This is the delightful and warm story of Ben and Alexia who live in Middledip and whose lives converge over the renovation of an old community pub. It's about friendship, community, helping others and living life to the fullest. You'll fall in love with Ben and Alexia and all the characters of this cute little village.

I always look forward to a new Sue Moorcroft book. Now that it's November, I feel I can really get stuck into the many Christmas books on my reading list so of course, Sue Moorcroft's was top of the list!

One of the reasons I love Sue's books is that she writes in a way that makes me feel that I am reading about real people, that I am among friends. Alexia, Ben, Gabe, Jodie and Carola are so realistically portrayed. They are just normal people with pretty ordinary things happening to them and reacting in a way that you could imagine yourself reacting. They are not perfect characters and are prone to moodiness, angry outbursts and making the wrong decisions. But they are also there when people need them, are able to make the best of bad situations and show love and care, just like any of us.

I do love a story about a troubled soul and in Ben and Alexia we have two troubled souls, though troubled for very different reasons. Would they be able to heal each other or would it be double trouble? I always seems to fall a little in love with Sue Moorcroft's leading men and Ben was no exception. As a woodsman I could imagine him to be the tall, dark, handsome and strong hero you find often in romantic fiction. And he was all these but also had a gentler side caring for injured owl Barney and showing such care and compassion for his Uncle Gabe. Alexia was a wonderful character too. Despite the rather huge setback in her professional life, she got stuck into making the best of a bad situation that wasn't of her doing. She was strong and determined not to let people down but she also did not let people walk all over her. I like a woman who knows her own mind and doesn't go all weak and giggly in the presence of the leading man!

Sue's books seems to me to be very true to life - life that can be messy, complicated and full of setbacks. Yet life that can also be full of surprises, love and happiness. The Little Village Christmas is another cracker of a read from an author I know I can rely on for a completely irresistible story.

So just yesterday I was talking about how I’m getting no reading done. And today I realise this is the 3rd or 4th book review to go up since the beginning of fall… In my defence? They’re Christmas books – easy to forget those when talking about your fallreading, right? That being said: The Little Village Christmas was certainly a joy to read. Even if it made me feel kind of stupid for not hearing about this author before!



Quick disclaimer: I got the chance to read this book via Netgalley. All opinions are completely my own, though!

STORY

Alexia Kennedy – interior decorator extraordinaire – has been tasked with giving the little village of Middledip the community café it’s always dreamed of.

After months of fundraising, the villagers can’t wait to see work get started – but disaster strikes when every last penny is stolen. With Middledip up in arms at how this could have happened, Alexia feels ready to admit defeat.

But help comes in an unlikely form when woodsman, Ben Hardaker and his rescue owl Barney, arrive on the scene. Another lost soul who’s hit rock bottom, Ben and Alexia make an unlikely partnership.

However, they soon realise that a little sprinkling of Christmas magic might just help to bring this village – and their lives – together again…

Settle down with a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine as you devour this irresistibly festive Christmas tale. The perfect read for fans of Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.

First of all: can we just appreciate that this literally tells you how to read this book? Then again – mince pie and warm drinks? I can totally live with that 🙂 Even if the story wasn’t quite what I expected based on the Goodreads-page!

(Important note, here? This isn’t so much a Christmas book as a book that just happens to take place around Christmas. You know, Christmas isn’t the starting point so much as the final goal…)

CHARACTERS

I know I’ve mentioned this like a billion times, by now, but one of the reasons I love Cathy Kelly and Jill Mansell’s work so much? Their characters are real people. And now I can add Sue Moorcraft to my (so far) very short list of authors who actually can get that balance right.

Let’s be clear, neither Ben nor Alexia are just good people. They both make mistakes – I mean Ben is a grumpy thing for about the entirety of the first half of the book!

That being said? They are balanced – they are willing to forgive, but sometimes only after holding a bit of a grudge. They can have set ideas of people and then be proven wrong. And some of the best parts of this book come from that as well.

I mean, Jody and Carola? Gold. And don’t even get me started on Gabe. I love that guy.

NARRATION

For the main part, this book is just generally well-narrated. The descriptions of both food and interior design, though? They’re what make this story live.

With interior decoration being such a big part of the plot line, there was always going to have to be mention of that. The way Sue Moorcroft manages to set things up however, really meant that by the end, I wanted to go have a look at The Angel. And Alexia’s house. Then there’s Ben’s cottage – with that pond near. And of course: I need to know what exactly Gabe’s house looks like. They all just sound amazing!

Oh, and then there’s gems like this:

As Ben and Alexia hadn’t joined Snobby on hunger strike, the paused only to feed and water Luke then strode off to The Three Fishes, staking their claim on a table near the fire for a supper of lasagna with crusty bread.
Now that’s the kind of dry humor I can appreciate 🙂

OVERALL: 4/5

You know those books that are just so enjoyable to read? Where you just really want to know what and how happens next? That’s this book. It’s a good number of pages, but I read it in two sittings because I just really wanted to know what this and that person would end up with and as. And maybe the best compliment I can give it? As soon as I hit “publish” for this post, I’m going to add the rest of Sue Moorcroft’s oeuvre to my TBR. Obviously, I’ve been missing out on something.

Have you read this book before? Or would you like to?Be sure to let me know below!

-Saar

This has been my first book by author Sue Moorcroft and I found it very enjoyable.

It offers readers a valid, realistic, but positive storyline without dumping too much sugar on us.

The main characters, Alexia and Ben are solid, likeable characters with good/bad traits and you can relate to them easily.
What's more, contrary to the overused romantic tropes, they actually talk to each other and try to sort things out after the first misunderstanding or so and just I cannot tell you, how refreshing that is.

The motley crew of support characters is another strong point and I very much loved the "makeover" part of the book where the community join forces to renovate the dilapidated Victorian public house especially after the money set aside for this is stolen by conmen.

The story starts is more about events leading up to/culminating at Christmas than Christmas itself, but this is a minor issue. Loads of angelcakes/mince pies are eaten to honour the holidays. :)

What an enchanting, heartwarming read this one was! I’ve heard so many great things about Sue Moorcroft’s books from many of my blogger buddies and when I heard she was not only releasing a new book, but a Christmas one I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to try one of her novels. Delightfully fun and touching, this is the perfect read for those days where you want to cuddle up and read something that’ll make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Alexia and Ben were both the type of characters that you form an immediate connection with, they’re both extremely likable and realistic. Both of them are at a sort of crossroads in their lives, Ben has recently separated from his wife and there’s a mystery surrounding that whole situation that intrigued me right up until the end and Alexia has plans to move out of the village and start a new life in the city. Besides being realistic Ben was also adorably quirky, he has a soft spot for animals and is helping an injured owl, there’s some really swoon worthy moments with him and the romance was tender and sweet.

The location is fabulous, I adore a quaint little English village as a setting and Middledip surely provides that. There is a strong sense of community spirit when the residents rally around Alexia and Gabe after disaster strikes and they’re conned, it had some great feel good parts that made me sigh with happiness. The bulk of the story takes place in the weeks leading up to Christmas so it’s not all mistletoe and carols, you could indulge in the one at any time of the year!

Gorgeous cover on the book. This is the perfect festive read. Really enjoyed it. \set in what sounds like a gorgeous place it draws u in so you want to love there. Lovely characters that seem so real. Will be a huge hit

I was quite beside myself with excitement when I heard this book was going to bring a return visit to Middledip, one of my favourite fictional villages – and I wasn’t disappointed in any way. There’s something I find irresistible about a book set within a village community where everyone knows everybody’s business and nothing stays secret for long, and this is a wonderful story of a group of people pulling together to set up a cafe – against all the odds – in the former Angel pub, with the opening planned just before Christmas.

