Jo used to work as a holiday rep in Spain but is back in Derry, Northern Ireland and is living her predictable cosy life again with her mum and six -year-old sister.

Libby is her best friend and owns a bookshop with writing nooks and lots of coffee and sweet treats. Having reviewed, and loved, The previous novel The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn, I thought "I recognise that name, it's Libby Quinn!" I felt a warm, tingly feeling inside at having her featured in a book again. I can remember I asked the publisher for a sequel during an Instagram Live event and I am so happy she's back.

She is a memorable character and I have never forgotten her story which I reviewed earlier this year. She did well for herself with the creation of her bookshop and so I was intrigued to find out Jo's story.

Jo seemed more vulnerable in a way than Libby and I felt for her. I think the way Freya Kennedy showed this difference in the characters' personalities was a great contrast and it was important even though this book focuses on Jo as a main character as I felt I knew them both better.

Being Jo's best friend, Libby wants to lend a hand once in awhile. Jo is writing a book and the manuscript is sat there. She's scared of rejection and her family is kindly supportive of her work. She wants more constructive, challenging criticism, but is not sure she can take the result. What will happen when Libby submits the manuscript?

I identified with her as I felt the same when I was working on my first book. but fortunately I have learned to take the rough with the smooth and I accept what people feel. I loved this plotline, I felt like I wanted to know if Jo would succeed and get published. It was very original.

The twists and turns of the plot and the fun cast of characters made In Persuit of Happiness another unforgettable novel by Freya Kennedy.

I recommend both The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn and In Persuit of Happiness. They are good together and as standalone novels.

Thanks to Freya Kennedy, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

One Snowy Week in Springhollow by Lucy Knott is a second chance love story that I enjoyed. Scarlett and Devon were best friends growing up until Devon family moved away in high school. Ten years later and Devon is a Hollywood star, and Scarlett is still in the town they grew up in. When Devon returns home after his staring role in a superhero movie, Scarlett tries hard to avoid him. This book was a little slow, but it was also very sweet. I recommend this book if your looking for a second chance romance, that's a perfect escape from life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Looking for a cosy and heart warming read to snuggle up with this festive season? Then this could do the trick.
Scarlett and Devon are inseparable at 16, best friends bound by the united loves for all things seemingly geeky. Years of hi-jinks and antics are abruptly cut short when Devon moves to New York. After his departure Scarlett can no longer allow herself to find pleasure in the things that connected them – Marvel and superheroes. Years later Devon returns to the village having found fame as a Hollywood actor staring as, yes, you guessed it a new superhero.
Unwilling to forgive her former best friend for abandoning her, will Scar give Devon the chance to be back in her life or has too much time gone by?
Celebrating all things geek – I love it and a real refreshing change for the norm of main characters. I could really feel Scars sense of abandonment and coupled with Mother issues, I could understand her difficulty in moving past it and being able to have any connection to the friendship she felt she had lost.
Devon seems a great character both when he was younger, getting into mischief, and now as a superhero star. I loved the use of flashbacks to demonstrate some of the trouble the pair caused and a glimpse into the special relationship they had.
Of course, there is romance. It wouldn’t be complete without it really and as much as I wanted to see this former friendship restored, I was hoping they would realise what everyone else probably already expected – they were destined to be in love.
With a gorgeous village setting, it’s a great story that also highlights the importance of being true to yourself, owning who you are and never letting anyone or anything change that. Happiness comes in many ways but being yourself is the biggest part in that.
Lucy Knott writes brilliant books, with gorgeous characters and storylines. Check out her other books too, a real treat.

I adored this book. It was a romcom that was charmingly adorable set in a lovely small country village in the UK but it also had elements of cooldom (think I’ve probably made up a word 🙂 ) Scarlett grew up with her bestfriend Devon in the small village and they were the perfect pairing. They both adored superheroes and had plans to become one when they grew up. Their antics as children would have scared any parent but this intrepid pair had no fears. Scarlett had a skill of drawing and would spend hours with her partner in superhero crime, Devon, sketching their own heroes. They had stories in their heads that Scarlett would bring to life with her pencils. Devon had dreams of becoming that superhero and loved drama. However, the pair were noted around the village and school as geeks and were often teased about it. But they stayed faithful to their beliefs, loves and dreams.

However, this all changed when Devon and his family moved to New York during the final year of secondary school. As you can imagine Scarlett was heartbroken and since that day she felt she could no longer be the girl she was with Devon as it was too heart breaking to think about without her best friend. Her drawings were put in a box alongside her dreams of becoming an artist.

