Esme Kendrick thinks she's living her best life, with a job as food technologist on a popular cooking show, a handsome boyfriend, and amazing apartment in London.

Then she loses the job because she objects to the star claiming one of Esme's grandma's most treasure recipes as her own, and that same day, her gorgeous boyfriend dumps her for the woman he's been seeing behind her back. Since the amazing apartment is his, that's gone too.

Her friends help her get her stuff out, but unemployed now,, her only option is to go back home to Sandchester, and start rebuilding her life and career. Her parents give her the money they'd been saving for her wedding, and a guy she knew in school, Joe Holloway, is back in Sandchester as an estate agent, after a disappointment he doesn't discuss in Australia. He helps her find a small cottage she can afford for a few months, to avoid living with either her parents or her married sister. (Who are lovely people, but for reasons that quickly become clear, it wouldn't have worked.)

Esme has to deal with the multiple blows to her view of her life, her confidence, and her career, while setting out on a whole new path, a cooking blog that might make her enough of a name to sell the cookbook she's working on. Joe has to deal with his depression, and his guilt over what happened in Australia. Neither of them is in the right place in life to start a new relationship, right?

I love Esme, Joe, Esme's family, and Esme's friends--Helena and Mark, who also work on the show she just got fired from, and Lola, another old schoolmate who has been her best friend for years and also works in London, in marketing rather than cooking tv. Everyone needs friends like this, and in this book, you get to spend some great time with them. It's a lot of fun.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

This was an enjoyable Christmas story about Esme, who was just recently sacked from her food technician job on a TV show after standing up for herself, then when she got home her boyfriend dumped her and she had to move out of his London apartment.  She's not having a good time, until she moves back to her home town, rents a quite dilapidated but very cute cottage with the lovely name of Mistletoe Cottage, starts up her own food website called 'Grandma's Kitchen', and starts blogging/vlogging about her recipes.

Once there Esme meets Rob, an old school friend she had a crush on years ago, and the estate agent who rented her Mistletoe Cottage.  Rob has a reputation as a bit of a playboy in the area, but is harboring some a sad secret that is really weighing him down.

I really liked the way we also had secondary characters stories, from Esme's old London life and her present village life, Juanita especially intrigued me, but all Esme's family and friends were very loving but a bit mad, her Mum especially - I loved her character!  Esme's friends did remind me a bit of the group of friends in Bridget Jones Diary, and Esme herself was a bit accident prone (like Bridget)  especially during her live web broadcasts!

I did find Joe a bit irritating I must admit, the event he was brooding and depressed about was a few years ago now and he really should have got past it by now, it was like he had a dark cloud over his head a lot of the time and it did get a bit wearing, although he eventually got over it by the end of the book.

There is a very funny scene at the end of the book when Esme and her friends do a live Boxing Day Bake Off broadcast, very funny, and a few things were sorted out.

There was a lovely satisfying ending, where the 'bad' people got their comeuppance, and the 'good' people triumphed, all in a cute Christmas village setting.  A light-hearted and enjoyable read.

This is a warm, joyful, uplifting Christmas novel. If the season of goodwill isn’t the right time for second chances, family happiness and generally recovering from the slings and arrows of everyday life, then I don’t know what is! Oh, and baking!
Our heroine, Esme, is down on her luck but not deterred. A spell at home is what she needs to get herself back together again. Her loving, supportive family are a complete tonic. Esme son embarks on a new venture, and then bumps into Joe. Will they, won’t they? Neither feel inclined to rush into things so we all have to be patient to see how it will turn out.
I just love the atmosphere of the novel. It’s so comforting and festive. I can almost smell the delicious scents wafting from the oven. There’s humour, joyousness, some tension and setbacks, and the precise ending we’d wish for.
If you’re looking for a delightful and delicious Christmas read, look no further!

The scene on the cover may be picture-perfect, but that isn’t Esme’s life when she returns to her home town and finds solace in a run-down country cottage. Joe is living half a life, scared to try again and overcome his tragic past.

The main protagonists are complex and emotionally damaged, they find something in each other that gives them hope, but is it enough to take the final step? The cast of characters, Esme’s family and friends are wonderfully eccentric and flawed. Despite the emotional roller coaster Esme and Joe are riding, there are lovely humorous scenes in this story that lighten it without diminishing the conflicts they have to overcome. There is lots of festive moments and some delicious sounding recipes.

A lovely festive themed romance with plenty of heartwarming moments.

