A sparkling Christmas read from the Sunday Times bestseller – perfect to snuggle up with this winter!
Hannah and Nico are meant to be together.
But fate is keeping them apart…
As soon as Hannah bumps into her brother Rob’s best friend Nico in Stockholm, the two rekindle a fast friendship. But Hannah has a boyfriend – and Nico has two children to look after.
When Hannah loses her beloved shop … boyfriend – and Nico has two children to look after.
When Hannah loses her beloved shop in Stockholm, though, she is forced to move back to the little village of Middledip – only to find Nico has just moved in too. Under the same snowy sky, can the childhood friends make a romance work – or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?
A heartwarming story of love, friendship, and Christmas magic, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley and Jill Mansell.
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The story is exciting, has emotion, and is a lot of fun to read. I could connect with the characters and enjoy with them.
This enjoyable story set at Christmas features Hannah, a British ex-pat living in Stockholm, running her own chic little boutique, but saddled with a nasty, piece of work boyfriend, and Nico, a Swedish ex-pat living in London, weighed down by the demands of both his high-powered job and his status as the custodial parent of his adorable 8 yr. old daughter. Hannah and Nico were acquainted in high school, when he moved to Britain with his hockey coach father and became best friends with her older brother, Rob, but they lost touch years before. When Nico reconnects with Rob, he asks Nico to drop in on Hannah on one of his many business trips to Stockholm as Rob is worried about her. Hannah and Nico’s initial meeting sparks a connection between them that continues to grow through various personal and professional challenges, as they both find themselves back in Middledip, the small English village where Hannah grew up.
In the course of the book, both Hannah and Nico are faced with restructuring their personal and professional lives. Hannah, although competent and strong in her professional life, unfortunately, isn’t the best at picking her partners, and has her lovely little shop in Stockholm basically stolen from her by her now ex-boyfriend. Cut adrift from her life in Stockholm, she moves back to Middledip to help her 90 YO granny. Meanwhile, Nico, who has struggled for much of his life with an eating disorder, takes responsibility for his ex-wife’s 2 YO daughter in addition to their shared 8 YO as he’s a stand-up kind of man who cannot turn his back on a child in need. When he finds that he can’t manage single parent duties on top of his job, he unhesitatingly quits the job and moves to Middledip to concentrate on his little family’s needs.
Hannah and Nico were well-matched in that both were kind, responsible, and unselfish. They didn’t hesitate to do their best for others, even at their own expense. Their romance moved forward in fits and starts, based on a firm foundation of friendship. I loved the wintry, snowy feel of the book as well as the scenes set in Stockholm, and the Swedish holiday customs included. I also appreciated that the book dealt with Nico’s struggle with his eating disorder in a factual but kind fashion. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is the best Christmas book I’ve ever read. Sue’s books just get better and better. Absolutely love Hannah, Nico and the adorable Josie and Maria. Gorgeous scenery. I now want to go to Sweden! Sue really knows how to craft a story with engaging characters and plots that keep you hooked with topical issues dealt with sensitively – in this case a single dad suffering eating issues when under stress. If you only read one book this Christmas, make it this one.
This was an enjoyable story and an engaging Christmas read. The writing flowed nicely and it kept me turning the pages from beginning to end. I found the Swedish Christmas traditions fascinating to read about and they definitely added to the Christmassy feel of this book.
I did like that characters of Hannah and Nico, as well as the two sweet children, Josie and Marie. Although at times, I did feel they needed a bit of a kick, but still, they worked well together. Add in a villain in the form of Hannah’s boyfriend and Nico’s ex, a loving family, some misunderstanding and there is a really good cast of players.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I felt some scenes were a little awkward and maybe overworked but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
There are so many things that I love about this book! Above all, is that the characters range in age from 2 to 90 years old. All the characters are intricately involved in the plot. They are not just in the background. I enjoy reading books that imitate life and in life people of various ages interact all the time.
The book plots are woven together in such a wonderful way, being intertwined yet hold strong independently also. The character development is done so well that I know these people and I cared about them.
The story took place in several different areas and they were described in excellent detail that I felt like I was there. Even though I am reading this in the summer, when the weather is pretty hot, I want to snuggle up in a warm blanket with some hot tea, since I am reading about snow flurries falling and making snowman.
There are several serious subject matters in this story. The author handles them with grace and love, and it is heartwarming to see the way that adults can deal with difficult situations.
I enjoyed this book so much! I am a huge fan of Sue Moorcroft and she created another gem with this story. I recommend this book and also her other Christmas and Summer books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the pleasure of reading the advanced reader copy. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC.