Member Reviews

No One Cancels Christmas by Zara Stoneley is a contemporary romance set during the holiday season. In this story Sarah is working at the travel agency owned by her aunt when she gets a complaint letter from a client that The Shooting Star Mountain resort was not what they were told it would be.

Sarah had already had several other complaints so she gets the idea that she will travel up to Canada to the resort and find out just what is going on with the business before the agency loses clients recommending the vacation destination. Once Sarah arrives at the resort she meets the owners Will Armstrong and realizes her job may be harder then she thought when he gives Scrooge a run for his money.

No One Cancels Christmas is one of those books that had me chuckling on the opening pages during the letters to Sarah then her response to Will. I knew right then I would be in for a hilariously good time reading this story. Once Sarah heads to the resort you find all kinds of Christmas fun involved as she tries to whip the place into the magical destination she remembers. Both characters show growth through the story and deal with some personal issues as they also grow close to one another but it never loses it’s humorous vibe along the way that kept the pages turning for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Sarah runs a travel agency with her aunt and has to deal with dissatisfied customers and holiday resorts who refuse to uphold their end of the bargain. The owner of The Shooting Star is snarky, unhelpful and completely unwilling to tow the line or Sarah’s line.

Returning to The Shooting Star Mountain resort isn’t an easy feat for Sarah. It’s where she lost her parents or rather the place she remembers being the end of one life and the beginning of another. It isn’t the warm, cosy place she has in her head. Instead she finds the resort lacking a caring hand and a loving touch.

The owners are two handsome brothers, one of them a carefree playboy and the other is competing to win the title of Scrooge of the century. Bah Humbug doesn’t even come close to Will’s attitude towards Christmas.

It’s a funny and loving story about a young woman who rediscovers her love of Christmas and finds someone to share this love with. It’s about moving on from a traumatic past and finding comfort and peace in the future.

Stoneley reminds me of Sarah Morgan. She has a great sense of humour, which she combines with emotional scenarios and memorable characters. The result is the kind of romcom everyone talks about and recommends to their friends. Sassy chat and impulsive passionate encounters is what makes this an addictive read. Add a little joy to the world and Xmas cheer and you have the perfect Christmas read.

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For some people Christmas can bring back unhappy memories and that’s true for both the main characters in this story. However, Sarah still looks on it as a magical time of year and is determined that the festive season won’t be ruined for clients of her travel agency won’t have their Christmas holiday ruined by Will Armstrong at the Shooting Star Mountain resort. She remembers a fantastic childhood holiday there with her parents and aunt and is determined to discover why the resort is having such dreadful reviews now. It is the first time she’s returned there, unearthing memories, facing up to the events which followed that holiday and proving determined to help Will and Ed turn the resort once more into a place remembered for the right reasons – even if they aren’t keen on her help! Can she really help them? Can she face up to her own past and help Will move on to a happier future? Will love help them both heal?

Set mainly in Canada, in a mountainous winter wonderland, this is a story with everything from snowboarding, skiing, huskies, hunks, paparazzi, Christmas, blizzards, snowmobiles to secrets, surprises and love. It is great to see how Sarah, Will and Ed’s attitudes and behaviour change and develop through the story. It has characters from other books by this author but still works well as a standalone. Two of the extra characters I particularly liked were Poppy and Rosie – you’ll just have to read it for yourself to find out more about them and to see why I liked them so much. It is a great heartwarming, festive read, just right curl up and read during inclement weather, whatever the season.

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

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This is the first Zara Stoneley's book that I've read and it was such and adventure. I sometimes don't feel like reading a RomCom, because I have to be in the mood, but when I read the blurb and saw the Christmas-y touch, I know I had to read this book and celebrate the release day with my honest review.

That been said, it was a love story, but it was also this fun journey with so much humor and funny moments between characters that it made the book enjoyable to read. The kind of book I would read anytime after a long tiring day, in bed with Nala (my cat) as a my reading companion, and some warm blankets around me. And that's what I did, actually.

Despite all the fun I had with the interactions between Sarah and all the other characters (especially Will), there was some mysteries and twist and turns that made the book unexpected and not just a romance comedy. And that unexpected element of the book was what made me even more intrigued.

So, yeah... It was a book about love, loss, searching for ourselves, our happiness, but it was also this interactive book in a way. Sarah was relatable and real character that made me feel like I was involved in the story. Well... the author's writing style was what made it possible for me to get involved in the book and story, and really cheer for the characters and wonder about their secrets and their future.

