I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I could not get into this audiobook as it did not hold my attention for any length of time.

This was a delightful story about finding what you want out of life while bumbling around after a few obstacles. Both of the characters sharing an instantly common bump in the road made you want them to connect, although there were cautions from the start. While Nina was discovering a new pathway in life, it was Ryan that helped guide her along. This was an adorable romance, as cuddly as a koala!

Through many turns in life, this had a bit of everything. Grief, betrayal, family drama and sickness. All along with some comfy Christmas feels, where although the season is warm and bright, life can still put a damper on – however, as long as you have each other, your family born into and/or made by you, you'll make it through!

This is a typical Hallmark Channel holiday romance. It’s cute and warm and hopeful, but I found it a little formulaic and generic. Lots of holiday romances are those things, and that’s ok. As a holiday read, it’s just fine. The narrator was fine, and didn’t detract from the story.

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

• holiday light romance
• charming setting
• likable characters

This was a cute holiday book although it did take a bit for me to feel connected to the story. I wasn't really into the romantic relationship here, but I enjoyed the family relationships. Loved the narration too... accents! 😍

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley and @sagaegmont for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted audio! All opinions are honest and my own.

I don’t know how to evaluate this one. It was my 4th holiday audiobook in a row and perhaps at that point I just didn’t care all that much. I think I’d be willing to give this book another chance because I liked the narrator and the story seemed okay. I just wasn’t pay attention and just overall wasn’t feeling it.

First off, I really enjoyed Lucy Bromilow's narration, very well-read and really brought all the characters to life.

A very cute, cosy Christmas read about Nina. A
girl who heads to Chamillon in France to visit her family and to progress her career as a travel blogger, after a bad break-up with her fiancé. The last thing she is looking for is love and 1 thing she wants to get away from is Christmas.

Aunt Dolly is hilarious and meddling, an absolute character who you love and just know everything she does has an ulterior motive.

The description is perfect; the little French cafe, the houses, the French streets, the characters…everything had such detail you could really see everything and felt like you were there with Nina, selling all the baked goods and that that really Christmas feel that just makes you warm and think of family.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saga Egmont for my copy of I'll Be Home for Christmas by Karen Clarke Narrated by Lucy Bromilow in exchange for an honest review. It published September 1, 2022.
First off, I really enjoyed Lucy Bromilow's narration, very well-read!
Second, I thought this was a super cute story! I would definitely suggest it to anyone interested in cozy Christmas romances, and bonus, it's Christmas adjacent, so even though it takes places during Christmas, it doesn't feel overtly Christmas, you could read it any time of the year. (Although definitely Christmastime would be best!)
I enjoyed the character development in this story, and I really want her to come to my house and accidentally tidy it!

This was sorry cute. Though it didn't have a huge Christmas vibe to it. I did really enjoy it and will share with friends.

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
BY
KAREN CLARKE.

This is the third book, in what has been a delightful series.

After an unpleasant break up, Nina heads to Chamillon in France to visit her family and to progress her career as a travel blogger.
Once there, the very last thing she expects to find is love.

Despite a bad start, aunt Dolly’s efforts to match make between Nina and Ryan may just be exactly what they both need to get over the hurt in both their lives.

This is such a sweet and cosy read. There are some fabulous characters who really bring the story to life.

This book is a charming place to lose yourself in, for a few hours of pure escapism.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out now on all formats.

Great narration by Lucy Bromilow.

With thanks to Netgalley and Saga Egmont Audio for an audio arc of this title.

This cute story is ultimately about two single people being set-up by a meddlesome aunt. While Nina and Ryan don’t like each other at first, soon their attraction grows.

This Christmas romance was cute but ultimately forgettable. If you are binging only Christmas books for the holidays, I would add it to your list, but if you are only going to read one or two, I’d recommend something else.

All she wants for Christmas is to mend her broken heart...

Nina loves Christmas, or at least, she used to, before her fiancé cheated on her and she had to cancel their dream winter wedding. Now, she wants nothing to do with Christmas, no tree, no decorations- bah humbug with it all. Nina decides to lay low at her Aunt Dolly's for the holidays, and when she arrives, she is surprised to find that her Aunt has another guest, handsome and gruff Ryan. While Nina and Ryan clash at first, an attraction blooms between them- one that Nina is determined to ignore. But when Dolly decides to go all out for Christmas after all, will Nina and Ryan be able to resist the pull of the mistletoe?
I enjoyed this book a lot, and fell in love with the characters right away. I loved the little town that Dolly lived in, and it was fun to read about the locals and their various misadventures that offered quite a few laughs on top of Nina and Ryan's mishaps. The narrator voiced the characters perfectly, including their different accents. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a cozy, Christmas romance.

