A feel-good romantic comedy choc-full of Christmas charm and characters to fall in love with.

Nell and Tom are a delight and I couldn't wait to see them get their HEA. Their journey is sweet and charming. A thoroughly cosy read perfect for that day when you have the house to yourself, a glass of wine and a roaring fire.

I absolutely adore this series. Katie Ginger delivers a heartwarming story with a perfect blend of romance and comedy.

This is book three in the Swallowtail series. I haven't read any of the others, but despite that the book was super easy to get into and the relationships between the characters easy to figure out. I didn't feel like I'd missed anything by not starting at the beginning.
The main character is Nell and she runs the Holly Lodge after her parents emigrated. Then we have Tom, Cat and Kieran. All best friends from University. Kieran and Cat are about to get married. Nell is battling to save the Lodge from it's ultra modern competitors, and Tom has a secret or two to hide.
Ginger's writing is so brilliant that you instantly transported into the book. You start to care about the characters and what happens to them from the moment their introduced. I'm also not ashamed to admit that I was in floods of tears at the end - it helps that my partner is called Tom too.
It's got everything you could want in a heart-warming Christmas read. Love, good food, log fires and a cat called Mr Scrooge!

Well, I think I’ve found another author to add to my “favourites” list – I’m really kicking myself that I didn’t discover Katie Ginger’s lovely writing rather sooner. I immediately felt at home in Swallowtail Bay – it’s somewhere I’d love to live too, with its gorgeous little shops and the sound of the waves breaking on the pebble seafront. And if I couldn’t live there and needed to pay a visit, there couldn’t be a lovelier place to stay than Holly Lodge – and no, the glitzy Langdon Mansion Hotel wouldn’t attract me at all, although its presence has certainly seen a downturn in business for Nell, who cares for every guest who comes through her doors as if they’re friends or part of her family. She’s having a really hard time, can see everything slipping away, and needs to come up with some ideas to help her business survive – or this Christmas might just be the end of her hopes and dreams.

It’s a good thing she has friends to help her out – Cat and Kieran will be holding their wedding at Holly Lodge, and she hopes it’ll be the first of many. But that’s only if they manage to make it as far as the ceremony – Brenda, Cat’s mother (what a great character!) is trying to take things over, riding roughshod over all Cat’s ideas for a perfect day, and the resulting stress is causing real problems. And then there’s lovely Tom – Nell’s rock, always there in support, one of the best friends anyone could hope for, and the only one who can’t see how much he loves her is Nell herself.

I really loved Nell, with her romantic dreams and penchant for Christmas romcoms – she wears her heart on her sleeve, and you share the joy of all her little triumphs and hurt for her when things don’t go quite how she wants them to. And when the villainous pair at the posh hotel decide they’d like to get rid of the competition, things begin to get very difficult for her, and she really can’t see what she can do to put things right. And it turns out that Tom’s life isn’t a bowl of cherries either – he’s such a lovely man, supporting Nell at every turn, running his florist shop, visiting his grandfather at the care home – and the issues he’s facing give the story a darker edge (so well handled) that adds real emotional depth to the story.

But all the characters are wonderful – Kieran with his shaved head and brash exterior but a marshmallow centre, Cat getting increasingly manic and behaving quite out of character as her big day slips out of her control, and every single more minor character who plays a part in the wonderful story. Goodness, even Mr Scrooge the cat is perfectly drawn – he’s a stray who wins Nell’s heart and decides he’d rather like to make Holly Lodge his home too.

This book is gloriously Christmassy, with all those lovely little touches as the friends prepare the Lodge for the various events – with floral displays from Tom, Nell’s favourite wooden ornaments on the tree along with the tinsel and sparkling lights, and Niall’s wonderful food creations that you can smell and taste. But it’s never cloying – this is how Nell’s going to save her business, every detail has to be absolutely right (and it most certainly was for me).

