I have mixed feelings about this book. I did enjoy it for the most part. A magical element was hinted at - I'd have liked that to have been explored a bit more. I thought the pacing was a little slow at times, with long scenes at the residential/nursing home, and sometimes lengthy dialogues, which I think could have been cut here and there. I couldn't believe Jess needed someone to point out to her how she felt about a certain male in her life. The clues were there - I guessed early on. And then I felt impatient because it just took so long for her to get there. I loved Oliver. Nik was too good to be true. Buddy the dog was wonderful. There's a great cast of secondary characters. I liked the fact the issue of the closure of a nursing home was explored, and the fact we learnt about the residents lives. I did wonder whether the plot should have been around saving the nursing home rather than planning a Christmas party. Also, the plot surrounding Jess's mother was left unresolved. But the story is suitably festive, the ending was satisfying, and there is lots to like including the toy element. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this story.

Christmas and romance, what could be better?

Well I liked it, and that's about as much as I can say.

This book just didn't grab me.

The story was sweet enough but it took me over a week to read, there just wan't enough to really get my attention.

I can't pinpoint exactly what wasn't right, it's almost like it could have been a novella instead of a novel.

Over all not a bad book but not one that I'd rush to read again.

This is another fantastic read by this author, a story to take you through chance encounters, worrying phone calls, new friends, festivities, friendships and romance as well as lots and lots of toys!

Accidentally sitting in the wrong seat on her flight back to London from a fabulous toy fair in Germany has Jess Jagger, toy shop manager, meeting Nik, an Australian whose family manufacture toys. The two click and end up having a meal and travelling to the idyllic sounding town where she works in the toy shop, Under the Tree. The whole High Street there sounds brilliant – I’d love to visit, especially to taste some of the desserts!

All is not well in the world for Jess, though, as she hears that her grandmother’s care home, Willow Court, has been sold and the residents will have to find alternative accommodation. As the festive season approaches, Jess endeavours to ensure the Willow Court residents have a fabulous festive party and to find a lovely new home for her gran……. As her flatmate and best friend Oliver and her new friend Nik both help her, will Jess also find love this Christmas – and if so, who with?

The residents at Willow Court are absolutely amazing characters with some really fun personalities amongst them and there is a definite sense of community throughout the story. Buddy also deserves a huge mention – and a doggy treat – for his role in the story. This is a fun, festive read and a lovely, heartwarming story to escape into.

Thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

Tired of watching Hallmark movies? Then take a break with this delightful holiday tale about two people in the toy industry coming together to plan a last Christmas party for the residents of Willow Creek, a senior center that is closing. This is a fun and light read that will keep you in the festive spirit!

What does Christmas mean to you?
Because this is a book to remember us that Christmas is not a “holiday” but the feelings that make us feel Christmassy; not the presents or the food; but the warmth and happiness we feel when we are with the ones we love.
Jess and Nik meet in an airplane, you could see the meeting as coincidence or fate; but their meeting will change their lives forever, ready? Because this is a book about values and emotions, love is not always about romance but the love we share with friends and the people that surround us, this is love too. And let’s be honest, we should say more often I love you to the people we love and care, actions are nice but words are always needed.
I liked Jess and Nik relation and friendship, they seem to have the same love for toys and family, but is it enough to make them more than friends? This book not only explains their story, the secondary characters are important as well, the relation of Jess with her grandmother, Jess relation with her flat partner or her job at the toy shop.
I can’t say which story I liked most, all of them were interesting and make you value your life more, this made the book more complete and real, you’ll discover the Christmas spirit, believe me.
I hope there will be a second book with the characters to know how their story progresses and if they are happy with their decisions, fingers crossed!
Ready to discover “The Winter We Meet”?

A very well written and entertaining romance. Good plot, believable characters and good setting. Fans of romance and Christmas books will enjoy this one. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

The Winter We Met is the perfect read to curl up by the fire (or just on the sofa) with, with a hot chocolate or tea and some biscuits by your side, and to forget the outside world for a few hours. This is the kind of feel-good book that makes you happy on dreary and dark rainy days, the kind that makes your heart feel all warm and content.

I was so excited to read this book, the second I had laid my eyes upon this gorgeous cover! If it doesn’t ooze cosyness, warmth, and festive love then I don’t know what does! I raced through this book in a day. From the first page on I was hooked on Jess’s story. She meets Nik on a flight back home to England from a toy fair in Germany. This beginning reminded me a bit of a Sophie Kinsella book and I was in love already.

This heart-warming, cosy feel-good read is perfect for this time of year. I loved it from beginning to end, and can only recommend it to everyone who loves a good romance and festive read! Definitely a 5 star read for me!