An easy to listen to romance.
I found it was missing something from my usual romance audiobooks but I suspect that’s just relative.

I thought the narrator was very good and enjoyed listening to her tones.

Definitely an ideal Christmas romance.

I love the narrator's ability to speak in various UK accents and not being able to speak French I assume everything they were saying was pronounced correctly, the accent sounded great.
This was such a lovely story, I loved the ending that is what I expect love to be, it made me tear up, just perfect. Aunt Dolly is hilarious and meddling and I liked the underlying story of the great-grandmother and the connections that were made.
Highly recommend this book.

This was a lovely and uplifting book that although it has Christmas in the title, isn’t overly seasonal and could definitely be read year round. There’s an abundance of hot chocolate and it’s set at Christmas but that’s about it.

I loved seeing the journeys off all the characters although I did find myself forgetting that we were in France - I think that’s the only downfall of audiobooks as you can drift out easily sometimes.

One thing it did make me want was a new onesie though, maybe not a koala one but I had a pretty snug bear one a couple of years ago and it’s definitely made me want to sit on the sofa snuggled up!

It also gave me a spot of motivation for tidying and sorting the house a little bit - we’ve got to be ready before we start putting the Christmas decs up after all ;)

This was such an adorable holiday read! The book was a great read in august, and would be an even better read in December!

After a broken engagement, Nina Bailey flees to her Aunt Dolly's cafe in Chamillon, France for Christmas. Thanks to her aunt's meddling matchmaking, she meets Ryan, the author trying to finish his book. I'll Be Home for Christmas is a contemporary holiday romance with warmth and heart.

This was a cute and quick read. As an audiobook I breezed through it in one sitting. I didn't realise until I read a few reviews on NetGalley that this was part of a book series 'The Little French Cafe' so I guess this book works well as a standalone too. Lucy Bromilow has a clear, lovely, soothing voice and her narration was what I liked best about this audiobook. Overall, an easy book to listen to if you are in a mood for something light and sweet.

My thanks to NetGalley, the audiobook publisher Saga Egmont and the author Karen Clarke for the audio Arc of the book.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨💫

I liked this one. The lovers are thrown together by a matchmaker in the family, and there's tons of misunderstandings and miscommunications.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Little French Café #3
Karen Clarke
Nina Bailey was supposed to be married on December 21… but her fiancé cheated on her too many times. The wedding was planned to take place in the snow and the honeymoon would be in Norway where they could see the Northern Lights. Her grandmother had always wanted to see the Northern Lights and Nina dearly loved her grandmother. But there was no wedding and no honeymoon. Nina’s heart is broken; she certainly isn’t in the mood for Christmas carols, gingerbread men, or eggnog. Nina has come to Chamillon in France to visit her Aunt Dolly and to stay over her aunt’s café. Nina planned to concentrate on her new travel blog. But Nina isn’t the only one planning to stay over the café.
Nina planned on a simple no frills Christmas, with no mistletoe. Things begin to change when she meets Cousin Charlie’s best friend, Ryan Sadler, one of the handsomest men she’s ever seen with beautiful green eyes. Ryan has also had a difficult breakup. While the sparks fly every time, they are in a room together, Nina is determined there will not be a romance this year. Aunt Dolly has other ideas; the lady loves to play matchmaker and Dolly is determined to have a “proper” British Christmas in Nina’s honor. There will be Christmas lights everywhere, a huge tree and mistletoe strategically hanging above heads.
This is a enchanting Christmas tale filled with love, wit and delightful family interactions. I could see the sitting in my mind’s eye, frost, snow and smell the fragrance of mincemeat pies drifting on the air. The romance in this tale was slow moving; the reader could see the sparks fly but nothing was rushed. The characters of Nina and Ryan work well together and I enjoy watching as they grew closer together. Nina’s character was very witty, and I enjoyed the interaction between them. I also enjoyed Nina’s interaction with her family; there was such a nice close bond.
This is the third book in this series however, it works well as a standalone. Add this one to your reading list for it is a delightful Christmas romance.

I have a new favourite narrator: Lucy Bromilow! I'm a sucker for a good British accent :)

I picked up this audio book when I was in a pretty meeh mood and needed something funny and light-hearted to cheer me up. This book absolutely did the trick. A feel-good romance story set in France, right before Christmas, with lots of funny situations. Sure, it's predictable, and it's also cheesy here and there, but it ticks all the boxes of an entertaining rom-com.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for this Advance Review Copy.