Christmas at Lock Keeper's Cottage is a lovely slice-of-life novel in which problems are solved and secrets are revealed. Immi is a young woman who lives with/near her grandfather. He loves in the cottage, she lives in a refurbished outbuilding, but their lives are unabashedly intertwined. She is in love with a wonderful young man, Gray, who visits on weekends as he has had to leave to care for his mother, who has cancer. Immi works at a nursery and as a bookkeeper to a boatman; Gray is a composer who composes anything he can be hired for, from commercial jingles to movie soundtracks. This is their life, life in a small town, live among friends.

As in any small town, the personalities are varied and rich and they all stick together, in this canal town near the Cotswolds in England. The time is now, the life is modern. The story is entertaining, although not exceptional. The people are ordinary, not exceptional. But the whole thing comes together into a feel-good, entertaining novel, which a reader will be happy to have read. People come together in the way people do, supporting and helping one another, in such a joyous way it is difficult not to smile. This was such a pleasant book. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Christmas at Lock Keeper's Cottage by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations are solely my own. #netgalley #christmasatlockkeeperscottage

A lovely feel good book, set in a beautiful setting with lots of characters to find yourself bonding with.
A gorgeous community feel, perfect for Christmas 🎄
Lots of intrigue kept me turning the pages!

Now, I know I always say you can read a Christmassy book at any time of year (well, I can anyway!), but I’m going to make a bit of a suggestion. Download this book now – just in case you forget – then keep it until you’re starting to get a bit frazzled in that run up to the big day. And when the family are hogging the TV and there’s no chance of chilling out with a Hallmark movie, settle down and enjoy it – it’ll be exactly what you need in so many ways.

It’s overflowing with love and community and people being so lovely to each other, the second largest snowfall the Cotswolds have ever had, Father Christmas and his elves (not the real ones, but hey…), so much sparkle, a romance that makes you all warm and fuzzy… and so much more. If you’re looking up at the bare beams of your barn conversion, it’ll give you some great ideas how to decorate them: if your turkey’s too big for your roasting tray and you only have a vegetable paring knife, your problems are over: and if your dining table’s not big enough for all your family and hangers-on, you’ll be absolutely fine (so long as you have a bit of marine-ply in your garage).

The author’s always had a particularly special touch where Christmas is concerned – but she’s really excelled herself with this one (goodness, and I haven’t even told you about the Santa Ahoy cruises on the narrowboats on the canal – or the particularly special ones they put on for their Little Stars…). Aysbury is the perfect setting, so vividly drawn – and the cast of well-defined characters is quite wonderful. And there’s nothing I enjoy much more than a story like this where people pull together when the chips are down, but there might just be a few well placed secrets just waiting to be uncovered.

I will admit that the last 10% or so of the book did come as a bit of a surprise – one of those rather jaw-dropping twists, perhaps just a little bit unexpected after all the loveliness that had gone before – but it really does work in context and answers a few questions that lurk below the story.

You really can’t help but like Immi at the book’s heart – once a troubled teen, now blissfully happy in her relationship with Gray, a wonderful relationship with grandfather Tollie, happy to do anything for anyone and universally loved. I did have a couple of small niggles about Gray – his concern for his ailing mum perhaps a tad OTT, and all that humming and finger-tapping (he’s a composer…) would have distinctly put me off – but their romance is real and entirely convincing.

This was just such a lovely, lovely book – but maybe not for September, although I know it’s so very difficult to get the timing of Christmas releases exactly right. Yes, definitely one for the run-up to Christmas – and you’ll love it too!

Christmas at Lock Keeper’s Cottage was such a wonderful story about family, friendship, secrets and community. It left me feeling very festive, I mean, who wouldn’t want a white Christmas?

This was a gentle story about the people in the fictional location of Aysbury during a Christmas that does not completely go as planned. I really loved the relationship that Immi had with her grandfather Tollie, and the other members of the community who had treated her like a member of their own families. The friendship that grows between Immi and Valerie was lovely, and the sense of Christmas spirit really brought them together. The romantic connection between Immi and Gray is solid and connected from the start, and I thought their official engagement was perfect, surrounded by their friends and family. In a way I would have liked more of their story, but I don’t mean that as a negative, I think that is the sign of a good story, I found myself completely immersed in the story.

This book provided a snapshot of a beautifully connected community, in an idyllic location, with the most perfect (and not necessarily planned) white Christmas, and honestly, what more could you want from a festive read? This book made me want to curl up with a hot drink, under a blanket, with a scented Christmas candle burning, and that to me is the sign of a perfect Christmas read.

I loved the depth of the personal stories, the characters were so well-rounded and multi-dimensional, and I would love Lucy to take me back to Aysbury one day. I was left wanting more, needing more.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book was a nice Christmas story. Wasn’t a whole lot of story there, I feel like the book could have been much shorter, as nothing really happened until the end. That being said, maybe I just didn’t mesh with the characters, I didn’t really care for Imogene or Gray at all, I did like some of the supporting characters though. I have read other books by this author but I very much enjoyed. This one just wasn’t my thing.

