Well this is splendid, what a great way to get yourself into the festive spirit! I will admit that this is ashamedly the first book I have read by Portia MacIntosh, where have I been to let this wonderful author pass me by? Anyway, I will definitely be seeking out more of Ms MacIntosh’s work because this was wonderful.

For Ivy there is nothing better in this world than Christmas, she loves it’s, breathes it and lives it everyday something that she shared with her dear late mother. So it will comes at no surprise that she runs a Christmas shop; ‘Christmas Everyday’ which used to belong to her mother. Situated in the little Yorkshire town of Marram, Ivy has vowed that she will always be here and run her mother’s shop as she would have wanted it to be run.

I really like Ivy, she gave up a lot for the Christmas shop and her family, she gave up a brilliant carer as a chef, everything she has done has been for the shop and her family. She is a glorified book worm, she is more than happy sitting quietly in a corner reading. She is by far one of the most selfless women, she has given up her dreams of being whisked of her feet by a handsome stranger, her entire life solely revolves around the shop and I for one can relate to her. At times Ivy was so real to me it was like reading about myself, I have never related to a character as much as I have Ivy she spoke to me on a level I have never experienced before, I understood her. This for me is what makes this book such a winner, Ms. MacIntosh has created this real and likeable young woman who is very normal. There are no airs and graces about Ivy she is a normal, working class young woman who is in need of a boost of self confidence.

But all is not fine in the shop, Ivy is struggling to get people through the door other then at Christmas. After all not everyone is like he and her late mother, some are like her Christmas hating twin sister; Holly. Honestly you never have though that these two completely different women were even related let alone, twin sisters, they are like chalk and cheese and in many ways I think people will relate to Holly just as much as Ivy. She believes that there is more to life then Christmas trees, decorations and carol singing and she worries that her sister has given too much for their mothers Christmas shop legacy, I can see her point of view too. When Ivy finds out that he land lord is selling the shop to a mysterious stranger who wants to turn her precious mothers shop into holiday lets she now must fight for her mother’s legacy and for herself, especially once she meets the very man who could change her whole life.

Seb and Ivy are such a cute couple, even though they are in competition there is a lot of flirting, giggles and good natured bantering between them. He is a sexy, confident and kind man who knows what he wants and will do what ever he can to get it, even though that does sounds as though he is ruthless, but to me I think it’s more the fact that he is a charmer and everyone falls under his spell.

I have to say that even though Seb is mightily attractive and a decent man, I was more drawn to the rough around the edges, heavily tattooed and a but scruffy Gaz, and it has nothing to do with the fact that as soon he appeared in the book I envisioned Tom Hardy, oh, alright it has more or less everything to do with that 😉 he’s a bit gruff, but there is something very enticing about him.

Love and Lies and the Village Christmas Shop is a light-hearted, witty and seasonally perfect romance. The plot is fun, easy to read and entertaining, there is a lot of laugh-out-loud moments to be had, especially from the witty banter from all character’s. The cast of character’s are each brilliant in their own way, each one has his/her own style and quirkiness that you will instantly love. Ms. MacIntosh’s writing is a real joy to read, there is a lot of passion for the story and the character’s that really comes through in the story.

An utterly charming and feel-good festive romance that will have you reaching for the hot chocolate and fluffy socks and settling in for the night.

There’s something about Portia MacIntosh that makes me feel like, over the years of reading her books, that I’m her best friend! It could be the fact that her stories stay with me and while I’m reading them I always feel like I have made a kick ass new friend, or that she never lets me down with her books, or that her writing always speaks to me, or the fact that she always has me in stitches, I can’t quite pinpoint it exactly, so let’s just say it’s a combination of all these reasons and probably a couple more too.

