A fun and romantic Christmas romance with some great characters. I didn't realize this was part of a series, but it works well as a stand-alone book. Matchmaker Dolly is bound and determined to bring her niece Nina and Ryan together, throwing them into all sorts of situations. Both have reservations because of past heartbreak, but the romantic setting in France can heal a lot of hurt.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Karen Clarke is the third book in the contemporary romance Little French Café series. Each book of the series brings readers back to the cafe in Chamillon with a new set of lead characters finding their own love story. These books can be read and understood as a standalone or out of order if choosing to do so.

Nina Bailey is nursing a broken heart this holiday season after she had to call off her wedding when she found her soon to be husband was cheating on her. Looking to get away and clear her head Nina heads to her Aunt Dolly’s to stay with her aunt and cousin and avoid all wedding reminders and men.

Little did Nina know when she packed her bags and headed for Chamillon that she wouldn’t be the only guest visiting this Christmas. Ryan Sadler had also asked for a place to stay this holiday after his own engagement had come to an abrupt end. Somehow with these two broken hearts under one roof Aunt Dolly can’t help but play matchmaker during the festive season.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas is another quickie holiday feel good romance filled with all the magic and joy of Christmas. I would warn for those not into insta-love that this again is a story that moves at a fast pace with no history to the couple. However, for those that do enjoy a meet cute story and a quick paced romance this one is sure to be a holiday winner with likable characters and setting.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A lovely follow up novel, written with warmth and heart. I really enjoyed and the front cover is very festive and cosy. Thanks for the chance to review.

I love Karen Clarke’s books. This story does not dissapoint. I liked the charecters and storyline. I can’t wait for the next one.

There’s something about going back to characters that you’ve learned to appreciate, and getting to see how they’re doing that’s always great.
It’s especially great, though, when those characters take you back to the Little French Café. Karen Clarke has managed to build an environment that makes you dream away through any season. Around Christmas though? All of the miscellaneous characters (and aren’t they just characters) are fun to check back in with.
But I especially love the way Nina and Ryan get started on the wrong foot due to no real fault of their own… And then to see how they slowly work through that, work through their own losses as well? The author managed to build such a lovely, gradual arch both between these characters and within themselves – and also: to make me want to travel to this little island and its French Café!

This was a great follow-up book from Summer at the Little French Cafe and was an absolute delight to see the return of Dolly and Charlie.

The time round, we meet Dolly's niece and Charlie's cousin, Nina, who has decided to take a break from the real world and her recent heartbreak. She is adamant that she will stay away from all things Christmas and all things romance, however Dolly, the world's biggest matchmaker, has completely other plans in store for Nina's stay.

Nina was an absolute delight to read about, she built friendships up with the community pretty quickly and embarked on a new journey with such motivation, even if her plans weren't exactly where her heart truly lay. With the help of the community, she soon found her passions and set on to making it a reality for when she returned home.

Ryan, was an intriguing man to say the least, who had a very mysterious way about him, until Dolly stepped in and made sure him and Nina always came in to contact. The way Karen described his appearance as well had me immediately falling in love. If you have a male lead with curly hair, you can count me in!

The chemistry between Nina and Ryan was instant, although they denied it multiple times through banter, which had my giggling more than enough times. The two had definitely found each other at the right time, however, there was some baggage that needed to be dealt with before feelings were admitted, making it all the more exciting when they was able to come together and find a way to make their relationship work.

I have absolutely loved reading this series by Karen, which was jam-packed with humour, love, warmth and lots of Christmas spirit! I can't wait to see what Karen has up her sleeves next. Count me in!

I’ll Br Home for Christmas is a very fun and well written Christmas romance. I enjoyed the plot and the believable characters. If you enjoy a good quick read I recommend this book to you. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

This is the third book in The Little French Cafe series but if you haven't read the others don't worry. Aunt Dolly wants to make it a Christmas to remember along with match making, will things go to plan, well you will have to read this to find out. I recommend you get your hands on a copy of this and enjoy a real good read.

I previously read and enjoyed the characters of this author, and when I was going through a relative reading slump, I thought it would be one to 'pick me up'. This is the third book in a series, a fact I must have known and forgotten before I requested the book but read quite well as a standalone. We have Nina, who has recently made a life-altering decision and is on the lookout for a new career as well as life. When she reaches her aunt's home and cafe in France, she is greeted by one surprise too many. One of these surprises in a human male while the other is an idea which she never considered before.

