‘I totally, utterly and absolutely ADORED reading Snowflakes At Mistletoe Cottage.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars The brand new novel from the author shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award 2019! On a grey London day, Esme’s world crumbles around her when she loses her glitzy job on a top TV programme, her gorgeous, city-slicker boyfriend and her stunning apartment, all in one … apartment, all in one fell swoop just before Christmas.
Esme is forced suddenly to move back to her sleepy home town of Sandchester, and despite the snow blanketing the roof and the fairy lights that twinkle in her rustic little cottage, everything is looking bleak. That is until she reconnects with an old crush and finds herself unexpectedly getting swept away.
But Joe, handsome and charming as he is, is not all he seems. Esme soon realises that he has a tragic past which he just might not be able to overcome…
Surrounded by her loving, if hare-brained, family and with the support of her hilarious friends, Esme is determined to have a go at forging her own path, even if it all comes to nothing. But one question still lingers in her mind: will she find someone to kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas?
Readers LOVE Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage!
‘A perfect festive read to curl up with’ Mandy Baggott, author of One Christmas Star
‘A scrumptious and heartwarming festive read’ Sandy Barker, author of One Summer in Santorini
‘Christmas plus comfort food! Katie has the perfect recipe for a fabulous festive feast.’ Heidi Swain, author of The Christmas Wish List
‘This is the Christmas story I’ve been longing for for years! … Could possibly be the best feel good book of the season. Wish I could give more than 5*s’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘You won’t regret picking this book up but make sure you’ve got plenty of time as you won’t want to put it down’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘A heartwarming novel with tears and laughter which makes it a great festive read. Loved it’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars
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Favorite Quotes:
It’s one thing to steal a recipe but another to steal a grandma. She probably doesn’t even have one anymore. I bet she devoured hers like a praying mantis.
I bet I’m still in shock. At some point I’ll come out of it, realise what’s happened and walk to London to destroy Leo’s flat and put raw fish behind his radiators.
‘What exactly are you doing there?’ asked Helena pointing at the screen. ‘I’m creaming the butter and sugar together till it’s light and fluffy.’ ‘Your boobs look like they’re having some kind of fight. You need a better bra before you go doing that again.’
It is quite dark. We can see down your top, but not much else. They look like whoppers by the way so you’d probably get some followers but maybe not the type you want.
‘What a callous idiot. If I lived near him I’d key his car and—’ ‘He doesn’t own a car, Mum. No one does in London.’ ‘Well then, I’d put itching powder in his underpants and cut the arms and legs off all his suits.’ Esme suppressed a smile.‘ Has Dad only stayed married to you all these years because he’s too scared to leave?’ ‘Probably.’
My Review:
This was a fun and highly amusing read with storylines shot through with clever levity and delicious food taunts. I should be highly annoyed that Ms. Ginger has completely derailed my dieting efforts with her mouthwatering descriptions that I could almost smell and taste, what a brutal tease for a weak and starving woman trying to shed some excess tonnage. I said I should be annoyed, but I’m not as it was more than worth a few, oh all right… a lot of extra calorie consumption.
The storylines were engaging, the characters were vibrant and quirky, and the writing was delightfully clever as well as giggle-snort and smirk-worthy. This was my maiden voyage with the lovely Ms. Ginger and I hope to sail with her every time she leaves the shore from now on.
Don’t hate me but I don’t watch much reality television and required the services of Mr. Google to look up Bear Grylls, and he looks worthy of a bit more exploration… I also gleaned an addition to my Brit Word List with saddo – which is British slang for a socially inadequate or pathetic person; something the intrepid and adventurous Mr. Grylls certainly is not.
Food technologist Esme Kendrick is forced to move back to her hometown after losing her job, boyfriend, and apartment all on the same day. With no money and no place to call her own, she feels like a complete failure. But Esme is determined to get back on her feet, and with the support of her friends and family, she decides to follow her dreams. I absolutely loved this book. It is a heartwarming, inspiring Christmas story about love, friendship, taking risks, and not letting the fear of failure keep you from following your dreams. The story is beautifully written and full of humor. Esme was a lovable and realistic character. I rooted for her, laughed with her as I followed along on her bumpy journey to making her food blog successful. Her love of food and baking rubbed off on me and made me want to cook some of her mouthwatering recipes. I loved how readers got to see snippets of her blog and all the sweet stories she shared about her grandmother. Esme’s strong bond with her friends and family just added to the cozy, heartwarming feeling of the story. If you like a slow-burn romance then you will enjoy Esme and Joe’s love story. I really loved the sweet, hopeful ending and was pleased to see that two certain characters got exactly what they deserved. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a heartfelt, uplifting Christmas story. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This would be the perfect book to make into a Hallmark Christmas movie!
Esme thought her life was going pretty good until one day everything literally comes crashing down around her. She gets fired for standing up for herself at work and then her boyfriend of many years dumps her on the same night. Forced to move back to the small town where her parents and sister reside, Esme wonders how she’ll get back on her own two feet again. Small town life has some surprises in store for her though. A charming cottage and a cute estate agent may be all the inspiration Esme needs to create the happy life she craves!
Such an adorable read. Esme is charming and impossible not to love. Her friends are quirky and always have her back. They are exactly the kind of friends everyone hopes to have in their lives. Her parents are so supportive and as Esme says, “batshit crazy”. Then there’s Joe. Easy to look at and easily misunderstood. Simply put, this book has a great cast of characters.
