I loved the premise of Poppy slowly but surely being taken out of her comfort zone and finding that little bit of independence. I was definitely hoping that she would find the courage to move forward and try something new. She seemed to be happy coasting through life until her boyfriend proposes and she meets everyone at the Log Fire Cabin. The question is what decision will Poppy make regarding her future?

It's safe to say as soon as Poppy began to be more assertive I definitely warmed to her character more. Then when we get more background to her character you can see that she hasn't always had an easy time so I think this goes along way to making her character all the more likeable. Her character goes on a journey and definitely blossoms as a result.

There are a few comical moments within the story especially Poppy and Jed's first meeting I did have to have a little giggle to myself although it was highly embarrassing for Poppy. The setting was lovely and Catherine Ferguson lovingly describes the Log Fire Cabin and the surrounding area. I could just imagine visiting and it really does sound like a perfect place to spend Christmas.

The characters were warm and had a lovely comforting feel, I enjoyed the fact that they all brought something just that little bit different to the story. I actually enjoyed the little bit of conflict that Ruby's character brings as she tries to adjust to her mum's new boyfriend.


The whole story moved at a lovely pace giving the reader chance to get to know the characters, hoping for that happy ending for them. There is a lovely emphasis on family whoever they may be and this group of characters together made a lovely heart warming story come to life.


With thanks to Sabah at Avon & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion

I clicked on this book immediately when I saw the cover and who the author was! This is a lovely cosy Christmassy read that did not disappoint.

I loved this book, its got a good festive feel to it, there's a log fire cabin on a lake, a get together of assorted strangers, some fabulous Italian cooking, and a couple of storylines that take on slightly less frivolous topics.

But first I need to highlight something about Harrison, Poppy's boyfriend. He is a number cruncher, errs on the side of probability his all life, and instantly struck me as dull It is not often that I find myself rooting against a perfectly nice man, in a book but he was dull and it was obvious early on that Poppy should be able to do better. I mean I was slightly fixated on his rather unusual interest and then couldn't believe it wasn't completely made up once I looked into it!

Poppy is an excellent cook but is currently working as a waitress in a hotel where her bosses don't seem to appreciate her. I'd say that Harrison doesn't appear to appreciate her either. With some persuasion from best friend Erin she agrees to cater for a log fire cabin over Christmas, for a rather mixed family situation.

It just so happens there is a rather attractive man in the mix, and he may have a soft spot for Poppy, but she is due to be engaged after her 12 day cooling off period to Harrison ends. Quite a few chapters start with the 3 course menu that Poppy is due to make that day. All the food sounded delicious, but its not the focus of the book.

That is more to do with families, there are storylines involving characters not knowing their fathers, one involving a new relationship with step children involved, and there is also Poppy's mother who has a potentially dangerous problem that she needs to overcome.

I loved the scenes in the log fire cabin, it was such a cosy setting for a Christmas book, and the Christmas Poppy spent aged 12 with her father in a similar setting, was a great illustration of just what a great location it was.

Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin is a cosy wintery/festive story that is so much more than a Christmas book, I was laughing at times, open mouthed at others, while thoroughly enjoying the cast of characters that has been created. It is just a shame it had to end when it did, I was would love to see how various things develop in Poppy's life after the book has finished.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Having read some of Catherine Ferguson’s previous books, I was happy to discover that there was another book being released – better still it was a Christmas book!

I really enjoyed this book – it was a well written story of self-discovery and I genuinely cared about the characters. At the start of the story, Poppy is a bit of a push over, a bit timid and stuck in a rut with her job and her safe but reliable boyfriend Harrison. This all changes when with the help of her best friend Erin, they decide to set up a catering business. After a wrong telephone number mishap, a lot of hilarity rises and they find themselves catering for Jed and his family at a luxurious log fire cabin!

This wasn’t just your typical run of the mill chick lit story – there are deeper issues mentioned and handled well – abandonment issues with Poppy and her Italian father who was also a chef and mental health issues with Poppy’s mother are dealt with as she shuts herself away.
Frustrating as Poppy may be at the start, I think we have to experience this side of her character to see just how far she comes and blossoms.

I would love to read a follow up book as there are so many likeable characters that could have their own story written about them!

A delightful and joyful read and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this beautiful book!