It is a good tale with a lot of lovely characters and very snappy dialogues. The pacing is always steady, and there is no chance of getting bored. That being said, I had set my bar a little too high when it came to the author's romantic tales and expected a little more in terms of the leading couple. The plot did not convince me, and I hoped that something altogether different would occur just to spice up the path the story was taking.

I liked the story but and I would read more by the author but not any more of this particular series.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Another Christmas book which I loved with many laughs out loud moments! Well written book which I read in one sitting. Thank you netgalley

I love Karen Clarke's books. They're feel-good, lighthearted and full of humour. I adore the novels set in France by this author, the location sounds so idyllic and the characters all seem so friendly. The cover initially drew me in, the village in the cover looks so cosy and festive and I love the twinkly lights and the ice skating rink - I couldn't wait to dive in!

I loved this novel. I love the fact that the characters mainly remain the same and I loved reading about my old favourites such as Dolly and Charlie. They seem like such a caring and fun pair and I enjoyed reading all about their match-making antics. My mouth was watering after reading more about Dolly's cafe and the delicious treats that she has on offer. I wish I had an aunt that could bake like Dolly!

As with the other novels by Karen Clarke, this one is easy to read and with every available opportunity I was picking up my Kindle dying to read more! As mentioned above, it's set in France - and what a cosy sounding village it is. It's full of community spirit and it was a joy to read about the other villagers shops, such as the florist and also the market with it's beautiful Christmas ornaments and charms.

There's also plenty of drama in this novel as well as lots of festive-feels (despite Nina not wanting to have anything to do with Christmas this year!), and it was lovely to read about Nina coming out of her shell with her relationship with Ryan. I'm very sad that this is the last in the series! But I know that Karen Clarke will pull it out of the bag with her next novel. They're utterly spellbinding and I adore them. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

Perfect for the holiday season! A great little festive treat that’s full of warmth, humour, romance, and a big sprinkle of christmas spirit. What more could you want?

I wasn’t mentally prepared for this series to end BEFORE I had even begun reading the final installment, and now, having demolished the read in a matter of hours, I am utterly devastated that the series is now finished!! I have read many of Karen Clarke’s novels, and I can honestly say that this is, by far, the best series she has ever written.

‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ sees the return of Dolly, Charlie, and all of the memorable gang in France. This time however, Dolly’s niece, Nina, has decided to take a breather from the recent heartbreak at home. She wants to try and steer clear from the festivities this year, but her Aunt Dolly has other ideas.

Nina’s French escape didn’t exactly start the way she was wanting it to, especially after finding out that her home away from home has ended up being an escape for Charlie’s friend, Ryan; a man who has more drama following him than the Kardashians!

The chemistry between Nina and Ryan was instant, and the banter they shared had me in hysterics multiple times. I loved the ‘he said/she said what??’ moments more than anything.

It was wonderful to be able to catch up with Aunt Dolly again, but as I said before, I am gutted that it also happened to be the final book in the series.

I LOVED ‘I’ll be Home for Christmas’, and I wish I had enough words to explain just how much I fell in love with the story and the characters. Everthing about the story just worked; from the heartbreak to the emotional moments, to the touching and hilarious ones. Honestly, this book had everything for me and I would quite happily read it again in an instant.

The perfect festive treat that’s full of warmth, humour, romance, and a big sprinkle of christmas spirit. What more could you want?

I have been a fan of Karen's work for quite a while now. I love the way in which she combines the romance with the comedy with a generous side helping of drama. I read the synopsis for 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' and it certainly sounded like the kind of read I needed at this moment in time. A nice, uplifting, escapist, funny read. Well this book certainly ticked those boxes and then some. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but take to Nina from the first moment I met her and it didn't take me long until I began to think of Nina as being a friend of mine. Nina isn't going through the best of times at the moment. She was due to get married but shortly before the wedding she discovers that her husband to be has been playing away from home and subsequently the wedding is called off. Finding out that your boyfriend is cheating is pretty bad anyway but having it happen not long before Christmas just makes it seem that bit worse. As you might imagine Nina wants to have nothing to do with anything remotely Christmassy so she escapes to her Aunty's house in France for a bit of rest and relaxation. Only her Aunty has other ideas and sets about trying to get Nina into the Christmas spirit and she plans to stage a proper British hospital. Nina has also sworn off men so she has no interest in flirting with let alone dating anybody else. However she has not reckoned on the appearance of the handsome but mysterious Ryan. There's a definite spark between the two of them but I think that they have been hurt in the past and neither want to be hurt again. Will Nina break her own 'no romance' rule? Will Nina get together with Ryan? Is there a twist to the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out.
It didn't take me long at all to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that I would find it nigh on impossible to put the book down. So it proved to be. I became totally absorbed in the story. I think that because I had taken so well to Nina, I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to her. Personally I was keeping everything crossed that Nina would find the happiness she so deserved. The pages of the book turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out what happened grew and grew. At one point the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had anticipated, which I was disappointed about. I don't mean that I was disappointed with how the story ended but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wanted the book to continue on and on.
'I'll Be Home For Christmas' is brilliantly written but then I find that all of Karen's books are superbly written. She certainly knows how to grab your attention pretty early on in the story and once she has your attention she will not let it go until you read the last word on the last page. The book seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I didn't want to break. Karen writes so convincingly and realistically that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself. In fact at one point I was so tempted to jump inside the pages of the book to grab Ryan if Nina didn't want him. I haven't laughed as much whilst I was reading a book as I did with 'I'll Be Home For Christmas'. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained the pace throughout.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' and I will definitely be recommending this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Karen's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is a sweet, cozy read. Perfect for the holiday season. I loved getting glimpses at Nina's family, as they truly were more of a highlight than the romance in this story. I would love to read this book curled up by a fire with some hot cocoa.

