I absolutely love and adore a gorgeous Phillipa Ashley novel! This one arrives perfectly in time before the Christmas Holidays and will be sure to delight readers. I cannot wait to share my full review and thoughts on this novel and I will be sharing a full review and thoughts upon completion. I apologize as I am currently dealing with some health issues, but I love the idea of someone who is a special decorator for th3 holidays (I have a background/in design) and finds love along the way.

The story starts many years ago when the main character (a now successful business woman) is in primary school. This short prologue had me hooked and laughing out loud.
As with many of Phillipa's books this story is set in the Lake district and the descriptions of this beautiful part of England make you want to visit and see some of these sites for yourself - so much so my family and I have booked to go there for Christmas!
The crux of the story is although Freya has a very successful business she hasn't had much success with her love life. All her friends are matched up and her best friend is about to get married. When an ex turns up looking absolutely gorgeous and obviously still attracted to Freya it starts a bit of a will they wont they. However for me it was the humour and characters which resonated.
There are some great one liners and I read the whole book in a single sitting as I literally could not put it down and although it was sunny outside I was very much transported to the Lakes , a Christmas market and surrounded by snow.
This is an absolute fantastic festive read which I can not recommend enough.

A real will they, won’t they romance. From a junior school fake wedding, to a broken engagement, I loved the unpicking of the trust issues of Freya and Travis. They both are bruised from family relationships and things going wrong and their blindness is slowly cured! The snow and nature is beautifully described and the family rows all too believable. Perhaps a little OTT with fires and runaways but all good.

This was another great read by this author, although not particularly festive. I was great nonetheless. Lovely and romantic and with a great community and family spirit at heart. Freya has a lot on her plate running a holiday let cleaning company, she lives in a small community where she grew up. Travis is her fist love and he has returned to open up a photography shop and gallery after travelling around the world.
They go on to meet up after many years.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t a well edited novel, in the first couple of pages we were told twice that the cottages had been decorated for Christmas by Kirsten in an almost word for word repeat that should have been totally unnecessary. However, it was an entertaining story centred around Freya and Travis and their very much off relationship that switched on again as soon as Travis returned to live in the Lake District. It was very predictable but a satisfying read, although it did feel weird reading a Christmas story in August!

Freya is busy dealing with any problems that arise in the cottages her business takes care of, she is shocked to find that her newest tenant is an old flame from her past. Travis once asked her to marry him but she was persuaded that she was too young to make a commitment and wonders what if since that day. Travis left town to lick his wounds and built up a successful photographic career. He never really got over Freya but can't take a risk with his heart again. Atmospheric and scenic storytelling from Phillipa Ashley bringing a bit of the scenic lake district to your door.

Freya and her ex boyfriend Travis, meet up again after not seeing each other for years. Keeping busy with her flourishing business in the Lake District, she isn’t interested in relationships and has conflicting feelings about Travis.
Characters are well described, Freya, a hardworking, successful business owner, and Travis an inspirational photographer, returning to the town where he grew up and opening a new gallery. The plot is character driven, with a lighthearted, humorous tone, though darker issues are explored.
The sizzling chemistry between Freya and Travis increases as the plot unfolds, and I found the reconciliation between brothers Travis and Seb incredibly moving. The author describes the snow covered Lakeside mountains and scenery so vividly you feel you are there.
Phillipa Ashley is a favourite author, and her books always a joy to read.

Whilst there was Christmas touches to this book it didn't give me that festive feeling (although some of this may be down to reading it in August), however the underlying story was sweet and kept you hooked to see Freya get her HEA.

i didn't always totally understand the motivations to why characters acted as they did, but could connect sufficiently to follow the tale and suspend belief.

Perfect book for a Christmassy read at any time of the year. Totally implausible and not true to life but it’s great to loose yourself in something that gives you a sense of fun, romance and an overall feel-good experience.

I loved it and finished it in a day, thoroughly recommend

Thank you to Netgalley the author and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review