Cat needs to get off the ‘has-been’ heap and rescue her flagging TV career but the demands of her extended family are reaching fever pitch and she barely has time to breathe. Meanwhile, Pippa has got too many balls to juggle as a struggling single mum trying to hang on to her family farm. And Marianne’s marriage is looking distinctly rocky now her beloved husband’s ex is back on the scene.
Happy Christmas? Forget it.
But Christmas is a time for miracles, and when the villagers learn they must fight for what they love, it becomes clear that there is festive magic in the air.
Suddenly for Cat, Pippa and Marianne, it’s looking like it might just be a Christmas to remember …
Having read Julia Williams' previous books set in Hope Christmas I was looking forward to returning to the lives of Cat, Pippa and Marianne to see how life had changed for them since we last met them.
Each of them have their own personal issues that they are having to deal with; Cat is struggling to find a purpose to her everyday life now that her TV career appears to have floundered, Marianne is having to cope with the presence of her husband's ex but life has changed the most for Pippa who is now having to adapt to life as a single parent whilst trying to save the farm that has belonged in her family for generations.
However, their own issues could soon be compounded if the go-ahead is given for a new luxury spa hotel to be built in Hope Christmas which threatens to ruin their livelihoods and the quiet life of their beautiful village...
I loved the fact that Julia has created three strong characters and that they each played their part. However, I have to admit that in this book it was Pippa's storyline that I was drawn to the most and was willing everything to work out for her in the end.
That being said the most poignant parts of the book I enjoyed reading the most were not actually to do with Cat, Pippa or Marianne, but were actually the diary entries from Pippa's ex-husband Dan which clearly depicted the conflicts of emotions he was feeling following his accident and his decision to end their marriage.
But I do have to point out that despite the title it's not really a festive read, although the story does begin and end at Christmastime and there are a few characters with Christmas themed names, it follows the lives of the three women throughout the year. A fab read that I would definitely recommend and don't worry if you've not read the previous Hope Christmas books as I think it would work as a standalone as there are a few recaps throughout.
I'd like to thank Olivia at LightBrigade PR for sending me a copy of this eBook to review.
Great review
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