This is my first festive read of the year and I absolutely adored it.

When Jess ends up sitting next to Nik on a flight back to London she doesn’t know the impact he will have on her life. Feeling an instant connection, she invites him to visit and ends up introducing him to her Gran and her friends. With her Gran’s care home set to close, Jess is determined to help her find a new home that will make her happy, and to help the residents to have the best (final) Christmas party together ever! With the help of Nik, her best friend and flatmate Oliver, Buddy the dog and others – they set out to bring the party to life.

But Oliver and Alf (one of the care home residents) have reservations about Nik and his intentions…..but are they on the right track? Will Jess find the perfect place for her Gran? Will the Christmas party be the best ever? And will the year end with love for Jess?

The story and characters in this were fantastic. I absolutely love Jess, Oliver and Nik. All kind and caring, they really do all they can for Jess’ Gran and her friends. The residents are all brilliant! Each with their own backstory – which sets as a perfect reminder, that even though people live in a care/residential home, they are still the same person. They have histories, past careers and stories to tell and we should embrace and support that. And we know I love an animal…..Buddy was a particular favourite character of mine!

The storyline was magical, especially the further in you get and I could really feel the magic of Christmas coming alive – I now can’t wait!! The Winter We Met bought out so many different emotions for me. With residents worrying about losing their homes, as well as facing the many health problems that older people have to live with and with some of them suffering with dementia, parts of this were so moving. I found myself welling up more than once. But there are also many many times that will make you smile and laugh and will warm you to the bones.

I would really love to visit Under The Tree which sounds like a magical place all by itself! A wonderful little independent toy store who really have the children at the heart of all that they do. It sounds wonderful! And Willow Tree is also sounds like an amazing, caring and loving place. Tonge has done a fantastic job of bringing the settings alive and helping the reader to feel the things that the characters are feeling.

Finally, the romance….! Jess’ love life will certainly keep you guessing. I changed my mind on what would happen numerous times and was so happy with the conclusion!

So if you’re looking for a heartwarming, magical and emotive read with wonderful warm characters then you should check this out! Highly recommended by me.

This was a nice story of a woman who is trying to figure out her path in life and where she stands in it, all the while missing important clues as to what is going on in the present. I enjoyed the nursing home side of the story - it's really sad that so many people are shut away and treated like items rather than people with rich stories and personalities. There was too much dialogue in the opening chapters and at the end, but everything else was a good read, so don't let the beginning stop you from reading on..

I absolutely love this author and this might be my new favourite book yet. It is absolutely gorgeous and almost like drinking happiness from a cup.
This is a heartwarming and romantic read which I have enjoyed from start to finish. I haven't been able to put this one down. I have literally devoured this book in just one sitting.
I have had an instant connection to Jess and Nik. Both are amazing characters and I have loved them from the start. Each are given their own personality and seem real.
The cover of this one is absolutely gorgeous and makes you want to pick up the book. The story inside is just as wonderful. I have absolutely adored this from beginning to end.
This is definitely a book I will be highly recommending and one which is completely worthy of all the stars to show

There's a lesson - be careful whom you sit next to on a plane, it can change your life!

I'll not say a word about the story, that's up to others, but talk about the writing, as I don't like to give anything away. This is a novel filled with fascinating characters, superbly drawn and rounded to perfection. We have Christmas spirit in abundance, even amongst the residents of Willow Court, I like to think. There is mystery too, which I seem to love lately, in exactly who and what Nico is and is up to - okay, sorry, no more story peeks. Sorry that one got through.

Samantha always gives me a conundrum when I finish her novels; it's always my favourite of hers! Well, here's to the next.

This is a 'stoke up the fire, switch off the phone, and curl up with a cup of hot chocolate' novel, perfect as the colder months draw in!

This was a slow burner in my opinion. I was very slow going and more like a chick-lit than a great romance. Definitely an easy read which I am sure people are looking for at this crazy time.

I would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I was so excited for the new festive Samantha Tonge novel and it was well worth the wait.
From page one I became totally lost in Jess’s story and I’m currently filling out applications forms for a job in a toy shop.
Jess is such a sweet and kind-hearted character and I desperately wanted her to find a happy ending. I thought both Nik and Oliver were worthy love interests, different in character but both treat Jess with such adoration and care. The romance aspect was tense throughout as there was gentle chemistry between Jess and Nik and Jess and Oliver and I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know which direction it would go.
Setting a festive romance in a toy shop with a festive name is a stroke of genius. It gave the whole plot a really cosy feel and further enhanced how adorable Jess was. I’d love to work in a shop like this – where the staff truly care about the customers and I had great fun imagining the store layout in my head and what I would sell.
I loved the sub-plot around Gran’s Christmas party in the home. Gran’s friends added amusement but also some food for thought around issues facing home closures and the elderly.
This novel is a heart-warming, comfort read that will keep you reading from beginning to end. It feels like a giant hug whilst reading and will put a smile on the grumpiest of faces. Highly recommended.