The romance was simply wonderful – Nell’s waiting for the man of her dreams to cross the threshold (might it be Harry, the American staying for a while to visit his family – or maybe even the man who thinks Mr Scrooge might just be his cat?), and she really can’t see that the love of her life has been there beside her all along. The emotional content to the story (and there’s plenty!) is judged perfectly – it does put you through the wringer at times, and I’ll admit that by the end I’d had to wipe away quite a few tears, but the whole book (and its perfect ending) left me with a large smile on my face.

Heartwarming, uplifting, emotional, full of lovely comedy moments, such a wonderfully drawn location, a great story with characters I really loved – this book was quite wonderful. Go on, add it to your Christmas list – you’re going to love it too.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

What a gorgeous festive, wintery treat. Perfect reading for cold winter days, where you snuggle down, get cosy and get lost in the adventures from Swallowtail Bay.
Nell is a sweetheart, a true romantic who I loved from the start. Her cosy, family run hotel is struggling following the arrival of a fancy, new, posh hotel. She needs go boost bookings fast to survive. She’s also a true romantic and is looking out for ‘The One,’ The answers are right in front of her but how long will it take her to realise.
Events in the community help Nell’s business start to turn around, but the niggling negative reviews are a cause for concern. How will she solve this mysterious problem and save her hotel?
I adored the relationship between Nell and Tom. What a gorgeous friendship, and in my opinion a solid foundation for romance – not that Nell would even consider it. Tom is probably my favourite character overall, what a wonderful guy. His work ethic, the fact he would go to the ends of the earth to support his friends and the sweet connection he has with his Grandad.
This is book three in the Swallowtail Bay series, I have loved each and every one and I must admit I feel a little bit sad that we won’t be back. Each can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend them all. Although I will miss this gorgeous, fictional community and its lovely inhabitants I cannot wait for more from Katie Ginger.
A heartwarming, romance with wonderful characters, seasonal cheer and festive fun. A must this winter.

Thank you NetGalley, HQ Digital and Katie Ginger for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
We still may be weeks away from Halloween but I’ve had Christmas on my mind since July! What better way to get cozy and enjoy the weather getting cooler than reading a sweet Christmaas romance?!
Nell is Christmas obsessed. The lights, the music, the food, the movies... every bit of it. She owns the Holly Lodge, a small hotel in the cozy town of Swallowtail Bay. When a newer, fancier hotel comes to town Nell’s dream is suddenly being threatened. With the help of her best friend, Tom, Nell is determined to save her hotel and Christmas. What she doesn’t know is Tom has been in love with her for years and this is the perfect opportunity to get even closer than before.
This was such a sweet romance with a few laughs, a few cries and a HAE, this was the perfect palate cleanser between heavier books! This was a fairly clean story and I would consider this a very tame romance, so if you’re someone who loved a solid romance without too much drama, this one's for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Christmas is fast approaching Swallowtail Bay and Nell is trying to figure out ways to save her ailing boutique B&B. This is the 3rd in the Swallowtail Bay books but can easily be read alone. I've missed the first one but read the second one which I actually prefer to the Christmas one.

A good festive read.

Christmastime Approaching.....
Christmastime is approaching in Swallowtail Bay. Nell is getting into the spirit of the season, Tom standing on the sidelines. With the hotel struggling, can the two friends unite to save the hotel and see what’s in front of them? Festive romcom and the third in the series.

This is the third installment in the Swallowtail bay series, but it can easily be read as a standalone novel. I had read and enjoyed the previous books in the series so I was delighted to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher.
This is a very festive feeling book, a nice and cosy read. The book is very detailed and descriptive and I could easily I imagine some of the characters and places in the book.
I enjoyed reading it, I thought it was an easy and entertaining book, but not my favourite in the series. I found some of the characters to be a little annoying at times, although I don't want to give any spoilers.

Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay follows Nell and Tom, local business owners and best friends living and working in Swallowtail Bay. Nell is working to keep her family's boutique in afloat while dreaming a Romantic comedy-worthy love, while Tom works in his flower shop, trying to ignore his love for Nell and some increasing health issues. Throw in a lot of Christmas cheer, some best friend wedding drama and some competition from the new chain hotel down the street and Katie Ginger has created a story one can get lost in for a few hours.

First off, I loved how much the characters loved Christmas and how they weren't afraid to show it way before the arbitrary Thanksgiving deadline; these are my kind of people. Katie spent a lot of time on world building and details, even though this wasn't the first book to take place in Swallowtail Bay. At times, I felt that too much time was spent on inner-dialogue and details, and not enough time advancing plot or making things happen. For some people, this is likely a draw, but I had trouble staying engaged in the story. There were sweet themes of strong friendships and love along with real issues of unexpected health problems and family stresses that were well done and portrayed. Overall, I give this book 2.5 stars, mostly because it didn't draw me in and keep me interested, but as a sweet, Christmassy read, you may find you disagree with me!

Wow what a read.......

Meet Nell, manager of Holly Lodge in Swallowtale Bay. Along the way we meet Cat, Kieran and Tom, best friends along with Nell. Nell faces the challenge of turning round the Holly Lodge, she needs to drum up business and fast. Since a rival hotel set up in Swallowtale Bay, Nell's takings have been suffering. With a Christmas wedding looming and a sprinkle of Christmas Magic, can Nell get her head out of the clouds and find her happy ever after?

I genuinely couldn't put it down! from page one i was hooked! This book was gripping but so good! emotional but pretty happy too

You wont be disappointed :) Massive praise to Katie Ginger.

Tis the season! It's finally coming closer to Christmas, and this book had a very cosy holiday vibe to it, the whole build up of Swallowtail Bay was very cute.

I had trouble with the narrative, it was very confusing to me at first, there was a lot happening at the beginning, so to get settled was a bit difficult. The editing, specially on the dialogues, would get hard to understand at times.

As for the plot, there wasn't much of, actually. The book is more about the town and that holiday feeling, the friendships and a little bit of a romance, though we do have two main characters. There is a fight between Nell's hotel, our main character, and the big new hotel in town, and I think it was just petty; it would have been a lot better without it.

The characters here, however, felt very underdeveloped, as we have so many of them we could get in depth with, except for Tom's part - which I feel like it was a very strong part of the book. I do wish I could've seen more of Nell's problems, dived into her more, or Cat's life. In fact, Nell annoyed me at first with her daydreams, not seeing Tom right in front of her, how she was so clueless, but eventually she just grew on me, I guess.

Plus, the romance took forever, and when it happened, it was so rushed. I feel like if Harry hadn't been there, the romance would've just flowed in a better way.

But as a holiday romance, it did fullfill its purpose, and for that I felt so joyful. Thanks to the author for bringing Christimas earlier!

Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay by Katie Ginger
Publisher: HQ Digital
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Romance
Release Date: October 7, 2020

Winter Wishes At Swallowtail Bay is the third book in the Swallowtail Bay series by Katie Ginger. This book follows Nell, the owner of a bed & breakfast/hotel, lover of romcoms, and overall incredible friend.

Even though this book is part of a series, it handles really well as a standalone novel.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters and storyline of this book. It wasn't until the end of the book that I felt that it flowed at a good pace and it became enjoyable. Even though I wasn't fully invested in the story, I also couldn't stop reading it because I wanted to see how things turned out.

There is a lot of detail included in the story and I felt it slowed the story down a little.

Overall, I thought the book was good, but it is not something I would typically seek out to read,

I'm so grateful to Katie Ginger, HQ Digital, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I think this book is just not for me.

Nell is a bed & breakfast owner struggling with getting enough business since the big chain hotel opened nearby. She's spending Christmas watching rom coms and dreaming about the perfect man. Tom is her best friend and has been in love with her for years, but won't tell her. He's been trying to help her get her business booming again, managing his own floral shop, and helping his grandfather.

I really wanted to like this book. The small town setting was absolutely gorgeous and I loved the descriptions of Tom's floral arrangements. However, Nell just really annoyed me. She spent a lot of time trying to control her friends to get them happy ever afters, but not enough time spent doing the same for herself. The daydreaming was also really frustrating to read about. Even more so, there were just too many things going on that I had to suspend my disbelief about, since most/all of them definitely wouldn't happen. I ended up giving up on this book only like a quarter of the way through.

I think there is definitely an audience for this book, but it's definitely not me, despite the description making me think I would like it.

A lovely Christmas read.
Nell runs Holly Lodge Hotel for her parents as they have emigrated. She has some great ideas to generate income not least hosting her best friend Cat's wedding to Kieran.
The local hotel sets about trying to discredit Holly Lodge after Nell and Tom have a disastrous meal.
There is plenty of love, arguments, misunderstandings and a cute cat 🐈.
I loved the descriptions of Holly Lodge and could imagine how it looked decked out all christmassy. Swallowtail Bay sounds like a place I would love to visit.
Cat's mum Brenda sounds like a right nightmare.
I didn't realise that this was a series but that doesn't matter as it can be read as a stand alone.
Will definitely look out for more books by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC

I am so sorry that this is the last in the Sallowtail Bay series, it has been wonderful reading about the characters who live and work there. This book is just as great as the others and it has been a pleasure to read them all. I will miss the bay and I wish there were more books to follow, Very well written and really worth 5 stars, highly recommend you read this.

This was an emotive and heartwarming read. Although this is part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone.
The storyline revolves mainly around Nell and the relationship between her best friend Tom. They've been friends for years but Tom has stronger , unrequited feelings for Nell that she is unaware of.
Nell is a dreamer and lives out her life in her own little bubble, re-imagineing scenes from her favourite Rom com's. She's mostly amusing but I found her constant daydreaming a little annoying at times.
Tom was a likeable character , he has a few health problems and i thought that it was dealt with in a very tactful way, outlining the positives .
There are various sub-plots around the lodge Nell runs, her best friend Cat is having her wedding and reception there, a rival upscale hotel chain have opened a boutique hotel in the area that means business is slow, a series of mysterious bad reviews have been posted about the lodge, leading to cancellations.
On the whole this is a heartwarming ,seasonal story that was thought provoking and emotional. I normally love Katie Ginger books , this one didn't give me the same sort of feeling that I'd normally associate with her books , even though I enjoyed it .

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Nell who owns a hotel in Swallow tail bay is looking forward to the holidays. While I was reading this book I could not get into the characters that were introduced.

This was my first by Ginger Scott and I didn’t realise it was the last book in a series. I tried really hard to like this book but to be honest I struggled to like or identify with any of the main characters. The story line just didn’t grab me like I would have liked. The last 10 percent was probably the best, when all the plot lines came together. I did really enjoy all the floral creations Tom made and having the scent as well as the design described.
I know lots of people will enjoy this, it just wasn’t for me.

I thought that this was a really good book and I really, really enjoyed it, it was one that made me go all gooey inside!

The attention to details in the story was great and it really helped the author bring life to the story and her characters.

I thought that the characters were well developed and I loved the interaction, they all gelled really well together and it made for an additive read for me and this was the perfect end to the series.

This is an excellent book and one I thoroughly enjoyed - it is 5 stars from me for this one, very highly recommended!!

I’m mixed about this one. It was a lovely story of friendships & love, that fact that it was set in a wonderfully charming hotel at Christmas was all the makings of a marvellous Christmas story, but it just felt like it was lacking.
I’ve read a lot of Christmas stories & it just wasn’t as good as some others I’ve read.
That being said I still enjoyed it & the ending & the health condition was a nice little touch. Showing love conquers all. I would still recommend this one just not in my top 5.