Do I recommend the book? Yes! Let's start this Christmas-y adventure and by doing that, let's get more Christmas related book... and more of Zara Stoneley's books so I can laugh some more, and fall in love with the stories and characters like I did in this novel.

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Well I managed to hold out until October for my first Christmas read of the year but what an absolutely brilliant one to start off with! Zara Stoneley has written a fun and festive romantic comedy that had me in stitches on one page but then in tears the next! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!

”Tis the season to be jolly apparently but it looks like Will Armstrong didn’t get the memo! When Sarah starts to get complaints from clients of her travel agency about the lack of “happy holiday” Christmas charm at The Shooting Star Mountain Resort, she decides to visit herself to see if she can get to the bottom of the problem. But her emails to the gorgeous owner haven’t revealed the whole truth about the situation at the ranch and when Sarah arrives there are more shocks in store than even she had been expecting. Can she save her own happy memories of her childhood Christmas and create a few more “adult” ones as well?!

I adored No One Cancels Christmas! It’s such a heartwarming read that it immensely made me want to bake mince pies and rush out to buy Baileys so I could make my very special Christmas hot chocolate! If ever there was a book that made you wish for a white Christmas then it’s this one! Sarah and Will were relatable and personable plus they had PLENTY of chemistry! And there was a whole host of supporting characters who also brought this book to life, with my own personal favourite being Poppy who we meet on the flight to Canada and who brought a huge smile to my face with her cheeky antics!

There is so much to love about this book and it has definitely put me in festive mood already! Beautifully written with unexpected plot twists that gave an emotional punch to my heart, I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of this merry mayhem! Bring on the snow!

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A wonderful winter romance, with some holiday cheer sprinkled in!

This book was stuffed full of everything you want from a winter romance... a beautiful snowy setting, A warm inviting ranch, snowboarding, dogsleds, hot chocolate, and hot guys! OK well at first the ranch wasn’t so inviting and the hot guy was pretty grumpy, but...

Sarah, Sam’s BFF from “ The Wedding Date“.... A book you don’t need to read to enjoy this one, but I strongly recommend it’s super fun! Sarah is a travel agent who has been sending her clients to The Shooting Star Mountain Ranch, for the perfect white Christmas....But after complaints start coming in and she begins emailing the grumpy ranch owner she takes it upon herself to travel to Canada and show Mr. grinch what Christmas is all about... but after meeting Mr. grinch A.k.a. Will, Sarah sees that he has been hurt and there is more to him than what is on the surface... so what has made Will’s heart two sizes too small? And will Sarah be able to melt his frozen heart? Or the bigger question, does she even want to?

A festive story that will make you laugh, that will make you smile, that will put you in the holiday mood... it really was these characters that made this good story so fantastic! I adored Sarah I loved her spunk and her spirit and her tenacity....Will was a really good guy underneath that layer of ice, really the kind of guy you’d want your daughter to marry.... his brother Ed was a wonderful Colorful character, Who made me giggle more than once! Once again I loved, loved, loved, the friendship between Sarah and Sam.... and Sam’s mom Ruth stole every scene she was in, there was one scene in this book where she had me in tears! Really the perfect enemies to lovers story, one of my all-time favorite tropes! I certainly hope this is not the last book with these characters, I really and truly have enjoyed them and I’m not ready to say goodbye!

Absolutely recommend to anyone who loves a good winter romance that is festive and fun!💚❤️💚

*** A huge thank you to Harper Impulse for my copy of this book ***

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I love Zara's books! They are always funny, sweet, a little saucy and loads of fun! This is no exception! No One Cancels Christmas is a fabulous festive treat! Set in the Canadian wilderness, it's a story of love, loss, heartache, soul searching, independence and finding happiness.

Sarah is such a relatable character. Having been let down by her parents when she was young and being brought up by her Aunty Lynn, she cherishes their holiday traditions. But when things take a turn for the weird, she makes a rash decision to jet off to Canada to try and fix a, now ailing, once loved, holiday inn. She has never spent the holidays apart from her beloved Aunt and soon begins to regret the decision as the place holds memories of her parents Sarah isn't sure she wants to revisit.

When she arrives and meets owners Will and Ed, Sarah realises she has her work cut out for her. One brother is cold and aloof, the other is hot to trot and is vying for Sarah's affections from the off. Will one of them make Sarah forget about the pain from her childhood and give her a Christmas to remember?

