A wonderful read with charming characters and an engaging plot!! I look forward to reading more by this author.

This is an ok modern Christmas story full of love, hope and romance. Just the book to bring out your Christmas spirit.

I throughly enotes reading this book and found myself reading quicker but also not wanting the story to end either. I wouldn't hesitate in reading more by this author.

This story is about a mother, Anna, and her 7 year old son, Freddie, who house sit a Castle during the holidays. The little boy is looking for a new daddy for Christmas. In the meantime, the local town has flooded and Anna receives permission to allow some people to stay in the castle. The book revolves around their relationships and story of survival. Very exciting and enchanting story. The characters were all delightful and the writing made you feel as if you were in the castle with them. A light fast paced read which can be finished in one sitting. Who doesn’t love a book about a castle during the Christmas holiday? Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced reader’s copy.

A book of warmth and cosiness
A tale of hope and sadness.
A delightful Christmas read from a new author to me

A book of warmth and cosiness

A tale of hope and innocence

A boy who longs for a dad

A mother who is helpless & sad

A castle which is real and magical

A village which is sweet and helpful

Enter the three Luke, Julius, and Simon

Who amongst them, Anna's heart won

All Freddie has to choose&wish

All Anna has to do is blush

But Christmas is what Christmas does

Love and family is what magic does....

My first book by Minna Howard, and reading it made me long for December when the world is brighter and shinier. I read the book over the afternoon, and the glow that this story brought stayed with me right through.

Lovely characters, heartwarming story, some embarrassing moments made this book a joy to read. Hurt is a part of life, and healing is the way of life. And this story showed this beautifully. There may have been niggles, but who cared when there was magic in the heart.

Both Anna and Freddie stole my heart, they were sweet and innocent. I could feel Anna's pain at the loss of her husband and Freddie's longing for a daddy all for himself. But at the end of the day, love and life both find their own way. A cosy Christmassy read!!

I know a lot of people aren’t really thinking about Christmas yet as it’s still August but I have to say I have read some excellent books that are going to be released in 2018 and this is one of them!

I really enjoyed this story, it tugged at my heartstrings at times but it was ultimately a story that left me feel all warm and cosy inside. It is very well written, has a brilliant setting and some loveable characters.

The pace was spot on and it had just the right amount of detail for me, it kept me interested throughout and I read it in a few hours. It’s an easy book to read and has a genuinely enjoyable story.

4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it will be one I’m recommending!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a sweet, festive romance with a delightful seven year old boy wishing he could have a real, live Dad of his own for Christmas. Just wished I had read it in the winter time.

There's something delightfully old-fashioned about this story, which may not appeal to everyone at other times of the year but at Christmas and New Year, its unashamed sentimentality hits the mark.

It's a simple story of a widow and her young son, house-sitting at a castle over the festive period with a charming cast of villagers and plenty of adventures. It took me a while to get into this story, but once I did, I liked it.

Freddie's wish for a father is transparent and leads to a few embarrassing incidents and tears for his mother, Annie. In the spirit of the season, Freddie's gets his Christmas wish, even if it happens a little later than expected.

I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Lovely christmas story.
Freddie has told his mum that all he wants for christmas is a dad of his own.

Anna and Freddie are staying in a castle over Christmas - there are several new men in their lives, but can any of them be the dad Freddie is hoping for?

This is a sweet, festive romance with a delightful seven year old boy wishing he could have a real, live Dad of his own for Christmas! His Mum was tragically widowed before Freddie was born and is bringing him up in London. When they're given to opportunity to help out by spending the festive season in a real castle they jump at the opportunity, though Anna is wary in case Freddie tells anyone what he really wants for Christmas!

This is a story of a close knit community, a natural disaster, working together and new opportunities. In their temporary home, Anna and Freddie meet Simon, Luke and Julius, all of whom could potentially help Freddie have his dream Christmas present but there will be oodles of water under - and over - the bridge during this dramatic festive read before there will be any possibility of a HEA for this mother and son.

There are brilliant characters in this emotional read, including many of the secondary characters. I really enjoyed reading it and hope there will be future books in this setting as so many others there also deserve their own HEA, too! I'll be looking out for more by this author in future as her writing flows, immersing the reader in the story - and if you read the book you'll realise the significance of that wording! I recommend this family story to anyone who enjoys close knit communities, great characters and a child who hopes his dreams will come true.

I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

I love Christmas novels. I especially like the ones which leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling - like this one.

Anna and her son Freddie, all of seven years old, are all on their own. Given the opportunity of house-sitting over the Christmas period - and a castle of all places - Anna makes the decision to get out of London and let Freddie experience some country air. They arrive to find that the castle provides most of the local employment, one way and another, and soon settle in, making friends within the community. Freddie's main Christmas wish is to have his very own Dad and Anna lives in fear of his mentioning this to any and all single men in the vicinity.

