That Festive Feeling by Heidi Swain #Review

 

As festive reading goes, we have a novel by one of the Queens of the genre. That Festive Feeling by Heidi Swain was published by Simon & Schuster UK  on 12 Oct. 2023.

 
Holly has the place to herself this Christmas. It’s not her place, though – she is house-sitting for friends who live on Nightingale Square – just there to keep the place warm and cosy and only for long enough for her to sort her life out. Newly single and finding herself unsure about next steps for her career, she plans to hunker down and make some life decisions.

To clear her mind, she sets off on early morning walks around a nearby lake and bumps into May, an older lady who is also new to the area, and her dapper Dachshund Monty. Quickly, a firm friendship blossoms. Then when Holly meets Bear, a rather large and rather attractive man, at the local pub, and his rescue dog Queenie, her stay at Nightingale Square suddenly feels even more appealing.

As the community comes together for the season’s festivities, Holly must start thinking about where her life will take her next. Some big decisions need to be made, but distractions close to home make thinking about the future more tricky than ever…

Will she get that festive feeling this Christmas…?

My Thoughts

This was a pleasure to read from start to finish. The community around Nightingale Square were as welcoming as ever and the new characters blended in well. There were so many humorous moments stemming from the characters and their animals that you could see how Holly, against her better judgment, couldn’t resist becoming involved. The run up to Christmas was described just right, with arrangements getting more and more complicated, just as Christmas seems to get. 

    Holly just wants to keep herself to herself at the beginning and to try to make sense of the changes there have been in her life. She comes to value the family you can choose for yourself but struggles to accept that she will not at some time in her future be rejected. She needs to make some big decisions on how her life and career are going to be in the future. This is a lovely festive read which delivers on all fronts, characters, plot and romance.

In short: a perfect festive read

 

About the Author

 

Heidi lives in beautiful south Norfolk with her family and a mischievous cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading.

Her TBR pile is always out of control!

You can follow Heidi here: X (Twitter) 

 

Book link: Amazon UK  

Thanks to Heidi Swain, Simon and Schuster and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

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