A Winter's Dream by Sophie Claire
Publication Date: October 1, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“Liberty has never been a risk-taker. She loves the routine of her quiet life in the charming village of Willowbrook, with her Labrador, Charlie. But the arrival of a mysterious gift prompts Liberty to make some changes: starting with a daily challenge to say yes to everything for the month of December...

Fearless and independent, Alex could hardly be a less obvious fit for peaceful village life. But after an accident cuts short his promising motorcycling career, he finds himself in Willowbrook in search of new direction.

When the pair become unlikely housemates, sparks fly at Damselfly Cottage. Will living together prove impossible - especially when the first snow falls? Or, cut off from the outside world, can they help each other find what it takes to be brave this Christmas?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @hodderbooks @hodderstoughton for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This is my first book from Sophie Claire. My husband is a car and motorcycle enthusiast, so I was happy to read about them here and there in the story. I went into reading this knowing it would be your typical romcom, but as I read on I thought there would be a change to the typical story, so I got more interested. Alas, it was not meant to be - I would like to read a story like that. Sophie Claire, you know what I’m talking about ;). - The Christmas setting was lovely, I would have liked to read more about the English countryside Christmas. The story could have been shorter, certain musings were prolonged and not necessary. Overall, it was what you would expect in a cute Christmas romcom with a bonus of a good dog. 🐾

Liberty was a wonderful character. She enjoyed her beautiful cottage, walks with her dog Charlie, quilting and the village of Willowbrook which she called home. I loved the ‘say yes’ challenge she set herself and found this to be believable and exciting. This was my first Sophie Claire book and will definitely not be my last. I loved her writing style and felt she brought the characters to life brilliantly. Just the right amount of suspense, and emotion.
An easy 5 star review.

Liberty has just turned 30. Her life is what many people would think of as boring and predictable. She works in a sewing shop, spends her evenings sewing and once a week visits her best friend who is in a coma after a car crash.

But once a year, on her birthday she receives a bouquet of flowers from an unknown person. Who is sending them?

On the night of her 30th birthday Liberty decides she will spend the whole month of December taking every opportunity,  saying yes to every chance that comes her way!

The first opportunity she takes is to take in a lodger - a French motorbike racer, going through his own personal crisis. They get off to a very shaky start but become friends. Every day Liberty takes on a new and exciting challenge.

This was a great read - I read it in less than 48 hours. I recommend this to anyone looking for a nice easy Christmas read!

I loved this easy read and feel good story, the perfect read these days. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to get in the Christmas spirit.

A thoroughly enjoyable cosy Christmas read. This is the first book I've read my Sophie Claire and I shall be seeking out her previous novels. Definitely a feel good Christmassy romance with all the elements therein even if a little predicable in places I wouldn't want it any other way for a warm hearted book to while away a wintry day. Lovely characters with descriptions of winter and the magic of Christmas in England and France. I loved the quilting theme throughout the book having been involved in the making of a village quilt last year plus a personal project of my own this year.. I look forward to hearing more from this author for a wonderful escapism read.

I so enjoy Christmassy books – and I really have to say that I thought this book was just wonderful. Sophie Claire is a superb story teller – her writing wraps you up in a warm hug, and it’s just lovely to allow yourself to enter the lives of her characters, watch them change and grow and find things that make them happy in a way that warms your heart and makes you glow inside.

It was lovely to be back in Willowbrook, and to meet again many of the characters whose company I’d enjoyed at my last visit. I must say though, if you’ve never had the pleasure of spending time there before, you’ll have no problems reading this one (third in series) as a standalone – this is the kind of series I like, where the location and background characters follow through but the main story follows a new set of lead characters.

Liberty works at The Button Hole with Evie (you know, that gorgeous little shop where you can buy everything you need for your sewing projects, and they have those beautiful hand-made quilts…): after a traumatic event, she’s living alone at Damselfly Cottage other than her companion Charlie the labrador, and is content with her quiet life and routine, walking the dog, enjoying her home and its surroundings, sewing her quilts in the evenings by the fire. But there comes a point where “content” becomes “in a rut” and “boring”: she decides December will be her month of saying “yes” to everything, no matter how uncomfortable or frightening.

And that decision brings Alex into her life, and into her home as a lodger – French, a former motor-cycling world champion, his career ended after injury, looking for a long-lost relative while deciding on his next move. The author’s excellent at male leads who begin by being pretty obnoxious – everything he does and says rubs lovely Sophie up the wrong way, and he really doesn’t seem to care. But he’s distinctly “hot”, not as miserable and standoffish as he first appears, just carrying rather a lot of personal baggage, and things slowly begin to change when they both drop their defences a little – although being snowed in together really tests their growing friendship.

And that’s the point when everything starts to become distinctly Christmassy, and it’s just perfectly done – choosing a Christmas tree, a bit of walking through the snowy landscape, building a snowman (or more accurately, a snowdog…), and some sledging that really tests Liberty’s newfound bravery. It’s all just perfectly done, as they feel their way through their tentative new friendship – and it’s not even Christmas yet, that’s still to come, after Alex has left for home and she’s on her own again.

But life’s rarely that predictable, and the story moves away from Willowbrook as Liberty tests her bravery even further – and has a whole new set of experiences (in the most beautifully detailed and drawn locations – which will come as no surprise if you’ve read the author’s books before), a Christmas she never expected, and a confession she just has to make that takes more courage than anything she’s faced before. I SO want to say more about the last third of the book – I adored every moment – but really don’t want to spoil the book for anyone, so I’ll resist the temptation (but you’re going to love it!).

The characters in this book are just so beautifully drawn. You can’t help caring for Liberty, feeling her sadness and loss, and taking her to your heart – but Alex also has quite a back story, along with an emotional complexity and a well-hidden warm heart, and you soon find yourself very much in his corner as he discovers he needs to find some bravery too. The wider cast of characters is wonderful – strong and supportive friendships, the possibility of the perfect partner for Liberty in Ethan, a new friendship with his mother (which changes her life a little too), and a few well-developed dramas, secrets and surprises that really keep the story moving. And a particularly special mention for labrador Charlie – however allergic you might be, I guarantee he’ll become your new best friend too.

A gorgeous romance, everything Christmassy you could possibly ask for, a really well told story, the strongest of characters, a touch of armchair travel, plenty of emotional content, a few gentle laughs along the way… there was absolutely nothing about this book I didn’t enjoy, and I’d really urge you to add it to your Christmas reading list. Warm, uplifting, heartwarming… a really lovely read.

A Winter’s Dream is my first Christmas novel of the year and it cheered me up and put me in such a festive mood with its beautiful description and the joyous atmosphere that I may have already started looking at this year’s Christmas shopping.

The story is set in Willowbrook, the same setting as in the author’s previous novels, so, if you’ve read them, you will recognize old characters and see how their story developed. The protagonists of this new novel are Liberty and Alex. Liberty has a routine that she follows strictly and she’d rather stay home quilting and watching TV than go out on a date, but this year she feels particularly lonely so, on her thirtieth birthday, she sets herself the challenge to say yes to anything that it is presented to her. I really admired the character of Liberty for sticking to her challenge, even when she really didn’t want to or she had to do the things that scared her most. Liberty is likable and relatable and I found her very brave. I don’t think I would done the same in her place.

Then there is Alex. Broody, dark, handsome, motor bike world champion Alex. He is in Willowbrook for a personal family business and to take a break from decisions he has to take regarding his future. I enjoyed his clashing with Liberty and their witty exchanges and I liked how this character developed and grew throughout the story.

A Winter’s Dream is an entertaining, heartwarming, beautiful story of love, friendship, and a bit of family drama with an adorable dog and a short trip to beautiful Provence that will make you forget everything else, at least for a few hours.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were believable being true to life and that made for a lovely setting . What a lovely book to curl up with on a winters day with a mug of hot chocolate. 4 stars are given to this and I recommend it to all.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

All the lovely Christmas vibes from this cute story, I loved Liberty so much (and Charlie obviously) and it was great to see Alex’s change over the course of the story. I really enjoyed this and look forward to future reads by Sophie.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I received an advance copy of, A Winter's Dream by, Sophie Claire. I really loved this book. The characters were real and inviting. I loved Liberty and her friends, especially Carys. Such an easy read, one of my favorite book this year.

This story about Liberty and Alex really showed how you should open your heart to new experiences and new people which I guess is also the message of Christmas. A really enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Really cute romance novel. I liked the characters all of them were likeable, I especially loved Libby she was realistic for once. I liked Alex he could be irritating at times with his constant whining and silly decisions but the ending was sweet. The Christmas setting was wonderful but I wish we saw more of Christmas in England it really would of set the mood a lot more. My only complaint is the story was a lot longer than needed around 75-90% through dragged on and really felt unnecessary. .

This book is set in Willowbrook, the setting of Sophie Claire's previous. It is,a standalone novel, but characters from the previous books do feature in it.
It is a lovely book, I loved how Liberty was challenging herself, I really enjoyed reading about her.
It is a little slow to start, but I soon found myself reading quickly through it.
It's predictable in places, but still a nice cosy read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I was thrilled to be given an early opportunity to return to Willowbrook, having enjoyed meeting the residents last year in The Christmas Holiday. Liberty is a lovely young woman who loves living and working in Willowbrook but is missing her housemate and best friend, Carys, who is in hospital in a coma.

To help pay her bills, Liberty takes in a lodger, Alex, who is a friend of Luc (from A Forget-Me-Not Summer). Alex is trying to deal with being told that his racing career is over after an accident, and can’t believe he is stuck in the middle of nowhere with an grumpy young woman and a dog.

The book looks at how Liberty and Alex learn to communicate with each other, and start to learn about moving forwards from each other. Damselfly Cottage sounds beautiful as does the Button Hole shop – both are full of colour and cosiness.

I loved curling up to read this story, full of great characters, friendships, romance and a lovely Labrador called Charlie. I’ve already read a few festive books this year and this is one of my favourites.

I enjoyed reading about Liberty, and all the daily challenges that she took on. She was brave, and she said what she thought about things, instead of keeping everything inside. I liked Alex as well, though he is rather self centred at the beginning of the book, it feels like lack of awareness, rather than lack of caring. I enjoyed the way that the two of them gradually grew together (although it’s only over a few weeks, which is not that gradual), each making the other think more deeply.

If you’re looking for a wintery romance, then look no further.

I loved this story! Heroine Liberty lives a small, predictable life in her English village until she is inspired to challenge herself with a month of new experiences. Her temporary French lodger Alex has frustration, anger and a bunch of hang-ups from his past to surmount, but I warmed to him as soon as he started supporting Liberty and seeing the small pleasures in her village lifestyle and friendships. And the happy ending included an extra helping of joy: really nice touch, as was the inclusion of a festive interlude in the South of France🤗.

This was the third novel I'd read by Sophie Claire and she's never disappointed. Her main characters have depth and substance and the courage to confront and surmount disappointments and tragedies from their past. Although a number of the characters move from one novel to the next, each book is complete in and of itself. I can't wait for the next!

Thanks to publisher Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Absolutely gorgeous read. This is perfect from start to finish, I have loved everything about this book.

A wonderful story of bravery, self belief, friendship and falling in love.
The start of this book was a bit slow for me, and I felt like I was missing something when other characters were introduced, as if I should know them and their back story, this is my first book by this author and I’m not sure this is part of a series. However, overall it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the whole book.

I could empathise with Liberty and her safe a secure routine, her life was seemingly idyllic with all her routines, but it’s so easy to get stuck in a rut, especially when she wanted more. I loved the idea of her challenges and how she didn’t shy away from telling people about them. Watching her confidence grow after each challenge was beautiful, especially when Alex supports her and indeed is the one who comes up with a lot of her challenges. Watching their friendship grow was wonderful and seeing Alex also grow as a person just like Liberty was great, the challenges had an impact on him too.
The descriptions of the local areas, especially of France were beautiful and I really felt I was there, the story flowed very well and before I knew it I was at the end. A beautiful slow burn romance set in a wonderful winter wonderland

This is a wonderful, feel good Christmas read. Liberty works in a quilt shop. She likes everything to be predictable. Alex is a world class motor bike champion. He thrives on adventures. Alex rents a room from Liberty looking for his half sister. This story has romance, friendship and some drama. This is the first time I have read this author. I will definitely go back and read her other books. Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

This is a really lovely gentle romance, although it is set in the winter you can read it at any time of year.

Liberty is a very likeable character, very cautious by nature, especially since her close friend has laid in a coma since a bad car accident some months ago. She sets herself a challenge to say yes to things that push her out of her comfort zone, including renting out her spare bedroom to a short term lodger.

Alex is a French racing driver over in the UK to see his friend Luc and try and trace a half sibling. He is struggling to come to terms with a slower lifestyle as injury means he can no longer race. He likes speed, the excitement of racing. He is the complete opposite to Liberty and they clash until an attraction develops.

I wasn’t aware that this was part of a series, I don’t feel this affected my enjoyment of this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.