Gorgeous Christmas Novels

 

Our house is completely upside down at the moment as we renovate the kitchen, so I’m taking refuge in other worlds, and the fire, to escape the chaos around me.

Last Christmas I intended to read lots of Christmas novels, but I never actually got around to it. The only one I did manage, and thoroughly enjoyed, was Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, you know, the one with that awful Simeon Lee.  

This year, I’ve started earlier. So far, on the kindle, I’ve read Ivy Lane: Winter: Part 4 by Cathy Bramley. Not strictly a Christmas novel as it’s the fourth and final part in the series of mini books around life at Ivy Lane allotments. But it still involves Christmas. I will come back to Cathy’s gorgeous series another time because I adored it and it deserves a whole blog post of its own devoted to it. Needless to say if you fancy checking it out start with Ivy Lane: Spring: Part 1.

After delighting in Rachael Lucas’s debut novel, Sealed with a Kiss, I was excited to read the novella, Sealed with a Christmas Kiss. It was lovely to return back to the Scottish Island of Auchenmor. Far better than dealing with the dust and mess of reality.

Then we have the books pictured above. Carole Matthews always delivers a cracking Christmas novel. The Christmas Party is set over the few days before and on Christmas Day. Tension, emotions running high, love affairs, adultery. It’s got it all.

Then we have The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown. Oh, I adored this book. The story, the characters and the setting. Enhanced beautifully by the map in the front which reminded me of the one in Milly-Molly-Mandy. This was perfect for snuggling down with a glass of white and a roaring fire. I simply adored it and cannot recommend it enough, during this wonderful, yet rather hectic season. Treat yourself. It is a brilliant stress-reliever.

Dying for Christmas, Christmas in the Snow and The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding are next on the to-be-read list. Cannot wait to dive in.

Reading books is what woodburners were made for.