become entranced in this wonderful story. You deserve it!
A NOVEL CHRISTMAS by Lynsey M. Stewart was a delightful read. Firstly, it ticks the boxes for reader looking for a romance book that celebrates the holiday season: Cold weather and someone to snuggle with, delicious food, fitting decorations and trips to take in the splendour of Christmas events.
And then there’s our couple, Caroline (Cal) and Drew. Yowsers! The attraction between them is magnetic. Given their circumstances, their hesitation in coming together is understandable but propinquity and an abundance of feelings sees them fascinated with one another.
I thought Cal was a great heroine. I thought she was strong; she was prepared to reveal her vulnerability but refused to be exploited. I appreciated both her and Drew’s openness when talking to each other. As hurtful and confusing as they may have felt, it was never as a result of everyday miscommunication.
As pleasing as Cal’s character was, the star for me was Drew. This is the second book in a short period of time I’ve read where there’s somewhat of a role reversal in a romance novel, and I am loving it. Here it’s Drew that’s been significantly burned by his previous relationship; he’s the one doing most of the doubting about his ability to not only love again but place his trust and love in a woman and, in turn, give her everything she needs. His uncertainty and indecision often incenses Cal but he is always coming from a place of authenticity.
I have enjoyed the author’s previous books but this is one is definitely my favourite to date.
A Novel Christmas is a perfect Christmassy/winter read that will have you wishing you were snuggled by the fire with a glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate whilst reading it. Without going into spoiler territory (using only the blurb) I loved the uniqueness of this story. With Cal being an author she gave me insight into what the writing process can really be like. I loved witnessing her thought processes and how she worked to overcome her writers’ block, and it was because she was struggling under pressure to put words on paper that led her to one day being on a small plane, heading to a small island and to Drew. The story is mainly told in Cal’s POV but I loved the chapters in which Ms Stewart wrote in Drew’s – I felt that it was perfect in letting me the reader know how he was also feeling.
Cal has such a fabulous personality and I couldn’t help but love her. I have read books previously written by Lynsey and she certainly knows how to write a swoon worthy leading man. With Drew I could see and feel the torment and turmoil of emotions that he was struggling with because of his past experiences, and through Lynsey’s fabulous writing I could feel every emotion that the characters were experiencing. This story had everything that I enjoy when reading a book and there are some amazing sex scenes that you come to expect from a Lynsey M Stewart novel. The connection that Cal and Drew have I could really feel but when a man that doesn’t believe in romance is building a relationship with a romance author, you can expect some bumps along the way.
What I also absolutely loved about this book is how the author created scenes that I could actually envisage. It felt as though this island and the life of its residents were real. I actually want to go there myself just to see if it is, and not only to look at the beautiful landscapes she described but to also experience the wonderful close nit community life that being on an island with only a few inhabitants must have. The descriptions along with the supporting characters in the book all helped to create the perfect picture of visiting or living on this island.
Add this to your winter reading list, although I’m certain that you will still enjoy the book reading it in July. It is such a wonderful story that will have you swooning on one page and then shouting at the characters on the next. You also need to meet Brian, he’s a one off and I’m certain you will love him as much as I do. I can assure that you won’t be disappointed reading this book which I would totally recommend without a second thought.
I loved this book so much. I love Christmas time and the hope and joy that it brings to people and was so glad that Cal was able to bring that to Drew. He dereseved it so much after everything that he’d been through. These two had such chemistry and attraction from the beginning that once they gave in, it was explosive. I love a slow burn and this was a great one!
Oh My! There are not enough stars out there to adequately apply to the quality and caliber of this book. Lynsey Stewart is a storyteller that weaves a romance that pulls you in and makes you root for the characters. Cal Dixon is a writer with writers block. So her Editor tells her to go to an island and find inspiration. That inspiration comes in the form of Drew, a sexy, often shirtless woodcutter, pilot and deeply flawed man who has given up on romance and has vowed that he won’t ever let anyone break his heart again. But Drew’s heart doesn’t appear to have gotten the memo. Cal and Drew have a chemistry that can’t be ignored, but Drew puts up barriers at every turn. The writers block has gone, but with Drew alternating between looking at Cal like he wants to bury himself in her silky softness forever or running for the hills, Cal is in danger of getting whiplash! All Cal wants is a happy ending, both for her book and for her, but when a sexy woodcutter won’t trust Cal with his heart it seems unlikely that will happen.