One thing that hit me like cold air to the face in winter, was the undeniable warmth of Christmas time. Yes, it’s a Christmas book, set in a Christmas shop, so I know that’s what was to be expected, however, that didn’t give it an automatic festive pass! Portia’s writing and descriptions of Marram Bay and Ivy’s Christmas shop were so detailed and brilliant, that I literally felt as snug as a pig in a blanket in the middle of a Christmas feast! Am I trying too hard with the Christmas references? Probably! Moving on…It really is a book that completely immersed me in the Christmas spirit and I read it at the start of October! I couldn’t wait to pick it up and sit behind the counter of ‘Christmas Every Day,’ with Gaz to watch customers faces light up as they picked out the perfect Christmas decorations. I could picture it so vividly in my mind.

I loved Holly and Ivy’s relationship too (as well as their names.) I worried at first that because they were so different growing up and even as adults, that they wouldn’t be very close or that the story was going to see them fighting over their Mum’s shop, so I was very happy to see they had a great relationship. As a Twin myself and one who is extremely close to her twin sister, I couldn’t imagine it any other way, so I was glad about that.

The story itself was thoroughly entertaining. I loved Ivy as a person and again found a new best friend. I found Seb intriguing and enjoyed getting to know him. I loved Holly and her family and I one hundred percent adored getting wrapped up in all things Christmas. It’s my absolute favourite time of the year and I think Portia did a fantastic job of making the magic of Christmas time twinkle off the pages!

I loved this story, this was a book that hooked me in and I flew through the story reading it in a few hours. Everything about this book was great - I love the cover and it was a complete festive treat to read too!

I enjoyed reading about the characters and I warmed to them straight away, they were well developed and worked really well with the story. This was a book that I had to keep reading as I needed to know how it would all end - and I wasn't disappointed!

Five stars from me, it was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this funny, cosy Christmas novel.

Like me, Ivy loves Christmas. As the owner of Christmas Every Day, the year-round festive store, you'd expect nothing less! When her mum passed away, Ivy vowed to take over the running of Christmas Ever Day and keep the Christmas spirit alive in the idyllic seaside town of Marram Bay.

All this changes when an enigmatic businessman moves to the town, threatening to bulldoze her beloved shop to make way for holiday complex.

The characters are unique, fun-loving, and all relatable. The plot provides a blend of humour, family nostalgia and friendship, love, tension, loyalty, as well as wonderful shenanigans, community spirit, and Christmas cheer.

I definitely recommend this book as it's the perfect Sunday afternoon read on the run up to Christmas.

The Blurb :
Ivy loves Christmas. As owner of Christmas Every Day, the year-round festive store, you'd expect nothing less!
The only thing missing in Ivy's life is a dash of romance – something her twin sister Holly will not let her forget…
When her mother passed away, Ivy vowed to take over the running of her mother’s store and keep the Christmas spirit alive in the idyllic seaside town of Marram Bay.
But all this changes when an enigmatic businessman moves to the town, threatening to bulldoze her beloved shop to make way for holiday complex.
Can Ivy save her shop before Christmas? Could there be a different side to the newest resident of Marram Bay that would make all her Christmas wishes come true?

My Thoughts :
I am a huge fan of Portia MacIntosh, so I was thrilled to see she had a Christmas release coming out.
Here we meet Ivy Jones. Ivy inherited the Christmas Every Day themed shop from her mum that sits in the village of Marran Bay.
Ivy has a twin sister Holly, who is married with 2 children. Holly is completely the oposite to Ivy and hates Christmas.
Things are not going too well for the shop and even in the busiest month of December business is quiet.
Enter handsome businessman Seb, who has big plans for a new holiday complex which includes buying Ivy’s shop to knock it down. Will Ivy manage to get together the money to outbid Seb or will this be the worst Christmas for Ivy that sees her losing everything!?.
This has an array of interesting charactors that you will take to your heart, its full of fun, laughter, friendships and love.
I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Seb and Ivy develop.
This certainly gets you in the mood for the festive season, this was another cracker by Portia MacIntosh.

