Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Jess is flying home from a toy convention when she meets Nik. When they arrive in England she invites Nik to see the toy shop she oversees. I enjoyed the different characters and the chemistry between Jess and Nic.

I have been a fan of Samantha’s work for a while now. I haven’t quite read every single book that she has released but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘The Winter We Met’ and I had a gut feeling that I was going to fall in love with this book and then some. I was spot on too because I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of ‘The Winter We Met’ but more about that in a bit.
Oh my word, ‘The Winter We Met’ was just an adorable read. I took to the main character of Jess right from the very beginning. In fact it didn’t take me long until I began to think of her as being a friend. She hasn’t had the easiest of childhoods for one reason and another. She has a tight bond with her grandmother and they seem more like mother/ daughter than grandmother/ granddaughter. Her Gran now lives in what sounds like a sheltered housing complex or a nursing home with dual registration. Some of the residents have no specific health issues, whilst others are suffering with the onset of dementia. Jess’ Gran seems quite at home there and there seems to be a great community spirit. Jess visits her Gran as much as she can, although the home has been threatened with closure and I got the impression that Jess feels guilty about her Gran’s situation and the fact that she is going to have to move elsewhere. Jess is a lovely lass. She is friendly, fun loving, bright, kind, caring, compassionate, stubborn and tenacious. I was keeping everything crossed that things would work out well for Jess and her Gran. What happens? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I was drawn into this story from the very start. It was as if the book developed a hypnotic hold over me and it was a hold that I didn’t want to break. To say that reading ‘The Winter We Met’ was addictive seems to be the understatement of the year! I loved the story, the characters and the author’s writing style and I couldn’t bear to be parted from this delightful read for a single second. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I loved the character of Nik, who charms the old and young ladies alike. I thought that I had an inkling as to how the story was going to pan out and of course I had to keep reading the book to discover if I was on the right track or if I had the wrong end of the stick entirely. The pages were turning so quickly that the page numbers became a blur. All too quickly I reached the end of this delightful story and I had to say goodbye to Jess and Nik.
‘The Winter We Met’ is absolutely brilliantly written but I then I have thought that to be true of all of Samantha’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading to date. Samantha has one of those writing styles that reads more like a chat between friends than reading an actual book. She draws you into the story from the synopsis alone and the story within the book’s covers just seals the deal. I hope that makes sense. Samantha creates adorable characters who are impossible to dislike and who the reader will take to their hearts. I was gripped by this book from start to finish and I was left feeling all warm and fuzzy inside when I read the last word on the last page.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Winter We Met’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Samantha’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This whole book is meh! It has taken me far longer to read it than it should have. It just rambled on and on and on and didn't seem to be going anywhere, I guessed the ending half way through and it did just seem to end on that.

There was a little festivity which was nice and a little bit of drama and mystery in the form of good old Nik, who to my dismay didn't turn out to be Santa . I am just sorry I couldn't love it.

A chance encounter on a plane that leads to a heartwarming romance – can winter romance books get better than that? The Winter We Met was the perfect holiday read to curl up to on a gloomy rainy day (the weather here in Bangladesh has been so weird) with a cup of coffee.

The Winter We Met took me on a joyous ride of all things British. There were vivid descriptions of food shops, English breakfasts, and just life in England in general. I loved the cozy atmosphere that surrounded me while I was reading the book. I’ve also never read a story where the characters were a part of the Toy industry before – and that added such a fascinating, Christmassy touch to the book!

I have always enjoyed reading books with older characters too, so I appreciated how Jess’ grandma and her fellow Willow Court Residents were included in the story. I loved the interactions that Jess shared with the people in Willow Court. The Christmas Farewell Party that they arranged was the perfect addition to this already perfect British romance! It totally got me in the holiday mood (once again, haha) and my heart ached to be in Willow Court after the book ended.

I discovered a sub-genre called Pawsitively Love Romances on Goodreads recently – it’s basically a romance novel where a dog is a part of the story. It’s my favorite genre at the moment, and having an adorable dog like Buddy in The Winter We Met made reading the book so much better! Holiday themed novels are incomplete without a fur baby, right?

The romance between Nik and Jess was really sweet too. There was an underlying mysterious side to Nik, I mean, nobody can be THAT perfect!!! I don’t want to spoil the story for you, so I’ll stop here, hehe. I’ll say this though - the book had a really satisfactory conclusion according to me. You’ll need to pick up the book to find out more. (PLEASE READ IT)

If you want to pick up a holiday-themed novel with heart-warming friendships and family moments, make sure to add The Winter We Met to your tbr!

ess is flying back home to London from a Children’s Toy Trade Show in Germany. Nik sits beside her on the plane journey home. With an instant connection, Jess and Nik realise they have a lot in common. Nik’s family run a toy manufacturing company. Jess works at the toyshop Under the Tree in the village of Springhaye. Getting along so well, once back in London, Nik and Jess end up spending the rest of the day together.

