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A New Life in Amsterdam by Helga Jensen #Review #PublicationDay

  Helga Jensen's latest novel,  A New Life in Amsterdam  is published today on October 9th by Hera Books.    Could down-sizing her life mean up-sizing her dreams? Since her daughter grew up and left home, Sandy has found herself filling her house with things - impulse purchases that she just has to have but that quickly lose their sheen. Why would she need an expensive set of copper pans when she has no one to cook for? Realising that her shopping habit is out of control, she asks herself: can she de-clutter, downsize and start a new life? She has always wanted to live on a barge, and she reasons that there is no way she would have room for random purchases on a boat. Taking the bravest decision of her life, Sandy buys and refurbishes a barge in the beautiful city of Amsterdam. Relishing her independence, she is not looking for love, but as the nights draw in and the leaves start to fall from the trees, she finds herself drawn to cafe owner and exper...

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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