The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane by Jaimie Admans
Publication Date: October 16, 2020 - Out Now!
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Description from NetGalley...
“It’s the most magical time of year, and anything can happen…

Nia Maddison has always believed that wishes come true on Nutcracker Lane. So, when she gets the opportunity to run her own Christmas gift shop on the most magical street in town, it feels like her wishes have been finally granted.But working late one night, Nia discovers yet another boyfriend has cheated on her. As she trudges home – alone, again – she passes the (supposedly) magical nutcracker and half-joking thinks a wish can’t hurt. Cracking a nut in its mouth, she wishes to find Prince Charming.

The next day Nia gets to work to find another decoration shop has opened directly across the lane from her own, and she can’t resist having a nose around.Whilst there, she accidentally backs into a human-sized Nutcracker, knocking it over and breaking it. Mortified, she flees from the store but when she gathers her resolve to go back and apologise, she stumbles across the gorgeous shop owner James, who looks exactly like Prince Charming…

Could her Christmas wish from the night before really be coming true?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley #hqdigital @hqstories for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Calling all Christmas romcom/romance fans - this is for you. It was “jingle all the way” (intentional 😬). I love Christmas, but Nia LOVES Christmas and why she loves it gets you in the spirit of it all. In a true romcom fashion and narration, this had me smiling pretty much throughout. It was cute, fun, romantic and Christmassy. I really enjoyed the description of Nia’s childhood Christmas celebrations and was just touched by the “wish granters.” It made me want to go back to Vienna, where I grew up, and visit the Christmas markets while chomping on roasted chestnuts. Sigh😔.

If I had to pick just one word to describe this book, I would use the word "magical." After all, when you combine the Christmas holiday with the legend of the nutcracker doll, then throw in a picturesque English town that celebrates with its own quaint holiday market, there is bound to be some magic, right?

That's especially true when the heroine in the book, Nia, believes in the magic of Christmas. She wishes on the town's six-foot Nutcracker doll one night. Legend says that if the stars are twinkling just right and the wind rustles the Nutcracker's beard, her wish will come true. Frustrated by the lack of faithful men in her life (her last few boyfriends have cheated on her), she's staring up at the Nutcracker and wishes for her own prince to love and cherish her. She doesn't think the legendary Nutcracker could really grant her wish, but thinks its fun to pretend it could happen.

The next day, she's at her village's Christmas market. She's looking down the pathway, admiring all the little wooden cabins that will be transformed into holiday shops selling chocolates, snowglobes, hats, baked goods, toys, and many other holiday themed gifts and decorations. She's putting the finishing touches on her own wooden cabin shop, where she and her friend will be selling handmade Christmas jewelry and Christmas decorations. There's another shop across the way, and its brightly lit and filled with a variety of gaudy Christmas decorations, like a large Santa dancing the macarena. She's surprised to see the shop illuminated, since the evening before it was dark and empty. .

She wanders into the shop and calls out, but no one answers. It seems that no one is watching over the shop. She backs into something and it goes crashing to the ground, then quickly turns around and sees a tall Nutcracker doll laying on the floor with his left arm broken off. She calls out again, trying to find the owner and offering to pay for the broken Nutcracker, until she sees it has a price tag of more then 900 British pounds. There's no way she can afford something that expensive, so she panics and runs out of the shop and back to her own across the path.

But then she feels guilty and returns to the shop. The broken Nutcracker is no longer on the floor. She gasps -- in its place is a man who is as handsome as a prince with a broken left arm. Startled, she wonders if her wish from the previous evening could have possibly come true -- could the wooden Nutcracker prince have been turned into a real man? Then she shakes off that ridiculous idea and helps the man up from the floor. But she can't help thinking he reminds her of Flynn Rider (the prince in the Disney movie "Tangled") with the way his dark hair keeps flopping over his eyes. Even his mannerisms remind her of a prince.

He takes one look at her and says "So, my arm breaker has returned." He's teasing her, but she gasps at the irony of his words. When she asks him what happened to his arm and why it is in a sling, he says "I got knocked over." Again, she wonders if there is just a bit of magic at work.

As it turns out, the man's name is James, and as she gets to know him, she grows to really care about him. But there are some mysterious things about him that still makes her wonder if he really is a Nutcracker prince turned into a real-life man. He keeps alluding to the fact that he will be gone after Christmas, and she wonders what that means.

Nutcracker Lane (which is what the Christmas market is called) is on its last leg. Although its been a tradition in the village for many years, budget cuts have meant that many of the special things about the market -- the Victorian carolers, the elaborate holiday decorations, the jolly Santa Claus, the events and the special wishes -- have been eliminated by the owners of the nearby Nutcracker factory, who also own the holiday market. As a result, people no longer see a reason to come to the market. The rumors are that it may be the last year the holiday market will be held. So Nia leads the shopkeepers in a variety of efforts to revitalize the market, and convinces James to help them. (A feat in itself, since James claims he hates Christmas.)

This delightful story revolves around Nia's efforts to revitalize the market, and at the same time, her campaign to "De-Grinch" James and help him learn to love the Christmas season like she does. She even convinces him to wear ugly Christmas sweaters and silly holiday themed hats. At the same time, her feelings for James grow stronger and stronger, and she worries whether he will vanish after Christmas, since he keeps alluding to the fact that he will be gone after the holidays.

But Christmas is a time for hope. So who knows what magic might happen to change things, both with the Nutcracker Lane market and with her growing relationship with James?

I really enjoyed this light-hearted holiday book. I loved Nia's enthusiasm and belief in the magic of Christmas, and chuckled when she thought she might have transformed a wooden Nutcracker doll into a real prince with her wishes. Some of the scenarios in the book will make you laugh, too. Be sure to check out this book; it will definitely help you get into the holiday spirit!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

Such a wonderful and heartwarming Christmas story, I loved it! Nia' and James' characters are so delightful and I had to giggle along with them at some of the banter between them. I would absolutely love to see this story made into a Hallmark movie, I think it would be perfect. How great it would be to have a Nutcracker Lane like that one in the story to do our Christmas shopping:)

I've always loved anything to do with Nutcrackers and even though I don't collect them, now I want one hanging in my Christmas tree!! This truly is a magical story with all the delicious Christmas traditions....and even a Grinch:)

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

A great Christmas tale with plenty of holiday details and a very happy ending. Sure to get you in the Christmas spirit!

Happy Pub Day to The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane!

When Nia gets to run her own shop on Nutcracker Lane, she believes her lifelong wish has finally come true! But after years of budget cuts from the Scroogelike owner of the lane, the reality doesn’t stack up to what she imagined. And when all the shop owners learn not all vendors will be invited back next year, Christmas Spirit feels hard to come by. When Nia meets James, a handsome employee at the shop across the lane and a total Grinch, she’s determined to make him a believer in Christmas magic, and save Nutcracker Lane in the process!

This book was a delight to read! If there was ever a book to get you in the holiday mood, this is it. The characters are well developed, and I loved the dynamic between Nia and James. Although the story was a bit predictable, there’s nothing wrong with that when you are reading a charming little Christmas tale! If you are like me and spend all of December on the couch watching Hallmark movies, you’ll adore this book and the world Jaimie Admans creates. The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane is now available wherever you get your ebooks!

This is a sweet happy tale that will appeal to fans of the rom com- in fact, it would make a good Hallmark movie! Nia has been unlucky in love lately (well, forever). She's finally been lucky, however, in getting a chance to have a stall to sell for Christmas. All's going well until a similar shop opens across the way. She's wished upon a magic Nutcracker for a prince so when a really handsome man (with a cast) turns up, she's gobsmacked. James is a scrooge about the holiday but then he meets Nia. This has a surfeit of Christmas at times but it is, after all, a Christmas book. You know James is going to let down his guard for Nia and that there will be a happy holiday and that's why you're reading it so know that these are well drawn characters and the dialogue is delightful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This book is a lovely heartwarming light read that will get you well and truly ready for Christmas.
The endearing Nia leads you through both a love story and a Christmas bonanza all wrapped up in one.
If you need something to get snuggle up with and entice you into the magic of Christmas, this is the one for you, with every special Christmas activity and an impressive nutcracker all in one book you'll be ready for the festivities before you know it.
A beautifully written, feelgood novel with family and nostalgia mixed in to really tug at tour heart strings.
Thankyou to netgalley for the copy of this book I look forward to the next release.

Another great read by Jaimie Adnams. Her books leave you feeling warm and cosy inside. Perfect to snuggle down for the afternoon and get immersed in a book. Reminds me of a romantic Christmas film but with greater depth.
Thanks to Netgalley, Jaimie Adnams and Harper Collins for the advanced e book.

As always, Jaimie Admans writes unbelievably brilliant and heartwarming novels and this one is no different! I loved the Christmassy storyline, the characters were well developed and the location was so festive and cosy! Loved it. Can't wait to read another one of her books.

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ Digital, and Jaimie Admans for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!!

