Now we are into October, festive reading is on the cards and I am delighted to welcome Christmas on Lily Pond Lane to the blog today. Lily Pond Lane has become familiar this year and you can read my reviews on earlier books in the series here: New Beginnings | Summer Secrets | Autumn Leaves | Trick or Treat.
Snow is falling in Little Pondale, lights are twinkling and
the smell of pine trees and roasting chestnuts fills the air …
But Mia Ward is in a bit of a jam. She’d planned to rent out
Corner Cottage for Christmas but thanks to best friend, Ella Swann, it’s
double-booked. Now Mia’s got to let one ‘party’ down, or find another cottage –
fast.
Best friends and single mums, Cathy Cole and Christy Franks
want their kids to have an old-fashioned Christmas. Ice-skating, carol singing,
making decorations, and tobogganing are on their list of festive fun and Little
Pondale is the perfect place. Especially as it has no mobile phone reception.
That will make it harder for Cathy to be found.
City banker, Leo Hardman is wondering if renting a cottage
for Christmas as an anniversary surprise for his parents, was such a good idea.
Little Pondale may be where his parents met, but his mum doesn’t seem pleased
to be back, and his brother, Hal isn’t happy that the village is so tiny and
only has one pub.
Meanwhile, Jenny Lake is settling in at her cousin’s bakery,
having left her (broken) heart in Florence, but Christmas was never her
favourite time of year. And Reverend Glen Fox has taken over at St Michael and
All Angels. He’s glad it’s a temporary post because village life is not for
him.
But luckily, for locals and visitors alike, there’s a
sleigh-load of Christmas magic heading for Lily Pond Lane; enough to put a
sparkle in everyone’s festive season. Although Christmas may not go quite as
each of them has planned.
My Thoughts
This standalone return to Lily Pond Lane is full of all things festive. It has all the sparkle and glitter of the Christmas season, with snow, reindeers, red coated visitors. Having read the Lily Pond Lane series, it was lovely to return there to see how they were all getting on. New characters are introduced with ease and are nicely linked in with parts of the community. It all feels so effortless. What a relaxing read!
Both the families who stay in Mia's cottages for the Christmas period have their own back stories and secrets to hide. They couldn't be more contrasting and it was interesting to see how they fit in with the villagers. Little Pondale has its own traditions and oddities and I thought the Wishing Tree was a great addition. This is a heart-warming read, full of humour and romance.
In short: Christmas sparkle at Little Pondale.
About the Author
Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily
returned to her home town of Hastings where she now spends her days writing...
and chatting on social media. Emily is a Member of the SoA, a PAN member of the
RWA and a Pro Member of ALLi. She's an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star.
Emily loves writing and her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and
a warmth to your heart.
Emily says, "I write about friendship, family and
falling in love. I believe in happy endings." When she isn't writing,
she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in
a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows.
Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she
dislikes anchovies - and will do anything to avoid both.
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