With Nik spending some time in London researching for the family business, he and Jess get to know each other well. Jess even introduces him to her beloved grandma Alice, who lives at Willow Court Care Home. The residents have all been told the care home will close and they will all have to find new homes – just before Christmas. Meaning they wont be able to have their annual Christmas Party. Nik and Jess vow to give the residents of Willow Court a party they wont forget.

With party preparations in full swing, could romance be on the cards for Nik and Jess? The Winter We Met is such a lovely , heart-warming story with a few twists and turns along the way. Packed full of love, friendship and Christmas spirit.

Jess meets Nik on her flight on the way back from a toy fair, there is an instant connection.

Can Jess let Nik walk away?

This is the perfect heartwarming Christmas read that gives you all the feels.

This book is the sort of setting you would expect to find made into a film on the Christmas channel.

Simply joyful, so glad I had the pleasure to read on this rainy afternoon.

The description does indeed say it all - this is a heartwarming, charming festive read!

When handsome and charming Nik sits next to Jess on a plane on the way home from a Christmas Toy Fair, she had no idea the impact he would have on her life. Just what impact will this chance encounter have on her life? What will Oliver, Jess's best friend, and roommate think of her budding friendship with Nik? Is Nik too good to be true?

Jess's grandmother's care home, Willow Court set to close before Christmas, Jess is trying to find the perfect new home for her while at the same time throwing a party for the Willow Court before its closure. With help from Oliver and Nik, Jess sets out to accomplish her goal!

This proved to be a fast, engaging, charming, and endearing book. If you are looking for a festive heartwarming romance this one just might be the book for you!

Thank you to Aria and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This author always manages to capture the spirit of Christmas in her festive stories. They are fun and often romantic, but they have a deeper, more serious message too.

This story focuses on toy shops and care homes and their residents. It's about family, friends, having fun and gets across the message that you don't stop dreaming, feeling and hoping just because you're getting older and your body and mind are diminishing.

Jess meets Nik on a flight back from a toy fair, they get along and when they land he visits the toy shop where she works. Nik appears to be a kind man, willing to help others, and Jess starts to fall in love with him. Is everything as it appears or is she missing something important?

The characters all bring something to this story. Trying to help them as they lose their security brings Jess and her friends closer to the residents and workers and all have interesting stories to tell. The dynamics of the relationship between friends and family are believable.

The romance is gentle, and a little mysterious for Jess but the ending is realistic and satisfying.

I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A lovely book. It was an interesting plot so I’m glad I read it!! I love winter books and this one fits the bill perfectly

More than anything I enjoyed the portrayal of the residents in the care home as real people rather than stereotypes. Against this backdrop, we see charasmatic Nik winning the residents over but is there more to him than meets the eye? After all, Jess met the Australian on a flight and knows litle about him. Will her flatmate's concerns prove to be unfounded or not? As the events play out during the preparations for a residents' Christmas party before the home closes, we wonder if there will be a happy ending, as someone may be left very disappointed if Nik turns out to be a conman. Lovely, Christmassy feel in this gentle read.

Fa la la la festive! This was such a charming story bursting with holiday cheer. Jess meets Nick when she sits in the wrong seat on the plane flying home. Jess is enchanted by Nick’s old-fashioned charm. When back in the UK Jess and Nick continue to develop their friendship based on their mutual interests of toys and books. Oliver, Jess’s BFF and roommate is less than pleased with this new budding friendship. Nick seems to be a little too good to be true, but is there more to this story?

This book was so comforting like a warm hug. Jess, Nick, and Oliver were such delightful characters. I just loved the wholesome and whimsical vibe of this entire story. The residence at the home where Jess’s Gran lived were simply lovely. Yummy treats. Darling decorations. Engaging characters. Sweet relationships. A perfect Christmas gem!

This book in emojis 🎄 🐶 🎅🏻 ❄️ ✈️ 🍸

*** Big thank you to Aria for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

What a sweet story. Perfect for reading before Christmas.

Jess meets a stranger (Nik) on a plane and he seems to be perfect. He's kind, interesting, caring, and he shares her love for the toy business. Is there more to him than meets the eye? And what about the other people in her life... her flatmate Oliver, co-worker Seb, and Gran and all her old friends in the nursing home? The story interweaves their lives as Jess tries to figure out what is important to her.