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Congratulations Zara on a fabulous festive read! I absolutely Loved it! (I just knew I would!)

The main character is Sarah who works at her Aunt Lynn's travel agents along with her best friend Sam. Now if you have read Zara’s other book ‘The Wedding Date’ (and if you haven’t, then where have you been! You need to order it now it’s soooooo good!!!) but if you have read it you will recognise Sam, I nearly jumped up and down when I saw that Sam was featured. I absolutely adore when authors include past characters, it’s like catching up with an old friend finding out how they are doing and what they are up to.

Now, we all know that no Christmas story is complete without a Scrooge or a Grinch... in walks Will Armstrong, new owner of the Shooting Star Mountain Resort and I must add the hottest Scrooge I’ve ever read about!! After complaints come flooding through, bad reviews of frosty welcomes and Christmas festivities being non existence Sarah decides its her obligation to visit the resort and stay there herself and try to convince Will to bring back the Christmas magic that was once there long ago when Sarah last stayed as a child.

I really enjoyed reading about Sarah, such a fun and outgoing character. Zara always has this ability to create such lovely characters that are realistic and loveable. Characters that feel like life long friends that stay with you even after finishing the book. Even characters that show up briefly or have a small part have a back story that help build the plot. One of my favs has to be Ruth! What a hoot she is!

Getting back to the story, can Sarah hold onto her fond memories of the place and help bring festive cheer to save Christmas for the holiday makers staying at the Shooting Star Mountain Resort, or will he be forever a humbug?!

I loved reading the scenes between Sarah and Will, they both have some hidden secrets from their past that have brought them to the place they are now. I loved the bond that develops between them and how close they become to trust and open up to one another, the humour and sarcastic comments between them were spot on. Look out for some festive Zumba! Ha!

I’ll admit I couldn't guess where the story was heading, With quite a few surprises, twists and turns throughout it certainly kept you on your toes and kept me glued to the book for the last few chapters. Isn’t that just the best thing about reading a good book, being so involved in the story that just for a while it can make you forget the real world, work, chores oh the dreaded ironing can wait!

I really hope there is a follow on or Sarah is featured in another book because I’m nosey and I just want to know what she’s up to now! Ha!

This book is the perfect festive read, lots of fun, humour, family, love and friendship it has everything! It even has M&S mince pies (who leaves home without them!) Well done Zara! It was a pleasure to read 'No One Cancels Christmas'!

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No One Cancels Christmas is the second book I’ve read by Zara Stoneley the previous being The Wedding Date and although I enjoyed this read it want as good as the first one I’d read. This is a 3.5 stars rounded up as although it has me laughing in places and the ending was good and the reveals in the last quarter of the book were also good it just lacked something, I think the lead character could have been better and the first half of the book almost felt rushed to me.
The book has everything you associate with Christmas eg, snow, food, good looking man, grumpy man with a secret, friendship and love. It does have a few good twists that makes it enjoyable it’s just that the bar was probably set so high because of the wedding date that I think there was nowhere else to go but down.
A different and great storyline but just lacking something.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperImpulse and Killer Reads for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

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In "No One Cancels Christmas", a new festive book by Zara Stoneley that brings back some of the characters from her previous novel "The Wedding Date" but is another stand - alone, we are introduced to Sarah, running her aunt's travel agency. Following some very bad reviews of one of their resorts, the Shooting Star Mountain in Canada, that promises atmospheric, unforgettable Christmas but, as it turns out, the only thing they offer are cold cabins and no Christmas tree, Sarah decides to fly over to check the situation. Some of Sarah's most painful, but also most beautiful, memories are connected with this resort. Will she be able to leave her past behind? And to bring back the resort's high and established reputation?

As always, Zara Stoneley presents us with the most gorgeous descriptions of the characters and the setting. I love Canada and it is my biggest dream to travel there one day, and so I couldn't be happier to read a book set in there, and even more during Christmas, and the author has done me proud with her vivid descriptions - I could easily picture the landscape covered in snow, the mountains, the snow crunching under your feet and the sun shining.