Ten years later and Scarlett is living and working in the village. Her artistic skills and the love of superheroes are still hidden but she’s happy with her lot until Devon returns back to the village. A Devon all grown up looks so much different to the 16 year old boy that left her a decade ago. Devon has achieved his dream, he’s just played the role of a superhero in the latest Hollywood blockbuster movie and he certainly looks the part. Scarlett has very mixed emotions with Devon’s return there’s anger, resentment, sadness, excitement and feelings that she never thought she’d feel about this young boy she grew up with.

As Scarlett and Devon start to learn about each other again the friendship from long ago soon slots back into place. However, the confused feelings are still evident and will Scarlett open up to the one person who made her feel safe about being herself?

Alongside the story of this long lost childhood friendship we have a story of a village magazine trying to liven up their pages and also bring the community together especially during the festive season.

This book by Lucy Knott is such an uplifting feelgood festive read, I felt truly welcomed in to the lives of the characters and Springhollow and wanted the story to go on and on.

What do you get when you cross a Christmas romance novel with massive nerd love? - One Snowy Week in Springhollow.

I was looking forward to the book since it looked sweet and adorable, and it was. But it also was a nerd girl paradise with tons of fun superhero Marvel and DC references! I really loved it and could not wait to get to the finish to see how it ended.

Oh my goodness, now where do I start with this extremely gorgeous story!? I’m going to try my best to get all of the words down in to one post, but please bare with me, as I could be rambling for a while! One Snowy Week in Springhollow has most certainly been one of my top most anticipated Christmas reads for this year and Lucy did not disappoint – nor does she ever.

From the very first page, I could feel myself falling so heavily in love with Scarlett and Devon’s friendship, which Lucy displayed perfectly throughout the flashbacks. I found myself feeling so warm inside, smiling to myself with every flashback that Lucy treated us with – their bond is really something to admire and allowed me to remember fond memories of my childhood best friend (who moved to Spain and I haven’t seen in possibly over ten years). I just found myself really connecting with what the two had together and what is more magical than connecting with a book? I absolutely love it! In fact, I found myself connecting with almost the entirety of this book and because of that, I couldn’t bare to put this book down and/or say goodbye to the wonderful characters it held!

Between all of the delightful, sometimes heart-wrenching flashbacks, Lucy transported us to a magical and small town called Springhollow – a place where there is no other feeling other than pure cosiness. I found myself jumping in to the story, walking the streets, admiring the decor amongst every building, every store, every home, every historical landmark – my favourite especially being the gazebo. The whole town is a place I could only ever dream of living in and really allowed my imagination to go wild. I also couldn’t help but envy Scarlett’s morning trips for a Peppermint latte and I am still in need of going on a mission to find one of these myself!

Oh, Scarlett – how extraordinary of a character you are! I truly believe that Scarlett is the first book character that I have connected with on pretty much every single level. I’m a geek at heart, I can talk about Marvel theories for eternity, I would rather wear clothes with my favourite fictional characters on than clothes that appear more “normal” and I was bullied for what I loved throughout my school days, sometimes even getting the odd judgemental comment even today from people. I felt every bit of pain and trauma that Scarlett was going through, never truly being allowed to be herself and even scared of being herself, knowing what the people around her would say. I don’t shy away from what I love, however, when someone does make a sly comment, I find it easy to fold back in to myself and bite my tongue whenever I have the urge to express my love for something. Whilst Scarlett went through similar, there was also a much larger reason to hiding all that she loved – losing her best friend, Devon. Scarlett is one heck of an admirable character, who has helped me learn to stay proud of what I love and never be afraid to show it to the world. She held on to so much pain for such a long time and it was an absolute pleasure to see her finally come out of the shell she had formed around herself, blossoming in to the woman she truly wants to be. The return of Devon really forced Scarlett to face all that she had chosen to ignore and despite her doubts and guarded wall, I’m so glad that he just so happened to show up in Springhollow once more, as she faced conversations and situations that she never would have if it wasn’t for Devon. She would have been trapped in her little bubble of pleasing everyone but herself for the rest of her life. I was so giddy when all of Scarlett’s geeky secrets came to light, especially with her two best friends, Hope and Jess, because it was a laugh seeing how gobsmacked they were to learn how Marvel/DC obsessed their best friend was and she had neglected that part of her life for so long.

