Received by Emma Crowley
Christa Playfoot is looking for a fresh start after her divorce. Having lost her Michelin-starred restaurant, she hadn't expected to be job hunting and single just before Christmas.
When her best friend says she's recommended Christa for a gig as a private chef over the Christmas period, Christa can't think of a reason to say no.
Christa has no idea what to expect but it's certainly not grumpy billionaire divorcee Marc Ferrier and his rambunctious twin sons, or the beautiful but cheerless country estate, Pudding Hall, that they inhabit.
With her knack for pouring love into her cooking, Christa is determined to make this Christmas sparkle for the Ferrier family and maybe get her life back on track in the process...
Many thanks to Aria via NetGalley for my copy of Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Kate Forster is a relatively new discovery for me and so far I have loved everything that I have read by this engaging author. Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall didn’t disappoint with such a gorgeous Christmas cover, a fabulous setting, intriguing and varied characters and of course not to forget the mouth watering descriptions of food and cooking throughout. OK, the food being cooked may have been a little out of my comfort zone but that’s not to say I didn’t appreciate it and the recipes included. This is a quick and easy read and one that you settle into very quickly. The Christmas genre has been flooded with books in recent years. It just seems to get bigger and bigger with each year and it’s impossible to read them all, no matter how much you want to. But Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall is up there with the best of them being published this year and it was an utter delight to read from start to finish.
We first meet Christa Playfoot as she is letting go of her dream of having a restaurant in London. The for lease sign is up and her marriage to Simon is over. She is a brilliant chef and Simon had bankrolled the business but now being a television judge seems to be what Simon wants and she is left to one side. Christa starts to think is being a chef her true calling now that the restaurant is gone. I loved this quote which summed up exactly how Christa was feeling because I think at one point or another we all feel like this at some stage. ‘The sense of a piece missing inside her but she did not know what to put there. It had followed her around ever since she could remember, popping up uninvited’. It’s obvious from the outset that Christa has remained in a loveless marriage for so long that she failed to realise it was more or less a business relationship. Her skills and talents were used by Simon and I hoped she could take the bull by the horns and now find some opportunities for herself in order to truly showcase her talents and be really happy in what she did.
Christa wasn’t full of confidence. When cooking she was but when it came to getting herself out there she was anxiety riddled and full of uncertainty, feeling like she hadn’t or wasn’t being enough. She avoids confrontation because Simon was the one who had been in control so when it comes to her personal well being it’s something she really needs to work on. You really do feel for her and hope that she can turn things around especially when she is presented with the opportunity by her friend Selene, a restaurant critic, to cook for someone famous staying in York for the month of December. This is where Christa’s resilience will really be called into question. Has she been belittled for so long or will she be able to showcase her talents? Will her stay with American businessman Marc Ferrier prove to have to many ups and downs to want to stay the month? Or will the run up to the most magical time of year work its magic on those that need help the most.
I loved the setting of Pudding Hall which Marc had bought many years ago but never really lived in it until now. I think Christa got a lot more than she bargained for when she accepted the job. Marc seems allergic to Christmas and came across as being angry and just all about his business. He didn’t seem to understand his twins Seth and Ethan that well and I think Christa could see this and wanted to bring the family together through her mouth watering cooking and also by bringing them back to basics and reminding them of the true meaning of Christmas. Marc likes to be in control of everything and the more we learn about him the more we can see how his childhood affects how he operates both as a business and family man. But will Christa with her genuine charm, good will and good intentions make him change to discover that Christmas is not something that should be more or less forbidden to be mentioned? Will the anger and resentment that he holds inside continue to fester and avoidance be his main trait?
Seth and Ethan were brilliant additions to the book bringing humour when needed and also there to teach both Christa and Marc some important life lessons. The connection Christa established with them was wonderful, genuine and heartfelt but still Christa kept things to herself because her past was too painful and alienating. Despite Marc and his attitude Christa manages to make Pudding Hall feel like a special place and I loved all the descriptions of the food she was making and the activities she engaged in with the twins.
Combined with all that was going on at the hall, Christa had her own little secret that she was engaging in and given the way Marc acts she is determined to keep this secret. This was perhaps the most heart-warming aspect of the book and really does remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. It provides the reader with a real moral to the story and gives you plenty of food for thought and a reminder not to get too caught up in the things that really don’t matter when it comes to Christmas. Rather, remember go back to basics and do things that you know will benefit others and in doing so it will really help you to feel good about yourself. Especially when many things are sent to try you. This strand of the story also helped bring about the romance element which given the type of book this is it really needed to be present. Of course a few surprises are thrown in to upset the apple cart and some surprise arrivals with connections to certain characters really test Christa’s metal to the max not to mention the tentative self esteem she has built up since her arrival at Pudding Hall?
Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall is a gorgeous read. The characters are all flawed but never dull. It has such a lovely, deep and meaningful message behind it all that really gives you all the feels and has you rooting for Christa from the get go. Quite simply, it’s a lovely festive story that deserves not to be forgotten this year and should definitely be read curled up on the couch on a cold winters day.
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