This is a very appealing book; Anna is a warm caring character who, quite rightly, always puts her young son first. Freddie is a typical young lad, eager to make friends and play. The book cover is fabulous, very Christmassy! The peripheral characters are all well formed and there is a lovely storyline, resulting in a nice warm read. Although I enjoyed all aspects of the novel, I did feel that - for me - the conclusion came a bit rapidly and the story could have been fleshed out in various parts. It's still a very pleasant Christmas read, and ideal for the festive season.

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy and for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

The Blurb :
House-sitting in a castle over Christmas is a dream come true for Anna and her seven-year-old son Freddie. But there's one Christmas present Freddie wants more than anything, and it's the one thing Anna can't give him – his very own dad. As Anna settles into her new surroundings and a much slower pace of life, she is soon befriended by the local villagers and the castle workforce who provide a welcome distraction.
Before even a Christmas cracker is pulled, Freddie shows a eager interest in the castle workforce; green-fingered Simon, salt of the earth Luke and charming castle manager Julius. Could one of them make Freddie's Christmas wish come true and repair Anna's broken heart?

My Thoughts :
Anna and her 7 year old son Freddie have left London for the festive period to house sit Norbrook Castle in the country. Its what every child dreams of but for Freddie his Christmas wish is to have a dad. Sadly his dad passed away in a car accident before he was born and now Freddie feels he is missing out and wants a father figure. The local villagers make them feel welcome as does the staff that are still about in the Castle. When a flood destroys some of the village, the Castle becomes the safe haven and Anna is about to share her stay with more than just her son and his Hamster.
Will any of the Castle workers Simon, Luke and Julius fit the bill for Freddie’s wish or do they have baggage of their own to deal with.
A lovely setting of a Castle especially at Christmas time. Minna Howard has given vivid descriptions that will be a real delight for the festive period, and put you right there in the heart of the story. Best read with a hot chocolate in hand.

Anna and Daisy drove to the castle Daisy’s aunt and uncle were at. Anna was to decide if she would come and stay here for the month while Daisy’s Aunt Philly and Uncle Sidney could go to Boston for a vacation. Anna had a seven year old son Freddie’s whose dad-Gary had died before he was born. Freddie really wanted to stay at the castle for the month so after seeing it Anna decided to go ahead and agree to stay there. It would be Christmas time at the castle which was an emotional time for Anna. Anna was determined to give Freddie the best time she could. To actually live in the castle would be incredible and would give Freddie a Christmas he would never forget. Philly had explained Christmas was a quiet time at the castle other than a possible wedding or filming. But if Anna and Freddie couldn’t stay a whole month Philly said she would come back from Boston early. They were hopefully leaving December 19th and would be back January 18th. Anna works at a school and Freddie would be back a little late for school and Anna from work. But Anna only worked part time and could easily catch up with her private coaching. But a month in the country would be a good break for Freddie and Anna. Philly had a couple of people that worked on the estate -Cathy and Luke. Luke is very friendly and told Anna they were a friendly crowd working on the estate. A lot of Christmas celebrating and her and Freddie were welcome. Freddie wanted to come here and Anna wasn’t going to disappoint him. Freddie had three godmothers- Daisy, Francy, and Grania and when Grania jokingly asked Freddie what he wanted them to get him for Christmas Freddie seriously answered her with a dad. Luke brought a Christmas tree into the castle that had been grown on the estate. Then he listed the others who helped run the castle and its estate - there was Simon who was in charge of the grounds, Tessa and Nell who did all the administrative work, who had an office in the castle but were only there during the day. Right now Nell and Tessa were away on vacation and would return soon. The last person he mentioned and he said was the most important was Julius who runs everything who was away skiing. There was a flood that destroyed parts of the village and the neighbors came together. After the flood and a few days before Christmas the only really dry place is the castle so the villagers became Anna’s and Freddie’s roommates and they will all spend Christmas together. There are at least three men that could fill Freddie’s Christmas wish.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, easy, sweet read. Although at Times I was annoyed with Anna as she seemed to have some problems making decisions. I loved the villagers and how they all came together in the time of the flood and the aftermath including the villagers coming to the castle to stay. There is some repetition I didn't enjoy and this did drag at times. I liked the author’s description of the countryside and the castle itself and I could picture both in my mind’s eye. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.

What a lovely read this book was, a solid 4/5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Dad Of His Own was a delightful, light-hearted read about seven year old Freddie whose Christmas wish is for a dad following the loss of his own prior to his birth. Freddie and mum, Anna, agree to 'house-sit' a castle, yes a castle! This takes place over the festive season and along the way Anna makes some new friends and, following a disaster, comes together with the local community to ensure Christmas is not totally ruined.

As well as some love interests and potential suitors for Anna I also enjoyed reading about her friendships with Lucy and Mattie who sounded delightful with her love of hats! I was not sure who Anna would potentially end up with until well over halfway through and I appreciated this aspect as it added another level of intrigue.

Finally I was hooked from the synopsis when I realised the setting would include a castle. Who doesn't love a castle right? The descriptions of both interior and exterior were superb and made me want to visit! I'd definitely like to re-visit Northbrook and it's charming characters again.

