A living advent calendar. To start with, can you get an actual better premise for a Christmas book? Put that with an author that I already knew to write beautiful romance and smile along romantic comedy and I was one hundred percent in!
This is a cosy, charming, and yet bright book with a range of characters I fully enjoyed. I’ll admit I actually found it very emotional at times and at one stage considered taking a break because I found some aspects so sad, not just that of Adam (which hit me hard, one little hint of how nice he was and what they’d gone through at the end and I was nearly on the floor!).
The Christmas aspect was spectacular, and transported you to Chesterwood and the community as well as any movie could. There were many moments I smiled appreciatively, some lovely romance, very well done everyday and of course a bucket full of heartwarming happenings that made you take a breath, leading to the ending this lovely book deserved. Very much recommended and I look forward to Ms. Tonge’s next book! Thanks so much to Aria for allowing me to be part of the blog tour and for the book in return for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5/5

Favorite Quotes:

Davina stood up and gave me a piercing stare that only a mother of twins could master.

The best sorts of friends were good at turning me into we.

It felt as if a light bulb switched on in my chest whenever I saw him, like that magical sensation as a child when you discover the tooth fairy has visited.

I took out my phone, brushed my hair and took a selfie. The strained smile made me look like a convict. So I took twenty more and finally created one that didn’t suggest I’d turn up to a date hiding an axe. Then I created a profile on Tinder. Not words I ever thought I’d be saying…


My Review:


This was a fun and easy read with relevant real-world issues, heart-squeezes, insightful observations, and clever levity in equal measure. While battling overwhelming odds to raise funds to continue a charitable operation, the overall tone of the story was decidedly upbeat with hard-won lessons and positive outcomes all around. I enjoyed the creativity and everydayness of the characters as well as the entertaining storylines, and relatable conflicts and concerns. Ms. Tonge’s poignant writing is laced together with such perceptive watchfulness; her stories are a learning experience as well as an entertaining one.

The protagonist of the novel is Fern. A freelance journalist with a young daughter, she moved to Chesterwood three years earlier after the premature death of her husband. Although part of her is still grieving, she thinks it is time to move on, especially as her friendship with Kit seems to become something more. However, Fern has other things to worry about besides her love life. The local food bank is about to be closed because the rent is too high. To try and save the place that is so important for many people around the area, Fern organize a living calendar event around town to raise money. Also, she is worried about her two best friends. Perfect wife and mother Cara who has always everything under control has become very forgetful and distracted while Davina is worried about her children’s strange behaviour. Will Fern be able to make it to Christmas without much drama? (Don’t count on it!)

October is the month of Christmas reads and I lost count of how many Christmas books I have read so far, but I enjoyed each one of them including The Christmas Calendar Girls. The author created a protagonist that feels authentic and relatable from the very beginning. You can feel her pain as she remembers her husband, but you also cheer her on as she tries to build a new life without him. She is compassionate and caring, working hard to help the homeless of the village. She is always ready to help others and, in the meantime, she has a job to do and a daughter to raise.

I loved the community feeling and the Christmas atmosphere that together make a fantastic Christmas novel. An enjoyable and uplifting novel about friendship, family, love, loss, and new beginnings, The Christmas Calendar Girls is one not to miss this Christmas season!

What I enjoyed about The Christmas Calendar Girls was the focus on female friendships and what a community can do when they pull together. It was easy to read and provided light relief yet, it didn’t shy away from real problems. The book is current and up-to-date on difficulties that some people face in society today (addiction, loneliness, bereavement, just to name a few). It’s a great book for taking stock of how we need to be thankful for what we have and Tonge wrote with compassion so it worked. And come on, who doesn’t love some festive romance?! I certainly do! My only small niggle is there were too many characters thrown in at the start and I did struggle to remember who everyone was. It didn’t take away my enjoyment of the book but it just took me some time to get into the rhythm of the story. The book has so much heart and warmth, you can’t help but smile while reading it. A real feel good book all wrapped up with a big festive bow!

If you enjoy a cosy Christmas story all about kindness and helping others less fortunate than ourselves, then I’m sure you will enjoy this book.

Another Christmas story that makes you long for Christmas to be here already! Samantha Tonge has done a great job tackling some very hard issues with these characters all while bringing us a great Christmas story. This will leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling that you get reading about how others come together at Christmas time to help others.

Fern moved to Chesterwood to try and help herself and her daughter start over after her husbands death. Fern has meet some people in town from taking her daughter to school. Fern is a journalist and has recently done a story on the homeless in Chesterwood and what is available to them for assistance. When Fern found out about the food bank that was available to the homeless, she also found out that if there were not any funds raised quickly to help them out that the food bank was going to have to close.

