This was a cute story. A bit paint by the numbers, but a nice holiday romance. I did think the conflict between the couple was a little weak, but I liked them as characters and how there relationship grew. A nice, Christmas romance.

Holly Devine has had her heart broken so flees to her Aunt Clara’s house to hide away for Christmas. Clara and her friends join together to create an advent calendar of challenges for Holly to complete so she can discover who she wants to be. Along the way Holly has many ups and downs, makes new friends and gets to know handsome, care-free pub landlord Finn. Holly and Finn soon start to develop feelings for each other but nothing’s ever simple in love.

This is an enjoyable Christmas romance. I liked the festive feeling of the island and the cosy bustling pub. I really liked eccentric Clara and her WI friends. I felt for Holly and her journey to discovering herself and stepping out of her sister’s shadow. I liked how Finn wasn’t as shallow as he first seemed and thought that he and Holly had great chemistry.

I did feel some of the emotional drama became a little repetitive and circular before it was resolved, but overall I think the character growth was done well.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys festive romances with complex characters with hidden depths.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I was looking forward to "The Christmas Countdown" because I really liked the premise of Hollys personal advent calendar and I was hoping for an enjoyable Christmas read.

Unfortunately I didn't like most of the tasks Holly had to do daily and they seemed very random to me. Some of them might have helped her finding herself but to be honest I expected more from this advent calendar. I was also expecting them to be bit more Christmas related. Alltogether the Christmassy atmosphere was really weak to me and I had some higher expectations from a book which is called "The Christmas Countdown".

While I liked Holly and was interested in her life and the troubles with her sister, I couldn't really connect with Finn. I found him way too perfect and boring, despite his sad past with his ex. I also couldn't feel the connection between him and Holly. I had the feeling the love story was way too rushed and the drama to the end was very childish.

Overall this book was an enjoyable read but still leaves me a bit disappointed.

Definitely one to curl up with by the fire and a good, hot drink. I was excited to see what the next challenge that Holly had to accomplish and delighted at the ingeniousness of her Aunt in coaxing her out of her sadness.

I enjoyed this cozy Christmas book more than I thought I would! The idea of an advent calendar getting Holly out of her rut was really cute and creative. I enjoyed the cast of characters too. There’s some steaminess I wasn’t expecting based on the cover lol but it was the perfect amount for me. Not too much but not fade-to-black.

It’s bad enough to always be in the shadow of your twin, but when Holly Devine finds her twin sister in a compromising position with her current beau, Marcel, at the company party in view of her co-workers, Holly has had enough. Holly escapes to her eccentric Aunt Clara’s to stay out of view during the winter season. Once there, Holly finds her aunt and her friends have devised a way for Holly to discover who she is, where she is going, and to forget her beau and twin sister. Holly is given an Advent calendar with twenty-four windows, each having a task she must complete that day. Holly sets about her mission, and, almost immediately comes into contact with the town’s lothario and pub owner, Finn. Immediately, sparks fly, and attraction starts. However, both Finn and Holly are facing difficult decisions and have secrets in their respective pasts. In order to become friends or closer, they must both work out a way to overcome their current obstacles/problems and deal with their secrets before they can open up to a relationship that is meant to be.

I found this a very well- done holiday romance. I like the unique element of the Advent calendar, and the way it allowed Holly to figure things out and to develop herself and her relationship with Finn. There were deeper secrets in Finn, which were more difficult to figure out, but ultimately did surface and were resolved. The chemistry between the two was great from the start. I liked the way Holly was a bit stand offish and a strong woman at times, despite having lived under her twin’s shadow for so many years. The tasks laid out in the calendar were also interesting to see carried out. I liked that some were rather easy, but some required much more from Holly. Meanwhile, it was great that Finn was just about always there to support or help her when needed. This is an interesting and quick holiday romance read, which will enthrall most readers, especially those who enjoy romances. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

If you enjoy Hallmark movies, The Christmas Countdown is the book for you. It's so great! Amazing.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A cute Christmas book. Nothing new, no ground broken but it's super sweet and well worth a read as the weather gets colder and the fire starts crackling. I love Christmas and Christmas books are the best!

