I’ve read a few books by the author and have enjoyed them even though her work is outside my usual comfort zones. I haven’t read much Christmas fiction as I tend to dismiss it as OTT or cheesy, so I was a bit cynical about this book. I enjoyed a lot about the book, but it didn’t fully work for me. I enjoyed the complex relationships between the characters as they reconnect after Hannah bumps into Nico after dumping her cheating boyfriend. The book is a little heavy handed with references to Church with both characters being church goers wielding a bible. This put me off. I also found the sex scenes a bit full on and OTT. I’m not a prude but the sex scenes are pornographic at times. I enjoyed the blend of English and Swedish cultures, but some things left me cold.

A really lovely festive read. When Hannah's relationship ends and she is reluctantly forced to leave her beloved shop in Sweden, she returns to her home village in England where she meets up again with Nico a friend of her brothers. His life is complicated involving children but they are drawn to one another in the festive season, they are both sorting out their problems but can they overcome their difficulties and form a new relationship. A fabulous setting in both locations and wonderful empathetic characters who you can warm to instantly, make this a perfect Christmas novel. A 5⭐read

The story had its charms featuring two people who remeet years after high school. One divorced and navigating the single dad life while the other is stuck in a stagnant relationship (which of course involved cohabitation--the first strike for me). The female lead gets dumped, the cause of which seems to be due to her boyfriends sexual perversion (strike two). At least that loser is kicked to the curb and that leaves the path open for the main leads. After some misunderstandings, along with some drama from the ex-wife, that delay the inevitable, we then have the leads hopping into bed (strike three) not too much after they realize their mutual interest. What is even more frustrating to me is that they can sit in church (and she even cries over the service), and then a few pages later, they are back in bed (evidently the characters' Bibles must have conveniently left out the verses warning against fornication). What really made me want to chuck the book, or toss in the toilet was the way-too-detailed description of their intimacy. Felt like I was reading porn. The only reason I skimmed through to the end was to fulfill my obligation to complete a review. If you want a "holiday" book that basically has zero content about the significance of the season and you happen to like reading about others intimate moments (ewww!), then you may enjoy this. But if you prefer that characters have some self-control and get married before sleeping or living together, then I'd stay away from this one.

A pleasant romance of misunderstandings and recovery set in England and Sweden. I like learning about different cultures through stories like this and enjoyed this book. It was interesting the way the subject of bulimia was brought into it and well written

A wonderful Christmas read!

Another beautifully written story by one of my favourite authors.

Great characters that you can relate with and so many very moving moments that really pull at your heart strings.

This had me gripped from the beginning and I found it extremely difficult to put down.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early review copy.

I liked the book, it was sweet and cute and filled with Christmas cheer. I loved both characters, Nico and Hannnah. They had their own problems to deal with.
The story is actually really emotional and well written, I didn't expect all their problems based on the book descriotion. It put me into the holiday mood for sure. I felt like I was watching romance christmas movie on TV.

Very enjoyable romance. Great character dynamics. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Cute story. Loved reading about Sweden. Stockholm sounds like a beautiful place and makes me want to visit it. Yes, the story is predictable but it's perfect for the holiday season. Enjoyed the story, characters and writing style. Of course, there are a few people who were not my favorite and could have mysteriously disappeared without me caring. Albin was simply a horrible person and Hannah was lucky to get rid of him. I'm not sure how she didn't see any of the red flags. What Hannah lost in Stockholm to return home was worth getting away from him. The stuff Albin told her was outrageous, Then there was Loren and Vivvi. They will both never win the award for best mom/grandma. Maria is lucky Nico is such a wonderful man. Who knows what would have happened to her?? I don't think it would have ended well. Vivvi just expected Nico to take care of her. I don't think she had any love or interest in her grandkids. She hardly helped her own daughter. Loren didn't want any help. She neglected her girls, especially the youngest. She's lucky child services didn't find Maria before Nico. Nan Heather's reason for for breaking up with her boyfriend was pretty ridiculous. The eating disorder part of the book didn't seem to fit. I would think he would need someone to help him with it. Not just be able to fix it on his own.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a fun, romantic holiday read. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avon Books UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Sue Moorcroft and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of Christmas Wishes. This story about Hannah Anna Goodbody was the first I had read from this author. At first it took me a while to shake off the last book I read and get into this one but the wholesome characters and family spirit drew me in. Despite there being some truly awful people encountered you also can’t help but love the unwavering kindness of the main characters Hannah, Nico and Nan Heather. Would recommend for a light hearted Christmas read.

I’m super fickle when it comes to Christmas themed books! I can be persuaded to read a book by a “chocolate box” cover alone. Christmas Wishes enticed me with its beautiful wintry cover. Yet it was far more than just a lovely cover. Set between Middledip and Stockholm the descriptions of snowy and frosty roads are vivid. You can almost believe you are there with a cold wind blowing and snow falling around you, with whiffs of hot chocolate and mulled wine on the breeze.

The characters are well written; relatable and real, some likable others the polar opposite. There are many interwoven storylines which touch on many subjects, some are light hearted and others more gritty. With plenty of festive charm, Christmas Wishes is far from just being a Christmas romance. It’s a book you’ll want to revisit every year to give you a proper festive feeling.