Lovely festive Christmas read. Perfect for over the long winter nights. Magical storyline. Great characters that pull it all together

I have a huge and rather embarrassing confession to make- yes I know that this is fast becoming a habit. Although I have several of Portia’s books on my ever increasing ‘TBR’ (to be read) mountain, I haven’t actually read one yet. Sorry Portia. However after finishing reading ‘Love & Lies At The Village Christmas Shop’, I now know just what I have been missing and I can guarantee that they won’t be on the mountain for very much longer. I absolutely ADORED ‘Love & Lies At The Village Christmas Shop’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that I found it extremely easy to warm to the character of Ivy, an apt name for somebody running a year round Christmas shop. Her mother used to run the shop before Ivy took it over following her mother’s death. Ivy adores Christmas and she has done for as long as she can remember. Ivy couldn’t be more different from her twin sister, Holly, if she tried. Holly hates Christmas (a girl after my own heart) and I could certainly agree with her sentiment. Ivy used to love helping her mother in the shop and she wants to carry on her mother’s legacy. Ivy doesn’t seem to have much of a personal life as apart from the shop, her twin sister and her niece and nephew she doesn’t seem to have much else in her life. The hobbies Ivy does have are mostly solitary and if she isn’t busy working in the shop then she can usually be found with her nose in a book. I think part of me empathised with Ivy a bit because like her most of my hobbies are solitary pursuits and my idea of heaven is having a cup of tea whilst reading a good book. Ivy and her livelihood are under threat as her landlord wants to sell the property so that he can emigrate to Australia. The interested party is somebody who is a property developer, who plans to knock the house/ shop down so he can build holiday cottages. Ivy doesn’t take this threat lying down though and she tries to get the money together to buy the shop for herself. Ivy is stubborn, feisty, determined, she has a vivid imagination, she has an idealised view of romance and she is very funny, even when she isn’t trying to be. By the time I had finished reading, I really did feel as though Ivy was a friend and she would be a fantastic friend to have a gossip with over a cup of tea. Does Ivy manage to save the shop? Will Ivy be swept off her feet? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourself to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my this book was a fabulous read, which came at an ideal time for me. I was in need of a light hearted, funny and ultimately romantic read to distract me from the pain I was in. This book certainly proved to be a distraction although I ended up laughing so much that I felt more pain, which kind of defeats the object. The author knows how to grab your attention and much like a fisherman with a fish, she reels you in. That’s what happened to me anyway. I soon became hooked on reading this book and I have to say that I didn’t want to put it down. I desperately tried to ration how much I read in one go because I didn’t want to finish the book too quickly. That intention soon went out of the window because I was enjoying the author’s writing style, the storylines and the characters so much that I just couldn’t stop reading. It seemed to take next to no time at all to get through the book but in actual fact a few hours had passed. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. I was able to focus solely on the book and on the book alone. I didn’t even take notice of my two Labradors which didn’t go down too well and cost me a few dog treats.
It’s fair to say that I absolutely adored reading ‘Love & Lies At The Village Christmas Shop’. It’s one of those perfect festive reads which will definitely get even the most Ebeneezer Scrooge like person in the festive mood. This book has a perfect mix of drama, fun, romance and there are laughs aplenty. As I alluded to at the beginning of my review, I can 100% guarantee that Portia’s other books will not be waiting to be read for much longer. I would definitely recommend this author and her books to other readers. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. The score on the Ginger Book Geek website is a definite 5* out of 5*.

This book is laced with festive charm and sprinkled with Christmas magic from the opening pages to the concluding paragraph. I simply adored every ounce of this story and felt it came to a close all too soon leaving me wanting more which is the sign of a perfect book. Portia Macintosh's writing style is warm and heartfelt and I felt invited into the world of Christmas Every Day like an old friend.