This book is released today (21/08/18) and I'd definitely recommend it for a cheerful read, especially as we head into autumn.

My many thanks to Aria and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

For Anna and Freddie it is definitely going to be a different Christmas this year, away from family and housesitting at a castle. For seven year old Freddie it is a dream come true but the one thing that he wants for Christmas is a dad of his own as his own father died before he was born........with three hunky men working at the castle, Simon, Luke and Julius will his dream come true?

A great light read with lots of lovely characters, I especially liked Mattie and her hats! The storyline was pretty predictable but it didn't really matter, it was the setting of the castle and the village community working there and supporting it that made the book

Delighted to get an early copy of this book from net galley in exchange for a honest review
Setting the scene for a fabulous Christmas in a wonderful castle in England Anna and young Freddie are looking after a Castle over the festive period so her friends can go on holiday
A Dad of his Own takes us on a journey with young Freddie looking for a new dad for his fabulous mum Anna,freddie's quite happy with uncles etc but just not the same
Along this wonderful journey they become friends with the locals where the castle is situated friendships are made but does he find a dad of his own read this fabulous book packed full of sheer Christmas delighted can highly recommend this wonderful book

A lovely romace that makes you feel good. It’s heartwarming, moving, and entertaining. I loved The characters and the setting.
The plot was lovely and would perfect on a winter afternoon.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to Aria and Netgalley for this arc

I liked this story. My only issue was how quickly the romance part of this came together. One dinner and wham. It really felt out of place along with the rest of the book.

You guys. It's begun. Christmas stories are starting to be published and - honestly? I'm here for it. The first for me, this season, is one that promises to be both magical, comforting and emotional and, you know... If that isn't just what I needed from a Christmas story... My review for Minna Howard's A Dad of His Own!

I was given this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

The story
House-sitting in a castle over Christmas is a dream come true for Anna and her seven-year-old son Freddie. But there's one Christmas present Freddie wants more than anything, and it's the one thing Anna can't give him – his very own dad. As Anna settles into her new surroundings and a much slower pace of life, she is soon befriended by the local villagers and the castle workforce who provide a welcome distraction.

Before even a Christmas cracker is pulled, Freddie shows a eager interest in the castle workforce; green-fingered Simon, salt of the earth Luke and charming castle manager Julius. Could one of them make Freddie's Christmas wish come true and repair Anna's broken heart?

At the most magical time of the year, everyone needs a Christmas miracle if they're to make it to Christmas Day...

The opinion
So the starting point from this book is the MC's son Freddie going

"Charlie at school has two daddies, he said I could have one of his, but I want one all of my own."

And then Anna spends the next 200 pages freaking out every time Freddie opens his mouth just in case he might mention that to anyone. Which - honestly... Would that really be so bad? I did feel like Anna overreacted at least  a bit - until her best friends came along and made it very clear that they had made it their life's goal to make Freddie's wish come true. Woops. Not overreacting so much after all!

Now, the positives. First of all, I absolutely loved that there was this little bit of prejudice towards just about all of the characters. Anna is 100% relatable in that she makes assumptions on people based on what she hears from others. And then, you know... Might take a while to actually get over those preconceived notions? (Although, and I do feel I have to mention this, in the end she seems to have no trouble at all making decisions fast, if you know what I mean ;) )

I also really liked the way Freddie and especially Mattie, one of the older village people, were sketched out. In general, I feel like the characters were given just enough background, a good amount of separate story lines, ...

That last bit holds true especially for the secondary romance-plot involving one of Anna's best friend. I mean, Anna basically had "her pickings" from 2 or 3 men, so I have to admit I was hoping for some different types on resolution on that front - and I was not disappointed.

A final big plus for me, were the descriptions. I honestly felt like I knew what the castle and the village looked like. I felt for the villagers after the flood. And I loved Lucy and her family and her business, ... Minna Howard did an excellent job making the scenery come to life.

At the same time, though, some of the writing seemed - at times - very stiff. There were sentences that ran on for ages (punctuation is your friend, and yes, I know this sounds rich coming from me, but then again: if even I think the phrases are a bit on the long side...).

What annoyed me more, though, was that the discourse seemed very stiff at some points. I actually took a note at one point that just said: "what even is human interaction?".  I think the simplest way to explain it is that sometimes the characters speak as if they're a written character. Does that make sense? Like, I know this is a written text, obviously, but when your characters are speaking, that should sound natural. At times, their lines sounded more like just that: lines that had been rehearsed for a play, or something.

The rating: 2.75/5
I really did enjoy this book overall as well as the characters that it built up. The scenery was honestly so beautiful, I kind of want to go visit the castle now? I do feel that the discourse could have used some more thought - actually, maybe it's just a matter that too much thought was put into it ;) If that, and long phrases don't bother you however? If you feel like you need a bit of a romantic castle escape? Then A Dad of His Own might just be the book for you! (Goodreads)

-Saar