A lovely story, heartwarming and full humour that made me root for the characters and smile.
It's well written, the cast of characters are fleshed out and I found them likeable and relatable.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book is an addition to the Little French Café series, although it is a standalone book also. Nina Bailey has broken up from her fiancé and runs to France to spend Christmas with her Aunt Dolly who owns a little café in a small village. She doesn’t want to be reminded Christmas is just around the corner, but Aunt Dolly obviously hasn’t got that idea when she plans the biggest Christmas that side of the Channel! Nina is also determined that romance is off the cards…that is until she meets handsome Ryan Sadler

I love this author!! Every book of hers that I’ve read has been a feel-good, heart-warming read with likeable characters, a wonderful location and a strong storyline…and this one is no exception!! We are treated to a veritable Christmas explosion with more tinsel, baubles and mistletoe than I’ve ever seen! Nina is a lovely character and whilst your heart just goes out to her straight away after she finds her fiancé cheating on her, she really doesn’t need the sympathy as she’s as feisty and fiery as they come! I love Aunt Dolly and she obviously cares a great deal about Nina. Her heart is definitely in the right place, but sometimes she just doesn’t get it quite right, particularly with her ideas of what an ‘English’ Christmas should be like!! The budding romance between Nina and Ryan is wonderfully written with plenty of love and heart-warming moments and an equal measure of laugh out loud scenes that will keep you chuckling your way through the book! I liked Ryan’s character also (let’s face it, I liked all the characters!) and you had to feel sorry for both Nina and him with Aunt Dolly’s attempts at matchmaking!!

This is such a lovely book and is absolutely perfect at this time of year with its Christmas theme!! The author has the knack of writing stories that makes you feel like you are right there amongst all the characters. The locations are described perfectly and help you to imagine great pictures in your mind of what is happening! Cleverly featuring many of the characters from the previous books in the series, it has left me wondering if this will be the last book in the series or are we going to be lucky enough to have another trip to the village of Chamillion in the future? I do hope so!!

A heart-warming, funny, romantic read which will make you wish you were spending Christmas in the French countryside! Lovely characters, fabulous scenery and a storyline which will leave you wanting more! Would definitely recommend!

Loved being transported back to the Ile de Re for Christmas. Karen Clarke magics up the essence of Christmas in this book without it being sugary or overdone. The romance between
Nina and Ryan is definitely one that is a slow burner and all the more delightful because of that. I loved the humour, the sense of place and the magical descriptions, especially at the end - simply beautiful.

This is the second book I've read where a woman runs away to France in order to get away from a bad romance. In this case, Nina Bailey's fiance was cheating on her so she decides that she's going to completely change her life. She still hasn't found the job she loves so she thinks that travel blogger might work well and she can start by visiting her Aunt Dolly and seeing her favorite cousin while healing her heart. But she's not the only one who is there doing that.

Ryan Sadler had one great book that burst onto the literary scene. Now, his romance life is in tatters and his writer's block is impenetrable. But meeting Nina is starting to heal some of those broken places inside him. Even though she is not at all what he wants at the moment, she seems to be spurring his creative process and rebuilding his trust in love.
There's a Big Misunderstanding that I think is misused here and some of the thoughts get a bit repetitive but most of the book is quite fun and the early banter between Nina and Ryan is perfect.

Three stars
This book came out October 14th
ARC kindly provided by Bookouture and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

A lovely Christmassy read, full of warmth and humour. I enjoyed this very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.