Alexia herself is an excellent focus for the story – immediately likeable, with a touching back story and an uncertain future one, and an infectious enthusiasm for her design work that draws you into the story and has you rooting for her from the beginning and through all the ups and downs. As for Ben – well, who wouldn’t be drawn to a sad but rather fit and gorgeous young man caring for an injured baby owl, eh? It was lovely to see Gabe (and his pony) again too, although he did have me rather worried about him for a while – and there are a few other Middledip residents that regular readers might just recognise.

The story is just excellent – things were never going to go smoothly, and there’s some villainy and nastiness that inevitably puts the cafe’s completion in doubt. Different characters come into the forefront of the story – I wasn’t a particular fan of Jodie, but I did really like the way Carola’s character was developed. And back to Ben – and he has a fascinating back story to explore, very well handled and with a few real surprises. And as for rescue owl Barney – he’s just wonderful, punctuating things with his loud “heh”.

The book is set over the run-up to Christmas, but you really don’t need to leave it unread until you’ve put up your tree – I’m as averse to reading Christmas stories in October as others may be, but this one would work just fine at any time of year. And Sue Moorcroft’s writing? I’d say that in this book it’s better than it’s ever been – and it’s always something rather special. I thoroughly enjoyed this one…

Like a Warm Hug

It is so lovely to begin a new Sue Moorcroft novel as they always delight me. I have read every one of her titles and enjoyed each one for different reasons. The Little Village Christmas is superb, carrying the reader along in the lives of Alexia, Ben and the other inhabitants of Middledip village. There are even several mentions for my all-time favourite Sue Moorcroft character, Ratty. I wanted to keep reading, but didn’t want the story to end. This book has plenty of secondary characters you will care about too, including a disabled owl. As usual. I can’t wait for the next Sue Moorcroft title.

The Little Village Christmas was great, I read it in a day I could not put it down.
The main characters in this book include Alexia an interior decorator and is refurbishing an old pub in the village into a community cafe and Ben who is a tree surgeon. Both have their own personal problems but can they work through it all with everything that’s thrown their way.
A great book to read in the run up to Christmas. I’m already looking forward to the next one by Sue and can’t wait.

When their builder does a runner with the money the town have collected to turn an old pub, The Angel, into a community cafe, and takes all the period features he can remove to sell, interior designer Alexia has two choices - to give up, or to finish the work on a shoestring budget. Alexia decides to donate her time to ensuring that the cafe is finished for Christmas and to stay within the very limited budget, as well as doing her own work to pay her bills. The Angel was owned by Gabe, and his very attractive but emotionally scarred nephew, Ben, agrees to help. Ben is nicknamed the wizard as he lives in an old house in the woods with his baby owl. Ben and Alexia soon realise the attraction between them, but both have emotional baggage and are scared to commit.

A lovely, feel good story, and definitely one to read over Christmas with your minced pies and mulled wine. Another beautifully written story by this talented author.

The Blurb :
Alexia Kennedy – interior decorator extraordinaire – has been tasked with giving the little village of Middledip the community café it’s always dreamed of.
After months of fundraising, the villagers can’t wait to see work get started – but disaster strikes when every last penny is stolen. With Middledip up in arms at how this could have happened, Alexia feels ready to admit defeat.
But help comes in an unlikely form when woodsman, Ben Hardaker and his rescue owl Barney, arrive on the scene. Another lost soul who’s hit rock bottom, Ben and Alexia make an unlikely partnership.
However, they soon realise that a little sprinkling of Christmas magic might just help to bring this village – and their lives – together again…

My Thoughts :
The Little Village Christmas does not disappoint. Back in the village of Middledip, we meet Alexia Kennedy, who is an interior decorator. She is managing a restoration on the old pub and turning it into a community cafe. When the builder steals all the funds and furniture that the villagers all chipped in to help fund the project everyone is devastated and cant believe someone would do such a thing.
Alexia is not going to give up and when handsome Ben offers a hand things may just work out in time after all.
Sue Moorcroft once again creates a heartwarming story just in time for Christmas. With lots of community spirit, friendship and a touch of romance this will be one book you must read especially on a cold, winter evening with a hot chocolate in hand.

