This year, she can make it come true for her own little boy. There will be turkey and all the trimmings, a glittering tree, and a stocking hung up by a roaring fire. Who cares if there's no devoted husband in the picture? She and Lucas will be just fine on their own.
But then a chance meeting with a stranger in New York unravels everything she's planned. Will Meg finally get everything she wished for? Or will she be alone this Christmas after all?
Christmas for One is only the second book I have read by Amanda Prowse but it certainly won’t be the last. Amanda has such a deft touch with words that leaves you eagerly turning the pages breathless for more, more, more. Fortunately the previous book I had read by Amanda was A Little Love which had featured Milly and Pru Plum so it felt like I was reuniting with old friends. These characters are not the main focus of this book but it was nice to catch glimpses of what they are up to now. I was totally sucked in to the story of Meg who works for Plum’s Patisserie under the guidance of Milly and Pru. Now Meg has taken a more central role in the business as she is overseeing the expansion of the company in both England and New York. She has come full circle and is happy in her professional life but the same cannot be said for her love life.
Amanda is brilliant at writing descriptions of all the incredible offerings from Plum’s Patisserie, everything sounded so mouth-watering that I would advise you to have some chocolate or cake to hand when reading this book. Some aspects reminded me of Jenny Colgan’s Cupcake Café and Rosie Hopkins books but to be honest this book had an awful lot more substance and after finishing this book I really want to visit New York at Christmas time. Believe or not right from the prologue I felt instant affection for Meg as I read about her tough childhood being raised in foster homes and passed from pillar to post. Even in her adult life she has endured sadness and hardship as Bill her fiancée and father of her son Lucas was killed in a car crash. Bit by bit Meg has picked up the pieces despite being hurt in the past by those she should have had the utmost of trust in.
Meg is sent to New York at the beginning of December to iron out a few teething problems with the opening of a new branch of Plum Patisserie. She views this short time away as a chance to take stock of her life and come to terms with her latest failed relationship. Little did she bank on encountering new man Ed although they do get off to a rough start. Over several chapters Meg and Ed discover the delights of New York before all too soon Meg is forced to return home but yet a part of her heart is still in New York.
There was an eclectic cast of characters encountered in New York who all really added to the story but I felt Meg and Ed’s relationship developed way too fast. Would you really fall head over heels in such a short space of time knowing that you lived thousands of miles apart?
There was a slight dip over three quarters of the way through where things got a bit too sad and morose but I suppose it does show that Christmas is not all full of love, fun and happiness for everybody. This is only a minor complaint in what was a fabulous, pleasing novel that left me with a real feel good feeling inside. Will Meg get the happy ending she deserves? Well I urge you to pick up this novel to discover the outcome as you are in for a real treat.
Christmas for One was just a gorgeous Christmas read which only took me a number of hours to read. With an instantly eye catching, warm, inviting cover and a great sentiment and true festive message at its centre this reader was not in the least bit disappointed but instead I will be eagerly looking out for more books by this terrific author.
I'd like to thank Rosie at Midas PR for sending a copy of this to Emma to review and Emma for her fab review.
Sounds like a good Christmas read.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great sounding book for this time of year
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