Immie had a difficult childhood as her mother left her as a baby and her father died in an accident when she was a teenager but her grandfather,Tollie, became her rock when she went to live with him in the wonderful Cotswold village of Aysbury. She is soon surrounded by friends and there is a great community feeling there especially on the canal with the children's Santa narrowboat cruises started by Tollie. Her boyfriend Gray is soon party of the village as they plan the best Christmas ever but things definitely never run to plan!

A lovely warmhearted book with a great community feel, it starts off a bit slow but it is introducing all of the characters and also showing life in a small village. An easy gentle read

If you’re looking for a heartfelt Christmas story, Christmas at Lock Keepers Cottage for you. This is the first time ever reading a book by this author, I think! I did enjoy the characters in the quaint town it was set in. I love the sense of community that the author developed. It did take me a long time to get really hooked in the book though and it was not for me always wanting to get through a book I may have abandoned it. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

I do love a Lucy Coleman book and her latest has a wonderful Cotswolds setting. Immi has not had the best of starts in life as her mum left when she was a baby. Later she lost her father and her Gran. She has been through a lot of grief and the local community have been there for her, given her a chance and she has grown to be a thoughtful and kind person with a big heart and time for people.

Community is a large part of this story, how they come together and support each other. Whether it is in the form of winter cruises on the narrowboats for children eager to meet Santa or coming up with ideas to fundraise.

Gray is Immi's partner, and they see each other only at weekends. His mum has not been well and he has needed to help her come to terms with her illness and the anxiety it has left her with. This means that Immi and Gray only have short periods together and are always busy.

When I started this book I didn't quite take to the characters, I mean I liked them but I couldn't quite get the connections they felt a little disjointed. I suppose in some ways it is similar to the relationship between Immi and Gray, even though their love for each other is complete they are often apart more than together. Gradually though I got to see more of this couple and started to understand them more, and also other members of the community. What a community it is, talk about dealing with whatever is aimed at them!

When I had finished this book I found myself with a few loose threads that I am hoping will be picked up in another book. I just feel that there are more stories that this community and its characters have to share. Keeping my fingers crossed for this!

It is a story that is heartwarming and has a good few surprises, and one in particular that I did not see
at all. A wonderfully warm, community-spirited story that I really did enjoy and would recommend to readers of contemporary fiction who like a story about love, life family and friendships... and that I dearly hope may be the start of a series!

Its never to early to start reading Christmas stories, and this is first one to kick start the season for me!
Christmas a Lock Keeper’s cottage is one of those non-stories where you just get wrapped up in the characters and the setting, I did feel it dragged a little bit to start with, and there wasn’t really much happening, but I put that aside and just enjoyed the festive feeling that this little village in the Cotswold gave me.

I really enjoyed the festive traditions of the Christmas cruises that the town did for charity, it just gave you this warm feel good feeling.

It took me like two weeks to read this book for a few reasons. The first being all the shows on TV taking up what little free time I have, the second being my general mental health with the lockdown in my city and finally, I really struggled to fall in love with the characters.

For what felt like the first 75% of the book, next to nothing happened. A lot happened in that final 25% but that doesn’t help me get engaged in the story from the start. Normally I really enjoy Lucy’s books, so this is a bit weird for me.

Maybe because the characters are so straight? And by that I mean, they don’t really drink, they don’t seem to have strong opinions about anything and it felt like they were people pleasers who know what to say to keep everyone happy without ever really having an opinion. I only know one person like this and that mask dropped away once we all got to know each other better so I know it was more of an “I don’t know how to behave around you yet” thing rather than that’s what they’re like all the time.

To me, I find those kinds of personalities quite fake, so maybe I spent the whole time trying to figure out their angle? What were they trying to achieve? Why wouldn’t they just say what they thought even when they’re “alone”?

For me, their personalities was the biggest detractor. The community spirit, the stuff that goes wrong, the secrets that came out. That was all juicy and great. But it felt like it fell flat a little without the human drama to follow it.

If you’d like a feel good, wholesome, no unnecessary drama, relaxing read about Christmas, then this is the book for you!

If you’re like me and like a little more drama, you may find it’s not as great as you’d hope. It may have also been because my life is so boring in lockdown, I NEEDED more drama. So maybe it’s my fault for reading this while in Stage 4 lockdown?

Well it’s official – the time for festive/Christmas romances has arrived and what better way to capture the spirit and run up to Christmas than ‘Christmas at Lock Keeper’s Cottage’ by Lucy Coleman.
Within the first few chapters I had completely fallen head over heels for Aysbury and its wonderful sense of community spirit. It shone through from the very beginning and just continued to prove how string it was throughout – especially when things became tough. The whole vibe from the setting and the inhabitants is just so warm and cosy and I love the idea of living by a canal. Aysbury has some wonderful community festive traditions including Santa and the Santa Ahoy Cruise which reminds me of our local Santa train. You get a complete sense of how much the characters love Christmas and doing things for each other out of love rather than just for a job or out of duty. It totally put me in the mood for festivities.
Immie is just a gorgeous character to get to know and despite having a difficult childhood that still haunts her, she is surrounded by love and gives just as much back. I adored her and thoroughly enjoyed taking this journey alongside her and her community family.
There is a romantic thread running throughout however for me the main focus of this novel is community and family and love that exists in many ways.
I highly recommend this novel as a start to you Christmas reading but be warned….it will put you completely in the festive spirit.

Immi Tolliman has had a rough life, being abandoned by her mother when she was only months old, and losing her father when she was only 14. She moves to Aysbury to live with her grandfather, know to all as Tollie. Immi was not a very happy teen, and drove many of the people in town away, but as she grew up and matured, she became a beautiful, loving and caring young woman. I enjoyed learning about the Christmas cruises the town did for charity and with the Little Stars they honored. She has recently gotten involved with Gray, a music composer. As they begin making plans for their life together, his mother is diagnosed with breast cancer and he moves back home to care for her, as he was abandoned by his father when he was quite young, and he can't leave his mother alone. Things eventually work out and she is in remission, but he is still afraid to leave her alone. Will they be able to work things out to be together? Will they be able to reconcile things with their estranged parent?

I loved the little town of Aysbury and the many inhabitants. They were like one big happy family, supporting each other. Many of the characters had their own problems and throughout the story, we see how things work out for so many. Tollie and Fisher are like surrogate fathers for Immi and I enjoyed how the two of them showed their love. This is a story about friendship and community. It is about love, romance, secrets, forgiveness and honesty. I loved the setting, the characters and all the wonderful things that happened at Christmas. This is not an exciting or fast paced story. It is an honest, dramatic story about some flawed and unhappy characters that learn to take a risk to make things right.

I love picking up a Christmas story and jumped at the chance to read Christmad at Lock Keepers Cottage. Immi and Tollie are at the heart of this story, after Immi tragically loses her Dad and moves into Lock Keeper Cottage.

A story set in a wonderful location, I love being surrounded by water and this story being based on the narrow boats really appealed. Immi is a loving character who feels lost at times due to a lack of female influence during her childhood. Immi and Tollie have a special relationship which is made clear from the offset of the story, with lots of happy memories amongst the sad ones.

This story is a Christmas to remember and I loved the Santa trips on the Stargazer and the homemade garlands being strung around The Retreat. I felt so festive reading this story, it made me smile and touched me with its sadness. A book I recommend curling up with on a cold December day with a nice hot chocolate with all the trimmings.

A very nice Christmas read. It was a little slow in the beginning but picked up. I enjoyed it. Beautiful scenery.

Lucy Coleman's talent for setting the scene with words shines and it full of festivities to make you feel in the mood for December but the story did not grab me and I kept waiting for something more to happen. Times I thought this is it conflict will happen or tension will build, it fell flat.


It is gorgeous setting and written beautifully and characters are delightful. It felt like it was building up to be a series set around the marina which would work well but too gentle on plot and Gray was just too nice and perfect. There was no chemistry between him and Imogen to make you root for them to gave a successful relationship

What a amazing book loved it from the first few pages to the end did not want it to end loved the characters so easy to read your pulled into the plot and heartwarming plot a few laughs i recommend to you all

This is the first Lucy Coleman book that I have read. Book has a lovely festive cover, and to me personally the cover has to sell me the book. It is set in the Cotswolds, is beautifully written and a superb read.

This was a super cute Christmas romance. As usual, Lucy Coleman does not disappoint! I loved Immi, Gray, and Tollie. This was the perfect book to start the Christmas romance season!

I was excited to read another cottage story! Books with cottage in the title grab my attention due to the aura of warmth, comfort, and charm the word exudes. The cover art is lovely, and I love an English setting!

This story takes place in the Cotswolds and transports me forward a few months to Christmastime. Immi and Gray are interesting, flawed characters who have dealt with so much in their lives. With both light and heavy topics, this story carries an underlying theme of hope. There are many layers of growing relationships, emerging friendships, and unexpected events within this Aysbury community.

Although the story’s pacing is unhurried in the beginning, I became invested several chapters in. I prefer to be drawn in quickly, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The writing style makes me a little reminiscent of earlier writings, when superfluous description was used.

Christmas at Lock Keeper’s Cottage is a sweet, slow-burning story of Christmas warmth in a unique and charming English setting.

I received a complimentary ecopy of this book.

This heartwarming story is set in a close knit community around a canal and marina in the Cotswolds. The characters run festive canal boats for charity with special silver tickets for children who have been heroes in tough times.

Reading about festive elves, present wrapping and boat decorating should start to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Immi's boyfriend Gray, lives with his mum who has been having cancer treatment and often has panic attacks and suffers with her mental health. As a result, the couple don't see as much of each other as they'd like, but are both ready to get serious. As they start to make plans for their future together, the past comes in to play.

Christmas at Lock Keepers Cottage is a well written cosy story with likeable characters. I love the community and charity aspects of this story. Very Christmassy.