Rating: 3,75 stars ⭐️

Tropes:
small town 🎄
second chance 💋
found family 🩷

This is a heartwarming holiday romance that’s perfect for anyone who loves cozy Christmas tales. ✨

The story follows Sarah as she navigates love, family, and finding her place in the world. The author’s writing brings the festive atmosphere to life, with warm, lovable characters and a sprinkle of holiday magic.

With a perfect mix of romance, community spirit, and holiday cheer, this book is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. It’s sweet, uplifting, and the ideal read for a cozy winter night!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kiley Dunbar and the publisher for providing me with this copy. All opinions are my own.

I think it was the second half of the book where the story really gets into its own, as I enjoyed reading about Christmas light trails, making plenty of Christmas gingerbread houses and the romantic sub-plot finally developing. Slow start but it paid off in the end

I loved this story. So festive and enjoyable. A cosy winter read to get you in the mood for the festive period.

This is an auto read author for me and it was as expected/ cute, sweet a lighthearted holiday read.

The first half of this book was a little slow for me but the second half picked up and I enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC of The gingerbread christmas village. I felt this book was a slow burner maybe because I was reading it out of season, good storyline and has potential to make you feel extra christmassy if read closer to christmas.

A beautiful holiday Romance which I really enjoyed. I loved all the characters and I would highly recommend this book

the second half of the book is what did it for me. the friendship, and community aspect is a great addition to this story. plus, who doesn’t love the cozy vibes of christmas!

The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar was a great Christmassy read. The Christmas gingerbread village display takes place every year in a Cotswold village but this year it’s under threat. Will it happen or won’t it? Throw in the fact that you’ll be craving gingerbread after reading this book , what’s not to love. A great book that just seemed to flow from one chapter to the next.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I loved it! I guess cozy romance is the right way to describe it, but it isn't all about romance. It's also about friendship and community, with a little mystery thrown in. I loved that it was clean. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the spice, just not in my Christmas books. I also loved that the romance in the book focused on older women. It takes awhile to get the romance going, but while waiting for it, you come to understand Margi's reticence. She doesn't have a stellar record, for one thing, and she has a big concern, which is finally addressed.

This is a wonderful book to get you in the mood for the holidays, baking and mistletoe. It was a fun read and made me want to move to the fictional town of Wheaton.

I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and freely expressed.

This book weaves a delightful tapestry of genres, blending holiday charm with themes of friendship, loss, family, and personal growth. Set in the quaint hamlet of Wheaton, the story revolves around sixty-four-year-old Margi, organizing the fading Wheaton Gingerbread Grotto exhibition. Facing challenges like competition from a neighboring light extravaganza and a dilapidated town hall, Margi, along with her diverse team, navigates personal struggles. The narrative explores emotions tied to breakups, lost love, and self-discovery. Despite Margi's mature perspective, the story remains multi-generational, emphasizing the timeless nature of personalities and loves. With a heartwarming touch, the novel imparts uplifting messages about living authentically, disregarding societal expectations, and fostering community spirit. A Christmas romcom that not only fulfills expectations but surpasses them, leaving readers with a warm, soulful smile.

I have only just got around to reading this slightly after the festive season, but it still gave me such christmas vibes!

The protagonist Margi is in her sixties and she intends to still be staying in her eighties and onwards as she says, but heartbreak has knocked her confidence and she has more insecurities than normal.

I really felt for Margi as she seems like she is at a crossroads and a bit lost. She has taken over a traditon from her mum of making a gingerbread village for their little community and it's beginning to feel more like a huge burden every year with less people interested and willing to help...

I love the community feel when people start to pull together and the characters we meet along the way. I became really invested in the sweethearts romance of Margi's friend. I really enjoyed how cute and festive the book was, but how it also conveyed important messages;
To not let what other people think get in the way of your own happiness❤ and how age is just a number!

Thank you to Netgalley, Hera Books and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Heartwarming Christmas themed novel that will make you feel like Christmas all year long If this does not put you in the seasonal mood nothing will !

This was a really enjoyable holiday story with heart. I really loved Margi, the protagonist. I had a little trouble getting into the story at first, but once I did it read quickly and I enjoyed the read.

I found myself on a journey of sorts when I started this book. I found it hard to get into initially, liked where it was going next and then was ultimately satisfied with the way things ended up.
The protagonist is slightly older than the ones I have read about in books of this ilk, and she brings a different set of issues to the narrative than those other books. I do not have much experience with this author, but this book makes me think I should try more of her works.
The Gingerbread houses for Christmas is a tradition that has lasted a long time in the village, although Margi is fighting a losing battle to keep it running. Or so it appears when the plot begins.
The reality is quite stark, with people having less time and interest to spend on something with lower returns for themselves. Margi has one good friend, and armed with her niece and a new employee at the local cafe, plans are hatched to ensure the Gingerbread house exhibit can still exist this Christmas.
Margi is also having trouble with her love life. She just got out of a disastrously short marriage and is struggling with an attraction she deems unseemly.
There is an old love story thrown in, although it does not add too much and felt like it was part of some other book. It did play a small role in getting some attention to the trouble our team has with getting the gingerbread exhibit off the ground and making it seem successful. Given the ups and downs everyone faces, the ending was quite realistic concerning the future of the exhibit and everything that it entails.
I would recommend it to fans of the author and for those who like village-based stories where everyone contributes something to setting up the mood.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this heartwarming book.
Margi is sixty, unlucky in love and tired of the dreamy small Cotswold village she has lived in all her life. Head organizer and baker for the gingerbread Christmas village fundraiser she inherited from her mum, Margi is determined that this year will be her last devoted to the cause… but how will she break it to her friends?
I loved Dunbar’s Borrow-a-bookshop series so was overjoyed to have the chance to review a cozy Christmas story. This one had a lot of heart, endearing characters and a lot of diversity in a tiny little town.

