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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 ...

Someone Like You by Sandy Barker #Review

 

We are returning to the Ever After Agency for another entertaining romcom, with a festive twist, by Sandy Barker. Someone Like You was published by Boldwood Books on November 12th. You can read my reviews of Match Me If You Can here and  The One That I Want here.

What do you do when you realise you've fallen for your best friend, but he sees you as the sister he never had? And to make things worse, you're stuck in the middle of a matchmaking scheme to find him someone else!

Best friends Gaby and Raff are inseparable and know each other inside out. But with Raff's string of disastrous relationships and his newfound fame as Britain’s Best Baker, it's time to enlist the Ever After Agency to help him find true love.

At first, Gaby is all in – Raff is a catch, after all. But as she secretly helps to find his perfect match, she’s hit with unexpected pangs of jealousy. And before she can act on her feelings, Raff falls for one of his dates.

Can Gaby keep her emotions in check, or will she risk ruining their friendship to find out if Raff feels the same way?

Set in London and Seattle, this romantic and festive romcom is perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Mhairi McFarlane and Lindsey Kelk.


 My Thoughts

I always enjoy this series of books about the Ever After Agency and their quest to align hopefuls with their perfect match. They can be read as a standalone, but you find familiar characters cropping up and it is always good to know their back story. There are plenty of nods to the romcom genre. In this case, it's the 'meet-cute' trope as Raff is lined up with different possible matches without him knowing it. Through it all, we have his best friend, Gaby, who isn't finding the process as comfortable as she'd like. As her true feelings emerge, you are left trying to second guess Raff, who comes over as a thoroughly eligible and likeable young man.

    As Christmas approaches, the action moves from London to Seattle where celebrations are in full swing for Gaby's family, with a cousin's wedding coming up. In the midst is her heart-broken sister.  As the snow falls, you are treated to a beautiful festive scene and a rather torn Gaby whose feelings can't be denied. Touching base with Poppy back at the Agency, you have an outsider's view on the dynamics at play. Full of humour but also touching moments, it feels like a celebration of love, family and friendship.

In short: Can friends turn to lovers?

About the Author


I’m a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic, and am currently on a one-year sabbatical with my partner, Ben, living and writing across the world.

As a traveller, I love exploring new places, outdoor adventures, and eating and drinking like a local, and many of my travel adventures have found homes in my novels.

You can follow Sandy here:  Twitter

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 Purchase Links   

 

Thanks to Sandy Barker, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.  

 

Check out the rest of the tour!


 

 

 

 


Comments

  1. I liked this one too! I enjoyed the change of scenery from London to Seattle, and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Many thanks for being on the tour. Really glad you enjoyed the read.

    ReplyDelete

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