The plot is simple but enjoyable. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage is a quick read and a perfect book to get you in the holiday spirit.
Highly recommended!
A book with wonderful characters and wonderful friendships. Very enjoyable.
Esme a woman trying her best to follow her dreams and working in the big city of London. Living with a hot guy too. Life is perfect until it goes tits up and she ends up heartbroken and back in her home town, homeless and unemployed.
Esme is a down to earth character and I couldn’t help liking her. She has a warm family, her parents are a hoot.
Esmes friends are entertaining and supportive of her starting out again. Joe is a new friend/old acquaintance from school, he was one of them ‘hot boys’. Joe has his own story to tell along with getting to know Esme.
This is a warm and fuzzy read with plenty of humour, and added Christmas Magic.
A great read at Christmas time or on the beach!
This was a cute little Holiday book and I could relate to Esme as we are the same age, changing careers, swear a little too much, starting a blog, ect. I really enjoyed her character as I could see myself in this story very easily.
This is my first Katie Ginger book and I did enjoy her writing as it had fully-developed characters, flow, story line, and perfect setting. Since I’m not bristish, I do love all the new holiday traditions you learn about, food, and/or words- which does make the book a little more fun.
I wish Esme had her own cooking show as it sounds so fun to watch! This is also a great Lifetime/Hallmark movie. As you love her friends, her mom sounds like a hoot, and her little nephew sounds soo cute! Joe is an interesting character that you don’t know exactly want is going to happen but I did enjoy him as the book love interest- even if he was a little moody.
Overall, I give it 4 stars in the Holiday book department and 3.5 stars in the normal book world.
*Received ARC via Netgalley and HQ digital for honest review*
I wish you could see my face right now. I’m grinning like a fool. On second thought *waves hand*, maybe it’s best you can’t. I’d probably frighten you half to death *snorts*.
Quite simply, I’m in Christmas-themed story heaven. (*whispers* This was my fourth Christmas-themed book this year. Yup, you read that correctly – no need to adjust your set!)
There wasn’t one thing I didn’t love about this book. I loved Esme, Joe and her whole crazy crew.
They say things happen in threes, and that is certainly true for Esme. Fired from her job, unceremoniously dumped by her pretentious BF (he’s a barsteward – know what I mean?), and as a result of said dumping, losing her home. Grrr! Someone hide the knives, Laura’s feeling stabby.
Yet, with the help of her colourful friends and family she may be down, but she is certainly not out.
There were so many stand out moments for me in this story where I was snort-giggling, none more so than in cheese scones/sausage roll scene. I was literally crying with laughter. One word: epic!
And don’t get me started on her mother. Hand on heart, I can see my own mother in Carol. I kid you not, the stories I could tell…
Then we have Joe. What is it about a bad boy being all grown up that turns us ladies into mush? *shakes head* Plus, add a few rough edges, vulnerability and broken pieces and we are a goner! *sighs*
Esme is definitely the foodie version of Bridget Jones. In fact, for me, SAMC was a little bit like Bridget Jones, Love Actually and The Holiday all wrapped up in one scrumptious package.
I forgot I was reading a story, I felt like I lived it with Esme.
This story has a little bit of everything, angst, romance, characters getting their just desserts (can I get a whoop-whoop?). All set against the backdrop of a quaint little cottage that was just waiting for life to breathed back into it once again.
Off with the old life, on to the new and better!
4.5stars
Esme’s crisis and gradual recovery is a lovely story. I grew fond of all of the characters except Leo, Veronica and Felicity (and I was not meant to like THEM, was I?). There’s some deep emotion here with Esme and Joe forced to face their fears and disappointments to reshape their lives for the better.
The writing is good and stays focused, the couple’s romance given extra complexity by Joe’s guilt over an important, past relationship, and the vlog segments are fun, even a bit zany! And, an element that added to my enjoyment was the author’s loving depiction of everyday people with little to offer but emotional support and unswerving love. It made for feel-good vibes that just got better as Christmas and all its trappings and gatherings approached.
Thanks to publisher HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I haven’t read anything by this author before but I definitely will again. I was hooked right away from the first few pages. Esme character is lovable and quirky and her network of friends and family that she has to rely on for support are hilarious . The rapport between her and joe is obvious to everyone but themselves. This was beautifully written and was heartwarming and entertaining at the same time. I would definitely recommend it
This was an absolutely delightful story and although there is some angst, there’s also lots of humor and it all just warmed my heart. I must say, I completely adored Esme’s mom, Carol, what a hoot she was!! This is a story about broken hearts, family, friends, and not being afraid to take a risk in life.
Every time Esme would blog about her granny’s recipes, I wanted to go try them out! lol They all sounded soooo delish and being that I love to cook and bake, it really had my interest at a peak. When she mentions how terrified she was of the pressure cooker, it brought back my own memories of being scared of it as well when my mom would use it!!!
I loved Joe as well, what a broken man he was until he and Esme met again. That one scene when he calls Clara’s mother, Siobhan, I was absolutely bawling. Such a touching moment in the book.
As for Esme’s friends, they were an absolute riot! We should all have close friends like that, that have your back. All in all, a wonderful story that takes place at Christmas time and oh yes….now I want to move into Mistletoe Cottage:)
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
A heartwarming festive read from the Queen of slow-burn romances.