The Gingerbread Christmas Village was a mix of genres that works well with holiday books. There are themes of friendship, loss, relationships, family, personal growth and of course, Christmas magic. The small hamlet of Wheaton in the Costswolds is preparing for Christmas celebrations. It's time for the Wheaton Gingerbread Grotto exhibition chaired by Sixty-four-year-old Margi, the daughter of the event’s founder. Over the years, it has lost it's appeal and less people attend every year. This year she is losing ground as there is competition from the light extravaganza in the next village. Also, the town hall is falling into disrepair and is not a pleasant place to spend time. That doesn't deter Margi and her team made up of her friends Izzy and Patrick, her niece Lucy and Izzy's new employee, shy but media savvy Fern. With Lucy trying to get over her break up, Izzy thinking about lost love, Margi still dealing with the fall out of being left by her husband shortly after the wedding, and Patrick who cares about Margi but she thinks she is too old. There are a lot of emotions in this one. Will they pull off the Gingerbread Grotto? Who will end up together at the end? What decisions will they all make about their lives?

I enjoyed this story with all it's storylines, characters and frustrations. Margi is a strong woman who has been beaten down. She is keeping a secret from her friends and family, until after Christmas, but are her planned actions what she really wants to do? I loved Fern. She seemed like a shy, introverted young girl, but boy does her social media knock your socks off. She is young and makes some questionable decisions that affect others, but her heart is in the right place. There is some old rivalry that comes into play, some romance with more than one couple and lots of personal growth and decisions. I don't want to spoil this story, so will stop here, but if you enjoy a well written story with great characters, lots of emotion and some happily ever afters, I recommend The Gingerbread Christmas Village.

There's a lot to love about this charming Christmas love story. A protagonist in her sixties (yes please!) who falls for a supremely lovable man in his mid forties, a town gingerbread display, intergenerational friendships, and a cozy small town vibe.
Kiley Dunbar is able to create communities that rise around you as you read. She names and gives lines to local bakers, the town farmer, teachers, teenagers, city council members, and even though everyone doesn't have a subplot, it isn't an overwhelming amount of characters and you feel like this community is real and populated with living, breathing, people.
The outdoor date at the Dunham Graves light show is one of the swooniest Christmassy dates I've ever read in a book. How magical!
Although this book is a little slow and quiet, the characters are endearing and the setting will absolutely sweep you away.
Also, I can't stress enough how wonderful it was to have a female main character who isn't in her twenties or thirties. More like this, please publishers!

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

My thanks to Hera Publishers and NetGalley for a copy of “ The Gingerbread Christmas Village” for an honest review.
This was a very enjoyable festive read. It was refreshing to read a book where the main character was an older woman for a change .I particularly liked the community setting in The Cotswolds , and as I live near to Birmingham,, I could easily visualise Margi on one of her blind dates walking around the Christmas market
The book leaves you with a really cosy feeling, and it was a really perfect read for Christmas

📱E-Book Review📱

The Gingerbread Christmas Village
Kiley Dunbar

🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was such a lovely Christmassy, feel good read.... that was a little bit unique.

Our main character, Marji, is on the older side - I say that with a bit of trepidation as at only 64, she's not that far off my own age! But in terms of love stories and romance books, we rarely see this age group well represented.
Often as someone's Mum or Nan, a side character in the main.
So this was really refreshing that Marji takes centre stage and shows us all that our 60's are going to bring new adventures!

I loved Margi so much.
Not looking forward to Christmas alone again, she decides that this will be her last year in the village and as such, her last one upholding the tradition of the Gingerbread Village exhibit which used to draw in the visitors.
With the help of an unlikely group of friends, will the exhibit be saved, will Margi find love and her Christmas spark again?

This touches on some real issues that lots of us face at this time of year and in current times - not quite the cost of living issues some are struggling with, but trying to fund the exhibit with the ever growing cost of ingredients and no guarantee that the visitors will come will be a concern for many this year.

I adored our love interest, Patrick - and that relationship and bond that the ladies (of varying ages) develop throughout the book.

My only complaint....I spent the whole book craving gingerbread!!
Will be adding ingredients to my next shop but am certain that I won't be creating anything quite so spectacular with my fair hands!

A lovely festive read to enjoy with a blanket and a hot chocolate (and definitely some gingerbread too!)