Cora and Liam have both experienced horrible years that have led them to the same unlikely place – spending December working in the Grotto at Golding’s department store.
Under the cover of a Father Christmas fat suit and an extremely unflattering reindeer costume, they find comfort in sharing their tales of woe during their bleak staffroom lunch breaks.
But is their new-found friendship just for Christmas? Or have they created something deeper, something that could carry them through to a hopeful new year?
Amazon link: Kindle
Firstly I must apologise to Alison May and Choc Lit for the delay in reviewing this festive novella that was kindly sent to me in December, ill health and a busy work schedule in recent weeks has meant that I'm very behind on the writing up of reviews.
As the title suggests this novella revolves around Cora who we meet as she's just about to start her first day in a new job working in a department store Santa's grotto alongside the mysterious Liam. Knowing that neither know each other they can pretend to be whoever they want to be but as their friendship builds over time they start to reveal snippets of their 'real' lives and what has brought them to this point in their life.
I loved the idea that they could reinvent who they were, I'm sure we've all wanted to do that at some point in our lives, and that it's only through their 'friend's' stories and flashbacks that we get to see the real Cora and Liam and what exactly has happened in their pasts. This format worked perfectly for me as a means of drawing me in although I will admit I found myself more interested to learn more about Liam than I did Cora.
Despite this novella being the second book in Alison's Christmas Kiss series it can definitely be read as a standalone as I did, although I have been told that some of the characters overlap and appear in both novellas so now that I do know this I'm intrigued to read Holly's Christmas Kiss to find out more...
Cora's Christmas Kiss is a charming festive read that I'm sure readers will love any time of the year, not just at Christmas. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more stories from Alison in the future as I've already purchased a copy of Sweet Nothing and a couple of the anthologies that she's been involved in so just need to find the time to do so!
Thanks for taking the time to read and review Sharon. I'm glad you enjoyed Cora, and hope you like Holly and Sweet Nothing too x
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