The story picks you up and takes you on a ride of love, loss and lies with such festive charm and I was swept away with Ivy's plight to save her shop and livelihood. She is an instantly likeable character and I fell under her spell when we met on page one with her head stuck in a book. Ivy and Seb's relationship is delightfully challenging and it was great fun to witness their trials and tribulations in the course of true love, which I've heard never does run smooth. The chemistry seamlessly bounces off the page for these characters and I was reduced to reading in a page-turning frenzy to see whether they would receive their happy ever after, I mean it's Christmas who doesn't want a happy ending? But I must highlight the triumph that comes in the form of Gaz, his comic timing was sheer perfection and he created many scene stealing moments throughout the book.

I loved each and every moment of my time spent in Marram Bay. There was magic in the air which wrapped you up like a big Christmas hug. If you're looking for the perfect Christmas read that oozes festive charm and character then look no further than Love and Lies at the Village Christmas Shop, it will not disappoint.

5☆ A Warm and Endearing Festive Romance!

LOVE AND LIES AT THE VILLAGE CHRISTMAS SHOP is a Festive Romance with endearing characters and plenty of fun and drama.

Ivy and Holly are twin sisters.
Ivy has now taken over her mother's All year round Christmas Shop, after she passed away.
Holly has two young children and no interest in the shop or Christmas full stop, she never has done.

Ivy is struggling to make ends meet as having a Christmas Shop all year round doesn't necessarily appeal to all.

So when a mysterious stranger walks into her store one morning, Ivy is about to have her whole world thrust upside down.
Who is this handsome stranger and what does he want?

I adored this gorgeous book, I always love Portia's books, she has a wonderful knack of storytelling with alot of heart.
She has a way of bringing her characters to life and captivating her readers, and this book is no exception. It's simply charming and full of festive sparkle.

There is plenty of mishaps, drama and mayhem as Ivy fights to protect her Mothers legacy.
But who will come out on top!

I loved Ivy's and Seb's budding friendship, despite the fact that they was in competition with each other you could feel the chemistry buzzing between them.
I loved their cheeky flirty banter and sass it definitely had me giggling.

Oh and I forgot to mention, don't read this on an empty tummy. The food is scrumptious and mouth watering. Ivy is a wonderful cook.... they say the way to a man's heart is through his tummy 😉🍰🍪

The characters are endearing, quirky, likeable and fun you can't help routing for them to suceed.

Marram Bay was a delight to read about, I felt like I was part of the village.
For me the idea of a Christmas Shop all year round is a magical dream and Ivy's shop was like a wonderland of magic.

The plot was intriguing and captivated my attention the whole way through.
LOVE AND LIES AT THE VILLAGE CHRISTMAS SHOP is an absorbing read that's beautifully written, full of warmth, charm, a sweet and endearing romance and an absolute joy to read.

If your looking for a warm, witty, feel good, festive romance, thats perfect for lifting your spirits then you will love LOVE AND LIES AT THE VILLAGE CHRISTMAS SHOP!
So grab a hot chocolate, a cosy blanket and prepare to be whisked away to Marram Bay.

Thank you to Isabel at HQ Digital for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

Jolly, big-hearted, and delightfully fabulous!

Love and Lies at the Village Christmas Shop is an amusing, heartwarming tale that takes us back to Marram Bay and into the life of the thoughtful, optimistic Ivy Jones as she struggles to keep her mother's Christmas shop alive and out of the hands of the mysterious, yet charmingly handsome businessman who's suddenly moved to town.

The prose is polished and effortless. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are unique, fun-loving, and adorable. And the plot is an irresistible blend of heart, humour, nostalgic moments, family, friendship, tension, loyalty, attraction, chemistry, wonderful shenanigans, community spirit, and Christmas cheer.

Overall, Love and Lies at the Village Christmas Shop is nothing short of magic. It’s a light, funny, wintery treat that’s deliciously absorbing and hands down one of my favourite holiday reads of the year!