A twelve day cooling off period? Seriously? You'll want Poppy to kick her boyfriend Harrison to the curb when you see how he treats her. AND, you'll want her to stand up for herself, so when she leaves her waitress job to work with her friend in a catering company, you'll be looking for a new romance as well. You'll find that and more in this Christmas themed novel that focuses as much on Poppy coming into her own as anything else. She's had a lot to deal with over time, including a mother who is a hoarder, so happiness much be on the agenda. You might find Erin annoying occasionally, but isn't that what a motivator is for? Jed, the owner of the cabin, well, he's a special guy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You'll enjoy this one if you're looking for a positive heart warming read that may have Christmas as a back drop but is wonderfully readable any time of year.

Seen the cover of this book and instantly fell in love with it. Imagined it to be the perfect seasonal read this year. I am so glad to say I was not in the slightest disappointed at all. It was a lovely feel good festive read. Poppy was a darling. Deserved more in life than what she had. Follow her over the festive period. It was well written. Lovely characters and just a great story.

Delightful light read. Christmas, food, family and love. What more is needed. A bit of conflict. The cover makes you want to pick up and read and you be glad you did.

This was a very nice feel good story. It was well written with the right amount of detail to keep it moving along nicely. This would be a great holiday book (I actually read it whilst on holiday in Cape Verde in September so it doesn't have to be kept as a Christmas read - it was 30 degrees when I was reading it!) - would definitely recommend - it leaves you with a lovely warm and cosy feeling inside - 4 stars from me!!

Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin was a great, light-hearted festive read.

The book tells Poppy's story - a waitress in a busy hotel restaurant but with a passion for cooking.
Poppy has, what seems to be, a loving, well providing boyfriend in Harrison and a fab best friend in Erin and it is Erin who pushes Poppy and convinces her to chase her dreams of becoming a home caterer for private dinner parties.

All seems good for Poppy but she's worried about her Mother's hording issues and missing one key man in her life - her biological Father, Al.

When mysterious man, Jed, leaves a message on Poppy's answer phone in error, she forms and unusal telephone friendship with him, so when Harrison jets off to Spain to spend Christmas with his Mother curisoity gets the better of Poppy and she seeks out Jed to put a face to the name and voice, totally not expecting to land herself a catering job for Jed and his family at the Log Fire Cabin giving Poppy the big break she needs.

The story is a nice, quaint one of following your dreams and making new friends - theres also festive food and menu's, decorations, twinkly lights and snow.

The plot, the characters and the setting for Christmas at the Log Fire Cabin all have the make up of a really great story - and don't get me wrong, I did enjoy reading the book but I was left wondering how Poppy & Al were doing, and where her relationship with Jed is getting along.
Personally for me, an epilogue of some description would have finished the story off and tied the loose ends together nicely.

Christmas at the Log-Fire Cabin is a nice cosy read but despite the cover there are quite a few serious issues in there, family dramas and a mother who hoards. A hoarder has such an effect on the rest of the family and this was interesting to read about. As is normal for Christmas, all family secrets and resentments come out in full force and there’s enough to stoke that log cabin that’s for sure.

A cosy cover! This book needs a cup of hot chocolate to go with it.

This would be a wonderful book to curl up with during a cold winter day! Even better, this is the type of book that is perfect for all fans of Christmas novels. The characters have depth in this one and personal growth is a major aspect of the novel. I truly enjoyed reading this one and love how the author made the characters seem realistic.

Poppy lives with Harrison, she has been a waitress for as long as she can remember but would like to set up her own catering company. When she is overlooked for promotion to restaurant manager for being too timid she feels she being taken for granted. She receives a phone call meant for someone else and as a result she meets Jed who offers her the job of catering for his family over the Christmas period.

Harrison proposes to Poppy but before she can say yes,he feels that while he is in Spain visiting his mum for Christmas they should have a 12 day cooling off period, Poppy with her friend Erin’s help decides she will accept Jed’s job offer and cook for his family. Over the course of the Christmas period Poppy realises she has feelings for Jed but are they reciprocated.