Another enjoyable Christmas novel to add to your to-be-read pile. This lovely little Christmas story is set in the cute village of Middledip and is sure to get you into the festive spirit. If the blurb doesn't make you want to read it then the cover sure would. I love everything about it!

This particular Christmas novel is a more traditional story I would say, girl meets boy, something tragic happens, then they both work together to make everything better again, add in some snow and Christmas and you've got yourself an enjoyable read.

The story starts with us learning Ben's story with his ex-wife Imogen and how they came to be separated. This, I believe, gives us the perfect insight to know exactly why brooding Ben is the way he is when he comes to meet interior designer Alexia when they are decorating Ben's uncles cafe. The pair start off with a little flirting and you can feel the chemistry between the two.

However, when all the funds for the cafe have been stolen, all hell breaks lose and Alexia and Ben have to work together in order to make everything in the village right again. Not only is Ben's uncle and Alexia's friend counting on them, but so is the rest of the village.

The book was a nice pace from about a quarter in, as I found the beginning to be a little slow and I found it hard to get into at first. However, when I passed this I then found I struggled to put it down and was constantly dying to know what happens between our two main characters. It has a wonderfully Christmassy atmosphere and it will leave you feeling festive. It's a great story of how people come together at Christmas to help each other out.

If you want a book that will make you excited for the fast approaching holiday, then look no further. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a chance to read this novel which I have reviewed honestly.

In the small village of Middlelip, Gabe, Alexia and Jodie are working hard to open the community cafe before Christmas. The whole village has pitched in but then they discover that all the money has been stolen by Jodie’s boyfriend, who is now missing. For Alexia, who is an interior designer, this was her chance to prove her skills to a London investor. With the help of Ben, Gabe’s nephew who is trying to get over his divorce, she will try to open the promised cafe before Christmas.

This is an enjoyable and heart-warming novel about never giving up and realising your dreams. Even when everything goes wrong, Alexia doesn’t give up and in the end she gets everything she hoped for. I loved the small village atmosphere and the closeness and support of the people. Romantic, with likable characters, and a cast of adorable animals, this is a good novel to enjoy in the lead-up to Christmas.

Loved this book.
Alexia and Ben are thrown together by the community renovation project being funded by Ben's uncle.
An eclectic mix of characters and a great story which is well told. The characters are generally likable and you hope they find happiness.

When I saw this book waiting to be reviewed I was so happy to be given the opportunity. I have read several of the authors books and loved them. This one doesn't fail.
The characters are so down to earth and believable.
Sue writes about interesting sagas that can happen to anyone, and makes them real. Yes you know how the story will eventually pan out, but it's the journey on the way and the twists and turns that the characters meet along the way. There's never a dull moment.
I loved the animals that were included in the book.
I have already recommended this to a friend!

Alexia has her own interior decorating company and is helping revamp the old village pub, The Angel as a community cafe in the hope that it will boost her career. Ben has been in the village for 6 months but kept very much to himself. After the whole village helps clear out the pub to start on the project many key items, including the roof tiles suddenly go missing. Alexia has plans to move out of the village but this rests on the success of The Angel and fate has other things in store. This is a heartwarming book. One that makes you realise that there is good in human nature and that everyone pulling together can make a massive difference. Life has its ups and downs and when it does you find out who your real friends are. Not the saccharine-y type chick-lit read but a good solid story that really could be read at any time of the year(The Christmas bit comes at the end). A very enjoyable read , perhaps with a hot chocolate besides a nice warm fire.I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

From the festive cover to the heartwarming story within, this is Sue Moorcroft at her best.