Devon, Devon, Devon – you are a dream! Imagine having a childhood best friend that was about to become a superhero on the big screen!? Scarlett definitely would have expressed her excitement for that, if Devon and his parents didn’t uproot to New York at a time where Scarlett really needed him. Unfortunately, sometimes that is the way life works and despite Devon’s attempts at keeping in touch, his best friend was much too devastated to respond, leaving him losing the one consistent person in his life. You assume after a decade of not seeing one another and becoming this big shot movie star, Devon would return to his small hometown with a massive ego and no recollection of the life he once lived, however, that was far from the situation and he was so swoon worthy because of it. There wasn’t a moment/memory in their childhood that Devon didn’t remember; from all of the adventures they went on, all of the broken bones that endured, all the way to Scarlett’s dreams. Devon remembered it all and he was shocked to see Scarlett had not become the woman she once had declared for herself. Dressing only to her mother’s approval and working a job that wasn’t her dream, it appeared only one of them got what they wanted and Devon was determined to do something about it. After all the years that went by, Devon still had a child-like mindset, that also unlocked Scarlett’s, warming up my heart when they re-continued their adventures as adults. I absolutely adored how humble of a man he was, how much love and care he still showed to his hometown and everyone inside of it, especially Hope and Jess. I loved these moments especially, because the two sometimes just couldn’t help but fan-girl/fan-boy over him and I can imagine that was incredibly surreal for Scarlett, only ever looking at him as the best friend she once had.

Whew, I could talk about this book all day, I best get wrapping it up! As you all can tell from this review, I couldn’t have been more over the moon and delighted to have read One Snowy Week in Springhollow. We was very much in need of a heroine such as Scarlett, as there in no other character like her in the book world. She doesn’t tick the boxes that fit in with the society we live in today and the message inside this book is simply, that’s okay! It’s okay to be different, it’s okay to love what others don’t, it’s okay to wear what you want and most importantly, it’s okay to love who you want to love, especially when it comes down to yourself. The reunion between Scarlett and Devon was infatuating and the romance was to die for. I couldn’t help but geek out at literally every Marvel/DC reference given, yes, I knew them all and getting to experience a little of a New York Comic Con, I was literally in my dream world with this book, it was the most painful goodbye I’ve had to give for a long time! I really hope this isn’t the end for Springhollow, because I would just love love love to catch up on how our loved up couple is doing! Thank you Lucy, for using your own experiences in life, to create such a magical story. I can imagine writing this will have brought up real life moments that aren’t to be relived and that is hard, however, you doing so is inspiring and helping a lot of people, including myself.

One Snowy Week in Springhollow by Lucy Knott is a cute, light, and cheesy holiday romance that I really enjoyed.

Scarlett and Devon were childhood best friends always playing superheroes. Then Devon’s family moved to New York City. Scarlett is mad when Devon leaves so doesn’t see or talk to him for ten years. Now, Devon is living his dream and is a superhero in a new action movie and Scarlett is living her life safely. Devon comes home to Springhollow for Christmas to film a documentary. Devon wants to reconnect with Scarlett, but Scarlett wants nothing to do with him. What will happen when they spend time together? Can Scarlett forgive Devon?

I really enjoyed One Snowy Week in Springhollow. The story is cute. The characters were one of my favorite parts of this book. The characters are very nerdy and all love superheroes and comics. Scarlett’s friends Hope and Jess are always looking out for her and are supportive friends. Scarlett has hid so much from them like her dreams of writing her own comics. Scarlett has been keeping so much from her friends, which they learn from Devon. They are very supportive and react well to all the new information. Devon is always kind and won’t give up on getting back in Scarlett’s life. Devon is very emotional and compassionate, which is not what is typically expected from actors. One Snowy Week in Springhollow made me laugh and had me invested from the beginning.

Thank you Aria/Head of Zeus for One Snowy Week in Springhollow.

Unfortunately I just immediately disliked the writing style of this author and therefore was unable to progress beyond the first few chapters.

This is a charming story of two childhood friends reunited as adults. Both are different people but can they recapture their friendship? The characters are flawed and relatable. Scarlett is likeable and easy to empathise. Her originality shines through, and she grows as a character throughout the story in a satisfying way.

This festive story is an enjoyable read, with realistic characters relationships and gentle romance. The small-town setting is perfect for the festive time of year.

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

This was the first time I have read a book by Lucy Knott, and I will definitely be checking out her other books as soon as I can. I found this book such an enjoyable read, with the cutest of main characters in Scarlett and Devon. As the Mum of two nerdy superhero/comic fan twenty-somethings, who have always included me for the movie watching sessions and we’re all Marvel nerds here, I found Scarlett a really believable protagonist.

