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His Last Christmas Gift by Debra Borchert #Review

    His Last Christmas Gift by Debra Borchert will take you to a different country and season. It was published by Le Vin Press on 1st November 2025. Widowed, fired, and 50, Claire is one hot mess. This later in life romance hits like a snowball packed with grief and hope and mystery and the kind of second-chance that says, “I didn’t think I’d ever feel this again, and now I’m terrified, but… Hi.” Romance that’s frost melting off a windowpane. It’s “I forgot my heart could do this.” It’s love doesn’t have an expiration date. Twinkly lights, mulled wine and flaming crêpes so immerse you in Christmas markets—you’ll book a flight to France before the fares go up. A book club fiction favourite, Claire’s journey of self-discovery is perfect for fans of women’s fiction and stories about strong women over 50 navigating reinvention with inspiration, humour, with a delicious frosting of romance. “Give yourself the gift of a lush, romantic, French adventure and be swept away ...

Christmas Carols and a Cornish Cream Tea by Cressida McLaughlin #ReviewTheCornishCreamTeaSeriesBook5

 

Today I am delighted to feature the latest novel by Cressida McLaughlin, Christmas Carols and a Cornish Cream Tea. It was published byHarper Collins on November 25th. It is the fifth in her Cornish Cream Tea Series. 

 
All Meredith Verren has ever wanted is to escape the holiday season without having to wear a
Christmas jumper. Her new job at the cosy gift shop in a picturesque Cornish tourist spot is making it impossible for her to maintain her scrooge-like manner.

With their seasonal hampers on everyone’s wish list, Meredith must
paste on a smile and fake
some holiday cheer. Then she meets handsome new arrival, Finn, who wishes it could be Christmas every day and wants her to feel the same way too.

 Can she embrace the holly and the ivy before the decorations are packed away for another year?

My Thoughts

 I have loved this series and this fifth in the series is well up to standard. In this one, you move a little further away from Porthgolow, to the nearby Port Karadow and the stunning Charmed Cove. We concentrate on Meredith's story and the gorgeous Finn who she meets. I loved both of those characters, so I am really hoping that we meet up with them again in Book 6. This felt like perfect festive reading. Despite the fact that Meredith hates Christmas and everything associated with it, you still get a sense of the season and the beautiful Cornish setting which I am sure is sparkling away. 

   You do get to meet up again with Charlie and her Cornish Cream Tea Bus but there are lots of interesting characters who appear during the story. Crumble, Meredith's puppy, is delightful and adds a real homey feel to the story. Both Meredith and Finn have something to offer the other and, in some ways, seem to mature a little as the book develops. This is a warm, entertaining read which captures the season and leaves you wanting more.

In short: Can Meredith discover festive joy?

About the Author


Cressy was born in South East London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. She studied English at the University of East Anglia and now lives in Norwich with her husband David.

When she isn’t writing, Cressy spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.

You can follow Cressida here: Twitter |  Website   |  Instagram                                                            |  Facebook 

Book link: Amazon UK

Thanks to Cressida McLaughlin, Harper Collins and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.  

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