With many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Another lovely story from Sue Moorcroft, I always enjoy reading her books.
Set partly in Sweden and also in the oft visited village of Middledip, it is the story of Hannah, trying to run her own little shop in Sweden, 'aided' by boyfriend Albin. She hadnt realised what a pig he was until one day she was told to leave her lovely shop which she had painstakingly readied for Christmas.
in the meantime she has also met Nico whom she knew from a very long time ago.
The story plays out with a few twists. The pictures drawn on Sweden and Swedish Christmas traditions are lovely.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for a chance to read this book.

Set in Stockholm and Middledip in England, this is a lovely book about families, relationships, and new romances.
Hannah feels an attraction for her brothers friend, but circumstances are difficult until they find themselves living in the same place. She's recently lost both her business and her boyfriend. Nico is juggling life as a single dad and problems with his ex wife. The issues show what a wonderful man he is and I fell in love with him!
I loved the two settings and the lovely family Christmas with 2 little girls bringing the christmas magic to the occasion.

Cozy Christmas story for a snowy afternoon cuddled under an Afghan. Characters are non threatening and the book reads quickly.

Christmas Wishes by Sue Moorcroft is a holiday book featuring Hannah and Nico. It is ultimately very cozy and warm while not shying away from real-life struggles and life hardships. I enjoyed every second of this book and every character that popped up. It’s about moving back home after spreading your wings abroad and dealing with familial responsibilities and so much more that I think people will be able to relate to.

Christmas Wishes by Sue Moorcroft is definitely a 5-star read for me. This was my first book by Sue Moorcroft but it definitely won’t be my last.

A big thank you to Avon and Netgalley and Sue Moorcroft for the ARC and the opportunity to read this wonderfully cozy holiday book in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful Christmassy read with some real identifiable characters. Set in an English country village and Sweden it has plenty of snow. A romance but with more than one villain and many twists and turns that you wonder how it's all going to come together with lots of, predictable misunderstandings. The children are depicted so well with an excitable 8 year old and an even more boisterous 2 year old, tantrums and all. A definite cosy read over the holiday period.to escape with.

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Sue Moorcroft’s writing so it’ll come as no surprise to hear that I absolutely loved this one. I particularly enjoyed virtual visits to Sweden at several points throughout the novel. The little shops and streets of Stockholm sounded wonderful and I am deeply envious of the snow. I was so pleased though to pay a visit again to Middledip, one of my favourite fictional settings, and to visit at Christmas time was extra special.

The story focuses on Hannah who we first meet in her boutique shop in Stockholm, where she lives with her boyfriend. She is surprised by a visit from her brother’s friend, Nico. Nico used to play ice hockey with Rob when living in the UK as a teenager. When unforeseen circumstances mean that Hannah loses her shop, she returns home to help look after her elderly Nan, and finds that Nico has also moved to Middledip with his young daughter Josie and Josie’s half sister, Maria.

I don’t want to say too much about the main characters, Hannah and Nico, as I’d like you to meet them and get to know them for yourself. However, I will say that Albin is the villain of the piece and my goodness how I hated his calculated cruelty towards Hannah. He really was a nasty piece of work! By contrast, Josie and Maria are child characters who will melt your heart. I especially loved when little Maria calls Nico ‘Mydad’, it brought a lump to my throat.

It was lovely to catch up with Ratty who featured in Starting Over and who makes a few cameo appearances. I think that Ratty now has competition for the position of my favourite of Sue Moorcroft’s leading men as Nico is such a wonderful creation – sorry Ratty!

Despite her books being romantic fiction, Sue Moorcroft doesn’t shy away from tackling big issues not often seen in contemporary fiction. For example in this book we see a male character affected by an eating disorders. I think it’s really important to realise that this is something experienced by men too as it’s often quite often a hidden issue.

There is also a character who is struggling with alcohol and substance dependence. Sue Moorcroft shows clearly the effect this has, not just on immediate family but the extended family too. This is something which has touched our family in the past and I can say that I feel that Sue Moorcroft has depicted this situation sensitively and accurately. She shows how some people step up to help, whether something is their responsibility or not. And she also shows how people who should be helping, sometimes just don’t.

For all these rather heavy sounding issues, this book is a joy to read. As I expected and hoped, Sue Moorcroft draws all the strands of her story together beautifully by the end. This is a heart-warming and uplifting read, oozing Christmas charm. I have probably said this before about her previous novels, but I think that Christmas Wishes could well be Sue Moorcroft’s best book yet.

I'm going to say more like three and a half stars. I liked the book, it took me a while to get into it, then I really enjoyed it but it took me longer than usual to finish it. There was obviously quite a lot research done for the parts of the story that were set in Sweden. Nico is a swoon worthy leading man every time Maria called him "mydad" melted my heart. Overall it's a nice, festive read with a few hard hitting storylines.

Hannah and Nico are meant to be together. They run into each other at her shop after not seeing each other in years.

Hannah is in a relationship with an inattentive partner. Nick is divorced and single dad to Josie.

Hannah and Nico have to navigate work, exes, and family events - can they find their way to each other?

This book was beautiful, festive escapism. The characters had substance and was relatable and engaging.
I loved it.

I loved this book. Nico was my favourite character. He was a wonderful father. Even under a lot of strain those girls were always loved and well-cared for. Both young girls were lovely, but little Maria stood out for me. As for the female protagonist, I didn't totally warm to her. She was okay, but I feel this was Nico's story and she was a supporting character. I do wish also that Nico and Hannah had spent a little more time together than they do. Other supporting characters like Nan Heather were great. Some serious issues are looked at in this story, so it's not a light read at times. The Christmas elements are all there. It was good to learn a little about Swedish customs. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.