I came into this book with really high hopes, and maybe that was my mistake.
The entire thing seems to be vastly exaggerating a lot of problems that really shouldn't be ones.
I didn't really like the tone of the narrator. Now, that might just be as in general I'm not that big of a fan of first-person narrator. However, what bothered me even more, is that the main character seemed to be portraying herself as being overly perfect. You know the deal: inspiring the best in other people at all occasions, never doing anything wrong... And even when she spoke about how she was embarrassing or embarrassed, the situation really always would work out for the best for her. As a whole, it just left me struggling to actually finish the book. I'm still glad that I did, but it was far from the enjoyable read I had expected.
And that really is a pity as the book has everything it could need to be a very good Christmas novel. It has a Christmas shop, some conflicts, a Christmas market, a second generation love of Christmas that is made clear even from the names... However, the actual execution of this idea? It felt lacking to me.

Great book, nothing better to get you in the mood for the festive season. What could be better than Christmas every day? Ivy is upholding her beloved Mums memory running the Christmas shop in the village. What will happen when hunky Seb offers to buy the site and redevelop it? I won’t put any spoilers in. This is a light hearted fun book full of Christmas sparkle, romance and fun. The author has woven Christmas magic all the way though the lovely will they won’t they tale. Enjoy!

If you like Hallmark movies, you'll love this book. It has both sweetness and familiarity as it tells the story of a village Christmas shop owner and the businessman who is looking to buy her shop from her landlord and knock it down for holiday homes. But of course, he's not the evil corporate businessman that he seems.

First time that I read a book from Portia MacIntosh and I must say that I really loved this book! One of the best Christmassy chicklit book I have read so far! This very festive book is a lot of fun to read. There are a few situations happening in the book that made me laugh out loud. I also liked the fact how Ivy never gives up her dream to keep her Christmas shop alive even when this beautiful business man wants to destroy it. This book is also about family love. And finally to top it all, there is a beautiful romance happening in the book. I recommend this book! I will definitely want to read the next book of Portia MacIntosh!

Love And Lies At The Village Christmas Shop by Portia Macintosh is a wonderful feel-good contemporary novel that focuses on the importance of family and memories. Every day we have the opportunity to not only look back and smile but to make new memories. The warm glow that Christmas brings shouldn't only happen just once a year but every day.
The novel is a learning curve and a journey of discovery. "Some people put so much emphasis on things... but at the end of the day, it's just money that gets you those things. Money can't buy you a family." Once again this week, I was reminded of something our pastor Leon Evans said "some people are so poor, all they have is money." Money cannot buy you love, only stuff. Where will you aim the focus of your life?
Loss hits hard. No matter how warm our memories, sooner or later we have to face the fact that we need to adapt to a new 'normal.'
Progress may be shunned as we love to reminisce and look back fondly on the past. There is a glorious future ahead if we would but try it.
Written in the first person, the reader becomes intimately acquainted with the characters through the eyes of the lead character Ivy. It feels like we are walking through the novel rather than outsiders looking in. The style is warm, witty and engaging, drawing the reader in from the start.
Portia Macintosh is a 'new' author to me but I loved her writing. I shall certainly be hunting out more of her books.
Love And Lies At The Village Christmas Shop shows that we do not need to wait until December to experience that festive feeling - we can enjoy Christmas every day with this wonderful novel.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Love and Lies At The Village Christmas Shop is a Wonderful story, when Seb threatens to destroy and replace Ivy's Christmas Shop that used to belong to her Mum who had passed away she is heartbroken, how can she save all the hard work she has done in building up the shop, can she save it?

This is a perfect Christmas read, I enjoyed every minute of it, this is a new author for me, I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

I loved Love and Lies at the Village Christmas Shop. A great festive read that hooked me in from the first few pages.
A Christmassy story set in a Christmas shop in Marram Bay it’s full of that Christmassy spirit. Have a read you’ll love it.

This was a lovely read that really put me in the holiday spirit! The characters were lovely and so fully developed, the storyline was entertaining and the comedy was spot on. I am definitely going to look out for more by this author as the writing was superb.

A lovely light read centred around ivy’s love of Christmas and continuing her mother’s legacy. Tells the struggle of keepin the Little Christmas shop in business.