I loved this story and what a great read to get yourself pumped for Christmas!! This story is full of the Christmas spirit, it really envelops the season and what it should be all about, and showcases that giving is what we should focus on around this holiday! Admans truly takes the best parts of Christmas and brings them together!

I am not sure there is a Jaimie Admans book that I wouldn’t like. She is so creative with her storylines, her characters are always relatable and the type that it is easy to see a reflection of yourself in, and her writing flows well and is well paced.

This story is different from others in that Christmas is a character itself, and a main one at that. We get to know it’s qualities, what it stands for (to an extent), and how it can make a person feel. It is a reminder of the Christmases of our childhood, where imagination and magic flow and soar. It also focuses in on nutcrackers (which I have always loved), and gives them a special spotlight.

If you are looking for a Christmasy, slow burn love story, definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to Jaimie Admans and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane. I adored this book and loved every part of Nia’s story. This was like a mug of warming hot chocolate for the soul. Perfect Christmassy read! Thoroughly recommend, 5*

Thank you to HQ Digital for a copy of this gorgeous book via NetGalley. My thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift. I enjoyed reading Jaimie Adman’s previous book, The Little Bookshop of Love stories back in July (see my 5 star review at https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2020/07/11/the-little-bookshop-of-love-stories-by-jaimie-admans/). The ebook is published this week (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08GS33BGP/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_GZCHFbQ7JYKXD) and the paperback on 10th December 2020.
I have to admit that after reading the first couple of chapters, that I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this book as much as the Little Bookshop of Love Stories. However, something magical happened and this quickly became my favourite Christmas book of 2020.

Nia and James are so different, one loves everything to do with Christmas, whilst the other loathes Christmas. However, after literally bumping into each other, they need to work together to bring back the magic of Christmas to Nutcracker Lane.

I loved how Jaimie has crammed so many Christmas traditions into one story – the food, the sweets, the decorations, the board games, the Christmas Carols and the mistletoe. In 2020, when many of us will have to forgo our normal traditions due to the social distancing rules, this book brought the magic of a non Covid Christmas to life.

If you would love to escape for a few hours, then grab a copy of this fabulous festive and romantic read, a big mug of hot chocolate, some peppermint creams and a festive blanket as soon as possible.

💕 Thank you to NetGalley UK and HQ Digital for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to review this book. Having followed Jaimie Admans on Twitter @be_the_Spark for a few years now, I was intrigued to find out what her latest story was going to be all about. The title was so appealingly festive and given I'm a lover of The Nutcracker Ballet, I was eager to read it.
I wasn't disappointed, the story has an unusual theme which I found enchanting. Bringing the idea that maybe a handsome Nutcracker Prince could come to life and grant Christmas wishes, sparks childhood memories and reminds me what the magic of the season is all about.

James does not like Christmas very much, and he spends his time humbugging the life out of it. Nutcracker Lane is about to change, the owners are selling it off and James can't wait to do his stint at the Christmas decorations and trinkets shop and get the Scrouge out of there.
Nia is all about the sparkle and excitement Christmas brings, as she personifies the Christmas spirit. She embraces the giddiness that children can't hide at this time of year, and together with her friend and business partner, Stacey they light up Nutcracker Lane with their festive jewellery and hand made Christmas decorations. So when James suddenly appears at the cheap and tacky gift shop opposite, looking like a Disney Prince and charming the customers, will Nia and Stacey's shop be able to compete? The owners of the Christmas Village will only save the most popular shops. Nia decides something must be done!
Can Stacey and Nia save Nutcracker Lane, Do opposites really attract? and Can Nia UnGrinch James in time to save Christmas and Nutcracker Lane?

I have laughed, I have cried and I have even searched online for Nutcracker ornaments!
If you're looking for a warm, cosy, Feel-Good read this Christmas, this one should be on your Nice List 🎅🏼🤶🏼

For more by this author see http://www.jaimieadmans.com

Such a gorgeous book!
Loved the Nutcracker aspect of the story and how much it meant to Nia. I really enjoy community based books and this one was so uplifting and heartwarming, I completely fell under it’s magical spell!

Having read a previous book by this author I was really looking forward to this book and it didn't disappoint - I absolutely loved it from start to finish - in fact I finished it at 1.30am which was probably I'll advised as I am working today! It was one of those books that you have to finish, and then when you finish you are disappointed and want more! It's a wonderful, feel good story, all about the magic of Christmas, and the magic of falling in love, and it would make the most amazing film.