Christmas is in the air but after Holly found her twin sister kissing her boyfriend she decides she needs a break and goes off to visit her Aunt Clara on Sunflower Island.
It is there that you follow Holly’s story and the friends she makes as she finds out who she is without her twin next to her.
I enjoyed watching Holly discover herself and her helping people improve their lives as well as hers. A simply delightful novel that will put you in the spirit of celebrating Christmas!

What a gorgeous Christmas romance. I loved the Christmas Countdown and seeing the relationship between Holly and Finn develop. I loved all the different tasks that Holly had to undertake and thought they were brilliantly described and such good fun. A real dollop of Christmas cheer wrapped up in a lovely festive tale.

This is the first book that I've read by Donna Ashcroft and it was wonderful. It was a great Christmas read with wonderful characters. Holly and Finn made me laugh with their wonderful moments in the book. Now I can't wait until Christmas.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of The Christmas Countdown in exchange for an honest review! This is certainly one of my other favourite ARCs that I’ve read all year. This was slightly tough for me to read at the beginning, as I had a bad breakup in December. However, I loved being able to follow Holly’s journey to peace and happiness again. The advent calendar of activities was a creative way to work Christmas into the story, and I’ve no idea why more authors don’t try to incorporate the advent idea. Also, Ashcroft does a wonderful job of building a strong supportive cast of characters. You actually feel like you are getting to know her aunt’s friends and the other townspeople, without it detracting from the main storyline at all. Finn is also a fairly complex love interest, which is lovely to see in a genre that often produces 2D interests.

I loved the first Sunflower Island book and was so excited to find out there was a second and a Christmas one at that. I really enjoyed the premise of the advent calendar with a new task each day and it was great to catch up with the characters from the previous book as well as finally learn more about the mysterious Finn. It made me cry at points, but ultimately was as Christmassy and as romantic as I could have hope for. I can't wait for more.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a fun read with great characters. I like this authors style of writing.

What a lovely Christmas read this is. The book follows Holly as she is struggling with a life crisis. Her twin Lucinda, is clever, beautiful and always in the spotlight and now she has moved on to Holly’s boyfriend. Feeling betrayed Holly flees to her aunts, to lick her wounds and find herself.

Finn runs a pub on an island, he is well known with the locals for his way with women. He loves the attention but always keeps his admirers at arms length. However Holly has arrived on his island and she is different to the locals.

The chapters alternate between Finn and Holly as they get to know each other. Can Christmas bring a little magic into both of their lives?

I really really enjoyed this book. It was a little cheesy at times but in the best way. Such a different take on a Christmas romance.

Holly seeks refuge from her cheating boyfriend (with her twin sister!) at her aunts house in the middle of the night. The next morning, on the 1st of December, she is presented with an advent calendar made by her aunt and her gin loving girlfriends. They decided that Holly needs to find herself again and have given her 25 tasks to help her along the way.

I really liked the premise of the book, it reminded me of "PS I love you" a little bit, and the protagonist is even called Holly as well! But the story couldn't totally live up to my high hopes. The tasks seemed a bit random (instead of slowly building up on each other), as if the author just needed opportunities to get Holly together with pub landlord Finn as often as possible.

While I did like both main characters, and we even get to hear Finn's backstory quite a bit, I couldn't 'feel' them as a couple. Maybe it simply all went a bit too fast for my liking. Her very first task from the calendar was asking out a stranger for a date, only mere hours after arriving at Sunflower Island!

Nevertheless, this is a nice Christmas-themed book with a sweet idea (advent calendar).

The Christmas countdownBy Donna Ashcroft is the perfect Book to get you into the spirit of Christmas. This is the 2nd book of Donna Ashcroft’s I’ve read and again it did not disappoint.

It’s that time of year again, snowflakes are fluttering and the countdown to Christmas has begun! Holly Devine is returning to the only place that feels like home, hoping that some festive magic will help to turn her life around…

Twenty-seven-year-old Holly Devine has just had her heart well and truly broken. Hurt by the two people she loves the most, she flees to her eccentric Aunt Clara’s cosy cottage to hide away over the winter season. But kind, impulsive Aunt Clara has other ideas… She’s not about to see her favourite niece wallowing in sadness during the most wonderful time of the year. So, with the help of her close circle of friends and plenty of gin, she creates a handmade advent calendar for Holly.