I loved the way she hid who she was from everyone after Devon, her best friend throughout their childhood, moved to New York when she was 16. She turned her back on the superheroes who had formed the main focus of her childhood, playing superheroes with Devon, Batman to his Robin. The flashbacks to their childhood were fun, interspersed throughout the book and giving their characters more substance. Devon was also incredibly sweet, having gone from a child playing at superheroes to being a Hollywood star and the latest superhero. He was grounded and unaffected by his fame, and very much the same person he was when he lived in Springhollow.

The location was wonderful, and with the snow it really helped me feel festive whilst reading it. and more than one hot chocolate was consumed during the reading of this festive romance! I also loved the bakery, and the cookie competition, it made me want to google cookie recipes!

I also loved Scar’s nerdy best friends, Holly and Jess, and especially the fact that in the ten years they were friends, they had no clue she was a superhero nerd just like them! In addition to the romance, this was a story about someone who hid who she was for years, thinking it would hurt her less, but who finds that being herself and being true to who she really is will help her find her dreams.

This would definitely get my Netflix/Hallmark vote, I would love to see this as a movie! This was a perfectly festive, cosy read with a friends-to-lovers story that will make you want to bake gingerbread and cookies!

The Blurb :
Tomboy Scarlett thought Devon would be her best friend forever. He was the only person in Springhollow who supported her ambitious artist dreams. But then one winter, Devon and his parents disappear without warning to start a new life in NYC and a devastated Scarlett is left alone to face her high-school bullies and overbearing mother.
Fast-forward ten years: Scarlett is playing it safe in her childhood village with a dull PA job and a wardrobe that passes her mother's old-fashioned standards. Meanwhile, Devon is a Hollywood heartthrob, starring in the latest superhero blockbuster. And he's finally coming home for Christmas...
Scarlett can't help blaming her former best friend for the way her life has turned out, but Devon's cheeky charm and gorgeous smile prove difficult to resist. Devon always did make her feel on top of the world, but Scarlett knows her heart isn't racing just because she has her friend back – is it mistletoe madness, or is she seeing Devon in a completely new light?
Scarlett hasn't taken a risk in years... but this Christmas of second chances could finally be her time to shine.

My Thoughts :
We meet Scarlett and Devon, best friends since childhood they shared everything together. When 16 year old Devon and his family suddenly up and leave for the bright lights of NYC, Scarlett is lost and cant forgive her best friend for leaving her especially as she has had it tough. Lucy just gets on with her life and starts work with friend Hope, as a PA in magazine publishing. Life is pretty dull for her in Springhollow.
Fast forward 10 years and Devon is back, having made it big in Hollywood, staring in a movie as a superhero. where does that leave his friendship with Scarlett!?. And can she forgive him for leaving her when she needed him the most!.
Lucy Knott captures the lives and friendship of Scarlett and Devon perfectly.
I loved the flashbacks to their childhood years, and watching how their lives have moved on and who they became as people. Scarlett in particular has her own journey of discovery and they are both so likeable in their own ways.
A story that is full of festive fun, friendships and love. One you must pick up and devour over a mug of Hot Chocolate, curled up under a blanket.

This book is just a great and comforting read. Boy and girl are great friends. Boy moves away and become famous. Girl grows up believing their friendship meant nothing. Boy meets girl again and .... well you will just have to read it for yourself. You will not be disappointed

Small town, big movie star and the girl next door....what more could you want?? This would make a perfect Hallmark Christmas movie!
Scarlett as a MC is edgy but at the same time introvert. Devon (Scarlett’s best friend whilst growing up) sounds like the perfect guy and he’s a superhero too! There are a range of great secondary characters and they work well together. They are all relatable - even the pushy mother.
If you are looking for a small town and big city romance story featuring boy meets girl scenario then this is the perfect cosy read.

I love all of Lucy’s books and this one did not disappoint at all. Beautifully written, with some lovely characters: I couldn’t put it down.

This is such a sparkly, larger-than-life book that I whizzed through!

Scarlett has lived in the small village of Springhollow all her life. Her childhood was full of superheroes, drawing and skateboarding with her best friend Devon, and he also helps out with keeping her school bullies at bay. Her life changes at 16, when Devon leaves for New York. Now she works at the local paper, albeit with her best friend, and is being dressed in frilly blouses by her Mum.

She's convinced herself she's doing just fine, until one morning she sees a poster of a Devon on the wall of the bakery, literally dressed as a superhero. Then she bumps into him (literally) and all her anger comes out before she can stop herself. When Devon left, there was no longer a barrier to her bully, Ruby, and she hid away everything about herself.