Fern comes up with an idea to try and help the food bank. She thinks that they should organize a living advent calendar to help raise money. She enlists the help of two other mothers that she has meet from the school. While they are organizing the calendar, Fern is encountered with a chance at love again, but is she ready? Has she let go of her past and has he? There are a lot of tough topics that are dealt with in these chapters, but done so tactfully that you feel like you are such a part of these characters lives.

This is a great story about how communities come together and work for a common good. The idea of a living advent calendar to me at first was sort of out there, but these girls pulled it off and raised money for a common good. You get to learn about different reasons people may have for using the food bank and helping them get away from addiction or giving them a chance to start over with a little help. All of this woven into a lovely Christmas read with a little romance too. Great job Samantha Tonge!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

I loved this festive read with its emphasis on friends and family. Beneath the glitz of Christmas, there are some darker issues which gives the story a credibility. There is a lovely thread of being kind and valuing what matters above material things which chimes beautifully with the season. With some believable characters and plenty of variety in the plot, this is a festive read not to be missed.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

The book is a lovely festive read that is exceptionally heart-warming, poignant and a lot of fun. Add it to your festive reads list, you will not be sorry.

I really loved everything about this book , The writing style , the characters , the plot , sitting ….. Everything ..
Different and really interesting .

A wonderful, heart-warming festive read which encompasses all the great things about Christmas - and will most definitely leave the reader with a fabulous fuzzy feeling!

Fern and her two friends, Cara and Davina are all bringing up children whilst aiming to be part of the local primary and the wider community. As it heads towards Christmas, there is also extra work to be done supporting the kids with all the school activities - but this year there is more reason to be concerned. The local food bank, a lifetime to many, is under threat of closure and desperately need to raise funds to stay afloat; can these three friends help in any way whilst struggling with their own issues? Fern is trying to work out Kit's mindset whilst becoming aware that her feelings towards him are not completely platonic; Cara - normally a domestic goddess - is not her usual efficient self and Davina finds herself with worries over her usually well-behaved twins' demeanour. What is going on?

This is a superb read! Steeped in Christmas spirit and packed with the problems all of us face at some (usually several) times in our lives, there is lots to keep the reader glued to the pages. It is a charming book and also a thought provoking one, making us all aware that there is more to Christmas than just finding the perfect gift and buying more food it's possible to eat in a month, never mind a few days! I absolutely adored everything about it and Sam Tonge's creativity and writing experience shine through every part of this story. Feel-good to the nth degree and thoroughly satisfying which makes this a solid 5* read, and one I'm so happy to recommend to all lovers of a darn good festive read!

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley, and specifically to Vicky Joss - both for my spot on this tour and also for supplying all the necessary details in good time. As always, all opinions are completely my own and entirely honest.

When I received the invite for this tour I couldn’t say yes quick enough! As soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis I just knew it was my type of read.

Fern, Cara and Davina are three best friends who live in Chesterwood. They are made aware that the local food bank are struggling to keep their doors open. The answer to this dilemma is Fern’s idea of a living advent calendar. What an amazing idea it is!? Does this festive plan work? Well I urge you to find out!

Amongst organising the fundraising for the food bank, these three women have other challenges to work through. Introducing the gorgeous Kit who makes things just a little more complicated. I won’t go into plot specifics but Sam intertwines different themes beautifully such as grief, family, honesty and courage.

The sense of community in Chesterwood just radiates from the pages. Everyone comes together in a time of need at a very cold time of the year. I loved meeting the residents, they just kept reminding each other of why they were raising money in the first place. It makes you realise what you have and to not take it for granted at all. I just couldn’t put my kindle down and when I had to I was itching to pick it back up again.

I now just have to have Samantha’s books on my TBR pile and can’t wait for what she creates next! 😊 I give ‘The Christmas Calendar Girls’ a very festive 5*/5* ❤️

Thank you to Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

My first Christmas read of the year. It’s a great feel good read. It shows the lovely relationships women can have with each other, but also shows what can happen when a community pulls together too. It shows that even from a young age how important friendship is and how we need to pull together and think of the other person and their side of the relationship too. A real uplifting feel good story that is also up to date on the problems and difficulties a lot of our society find themselves in through no fault of their own. It makes you stop and take stock of your life and makes you realise just how lucky we are.

A new book from Sam is always a cause for excitement in my eyes, so finding out there was a new festive treat in store really made me do a happy dance!

