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'Tis the (damn) Season by Fiona Gibson #Review

  Festive reads continue with Fiona Gibson's 'Tis the (damn) Season, published by Boldwood Books.   This year, their families can deck the bloody halls themselves... Old friends Shelley, Lena and Pearl have reached their limit with the festive preparation that has always fallen to them, and five days before Christmas, they’ve booked a mini break… without their families. Up until Christmas Eve, they’ll be sipping prosecco in the Highlands while their kids wrap bacon around 100 chipolatas and their partners brave the supermarkets. It’s exactly what they need… until they’re snowed in. Facing the prospect of Christmas 500 miles from home, each woman is forced to confront her real reasons for needing to escape: the fiance with the obnoxious family; the son’s new girlfriend who is taking over their home; the family who take their mother for granted all year round… Will the friends make it home before Christmas day? And if they do, can they really go back to their old lives?

Daisy's Christmas Gift Shop by Hannah Pearl #Review


I am delighted to be featuring Daisy's Christmas Gift Shop on the blog today, on the first day of its festive blog tour. 
 
Struggling to find the perfect Christmas gift? Step into Romantic Daze … 


Daisy Kirk is a sucker for a love story, which is why she opened up her gift shop – because there’s nothing that makes Daisy happier than when she’s helped a customer achieve their own ‘happily ever after’ by finding the perfect Christmas gift for their loved one. And she absolutely does not just sell ‘soppy presents and frilly pants’ as her brother’s infuriating best friend, Eli, is so fond of suggesting.  


The sad fact is that whilst Daisy is helping others with their love lives, hers is non-existent. But when unusual circumstances take Daisy and Eli on a road trip from London to rural Wales, will she finally get the happily ever after to her own Christmas love story? 


My Thoughts

This festive read is great fun with its varied cast of characters and amusing moments. Daisy herself is a likeable and sympathetic character who is a kind and thoughtful central character. Her shop reflects her personality and her desire to make people happy. Daisy's customers in the shop are a delight and bring out her kindness. Her relationship with her brother rings true and I like the way his character is slowly revealed to us. He has challenges in his life but at work, these are turned into positives.

    Another strength of the book is the pacing of the story. It moves through at a good speed and this kept me reading and anticipating what was going to happen next. Full of the happiness of the season, this is a book which welcomes you in with that feelgood feeling. 

In short: Fun and festive
      
About the Author




Hannah Pearl was born in East London. She is married with two children and now lives in Cambridge.

She has previously worked as a Criminology researcher, as a Development Worker with various charities and even pulled a few pints in her time.



In 2015 she was struck down by Labrynthitis, which left her feeling dizzy and virtually housebound. She has since been diagnosed with ME. Reading has allowed Hannah to escape from the reality of feeling ill. She read upwards of three hundred books during the first year of her illness. When her burgeoning eReader addiction grew to be too expensive, she decided to have a go at writing. In 2017 she won Simon and Schuster's Books and the City #heatseeker short story competition, in partnership with Heat magazine, for her short story The Last Good Day.

Hannah is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association.

You can follow Hannah here: Blog   |  Twitter

Book links: Kindle UK  |  Kindle US   |  Apple Books   |  Nook  

Thanks to Hannah Pearl, Ruby Fiction and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

                                                               Follow the rest of the tour!


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