Alexia, an interior decorator is working to refurbish the Angel, an old pub in Middledip and turn it into a community cafe, with the villagers all pulling together to raise funds. They decide to have a wrecking party where she meets Ben who has only recently moved to the village to be closer to his uncle who owns the Angel.

The refurbishment of the Angel is Alexia’s way of moving on to better opportunities but when the following morning it is discovered that all the money has been stolen, Alexia has to stay and try and help owner Gabe decide where they go from there. The story follows Alexia, Gabe and Ben trying to bring the cafe back to life on a shoestring.

This was a great story, there were many surprises along the way, the characters were excellent whether they were human or animal. I liked the relationship between Ben and Alexia and the way their story evolved. This is a well written heartwarming book which will keep you interested until the end. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a book with a festive flavour.

What better way to start thinking about Christmas than with a really good book? Sue Moorcroft is a fabulous author and “The Little Village Christmas” doesn’t disappoint! When we return to the village of Middledip this time, we find Alexia, an interior decorator, making a start on transforming an old pub into a community café. The village residents have pulled together to raise funds but then something awful happens – everything is stolen from the pub! Not just all the wonderful, original fixtures and fittings, but the bank account as well. Gabe’s nephew, Ben, has come to Middledip to lick his wounds after the breakdown of his marriage, and helps with the rescue operation. It takes a huge amount of hard work, but things start to look up…and not just with the pub renovation!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Little Village Christmas – by Sue Moorcroft

Christmas wouldn’t feel like Christmas, even in October, if there wasn’t a new Sue Moorcroft novel to enjoy – I was not disappointed.

Will that do? It should suffice as the line above should be all you need to know, assuming you’re familiar with the stories of Ms Moorcroft. If you’re not, then read on, but by the time you get to the end of this review and have then purchased the book, savoured the beautiful front cover and finally sat down to read said story, I’m certain you’ll be in agreement with my succinct review above.

Still not convinced? Very well, but be warned, if you want a more complete story outline, I suggest you go elsewhere. That’s not my style. I tend to give a brief overview of what happens, and concentrate on the writing style and characterisation, plus a small deal of procrastination thrown in for you fellow writers out there.

So, who do we have here? Our main characters are Alexia, an Interior Decorator, who’s taking on one final project in her home village of Middledip (hurrah!) before, she hopes leaving for bigger things in London. However, as they do, the best laid plans fall apart when conmen steal all that’s worth stealing from The Angel Community Cafe she’s thrown into a steamy relationship with Ben, relatively new to the village who’d previously kept to himself for reasons that become clearer as the story progresses, that flounders and very nearly burns before it’s had time to get started.

A little about Ben. Ben had to sell his business when things went pear shape between him, his wife and his brother (we learn more of that as the story progresses), he’s a kind of skilled woodsman who has a pet Owl called Barney who very nearly steals the entire story. I challenge you not to fall in love with him!

Ms Moorcroft skilfully weaves a tale with multiple engaging characters and interweaving storylines that both delight and, yes this is the right word, shock you that the writer would dare do that to a character you’ve got to know and love – you know whom I’m talking about, don’t you Sue! All is perfectly woven together though as the tale ends at Christmas. There’s an epilogue that’s set about a year later which ties up things nicely.
This is a beautifully written and planned out book, which should be high on your list of Christmas (or October) reading. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

We all have our favourite authors whose latest releases we wait or with bated breath and Ms Moorcroft is one of mine, and I’m sure we all like to see them grown, develop their style and storytelling prowess; Ms Moorcroft does not disappoint as with each book there she demonstrates a maturity in her books that has one downside – the wait for the next one!

Over to you Sue.

Considering the Christmas title/cover photo Christmas only plays a small part in this story so a good book for those who don't like to read 'Christmas based stories to early in the year. This book had a bit of everything thrown in, love , friendship goodies and the bad guys. A real sense of community. I loved it. A great book to curl up with on the cold winter days.