I received a copy of this from HQ Digital UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Felicity is primping in front of the camera with her honey blonde curls. She is on a cooking show Esme really made the lasagna but Felicity gets the credit for it.esme is nervous about pitching a double layer chocolate Chestnut cake to Sasha. It's a favorite she makes every year at Christmas. Felicity gets to present the recipe as her own. I didn't connect to Esme.

Although I haven't yet read Katie Ginger's other novels, the attractive cover design of this one caught my eye and I thought the premise of the book sounded wonderful. Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage was a really lovely story and I especially liked the main character, Esme, to whom I could really relate. She was also rather amusing and I loved the Christmas theme with it's festive charm and the story's overall tone which was so snug and uplifting, bringing with it all that delicious homemade cooking.

This was a beautifully written, humorous story of love, friendship, dreams, taking risks, and overcoming the fear of failure. A dash of sparkling friction kept things fizzing and everything was wrapped up very nicely in the end.

A wonderful read with a really strong Christmas feel, this is a book that I will certainly be recommending to friends and family; I will also be suggesting it to my local library under their 'Recommend A Purchase' scheme.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from HQ Digital via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

SNOWFLAKES AT MISTLETOE COTTAGE by Katie Ginger is funny, endearing, and with just the right amount of cosy, festive magic to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Esme works as a food technician for a glitzy TV programme but when the presenter of the show steals Esme's cooking idea and presents it to their boss as their own, Esme refuses to let her get away with it and challenges her, which results in Esme losing her job. Well, at least she can sob into the arms of her long-term boyfriend Leo whom she suspects is going to propose this Christmas. But it turns out she can't, as he dumps her on the same day she gets fired and soon moves his new love interest into the flat. Homeless, jobless, and having lost some of her spark, Esme heads back home to her childhood town of Sandchester where her sometimes crazy family, are ready and waiting with comfort and support. And when an old school classmate, Joe, helps to find her somewhere to live, things may just be starting to look up.
​ Esme is a wonderful cook and wants her grandmother's recipes and her own to be shared with the world so what better time than now to focus on her dreams. But Esme soon comes to learn that dreams don't pay the rent and with vlog mishaps, and Esme's growing confusion about her past relationship and how she is beginning to have feelings for Joe who has been such a great friend, this Christmas is sure to be an eventful one. With crazy mishaps, an ex wanting another chance, the best friends a girl could ask for, and some heartbreaking secrets along the way, has Esme found the place where all of her dreams can come true?

Engaging, witty, and with a wonderful cast of characters (except for a certain love rat!), SNOWFLAKES AT MISTLETOE COTTAGE by Katie Ginger hooked me from the start and had me laughing plenty along the way. But there is also a sensitive side to this story as Esme and Joe try to figure out their past relationships and learn to let go. I loved Esme's friends who were all funny and caring but Esme's mum stole the show for me and entertained at every moment. I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down and when it was over I found myself wishing that it wasn't - I really hope that this isn't the last we see of this group!

​SNOWFLAKES AT MISTLETOE COTTAGE by Katie Ginger is the perfect Christmas read and I highly recommend it to all fiction fans.

This is a fun Christmas romance. The characters are likable, for the most part, and the main couple is adorable. This is just the kind of light read that is great for the holiday season.

What a fabulous festive read this sounds! I have read other books by this author which I have really enjoyed, so I was looking forward to this one! Esme Kendrick loses her job, boyfriend and home all on the same day. Forced to move back to her parents in the little village of Sandchester, Esme contemplates facing a very bleak Christmas. That is until old flame, Joe reappears back in her life….

I loved this book and loved Esme’s character! We’ve all been in situations where life spirals out of control for a little while and this is exactly what is happening with Esme. I so wanted her character to have some luck and good news, and with such wonderful friends and family around her, why wouldn’t that happen at some point! Esme and Joe’s relationship was heart-warming and felt just right, so I kept my fingers crossed that the story had a happy ending!

Not only is the book filled with love and romance, there is also plenty of festive fun and mouth-watering food that the author describes so well!! Esme’s recipes sound divine and it made me want to try them there and then!! This is the perfect book for this time of year and has in it everything that you could want! The characters are likeable, the storyline is well written and it couldn’t be more Christmassy if it tried! If you want a book that will sweep you off your feet, then look no further!! Heart-warming and uplifting this book will tug at your heartstrings and melt your heart!! Highly recommended!

This was the first time I had read somthing from this author and I found it to be a such a wonderfully magical read. Absolutely loved it.