I really enjoyed the story as it was truly sweet and cozy. It started slowly (for maybe the first 1/4 of the story) but I stuck with it and learned to love the characters, and it definitely got more interesting as the book went on.

I enjoyed that it was a clean story with no language or sex.

Thank you for this advanced copy as a reviewer for NetGalley.

This is the 1st Book that I have read by that author and I will definitely be reading more books by the author , This book tells the story of Jess and Nik and how they met on a flight and it also tells the story of the toy shop Jess works in and also the story of Jess Gran and willow court where she lives.

with thanks to Netgalley & Head of Zeus/Aria for the Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

Travelling alone is never much fun, but Jess finds herself sat next to chatty Aussie Nik on the return flight after a work conference and the two hit it off. With their shared line of work the pair find the time flies past and before they know it they have touched down in London. Realising their chance meeting was something special and not wanting their time together to end Jess decides to invite Nik to spend some time with her whilst he is working in London, hoping to develop the blossoming friendship. 

It's the countdown to Christmas, but Jess finds herself unable to celebrate after the news that her beloved Grandmother's Alice's care facility is to be closed in a matter of weeks to make way for a luxury hotel. She finds herself juggling the pressure of managing a toy shop in the run up to Christmas with the need to find alternative accommodation for Alice and is more than happy to accept the offer of help from Nik, whose full of amazing ideas including a last hurrah Christmas party. But, is there an ulterior motive behind his interest in Willow Court and it's residents and how much does Jess really know about this mysterious stranger?

The Winter We Met is filled to the absolute brim with all the festive feels, with community and Christmas spirit leaking from every page. Whilst there is a romantic element to this story, like many of Sam's other books this is only a small part of what we get as a reader. There are a whole host of colourful character's, especially the older residents of Willow Court, that just come to life thanks to Sam's beautifully written character development. It was these insights into the character's highs and lows that helped give me that special heartwarming glow, as I learnt of their individual struggles as well as how they all pulled together as a community to over come problems.

Nik is an interesting character and the way he is written into the story left me guessing and continually changing my mind about his real intentions when it came both to his relationship with Jess as well as his befriending of the residents. He is a real mystery for most of the book with snippets of insight littered throughout and only really coming to fruition during the last few chapters, keeping me frantically turning the pages!

As for the romance in this book it isn't your usual scenario and I really liked that it surprised me by deviating from the usual formula books of this genre use. One of my favourite aspects of the story though was the special goodbye Christmas party planned at Willow Court as it is It's A Wonderful Life themed! Confession time..... I only watched this film for the first time last year and I absolutely adored it - it had a bigger impact on me that I thought! I enjoyed how Sam used aspects from the film along the way to weave into the mystery and it helped ramp up the feels on the Christmas meter!

I say it every time I read a new book by Sam, but The Winter We Met is now my favourite of her books. It has all the perfect elements to make the perfect cosy read and I couldn't put it down. It's one of the most Chrissmassy books I've read and I am going to be re-reading this again in December to give myself a 'top-up' of feel -good festive vibes. If you are looking for something to lose yourself in for a while then this is the perfect read and I highly, highly recommend it!

First, I want to thank Samantha Tonge, Atria Books, NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review!

Samantha Tonge will have you wanting to call your Gram after reading her latest book The Winter We Met! This book had me missing my late Gram so much. Wishing I could call her in Heaven to talk to her.

This book is for all the care workers who’ve been working so tirelessly during this year’s Coronavirus pandemic. She thinks you are all superstars and I totally agree with her.

The cover of the book The Winter We Met reminds of one of those cute holiday cards you get in the mail. It looks like a cartoonish winter scene. It is really pretty and so appropriate.

The Winter We Met is a book that brings both younger and older generations together. I loved how the older generation shared their fascinating stories of their younger days. Both generations definitely learned from each other.

Samantha brings up some serious topics that our senior population is facing today. Physical abuse within the nursing homes is one of those important topics. That issue has been all over the news lately and more awareness needs to be done. Depression and Alzheimer’s are also topics that are mentioned in this book.

The bond Jess had with her Gran was truly a special one that I admired.

Toy Manufacturing is such a unique career choice that Samantha chosen for Jess. I love when authors think outside of the box with their storylines or characters names-shows to me they are so creative.

Many parts of this book I found myself laughing as it had many cute and comical parts to it.