Every day in December, Holly opens a new door and has a different task to complete. She soon finds herself asking out a complete stranger – gorgeous, cheeky pub landlord, Finn Jackson. But as handsome Finn gets involved in her festive challenges, Holly’s determination to avoid romance is put to the test. Still, Finn’s far too carefree and single for true love, isn’t he?

As Holly begins to embrace each day – a complete makeover, building the biggest snowman she’s ever seen, singing in a karaoke contest – Finn is there adding fun and laughter to every moment. Holly starts to realise that she can become the person she’s always wanted to be…

But a secret from Finn’s past threatens to turn Holly’s Christmas upside down and makes her question everything she has experienced in the last few weeks. Will Finn open up to Holly in time to show her how he really feels? And will she complete the advent calendar challenges and fall in love this Christmas?

I literally didn't want to put it down once I'd started it and I finished it in one sitting. The characters are likeable and you get thoroughly caught up in the story as it unfolds. This is a heartwarming holiday read and I'll definitely be reading more by this author.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Bookouture and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Christmas Countdown
by Donna Ashcroft

Kindle Edition, 284 pages
Published October 7th 2019 by Bookouture


Goodreads synopsis:
It’s that time of year again, snowflakes are fluttering and the countdown to Christmas has begun! Holly Devine is returning to the only place that feels like home, hoping that some festive magic will help to turn her life around…

Twenty-seven-year-old Holly Devine has just had her heart well and truly broken. Hurt by the two people she loves the most, she flees to her eccentric Aunt Clara’s cosy cottage to hide away over the winter season. But kind, impulsive Aunt Clara has other ideas… She’s not about to see her favourite niece wallowing in sadness during the most wonderful time of the year. So, with the help of her close circle of friends and plenty of gin, she creates a handmade advent calendar for Holly.

Every day in December, Holly opens a new door and has a different task to complete. She soon finds herself asking out a complete stranger – gorgeous, cheeky pub landlord, Finn Jackson. But as handsome Finn gets involved in her festive challenges, Holly’s determination to avoid romance is put to the test. Still, Finn’s far too carefree and single for true love, isn’t he?

As Holly begins to embrace each day – a complete makeover, building the biggest snowman she’s ever seen, singing in a karaoke contest – Finn is there adding fun and laughter to every moment. Holly starts to realise that she can become the person she’s always wanted to be…

But a secret from Finn’s past threatens to turn Holly’s Christmas upside down and makes her question everything she has experienced in the last few weeks. Will Finn open up to Holly in time to show her how he really feels? And will she complete the advent calendar challenges and fall in love this Christmas?

***

4 Stars

This was a really fun read. A lot of other reviewers said it was “flirty”. I am not sure that it the right description. I am going to say fun and intense, because when it wasn’t fun and exciting it was mega intense. The characters worked through a lot of issues in this. I am not sure either of them was really ready for a committed relationship when the book began.

The whole Advent Calendar thing was inventive and really got Holly out of her comfort zone. I think it is easy to get into the same mindset as Holly had in this book. You keep putting off until tomorrow to deal with things and suddenly not dealing with things becomes the norm. Holly really needed to confront her sister about stealing her boyfriend. And truly, what does it say about the boyfriend that he didn’t end one relationship before starting a new one? What a dud he turned out to be. I loved the addition of Holly’s Aunt Clara. What a hoot she was. I wish there had been more scenes with her in a more prominent role.

There is a big scene where the two of them (Finn and Holly) realize they really like each other and move into the “making love” phase. Suddenly, Finn is uncomfortable about being that “real” with Holly. His reaction seemed so odd to me. I was surprised the mountain between them didn’t grow even more. A lot of the conflicts like these seemed so easily remedied once the character focused on the issue. I wish there had been a bit more struggle to regain what they really wanted in life. I don’t always need a book wrapped up in a big bow when it ends. But a happily ever after scenario is always appreciated.

The intenseness of this book was remedied by the fun and exciting Advent Calendar Countdown and I found it to be an overall great read. If you love your romance with a bit of trial, definitely check this book out! You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This was a warm and cozy romance story sure to get you in the spirit of Christmas. It was very well written and was a light read.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.