The setting of Chesterwood is gorgeous! I wish I lived somewhere like that! It has a great community feeling and their festive spirit was infectious. I had a clear picture of the whole town in my head and it was dreamy!

As well as an idyllic setting, this book featurea an amazing cast of characters. Fern, Cara, Davina, Audrey, Mia, Kitt and all of the children made for adorable and hilarious reading! I loved every second of my time with them all. Their joy, heartache, friendship, fears and love made them feel like a group I'd like to be part of in real life.

There were several important topics dealt with in the story, and as I've seen with all of Sam's writing, it is dealt with sensitively and accurately. The root of this story is helping those less fortunate than ourselves, but there are also messages of second chances, forgiveness, family and kindness.

If you only read one Christmas book this year, make it this one. And let it inspire you to make a difference.

Widow Fern has recently moved to the small village of Chesterwood with her young daughter Lily and has fitted in perfectly. She has made plenty of friends with the mums from her daughter’s new primary school. However, she is struggling to move on after her husband’s death but with the help of her new best friends Cara and Davina, she is slowly starting to feel less pain and maybe thinking about love again.

When the local food bank is in jeopardy of closing due to funds for the rent of the building they hire, Fern comes up with an idea, for the village to host a real-life advent calendar that will involve all the villagers.

The advent calendar is going to take a lot of planning and effort to make it a success and to earn enough money to keep the food bank open and with it already being the end of October can Fern and the villagers pull it off as well as deal with their own private problems too?

Who doesn’t love a festive read? When I first heard about The Christmas Calendar Girls I was thinking this was going to be one of those books about a group of women getting naked and posing for a charity calendar, how wrong could I be! This book is nothing like that, in fact the advent calendar idea is completely new to me and I think it is a great idea – you will have to read the book to see what it is all about.

Fern is a lovely woman who has had a few hard years after the death of her husband and is now bringing up her daughter Lily alone. She is at that point where she thinks it may be time to move on and possibly find romance again, but at the same time feels guilty.

The villagers are a wonderful community of people and I just wish that more communities came together in real life and helped one another out.

My tiny nag about the book is how many times it was mentioned that Fern’s husband had died, it felt like it was stated on every few pages – I haven’t counted, but it became a little repetitive after a while.

The book is a lovely festive read that is exceptionally heart-warming, poignant and a lot of fun. Add it to your festive reads list, you will not be sorry.

What makes The Christmas Calendar Girls so good is that it’s relevant. We’ve probably all seen food donation points in supermarkets, but there are far fewer people who know what it is to volunteer for one or be a recipient of a food parcel. Tonge brings to light the reality of food banks and those who use them – people from all walks of life, including those who never thought they’d have a need for a food parcel.

I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters. They reflect what could effectively be real-life; they struggle with personal issues, relationship problems, grief, love, and guilt. The key message behind the story is probably the most important – that we’re all allowed to make mistakes, learn from them, and then allow ourselves to move on.

It was quite difficult reading about the main character, Fern, losing her husband to cancer. For many of us, it is one of our worst fears. But life is full of our fears – it is how we deal with them, and others, that matters.

The Christmas factor in this book is just the icing on the cake. Plenty of Christmas decorations, bright lights, and even a few fireworks. Tonge has created a wonderful book with a wonderful message – highly recommended now that we are coming into the cold, long, wet Winter nights.

THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIRLS by Samantha Tonge is more than a cosy Christmas novel. It is a wonderful tale of friendship, community, and fresh beginnings with characters that feel like your closest friends and a setting that makes you feel like you live there.

Fern, Cara, and Davina are best friends that live in the same neighbourhood even though they all have different personalities.
After losing her husband, Fern works hard to provide for herself and her daughter, and understanding how close anyone could be to losing everything, Fern sets out to help the local food bank which is under threat, with a Christmas idea, a living advent calendar, that is sure to bring the community together too. Now if only she could stop thinking about her good friend Kit in an altogether more than friendly way, life would be much simpler. But he calls to her soul in a way that makes it hard to ignore.
​Nothing is ever simple which is also the case for Fern's two besties - Cara is struggling to hold everything together and be the perfect wife, mother, and daughter-in-law, and soon appears to be dropping balls all over the place, and Davina's kids aren't having the easiest of times and she needs to get to the bottom of what is causing such unhappiness.

But with the living advent calendar just around the corner and numerous neighbours, ideas, food, and snacks to be organised for everyone on the street can these women band together, solve their own problems, and find a little Christmas magic along the way?