Every part of this story is like a warm hug, but the best bits are the descriptions of the food being prepared and cooked. I was hoping to find the recipes at the back of the book, but I had to trawl back through the book to find them. With no hint as to quantities the outcome of my own attempts should be interesting! I especially want to try the hot chocolate. Okay, back to the review - the plot, the characters, and the setting are all lovely, and the wrap up is very satisfying indeed. A perfect read to perk you up on a dismal day.

After being blindsided by both her employer and her boyfriend, food technologist Esme Kendrick makes her way back to her hometown to nurse her wounds and her pride and attempt to launch her dream career. This is a heartwarming yuletide romance, with characters you cannot help but love in a quaint Christmassy setting. Full of humour, delicious recipes and crisp descriptions, this is a cosy Christmas read. 5 stars

~ I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quotes:

It’s one thing to steal a recipe but another to steal a grandma. She probably doesn’t even have one anymore. I bet she devoured hers like a praying mantis.

I bet I’m still in shock. At some point I’ll come out of it, realise what’s happened and walk to London to destroy Leo’s flat and put raw fish behind his radiators.

‘What exactly are you doing there?’ asked Helena pointing at the screen. ‘I’m creaming the butter and sugar together till it’s light and fluffy.’ ‘Your boobs look like they’re having some kind of fight. You need a better bra before you go doing that again.’

It is quite dark. We can see down your top, but not much else. They look like whoppers by the way so you’d probably get some followers but maybe not the type you want.

‘What a callous idiot. If I lived near him I’d key his car and—’ ‘He doesn’t own a car, Mum. No one does in London.’ ‘Well then, I’d put itching powder in his underpants and cut the arms and legs off all his suits.’ Esme suppressed a smile.‘ Has Dad only stayed married to you all these years because he’s too scared to leave?’ ‘Probably.’


My Review:

This was a fun and highly amusing read with storylines shot through with clever levity and delicious food taunts. I should be highly annoyed that Ms. Ginger has completely derailed my dieting efforts with her mouthwatering descriptions that I could almost smell and taste, what a brutal tease for a weak and starving woman trying to shed some excess tonnage. I said I should be annoyed, but I’m not as it was more than worth a few, oh all right… a lot of extra calorie consumption.

The storylines were engaging, the characters were vibrant and quirky, and the writing was delightfully clever as well as giggle-snort and smirk-worthy. This was my maiden voyage with the lovely Ms. Ginger and I hope to sail with her every time she leaves the shore from now on.

Don’t hate me but I don’t watch much reality television and required the services of Mr. Google to look up Bear Grylls, and he looks worthy of a bit more exploration… I also gleaned an addition to my Brit Word List with saddo – which is British slang for a socially inadequate or pathetic person; something the intrepid and adventurous Mr. Grylls certainly is not.

I have a little confesssion to make. Okay yes yet another one. Although I have all three of Katie's books, I have only read two of them. The other one is on my 'to be read' mountain. Now I have reminded myself just how great an author Katie is, that remaining book will not be on that 'to be read' mountain for very much longer. I totally, utterly and absolutely ADORED reading 'Snowflakes At Mistletoe Cottage' but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but take to the character off Esme from the first moment I met her. When the story starts she is employed on a cookery show as a food technologist. In other words she does all the prep work and actually cooks the food whilst the host of the show flutters her eyelashes and pretends to be the one doing all the work, which means that she gets all the credit. I couldn't help but feel irritated at the injustice of the whole thing. Esme does all the hard work and somebody else takes all the credit. Then to add insult into injury the host then 'pitches' a new dish which is a blatant rip off of a recipe that was handed down to Esme from her grandmother. There's a bit of argy bargy and Esme ends up resigning from her job. I was mentally cheering her on at that point. Reality sets in and Esme does worry about what she is going to do to bring the pennies in. Then just to add to the day from hell her boyfriend decides that that is the day when he is going to dump her and tells her to move out. It was at this point that I wanted to jump inside the pages of the book to give Esme a hug and supply her with medicinal chocolate whilst at the same time I wanted to slap the cookery show host with a wet fish a few dozen times and I definitely wanted to kick Esme's former boyfriend in a rather rude part of his anatomy two or three or four or even better five times. I think I had taken to Esme so well that I just wanted to protect her, reassure her and to try to cheer her up. Esme ends up going back to where she used to live and it's then that she comes into contact with the mysterious sounding Joe. Joe is handsome and charming but it's clear that he has suffered some trauma in his past although it isn't immediately clear as to what that trauma is. The trauma still deeply affects him and it isn't clear whether or not he will be able to overcome the past trauma. There's a definite spark between Esme and Joe and I was keeping everything crossed that they would get together, have a kiss under the mistletoe and go off skipping into the sunset together. Do they do exactly that? Well guess what I am not going to tell you so you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out.
It didn't take me long to get into this book at all. In fact by the time I got to the bottom of the first page, I knew that this was going to be one of those reads that would prove impossible to put down. I must be psychic because that is exactly what happened. I was so taken by the story, the lovely Esme and the author's writing style that I just couldn't bear to be parted from the book. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. The book had definitely developed a hold over me and it was a hold I wasn't going to break. I did try to ration how much I read in one go so I could prolong my enjoyment of the book but I was loving the book so much that my attempt at rationing was soon thrown out of the window. I binge read the book over the course of a day.
'Snowflakes At Mistletoe Cottage' is brilliantly written but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Katie Ginger. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into the story. Once she has your attention she will not let it go. Katie has created a brilliant character in Esme, who is a girl next door type and an all round good egg. Katie writes so realistically and uses such great descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself. In fact I ended up wishing that I had friends like Esme has. They put me in mind of the sorts of friends that Bridget Jones has.
In short, 'Snowflakes At Mistletoe Cottage' is an adorable story with an equally adorable lead character. Reading this book gave me a similar fuzzy warm feeling inside that felt like a hug from a mug and I was left with a smile on my face long after I finished the book and closed the back cover. I have only two complaints about the book. Firstly, that the book had to end and secondly all that talk of food made me feel hungry which isn't good when you are trying to lose weight. I would definitely recommend this delightful book to other readers. I can't wait to read more from Katie Ginger. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