The characters were all full of live and they were really easy to like - even though it took me some time to get used to Sarah, to be honest. I think she didn't start in this story too promising, I'm not sure why, I can't put my fingers on it, she just felt too childish for me, but she's developed through the novel and I simply adored her enthusiasm and passion, her spontaneity and her bossy ways around the brothers.
Ed has made me feel desperate, though there were tons of charm to him, and yes, I could understand the fascination all the women felt when in his company. His brother Will, the grumpy one, the Grinch, was his total opposite but guys, believe me, you could immediately see that there is so much more to him than meet the eye at first, and I was impatiently waiting to discover what has happened to make him behave like this. He had a great sense of humour, though, our Will, the emails exchange between him and Sarah were absolutely brilliant.
Sarah and Will worked together brilliantly but there wasn't this sparkle between them that would make me go weak at my knees and all swoony - I am probably spoiled by reading so many books where the chemistry is so well captured - although I am not saying that it wasn't great. It was, but for me it missed the final touch, and the switch from enemies to lovers happened too sudden for my liking and made it feel a little bit unbelievable.

After Sarah's friends arrived in Canada the story slowed down for me and wasn't as entertaining. Yes, there were still some great and hilarious scenes but it started to feel a little too flat and dragging on, especially the blossoming romance. But, having said that, I can assure you that this book was a fantastic, festive read and it brought me tons of joy - it was one of Zara Stoneley's best stories, to be honest.
It was full of romance that felt even more romantic because of the gorgeous surroundings. The writing style was so, so good, easy to follow, light and inviting, so really, the book has it all - festive mood, gorgeous, wintery landscapes, some lovely huskies and cheeky cat, moody and broody men and brilliant winter Shooting Star Mountain resort in Canada, a quirky and bouncy leading character, was full of hilarious scenes and has a depth - what more would you want? Nothing - exactly! Just grab "No One Cancels Christmas" as soon as it's out because I am sure you're guys are all going to love it - it's full of warmth, hope, snow and humour. Recommended!

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I was looking forward to a light, fun, romantic holiday read that made me laugh out loud. Please be aware that this review contains spoilers!!!

Sarah, a travel agent in a boutique travel agency in England, finds that one of her former top rated destination holidays attracts more and more complaints. With busy Christmas time ahead she wants to make sure that it doesn’t go downhill any further and so she finds herself flying to the winter resort in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Confronting new owner Will with a list of complaints, she volunteers her own time to help out and create a Christmas wonderland.

I struggled to get into the story and would have liked to have the actual trip-part of the book to have featured more. I love strong, determined and intelligent heroines in my books. Unfortunately, in this case I found myself not really relating or caring for the heroine. While she has some great intentions and successes, I found her somewhat naive, contradictory, and perfectly describing herself with her own words “I wasn’t thinking.” There was a time she couldn’t understand that someone doesn’t like to have a picture of themselves taken and does it against they explicit wishes. She claimed to have spent a lot of time researching Will, yet didn’t find out he’s famous. She took off into the Rocky Mountains, a terrain she doesn’t know, on her own in the middle of winter, off track, and without a phone and food, also not checking for avalanches or other weather concerns.

The hero, Will, is intriguing and someone I would have loved to got to know better. While we got glimpses of his background and motivations, a dual 1st POV or 3rd POV may have worked better for less repetitive thoughts by Sarah and more depth on the other characters.

There are points in the story I wished would have been researched more and/ or handled differently.
Having grown up in the area and even explaining how dangerous the Rocky Mountains are, I don’t understand how Will did not involve mountain rescue asap when he realized there was a distinct and urgent need for it. It still would have worked as part of the story.

For any business, even if it’s or especially if it’s a family business, they would need to see that they can deliver on what they promised, especially if that business is struggling and already understaffed. I don’t see how they can justify giving all the their employees extra time off. I’ve worked in the hotel and tourism industry for years in different locations and employers. All holidays, especially Christmas, were always sore spots as everyone wanted time off and eventually you either left the industry or celebrated at alternative dates and organized your life around accordingly. As part of the story, a great team activity with everyone pulling together, would have made it more authentic and created a perfect atmosphere in the community.

Also, I’ve lived in the UK and am now in Canada. I’ve yet to hear a Canadian use words like minx, bugger, arse, twat and think it’s difficult to imagine both Will and his brother Ed as authentic Canadian voices. Was this meant as a tease whenever they addressed Sarah that way?

On the account of Ed, I’ve reduced the rating of the book further. We are meant to think that his behaviour, especially towards women, is fun and light hearted. However, I believe that his actions are trivialized, rude, selfish and unacceptable. And he’s not even suffering any consequences. Ed touches Sarah even though they are definitely not together and she had refused him earlier. He has affairs with women who are clearly spoken for otherwise, put his brother in a situation that nearly bankrupted him, and also spikes the drink of Sarah’s best friends mother while knowing she’s about to go skiing for the first time. We’re led to believe it’s fun when she crashes.

This book was definitely not for me even though I did like the premise of the story.

#NoOneCancelsChristmas #NetGalley

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Review: A fast, paced, festive romance from one of my top authors.

Firstly, I would like to thank Rachel Gilbey from Rachel's Random Resources who asked me to be apart of this blog tour and secondly Zara who has created a brilliant Christmas story. 

The Shooting Star Mountain resort sounds like the perfect Christmas getaway to experience all the festive magical treats that come around once a year however, if the reviews are anything to go by it is anything but festive. Sarah whose business is going to suffer if things do not change takes on the responsibility of Will Armstrong, who is Scrooge wrapped in a handsome mans body, and decided to spend Christmas with him at The Shooting Star Mountain Resort. With personal issues to overcome this Christmas and Will to deal with can she create a happy Christmas again a the Shooting Star Mountain resort.

I adored this laugh out loud Christmas read. It's fast paced and you quickly created attachments to the characters.  The setting is perfect for a cosy, festive Christmas. 

This is a perfect read for Christmas.

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With the backdrop of mountains, snow and log cabins the setting alone is ideal for a festive romance. When travel agent, Sarah was younger the Shooting Star Mountain Resort flourished  providing perfect Christmas holidays so she highly recommended it to her customers. With news of complaints and run ins with Will Armstrong she decides the tackle the problem head on. She is not prepared to let the business responsible for many memories fail without a fight. Sarah's unique feisty personality complements moody Will Armstrong  who I connected with immediately. This is a story of how a persons history affecting their present, secrets brewing and the magic of Christmas. The unexpected elements make this story its own and will not be lost in the mass of festive reads available.

Do I recommend?
Yes, it is a humorous festive read to snuggle down under the duvet and perfect for this time of year.

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This is an utterly wonderful story! Although there is a bit of a sad underlayer, it made me smile, laugh out loud, grin the whole time.

This book takes us to a wintery Canada and is about love, friendship, coming to terms, moving on and Christmas, of course. You can keep on living in the past or you can pick yourself up and turn your future around. Although you were sure that having a relationship with no strings attached is what you always wanted, maybe you have another think coming ...

It goes without a doubt that you need the Christmas feel, but is this what it is really about?

It is one of those books where you know from the very first words that you will love it. The author uses a very fluent writing style and she has the kind of humour I totally appreciate.

I, for sure, am looking forward to your next book.

Thank you, Zare Stonely and RachelsRandomResources.

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Romance in the snow. A travel agent visits a failing winter sports resort in Canada intending to turn it around. But this is where she came as a child and where she last saw her parents. Two handsome brothers, one with a secret past. And the scene is set for love, forgiveness and reconciliations. A light and easy Christmas read. Just needs a tighter proofread to eliminate typos and little niggly errors.

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Cute book, but very wordy. This story was very repetitive. I felt it had potential , but fell short.

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Really cute, liked this one a lot. The character were great, very well developed. The plot moved along and dialogue was fun and witty.

Sarah took a while to grow on me. She was a bit immature at the onset. Will was such a good guy. They both had hurdles to overcome. There was drama, and romance and sweet silliness.

There are a nice compliment of side characters that round out the story and add dimension to the main characters. The romance was sincere, not instant or easy. At the end I was happy.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for a copy in exchange for a review.

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This book was like reading a hallmark movie! It had fantastic love story, a beautiful creation of the cabins and a lot of laughs! It was a feel good book to the core!

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I love Zara Stoneley books and this was a lovely warm fuzzy Christmas story, set in the beautiful snowy mountains in Canada.

During this story Sarah is forced to confront her past by returning to the beautiful Shooting Star Mountain resort where she has magical memories but also where her life changed forever.

A lovely warm fuzzy read that wraps you in a hug, Will and Sarah are characters you can empathise with and the story that pulls you in, so you keep turning the pages to find out what happens. A highly recommended read that will get you in the mood for Christmas and have you wishing for snow so you can make a snowman and snow angels.

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No One Cancels Christmas, is the first time I read a Zara Stoneley book. While I enjoyed the book towards the end more as that's where it was more fun.

This story has many good parts but overall it's a mixed bag for me.

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