​I loved the idea of a living advent calendar and couldn't wait to start reading THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIRLS and this book does not disappoint. The relationship between the three women is truly special and each character captured my heart in different ways making them all equally as special. The drama, the misunderstandings, and the hope for the future, all combine to make this story unputdownable.

THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIRLS by Samantha Tonge is excellent in every way and I loved every page of this wonderful tale.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
First time reading this Author and thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas book highly enjoyable and entertaining can highly recommend for an excellent Christmas read.

Another amazing story by Samantha... she is definitely on my favourite author list.

This is a story I will be revisiting each year... An entertaining but heart-warming read.

The fabulous Samantha Tonge is back with an enchanting, captivating and utterly delightful Yuletide tale that tugs at the heartstrings, touches the soul and holds readers spellbound from beginning to end: The Christmas Calendar Girls. Written with plenty of wit, sensitivity and heart, The Christmas Calendar Girls is an outstanding tale that has got winner written all over it.

After the death of her husband, Fern had built walls around herself, vowed to keep her heart firmly under lock and key and threw herself into doing whatever she possibly could for the good of the community of Chesterwood. Big-hearted Fern is well aware of all the good which the local food bank does for the community, so she is utterly flabbergasted when she learns that it is under threat of closure. Determined to save it, Fern, alongside her best friends, hatches a plan that will ensure the food bank’s future: a living advent calendar and she calls upon the community to help her see this plan to its fruition. Fern is delighted when her friends and neighbours rally round to help her in her quest to save the food bank, however, when local man Kit offers his help, Fern cannot help but find those barriers which she has built around her heart slowly crumbling as she finds herself drawn to him.

The more time Kit and Fern spend together, the closer they become. Yet, Kit knows that he simply cannot afford to get too close to Fern. Secrets and shadows from his past are holding him hostage and his fears have long put paid to any hopes he might have had of building a life with somebody – even if they are a kindred spirit like Fern. Kit is not the only Chesterwood resident to have secrets. Domestic goddess Cara used to pride herself on giving any lifestyle guru a run for their money, but lately she is off her game and behaving very oddly whereas Davinia cannot help but wonder what is causing her perfect children to act up and misbehave. They are causing all manner of trouble at school and Davinia’s son Jasper is getting increasingly worried and unhappy. Can the three Christmas Calendar girls find their path to happiness this Yuletide season?

Will the girls’ efforts to save the food bank be successful? Or will all their hard work be in vain? Will Fern and Kit find a way to be together? And can Cara and Davinia manage to overcome all the obstacles standing in their way and have a Christmas they will never forget?

Samantha Tonge’s The Christmas Calendar Girls is an exceptional tale of healing, community, forgiveness and courage that redefines the word unputdownable. I was so drawn in by this fantastic book that I cried off a social engagement because I simply could not stop reading and I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

An enjoyable and engrossing read full of characters it is impossible not to care about and humour, warmth and heart aplenty, The Christmas Calendar Girls is an absolutely phenomenal read from a writer who keeps on getting better and better: Samantha Tonge.

The Christmas Calendar Girls is an entertaining Christmas romance. I enjoyed the plot, characters and the setting. The author is new to me and I definitely will read more of her books. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

The Christmas Calendar Girls is wonderfully uplifting and is the ultimate festive read; as the year draw's to a close we often take a look back of our lives, it's a time of reflection and our thoughts widen to those less fortunate. This is a story about family and the strength of friendship bringing a community together to help those in need.
Fern with her young daughter Lily moved to Chesterwood for a fresh starting following the tragic death of her husband. It's now been a few years since her husband's untimely death but the sadness is easing with the help of the friends she has made in Cara and Davina.

When the friends hear of the struggle of the local food bank keeping up with the growing demand for food packages and with the daily expenses of running the bank they come up with a plan to raise much needed funds to keep this required resource going. With the festive season approaching the girls decide to incorporate the joy of the season and bring to life a Christmas Advent Calendar.
With just over a month till Christmas Fern, Cara and Davina have much to organise for this epic festive fundraising extravaganza. We follow the girls with their efforts to bring their plan to fruition whilst juggling family life with all it's ups and downs. The combining of the strengths within the friendship group and community are a force to be reckoned with. There's also the prospect of new romance on the horizon but the couple in question have so many emotional hurdles to overcome before they can let their heart accept love again.

The Christmas Calendar Girls is such a warm-hearted, uplifting story with a wonderful ethos that's quite inspirational.

A lovely seasonal read about community, coming together and a lovely Romance with great characters, nice read with lots of heart