A lovely and sweet Christmas story, poignant and heartwarming at same time.
I loved Esme and Joe, rooted for them, and I think they're both well written and well developed characters.
The plot is engrossing and it's more about moving on, taking changes and facing difficulties than a simple Christmas romcom.
I also love the secondary cast of characters as they're well written and quirky.
I look forward to reading other books by this author and would be great to meet again this characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

🍰Off with the old life, on to the new and better!🤗
4.5🌟stars
Esme's crisis and gradual recovery is a lovely story. I grew fond of all of the characters except Leo, Veronica and Felicity (and I was not meant to like THEM, was I?). There's some deep emotion here with Esme and Joe forced to face their fears and disappointments to reshape their lives for the better.

The writing is good and stays focused, the couple's romance given extra complexity by Joe's guilt over an important, past relationship, and the vlog segments are fun, even a bit zany! And, an element that added to my enjoyment was the author's loving depiction of everyday people with little to offer but emotional support and unswerving love. It made for feel-good vibes that just got better as Christmas and all its trappings and gatherings approached.

Thanks to publisher HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you go
Take a look at the five and ten, it's glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes that glow.

A festive feel good story bursting with yuletide cheer and second chances. Katie ginger writes stories that will warm your heart and raise your spirits. This was an engaging second chance romance; humorous, magical, and charming. The perfect book to get you in the Christmas mood all wrapped up in a beautiful festive cover with a bow on top!

Esme has lost everything her job, her boyfriend, her apartment. So she makes the trip home to lick her wounds and regroup. Esme was such a likable character, you cannot help but route for the girl. The secondary characters were divine! I absolutely loved her parents so much fun especially her mom! I was seriously ready to pack my bags and head to Mistletoe Cottage! The charm, the whimsy, the food! My only very tiny complaint with the book was the love interest Joe, he was a little too brooding for me. I got a little frustrated with him throughout the book. Having said that I did like the slow burn romance and the ending was definitely satisfying and sweet! so cozy up with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate and get yourself a copy of this festive fun story!

This book in emojis: 🧝🏻‍♀️ ❄️ 🍪 ☕️ 🎁

*** Big thanks to HQ Digital for my copy of this book ***

Really loved snowflakes at mistletoe cottage! It made me feel Christmassy even in October and I loved Esme and Joe, they made me need a happy ending for them both. Esme’s family were brilliant too, I wanted to be adopted! I totally recommend reading this, especially at Christmas.

This is an ideal read in the run up to Christmas. Esme is fun, realistic and makes you want to keep reading to see where the plot takes her. The food made my tastebuds tingle with anticipation and made feel excited for the festive season. I read it in one night and it made me chuckle and sob.
I have found a new author to follow. I recieved an arc to review and give my honest opinion.

A very entertaining and well written Christmas romance. Great plot, quirky characters and a beautiful setting. Loved this book and I highly recommend it. Thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook and this is my unbiased review.