At Number 14, Josie Ballard is up to her ears in brandy, raisins and cherries as she battles to make forty Christmas puddings to sell at Bath Christmas Market. Ever since Giles walked out the day their baby was born, Josie has had to work twice as hard to make ends meet. Sacrificing a career as a chef, her famous steamed puddings keep her and her gorgeous baby boy Titus afloat. Almost. So when, in the middle of Stir Up Sunday, a new neighbour in the Crescent complains about the noise that Titus is making, Josie gives him a basinful...
Giles, meanwhile, is finding life in the fast-lane with his uber-glamorous new girlfriend Rebecca rather draining. With one party blurring into another, he's now wondering if he hasn't made a terrible mistake in abandoning Josie and his child. Isn't it time he grew up, his mother asks, and Giles is starting to agree. So when he discovers Josie has a handsome new neighbour, Giles decides it's time to step up to his parental duties...
Christmas just got complicated
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Josie Ballard's life has not quite turned out the way she'd planned. She'd had a brilliant job as a chef and had been working towards achieving a much coveted Michelin star when her life takes an unexpected turn after falling pregnant and literally left holding the baby when her partner Giles walks out on her the day their son Titus was born. But ten months on she's now working part-time and, although things are tough, she has her gorgeous son so what more could she want.
It would appear that maybe romance might be on the cards after all when she meets Harry, the handsome stranger who's renting the flat upstairs, who'd initially come knocking on her door to complain about the noise Titus is making. There's an initial attraction between them so maybe it's time to move on and open up her heart again...
As soon I started reading this novella I was drawn into Josie's life and found myself rooting that everything was going to turn out OK for her in the end. Josie was such a down to earth character that you couldn't help but like her whereas both Giles and Harry had their moments but I was surprised how much my feelings towards Giles changed as the story progressed. Word of warning though do NOT read this novella if you are hungry as the tempting descriptions of the puddings that Josie bakes will have you drooling!
Overall this was a heartwarming festive read that was the perfect story to curl up and read on this damp dreary Sunday. I'd like to thank Harriet at Orion Publishing for sending me a copy of this eBook to review.
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