With Devon back, she slowly starts to turn back in to the old Scarlett: drawing comic books, wearing clothes she has picked out and not caring what anyone thinks. She has always been creative, and every year works at the local fair. This year the activity is decorating the gingerbread houses

I found Devon absolutely dreamy. With his broad shoulders, gingery-ish hair and boyish grin, he had me swooning throughout the book! I loved that he saw right through Scarlett and didn't believe any of the lines that she fed him.

When we first met Scarlett, I was absolutely rooting for her and raring for her to tell her bully and Mum where to stuff it and celebrate being herself. I loved her story with Devon, but seeing the road to her self-acceptance was just as wonderful. Plus the ending was so magical, and I definitely could have spent more time in New York. I'm also a sucker for a small village romance, so I adored the community spirit with the bakery, the fairs and more.

This was a lovely, sweet-as-sugar romance that had me wanting to return to Springhollow. I would absolutely recommend for some extremely readable escapism this Christmas! Now I'm off to ask the lovely Lucy for her peppermint hot chocolate recipe...

This is the story that everyone who has ever been ashamed of their inner or outer geekiness needs to read. It's about learning to love yourself, and that you really are good enough to aim for your dreams.

And as someone who will admit to having many geek like tendencies, I felt it so refreshing to read Scarlett and Devon's story. I was never sure if they would get together or not but I absolute loved all the flash backs to the trouble they got up to as children.

It's clear they both thought they were superheroes, and on more than one occasion attempted to fly, but when Devon is made to move to New York when they are 16, it leaves Scarlett in rather a bad place. She's never left Springhollow, and has hidden for 10 years all the parts of her that made her feel like herself.

Then Devon returns to Springhollow, on a press junket for his new film, for he is now the latest superhero, and meets adult Scarlett, and let's just say sparks fly - mainly of anger!

Scarlett's best friends Hope and Jess are also really into superheroes and had no idea of Scarlett's true love of them, let alone the true extent of her unrealised, abandoned ambitions.

Yes there is a romance at the heart of it, of the will they won't they sort -and I did really love Devon, both his younger version and the man he has become.

But it really is Scarlett's re-awakening that spoke to me the most. I could feel her pain, I could understand her mother issues really well, and kept willing her on, to make what seemed like to me the logical decisions.

It's an incredibly enjoyable book, that I'm glad I had the chance to read - and the descriptions of Gingerbread houses were exquisite. There is great creativity in the story, and I would happily read more books set in Springhollow, should they ever exist. It was a lovely setting.

Another great book from Lucy Knott, I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Unfortunately I found this book far too predictable. Half way through, I could quite easily have given up but persevered. I can’t say I really liked the characters and definitely did not like the ‘description ‘ of an English village. Sorry, cannot recommend. .

💕 Lucy Knott has captured the essence of one girl's struggle to survive in a world where we are supposed to be "normal". As a girl with three older brothers, I was a real tomboy. I wanted to do the things they did, climb trees, wrestle with them in front of the TVs every Saturday morning, and polish up the chrome on their motorbikes, I loved them and it made me happy. But when I hit High School, that changed. I was bullied relentlessly by a gang of girls. I hid it from my brothers and parents and it still has an effect on me today! Reading Scarlett's story helped me to understand those feelings and remember that sadly, bullying happens all too often.
Watching Scarlett grow as she comes to terms with her difference and learns (with Hope, Jess and Devon's help) to love herself again is heartwarming. She rediscovers her own identity, and this has made for one of the best books on self-love I have read. The message is written throughout the book in a way which makes the story believable, honest and touching. I think many people, not just women, will relate to it as I did.
Devon's love, support and encouragement has enabled Scarlett to remember the best parts of their friendship, and eventually herself. He draws her back to the girl she has hidden away, and reminds her how much she likes her younger self, now she sees her through adult eyes. He is charming, funny and gently persuasive and I found him to be the perfect Superhero in Scarlett's adventure.
The Christmas theme running throughout brings the winter wonderland alive. The community spirit and friendly atmosphere, wrapped up in the Christmas Fair's events and secured in a huge bow of festive charm, make it an enjoyable read for the season. If you are looking for a special gift this Christmas, 'One Snowy Week in Springhollow" should be top of your list!

This one was super cute! I am really into holiday books right now and this has been one of the better ones I have read! I really loved the setting and characters.

I like Lucy Knott's books and I liked this one.
It made me smile, root for the characters and I liked the characters, the plot and the setting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine