I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming, festive and highly enjoyable story!
A lovely setting, well written characters and a story that kept me hooked. It's more complex than the average Christmas rom-com as it deals with issues like grief and loss.
It was an excellent read, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Such a heartwarming Christmas read, it’s just too much, it melted my heart and the letter, no spoilers, but oh my ! I did think there could have been a bit more set up at the beginning, it felt a bit rushed and I felt a bit lost at the start, but that’s my only criticism, once I was involved I was fully invested in the story and these characters, it’s an emotional read, tears of both kinds and lots of love and hope. A perfect seasonal read.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is my first read by Lucy Coleman. I didn’t know what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised. Beautifully written (That letter to Santa ❤) with a strong storyline and lots of unexpected twists.

This book features mainly in the character Immi in her little canal community. It has a Christmassy theme but also themes of loss and family. The book dived right in without really explaining or describing the characters, so I found it hard to relate to them. I also thought the pacing was off with the ending a bit rushed, and I think some of the other aspects could have been elaborated on while others skipped. Also, Christmas with no power is not fun. This happened to us once 4 days before the big day and two days after...an ice storm. No Christmas dinner, no tv or internet, no running water, no lights, freezers defrosted all food, had to get water from the Creek to flush toilets...no showers.... it was just terrible and not romantic.

This was my first book by Lucy Coleman but I throughly enjoyed it. It was beautifully festive and i'd love to go on a Santa Ahoy cruise.
This book centres around Immi - a woman with more than her fair share of tragedy - who is preparing for christmas with her rock - Grey. Can they get the perfect christmas of will tragedy strike again?
I love the community angle to this as it makes a christmas book feel cozy and warm. This is great and atmospheric but a little slow in places for me. However, still an enjoyable read.

Christmas at Lock Keepers Cottage is the 7th novel in the women’s fiction genre by author Lucy Coleman. Immi Tolliman has not had the easiest of lives. By the time she was 14, Immi had been deserted by her mother, lost her beloved Gran to disease, her loving father in an accident, and had come to live with her grandfather, Tollie in the small town of Aysbury on the edge of the Cotswolds. Although early on, Immi was unhappy and difficult, as she grew up she morphed into a loving and caring young woman and the residents of the small village had become like her family.

In the last year or so, Immi met composer Gray Adams. Just as they were settling in to a close relationship, Gray’s mother, Rona, was stricken with breast cancer making it necessary for Gray to move home with her to help through her treatment. Now, as Immi and Gray approach their second Christmas together, things are looking up for them, in fact they have begun discussing a future together and plan to make their engagement official at a small Christmas dinner. When a freak snowstorm buries their small town and they end up with over a dozen overnighted for Christmas, they are presented with a most unforgettable Christmas!

This is a delightful, multilayered, story of love, friendship, secrets, and revelations. It is set in a picturesque area with quirky and flawed characters that will feel like friends. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

I received an advance copy of Christmas at Lock Keeper;s Cottage, by Lucy Coleman. I have read other books by Lucy Coleman and loved them all, this book is no exception. Immi who lost her mother when she was young, used to wish for her mother for Christmas. This year she has Gray. I love the characters and the setting. Will this be Immi best Christmas ever?

Lucy Coleman never disappoints i have enjoyed all her books and look forward to the next and this story was great and i read in a matter of days

What an eventful Christmas that was, well nothing is ever smooth running in fiction! And this really had all manner of drama, revelations and even had me gasping in shock right towards the end of the story.

Yet I also feel there are possibly some loose ends, to the extent I wonder if there will be a sequel, as I would happily read more from Immie, Gray and everyone in Aysbury, which have become like my family over the last few days while I have been reading this.

I absolutely adore the the idea of the Santa Ahoy Cruises on the the canal, especially the ones featuring rather special Little Stars. Tollie makes a fabulous Santa, and Immie is a rather great elf.

Immie is such a lovely and kind hearted character, she is happy to put everyone else first, even if it does end up with her putting on Christmas dinner for perhaps more than would have been anticipated, and she does panic quite rightly.

There is also an unlikely friendship struck up with Mrs Price, who is such a revelation as the story progresses.

And then there is Gray, who clearly loves Immie, and although I didn't feel like you got to know him that well, when we did see him, I really did like him, and they are well suited.

This is heartwarming, festive, and just an all around good story to read, with plenty going on both with regards Christmas, and also the sense of community, and friendships. I'd certainly welcome a return to Aysbury in the future.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This book has a wonderful setting and Christmas to boot. That being said I'm sorry but the story dragged and I couldn't really get into the characters.

I’m pleased to be sharing my review for the latest book by Lucy Coleman. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may remember that that I reviewed A Summer in Provence by Lucy in April and June 2020 (can be read at https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2020/06/27/summer-in-provence-by-lucy-coleman/). Thank you to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to join the blog tour and to Boldwood Books for a digital proof copy of the book.

This is my first Christmas themed book to read and review in 2020. Set in a rural community, with a marina and a community that takes care of their friends and family.

My favourite parts of the book included the Santa Ahoy cruises – as my own children are teenagers now, I miss the magic of the young people when they believe in Santa, and Immi battling with a huge turkey, trying to fit it into her fridge, plus all the other Christmas food.

Immi and Gray are looking forward to spending Christmas together, after a year of changes. The story introduces us to their friends and families as the countdown to Christmas begins. Immi wants to create a perfect Christmas Day but events conspire to change everything.

A well planned story and very different to A Summer in Provence.

Full of festive community tale. Warm hearted, but a bit sickly and chocolate box for me. I felt it to be unrealistic (especially the weather) and the dialogue does not flow with the story. Way too repetitive, which made me want to speed read it. I did finish the book, to an ending that felt like a last minute add on.
Immi is preparing for Christmas with her grandfather and boyfriend, will all the preparations be completed with the three jobs she is doing?
If you want Christmas, most components are here!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't my favourite book- it felt quite monotone. I wanted to love this- the setting, the holidays, the plot line, it should all be wonderful. It just felt like it was missing that spark! There are a few plot points that could have been developed further had they been introduced earlier, which may have helped. I did really enjoy Immi and Gray as characters, the story simply needed a bit more pep.

Christmas in August thanks to NetGalley. I enjoyed this Christmas romance. Started a little slow, but it was a sweet tale of love, family, friendship, and forgiveness.

I thoroughly enjoy Lucy Coleman’s books, and this was no exception. It had all the highs and lows that I would expect from a story of this type but presented differently.
I’m used to the boy meets girl trope, but the meeting was historical in this story with logistics proving to be the major cause of concern. Can Immi and Gray manage to overcome their commitments to work and family and find a way to be together?
Obviously, I won’t spoil this story for you so, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
The characters in this book are all adorable. Immi has an extensive, extended family made up of the locals of Aysbury’s canal community. Tollie, her grandfather has raised Immi and she’s gone from being a troublesome teen to a real joy. She works two jobs; part time at the marina working for Fisher and part-time at Martin’s garden centre.
I particularly enjoyed Immi’s relationship with her grandfather and with Fisher; who she sees as a father figure. Between them, they have organised a popular Christmas boat excursion for the local children. Fisher has donated the boat, Tollie dresses as Santa and Immi works like a trooper to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
It made a refreshing change to see the story follow this slightly different path, especially once the blizzards start and Immi must challenge her personal fears and lack of confidence to save Christmas for the residents of the lovely community.
Immi and Gray have a very loving relationship and I found myself hoping that they would find the happiness and success that they both needed in order to settle into their shared life together.
This is a wonderful Christmas tale which I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I greatly enjoyed this book, thank you for giving me a preview copy. The plot was interesting and fast paced and I sympathised with the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but I hope it will not be the last!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I know it is only August and Christmas is a way off but I really enjoyed this feel good book and the different characters. Recommend to others.

I really wanted to love this book. The story is sweet, but moved a little slow for my taste.

It starts off a little slow, mostly because there were a lot of little details to introduce.

Overall, this is a sweet holiday book that I can envision reading again over winter break in front of the fire with hot cocoa.

I received a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

What an amazingly heart warming story. I loved the community spirit amongst all the residents and I really got a feel for the place I almost felt I was there, to the point where my son mentioned getting the paddling pool out and my first thought was “but it’s thick snow outside!” LOL 😂

The developing story of Immi and Gray, whilst it may not have been the most action packed plot line was very real and touching. The young couple were dealing with a lot and with Immis past it’s only natural for her to question her abilities to be loved or love, the little pearls of wisdom dropped by Valerie and Fisher and Tollie were all touching and added to the realism. The developing friendship of Valerie and Immi was touching and beautiful and then the plot twist at the end left my jaw hanging just like Immi.

It was beautifully written and a pleasure to read, I was also pleased Bert got a good forever home too!

If you enjoy a story crammed with secrets, family, friendships & love then this is the book for you. Join Immi and Gray sorting through life’s ups & downs with a little help from people in their life, set in a wonderful village described so beautifully that I wish I could visit.