Jess Sits next to Nik on a plane home from a Christmas trade toy fair. He is visiting from Australia but staying in the UK for a few weeks before returning home in time for Christmas.
Jess feels like she really likes Nik and asks him to visit the tot shop she manages if he has time.
She recieves a detressing call from her nan's care home to tell her that it will be closing before Xmas. She decides to find her nan the best care home around and to help the residents to have one final Christmas party all together with the help of Nik and her best friend and also flat mate.
Can she pull off the Christmas party and are there really sparks with Nik.
I loved this book so much and loved the ending. It had a real community feel to It.
Would really recommend this book.

One of those books that gives a warm, fuzzy feeling. A complex mix of people and their relationships, all entwined into a great story. The main characters were very kind and endearing and what a lovely couple they made. Curl up with this on a rainy evening, and you won’t regret it.

I always look forward to a release by Samantha Tonge as it always takes you on a wonderful journey.

This years festive read has us meeting the residents of Willow Court and planning the best Christmas party they have ever hosted.

I love how this story draws attention to our elderly generation who often require a care facility of some description. It highlights their loss of identity, their loneliness and how we often lose track of these points in our busy day to day lives.

I was so invested in this book and how Jess and her friends were going out of their way to create a final Christmas party for the wonderful community at Willow Court.

A festive read that will leave you craving the delights of eggnog pie and wishing for a sprinkling of snow to really get you in the festive spirit

I would like to thank NetGalley, publisher Head of Zeus, and author Samantha Tonge for allowing me a free e-book copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own. First off, I was drawn to the cover and the summery of this book. This book had all of the feelings and holiday cheer I am always looking for when I sit down to read a Christmas romance story. This book had all of the feelings of a great holiday Hallmark movie. I loved the premise of the story of trying to help the residents of Willow Creek, an old folks home, have an amazing last Christmas all together. The characters were so cute and full of the Christmas spirit, Jess was such a loving granddaughter and worked very hard to find the perfect new home for her grandmother. Nik's character was well developed and a pleasant surprise. Jess' flatmate Olive had such a great relationship with Jess and their romance was so sweet! I enjoyed how the author allowed the readers to get to know all of the residents of Willow Creek. The book had a wonderful pacing from the time on the plane to the personal touches of the toy store then finally the much anticipated Willow Creek Christmas party; I did not really feel any part of this book dragged. I loved the ending of this book, which had me grinning as the last words were read. Overall, this was a wonderful book that captures the very spirit of the holidays.

Oh how I enjoyed this book. I got wrapped up and totally disappeared to Willow Court in my daydreams. It makes me smile just thinking about it now. Samantha created such a beautiful community of elderly people who tugged at my heartstrings so much. Being extremely close to my Grandparents, I adored hearing all the stories and getting to know the personalities of the occupants at Willow Court. The characters were charming, endearing and an absolute hoot. I loved the relationship that Jess had with her Gran and how she looked after her. Having experienced my one Nanna being in a care home, I could understand the importance of finding the right new home for her and how difficult it was to learn that Willow Court was closing. It truly highlighted all the amazing things that carers do and how when you find those that go above and beyond, it really is special and so appreciated. It broke my heart that they had to leave. I was glued to the pages desperate to know if she would find somewhere just as friendly and nice.

I thought Jess was absolutely lovely and an utter sweetheart. She had such a big heart always looking after others and thinking about all the people in her life from her family to the children who frequented her toy shop. I really enjoyed her relationship with Oliver and thought they had such a fun and cosy life together in their flat with their beautiful dog. Their banter and closeness was just so wonderful and made me happy. They were always there for each other and had each other's back and knew each other inside and out. They made for the most brilliant, heart-warming team. I think that is something that just jumps out at me when thinking about this book, team work and kindness, there was just so much kindness bouncing off the pages with characters that were simply beautiful, caring and friendly.

Speaking of kindness, I feel like I can't say too much about Nik because I really don't want to give any spoilers about this magical story but I loved Nik and his relationships with each and every character in this book. There was one point where I didn't like Nik because of certain conspiracies going around created by certain people and I was on the edge of my seat willing it not to be so, but you have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about. There's also another conspiracy that went around, but one that made me giggle and warmed my heart that I was so willing to be true. It genuinely made me smile and has something to do with Father Christmas. I guarantee when you read this book it will make you smile too.

This is such a beautiful, joyful and festive book that will pull on your heart strings and make you smile from ear to ear. I was rooting for Jess to find a little magic and love the whole way through, as she one hundred percent deserved it and the ending was such a delight and a wonderful fit. I came away with a happy heart.

'The Winter We Met' is a must read and one you must definitely add to your TBR pile. Pre-order your copy now: 'The Winter We Met'.