A chance meeting on a plane and Jess thinks all her dreams have come true. Australian businessman Nik is kind, gorgeous and almost too good to be true. Working together to make the lives of her gran and her friends at the care home as happy as possible in the face of the home's closure, could this be the start of a romance, despite the two of them coming from opposite sides of the world? Jess's flatmate Oliver has other ideas. He starts investigating Mr Perfect and doesn't trust him at all. The old folk are fun, the dog is adorable, and the romantic ending is not quite what Jess expected, although I did have my suspicions! A light and cosy Christmas read.

This was terrible. The whole plot was a cringefest and the lead characters unbelievably dim.

Absolutely nothing about this book worked for me. The worst part besides the dismal characters themselves may have been the descriptions of fashion and outfits worn by the characters, yikes. Oliver's story was ridiculous and his complete 180 in the end was silly. Jess was one of those lame main characters that pretends not to see what's right in front of her despite being oh soooooooooo detail oriented at work. Right. Sure.

Really no romance here and the plot plays out like one of the worst ever Hallmark films.

If I had to read one more disgusting description of a scented candle I would have puked. Seriously who brings a scented candle for every occasion? Who burns a scented candle just to spite someone who doesn't like the gross smell? Jess that's who.

A delightful wintry charmer from a much-loved author, The Winter We Met is an uplifting romantic tale from Samantha Tonge.

Going back home from a toy fair in Germany, Jess never imagined that a flight back to England would end up changing her life, but when handsome Australian Nik sat next to her, the two connected instantly and had quickly struck up a conversation that kept them amused and entertained for the duration of the flight. When they touched down in England, Nik and Jess realised that they were not ready to say goodbye just yet and as the charismatic Aussie had a few days to kill, Jess decided to invite him over to her typical English village and her lovely toy shop. With Nik’s life being – quite literally – on the other side of the world, Jess knows that even though she is drawn to him, a future for the two of them is out of the question – even if she cannot deny the fact that she simply cannot stop herself from constantly thinking about him…

Jess and Nik are looking forward to spending an enchanting couple of days in the run up to Christmas together, but reality soon intrudes on their magical time when Jess gets a distressing phone call: her beloved gran’s care home Willow Court is closing down before Christmas and Jess needs to find her a new place to live which is no mean feat as she has to find her the perfect place to call home. Willow Court might be closing, but Jess is not about to let the residents bid adieu without throwing the best Christmas party ever!

Jess is up to her eyeballs in baubles, glitter and mince pies, but at the back of her mind she is worried that she will not find her gran a home that is as perfect as Willow Court. With Nik’s time in England coming to a close, Jess’ heartache seems to no bounds, but will a Christmas miracle provide Jess with everything which her heart desires? Or is she about to have a Christmas full of regret, heartache and disappointment?

Samantha Tonge’s name has become synonymous with feel-good romantic comedies and she is at her best with The Winter We Met. A wonderful tale that sparkles with humour, charm and hope, The Winter We Met is a heart-warming and irresistible read about dreams coming true, falling in love and meeting your soul mate that I couldn’t put down.

Jess is a lovely heroine. She is kind-hearted, loyal and somebody readers will cheer for and Nik is a gorgeous Australian hero I fell in love with.

As superb as ever, Samantha Tonge’s The Winter We Met is another one of her books heading straight for my keeper shelf.

If you're looking for a book to curl up with during the holiday season then I highly recommend reading The Winter We Met by Samantha Tonge! I adored this cozy read and didn't want it to end. It's certainly a Christmas read I can see reading every year so as soon as the paperback releases (if it does) I plan to buy it because I loved it so much! Highly recommended!

I'm a bit conflicted on how to rate this. On one hand, this really gave me all the festive vibes and I liked the story, the characters were charming and they felt close to one. But on the other hand, I'm not so sure about the writing style. This is my first book by this author, and her prose didn't feel as light as I expected, there was a lot of description to my taste about things that didn't really add as much to the story, which made it difficult for me to stay 100% focused while reading this.

I do enjoy Samantha Tonge novels and I thought this was going to be an equally uplifting and enjoyable novel but it wasn't my fave unfortunately. It was still an enjoyable novel and I liked the storyline however.

This is a charming holiday romance with lovely characters and settings. It's just the kind escapism that I'm looking for these days and especially during the holidays. Perfect to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea.