this book was a treat to read from start to finish when picked up to read was hard to put back down and so easy to follow the story line very good

This was a gorgeous read and definitely helped that we were whisked away to the Lake District for the Christmas period! Phillipa's writing is exceptionally descriptive, allowing me to feel like I was there along with all of the other characters. Speaking of the other characters, they were all individually wonderful & easy to connect with. Would highly recommend for a lovely getaway!

Philippa Ashley books never disappoint and this one is no different.
if you are looking for an easy relaxing read to lose yourself in then this is a good choice.
I read it over Christmas and it was nice to be able to lose myself in the story between periods of being busy.
Yes you know it's going to end well and there are going to be rocky bits on the way, but a well written story I it's non the less enjoyable for that.
Thanks to Net Gallery for an advance review copy

After the first chapter, which sets the scene, I did enjoy the story of Lottie as she is building her new life as a wedding planner. She is thrown into organising her ex’s wedding at her workplace, and emotions follow. Jay turns out to be a crush who has a crush on her, and he’s dealing with his own family and ex betrayals. The two come together for planning a wedding just before Christmas. The book has a very Christmassy mood to it. .

Absolutely brilliant book helped that it was set in the Lake District as it brought back wonderful memories. Loved the main character, it was very descriptive and felt like I was there.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This is the 3rd book by Phillipa Ashley I have read. It was a great read over the festive period. This one was based in the Lake District. Lottie is devastated when her fiance walks out on her and she has to rebuild her life. The story was lovely and tells how she overcomes her sadness to find happiness.

I always get drawn into Phillipa's books and the characters as she writes such lovely stories. This was a much needed escape this year as we were unable to travel as usual.. I hope there is another book with Lottie and Jay.

Look forward to the next book as they never disappoint.

Lovely feel good seasonal book. It was just lovely. Romantic book you dream about. Great plot and characters. Perfect for reading over the festive period. Or at any time if the year. Christmas books can be enjoyed anytime anywhere. Very well written and flowed well. This author outdoes herself everytime. Her books just get better and better. Charming read

This was a fun, light, Christmas romance, which was enjoyable to read. As someone who lives in the Lake District, I greatly appreciated the knowledge that this author obviously has of the Lake District, so that she could portray it accurately. Having a good sense of place is always a bonus in a well written novel. Too many authors do minimal research and write incorrectly about somewhere they do not know, which was certainly not the case in this book!

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This was a cute, clean, and quick holiday read.

I usually love most Christmas novels but a Surprise Christmas Wedding by Phillipa Ashley was not one of my favorites, It is a novel about love and second chances but i struggled getting through it.

I liked this book - the underlying premise was a bit week but the main body of the story was good and it all came together.

I read this book over the Christmas week, and although I wasn’t blown away, it was an enjoyable holiday read that was a great backdrop to the Christmas season.

I found Lottie, the main character, a bit frustrating. She reminded me a little of Jane Austen’s Emma; likeable but sometimes you just want to give her a good talking to. She got herself into a few situations that could have been avoided, if only she communicated with the people around her.

Jay, the love interest, was similar, and I felt like I was constantly rooting for the two of them to actually talk to each other and straighten out the problems they were having, and I found I couldn’t really connect to their romance. He also had occasional point of view chapters, but I did feel these were a little unnecessary and his backstory (which was actually really interesting) something we could have learned later through Lottie.

Lottie’s sister Steph was my favourite though, I loved her witty sense of humour and sarcastic comments. She brought most of the humour to the book, and I would have happily read a novel from her point of view.

I have never been to the Lake District, but you could really picture it through Phillipa’s writing, and it sounds like a really wonderful place to go. Over the Christmas period I had watched a couple of shows about stately homes getting ready for the festive season. Lottie both lives and works in a stately home, and Phillipa’s writing really captured the essence of what it takes to keep visitors coming to the house throughout that time (despite the weather).

I found the plot a little too slow at first, it was meandering, and felt like it wasn’t going anywhere. However I did really enjoy reading the secondary plot of Steph’s recovery from cervical cancer, it was heart wrenching and sad, but it added another layer to this book that I was grateful for, giving it a more depth. It did feel a little like the plot was mostly concentrated in the end of the book, but I did enjoy all of the twists and turns we received once we got there. Some of the twists surprised me, but ultimately the end was a little predictable.

I did really enjoy how spectacularly awkward some of the situations in this book were. It was a little Bridget Jones, with Lottie’s (very recent) ex turning up and asking her to plan his wedding to his new fiancé. It was so awkward and I loved it. However I was hoping for her ex to get what he deserved, especially for how he treated Lottie, and I was left sorely disappointed.

I loved the setting of this book! The author did a great job describing it so it really felt like you were there with Lottie. This was a quick holiday read and would recommend it for same.

Lottie has moved to Firhomme estate to be their in-house events planner. It's her chance to continue following her dreams and to start her life over after a broken engagement and broken heart. With a Christmas wedding plan push from her boss Lottie is set to work alongside the estate's newest groundskeeper, a handsome fellow named Jay. Only, the wedding turns out to be for her ex-fiance and his new fiance doesn't know about her. Hoping to keep it a secret, Lottie sets out to plan the perfect holiday wedding, only along the way she falls for Jay, a man who doesn't do secret.

Okay, I will admit right now that I love a good romance full of all the cheesy clichés. Phillipa Ashley's A Surprise Christmas Wedding is one of those books that I could read over and over just like the Hallmark movies that they play for the holidays. It's predictable, but so darn light and enjoyable that you just don't care. I couldn't put this down, I loved the drama, the little love triangle, the wedding planning, and of course the budding romance. Ashley takes it a step further and puts in some somber moments that make the story both realistic and at times over the top. It's totally fun, fast-paced, romantic, and Christmas-y all at once. A hit for me and one I think others will certainly enjoy.

A really enjoyable read, i have found this to be a light hearted Christmas read which will make you feel festive

This sounded like it was going to be a really good story, unfortunately I was never really able to get interested in the story or in the characters. It was an okay read to me.

Lottie works as a events planner in the most perfect wintery estate in the Lake District. She loves being so close to nature, her colleagues that are more like family and the amazing events she gets to curate. More than anyone, Lottie deserves her happiness. Her ex-boyfriend dumped her a few days after proposing, her sister’s recovering from a cancer diagnosis and Lottie’s spent the last year rebuilding her life and her confidence ready to enter her new chapter with renewed vigour. A handsome but shy new groundskeeper moves in next door and she gets commissioned to plan a perfect winter wedding – things are finally looking up! But, when she discovers that the other half of that perfect wedding couple is her ex-boyfriend, how will she be able to continue?!

A snowy estate in the countryside, a brooding mysterious neighbour, a perky down to earth girl next door and an egotistical cocky ex – Philippa Ashley gives the reader exactly what they’d expect from a cosy Christmassy romance book. Although this book doesn’t reinvent the wheel – it does a perfect job of creating an easy to read, easy to enjoy storyline that gets you straight into the festive mood in time for Christmas. The predictability is perfect for switching off and snuggling down into the duvet to binge through a few chapters every night. I liked that the story had a few different elements to it – from Lottie’s relationship with her sister, to the event planning and her turmoil of having an ex turn up, it juggled each storyline well without getting too convoluted. At times, it did get a bit boring because it felt like there was a lot of detail and not enough oomph to the actual storylines, but overall it was a cute, enjoyable little read.

Phillipa Ashley created each character with their own personality and vibe – I liked that they were all a little bit different; showcasing both their flaws and their redeeming qualities. I wasn’t too keen on Lottie herself as a main character, finding her quite annoying with the decisions she made infuriating! It almost felt as though she was written by two different people – her choices and personality conflicting often throughout the narrative which at times, made the writing feel a bit disjointed.

Overall, this was an nice, simple seasonal read. It wasn’t my favourite Christmassy romance, but it was a nice switch up from the normal creepy thrillers and mysteries I’m obsessed with!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for my advanced reader copy! 💕

The perfect Christmas romance - super quick & fun to read.

I loved the relationship between Lottie & her sister, it was really special.

Conner was irritating, as he should be!

I really enjoyed the writing style & it was exactly the sort of escapism I needed.

An easy to read festive novel. The perfect partner to a mulled wine and a cosy winter night. Set in the beautiful lake District, Ashley creates a vibrant world.

This was an absolute cracker of a festive treat! Often Christmas lit plots can fall into the habit of becoming a bit same-y. I can guarantee you won't have read one like this before! Lottie works at a beautiful sounding stately home replete with land and a Christmas tree farm. She has a lovely glam boss, an in remission sister, two adorable nieces - and a healing heart. So who is the first couple she has to organise a wedding for? The guy who broke her heart and his demanding bride to be. Throw in an incredibly touching and well handled sub plot with Lottie's love interest (who sounds delish!) and you have a wonderful warm and fuzzy read. I adored it!