Nia has visited Nutcracker Lane at Christmas since she was a child and her Grandmother used to take her. To her, it was a place of infinite possibilities and magic, and she has applied every year for her own stall there for Christmas, but it was so popular she didn't get chosen. One year she is finally chosen and she takes the shop with her best friend. Unfortunately by this time Nutcracker Lane has changed. The Accountant has slashed the budget, it looks less and less Christmassy and people aren't coming the way they used to.

Nia visits the magic Nutcracker in the middle of Nutcracker Lane and wishes for her very own Prince Charming. When the shop opposite hers is taken by the most incredibly handsome man, albeit with a broken arm and covered in bruises, she wonders if he is actually one of the Nutcrackers come to life as he seems too good to be true. His only flaw is that he hates Christmas and she nicknames him The Grinch. She resolves to make him fall in love with Christmas as much as she does.


The story was completely predictable, but that was part of the fun. It's like you are in on a secret, and you just wait for Nia to catch up with you. You can see things from a different viewpoint, and when Nia finally finds out what is happening you are one jump ahead and it isn't a shock.

A wonderful, feel good, Christmassy book in true Jaimie Adams style. More please.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3580436690

This book has exactly what you are looking for when you pick it up. A charming Christmas setting, endearing characters to root for, ALL the Christmas magic you could hope for, and a happy ending. Honestly, this would make a fantastic “Hallmark” movie. I appreciated the nostalgia of Christmas, but also all the little pop culture references.

I feel well and truly festive now... and it's only October! If you want a festive story that gives you that warm, cosy, nostalgic feel then this is just the book for you!

There are a lot of festive books on the market and it's hard to know which one to go for... this is definitely the one I'll be recommending for friends this year! It's full of festivity that just makes you think about what matters most at Christmas.

When Nia gets the chance to open up a little shop on a special Christmas shopping lane, she is very excited. She has loved Nutcracker Lane since she was a child and it has always been her dream to have a shop there. Her wooden gifts are finally on display but... working on Nutcracker Lane isn't what she expected and Nia's realising things aren't as they seemed. A shop opposite her opens and it is attracting EVERYONE, even though it sells tacky Christmas mass-produced goods. Nia would be frustrated but... she the owner of the shop, James, is rather attractive and also very friendly and kind.

As Nia and James grow closer, Nia is determined to show James why she loves Christmas so much. He willingly lets her try to 'ungrinch' him and it's all going very well but... there's trouble ahead and it's all down to Nutcracker Lane...

I loved the book, I really felt for Nia and how much she loves Christmas, how she throws herself into everything - she happily makes a mess of her house whilst baking, appreciates the chaos and business of the season, wants to spread Christmas cheer. When I was reading it, it made me look forward to what lies ahead for the festive season, when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about Nia and feeling inspired about how much she was pursuing her dream... and I was also wondering if it's not too early to put on the Christmas music and sip the mulled wine...

This story is what will make you feel all warm and fuzzy and very, very festive. Beautifully written.

Nia Maddison finally gets her wish to have a shop on Nutcracker Lane to sell her crafts. But, is this the last year for the holiday spirit on Nutcracker Lane. Will is be closed down after this season. And, will Nia ever find her Prince Charming after several disastrous relationship? The shop across from her seems to be selling the decorations that were previously used to decorate Nutcracker Lane. When she goes to investigate she accidentally knocks over a tall nutcracker and breaks it. She apologizes to the owner James, who looks like her Prince Charming. What follows is a romp through Christmas, developing relationship and the spirit of Christmas.

I love Jaimie Admans books, they’re always so lovely. I was so pleased to receive an advance copy of The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane. It certainly didn’t disappoint!

I enjoyed this so much. It was heartwarming and delightful. It made me laugh, all the random silly bits, especially all the things that James says that hint at him being a nutcracker come to life.

I love the setting, Nutcracker Lane especially sounds wonderful. The characters are all well realised, and I loved them too. The story is very well written, and I easily got swept up in the romance. I loved the ungrinching of James, and the efforts to save Nutcracker Lane.

If you’re looking for a Christmas story to amuse and delight you, and give you that warm, happy feeling, then I highly recommend this one.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

What a magical Christmas story! The Little Christmas Shop on Nantucket Lane will really get you ready for the holiday season. Set in the most idyllic Christmas village, Nia runs her own gift shop when she notices a new store across the street. After an encounter with a life sized nutcracker, she meets the handsome shop owner named James. Wonderfully written with a witty and entertaining plot, I recommend this festive book for anyone who needs a winter wonderland getaway!