This book is not just a romantic christmas story, it’s about Poppy taking control of her life and not letting everybody walk all over her. An light hearted entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book. It's very gentle and the story is easy to follow with an array of interesting characters and menus at the start of some chapters.
The story centres around Poppy who is a waitress with ambitions to start her own catering business and her sensible boyfriend Harrison. Harrison proposes but gives Poppy a twelve day "cooling off period". A lot can - and does - happen in twelve days!
Read it by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy!

Poppy is a pushover, meek and mild. She's stuck in a rut, working as a waitress in a hotel and overlooked for the promotion she thoroughly deserves. She dreams of running her own catering business specialising in the Italian food that her absent father instilled a love of. A wrong number phone call sets in motion a series of events that can change Poppy's life if she has the courage to grab the opportunities that present themselves.
I enjoyed this book but I struggled to at the very start. Poppy embarks on a much needed voyage of self-discovery in the book and I actually found her quite irritating to begin with. She has reasons for her manner and behaviour but her lack of gumption led me to feeling like shaking her! I'm used to the main character in this sort of book being instantly likable, rather than having to get to know them more, as I did in this novel. I think that's probably a mark of how much of a journey Poppy goes on, she's a very different young woman at the end than she is at the start.
Poppy has a lot going on in her life, a best friend who has her own relationship issues (that story doesn't have a denouement in this book, I wonder if we may see Erin in a forthcoming follow up to this book, I'd love to find out what happens to her), a mother with mental health issues, an absent almost-fiance, a job that disappoints her and the prospect of setting her new company up. The chance meeting with Jed is pivotal and opens up Poppy's life completely.
I found the first third of this book quite difficult but I was really glad I persevered and I really started to like the book as I read further. It's a little predictable in parts and there weren't any surprises but Poppy's story is a satisfying read in the end and I enjoyed it.

This story had a little bit of everything, so don’t let the sweet Christmas card cover or warm and fuzzy title fool you.

A story of strong women determined to achieve their goals and not allow male interference, tragic real life events, past secrets and the sudden realisation that love actually does exist and is finally within your grasp.

This is definitely a feel good Christmas story, but it has a believable amount of angst and drama thrown in for good measure.

Poppy has been at her job for over a decade when she believes she will get the promotion that has opened up but is passed over for being a bit too timid. Poppy then gets the notion that she’s going to make some changes in her life beginning with starting to get a catering business up and running but knows she shouldn’t be in a rush to leave her current position as she does so.

In the meantime Poppy’s boyfriend Martin proposes but she’s just unsure of their lackluster relationship. She decides to put the decision on hold while Martin travels and she and her friend Taylor begin their catering business. Lucking into a catering job at a luxury log-fire cabin over the holidays Poppy hopes it’s the beginning to her success.

Christmas at the Log-Fire Cabin by Catherine Ferguson was a bit of a tough one to rate for me when I finished reading this one. Quite honestly if I were to rate strictly on the relationship and romance aspect of this book it would have been a big fail and a lower rating in my opinion. The way that side of the book goes is just not one that I’m personally a huge fan of myself so I wasn’t overly interested in that side of the story.

However, on the redeeming side of the story there were a lot of things in here that I did like about the book. Poppy’s mother is featured quite a bit in the story and the author touched on the subject of hoarding with her characters which is out of the norm and was nice to see into that type of person and how it effects those around them. The lovely Christmas setting was also quite nice along with dealing with other family issues for the main character. I was also impressed with Poppy and her personal growth from the meek character that she was in the beginning. So with balancing out the positives and negatives for me in this one I decided on 3 stars as it was an OK read overall.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Working as a waitress, Poppy isn't living up to her talents as her best friend Eden always persistently reminds her until she beats Poppy down to start up her own catering company with her.

Yet when their opportunity comes from the Log fire cabin, they find the owner is rather nice and Poppy realises her feelings for her boyfriend Harrison may not be enough despite his proposal the cooling off period of twelve days leaves her questioning their relationship a lot as she steals kisses with another man...

Poppy has also dealt with a lot in her childhood from an abusive step father, Martin which left her only meeting her real dad once. Until a near tragic experience for her mum reveals her secrets about her real dad and his commitment to her younger self.

This was a great book, independent business women and not standing for any messing from the men in their lives as they reach their goals. Not to mention tragic events can still turn life into a positive not letting it break you and finding love eventually that's right. A touching book out for Christmas!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!