This is a lovely comforting Christmassy book which makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and chocolate biscuits! I really enjoyed the cast of characters, the setting and story. Perfect escapism - thank you!

Far to many characters, we really didn't need as many , it got to the point i forgot who was who , such a shame as it ruined the book for me

A lovely book to get you in the mood for Christmas!

Dido and Henry run a housekeeping company, and they are hired by Sabine to create a final perfect Christmas at her castle. Sabine is terminally ill and is determined to have one last family event, as close as possible to her early memories.

I loved the descriptions of the food and preparations, it was fantastic scene setting and provided me with lots of ideas! I did find the book a bit repetitive in places, and the romance contained within felt a bit forced and rushed to me. However it was an easy read, and on the whole, I enjoyed it.

Best friends Dido and Henry run Heavenly Houseparties and are employed by Sabine to cook and clean for her last Christmas. There are lots of coincidences keep happening. Brilliant book.

Dido and Henry run a party and housekeeping service and delighted to receive a last minute booking for Christmas at Mitras Castle. Sabine is ill and know this her last chance to throw a party to remember for her friends and family. She also has another ulterior motive in choosing Dido to cater for her. This story is packed with detail about organising a Christmas to remember, its swirled with intrigue and atmosphere.

This book has everything you love about Trisha Ashley novels, a good story and a fascinating setting. Who wouldn’t love to explore the grounds and inside of the castle and eat the delicious food cooked up by Heavenly House-parties. Once I started reading I was fully hooked on the twists and turns that having a group of family and friends descend for .Christmas involves. They were all there for the last Christmas of the elderly Sabine who was trying to work out who would love her home once she was gone. I loved everything about the book and would recommend it as a Brilliant Christmas read. .

The perfect read to get you in the mood for Christmas! It has all the ingredients - large Manor House, family gathering, snow, ice skating, some budding romances, log fires, real Christmas trees, a cute dog, an ailing widow and mouth watering food! All you need to provide is a mug of hot chocolate, a slice (or two) of Christmas cake, a comfy sofa and a blanket! Perfect!

I enjoy a good Trisha Ashley book and this one was just as enjoyable as the rest.

Wanting one last Christmas that reminds her of her childhood, elderly widow Sabine invites her nearest and dearest to celebrate with her; she also employs Dido and Henry from Heavenly Houseparties to orchestrate the big day. But can Sabine get the Christmas she wants or will secrets from the past scupper the celebrations?

A good well written story which was an easy and enjoyable read.

It is a lovely romance with more than one happy endings. The story unfolds narrated from the perspectives of the two main female characters in turns. The plot has quite a few of interesting twists and turns, the setting is beautiful and most of the characters are loveable.
What I was not very happy about was the detailed description of the culinary activity and the household chores. Also, the dialogues between Dido and Henry did not feel natural sometimes.
Apart from that I spent some very enjoyable hours with the book and I can recommend to anyone who likes romance sprinkled with some family secrets.

With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
Was a nice easy read can highly recommend.

I really liked this book! I'm obsessed with Christmas and food and this book is packed full of it. It is very descriptive (lots of talk about menus and decorations) which I really enjoyed but I can see it may be too slow for some people.

There is a wee bit of intrigue and some romance.

Plum was delightful and I love all the references to Fortnum And Mason's -- my favourite store.

I will definitely read more of this author's books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Random House UK.

Another excellent read by Trisha Ashley. I did wonder if I would enjoy it when I started reading but very quickly got into it and found it hard to put it down. It was almost like a modern version of a 1920s story, with lots of twists, turns, surprises and romance. I’d highly recommend this book to any reader of this genre and anyone who is not already a Trisha Ashley fan will soon become one.

I love a Christmas book & in my opinion this was a great festive read. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book

I have been wanting to read a Trisha Ashley book for a while, so jumped at the chance to get her latest novel (many thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGallery for granting me a copy of the book).

This book will not fail at getting you into the Christmas spirit (I’ve just ordered fairy lights in August!) And if you’re having family over it may give you an excellent idea or two to make the season more festive. The story is packed with food preparation and menu descriptions, so if you are a foodie you will probably appreciate this book- unfortunately I didn’t.

The deathbed Christmas gathering of family (who are mostly unlikeable) is a fairly short affair, which is a shame, since that provided the only real interest in the story - The romance is lukewarm at best and we never do find out what illness Mrs Powys had; which is odd since the story centres around that!

It’s safe to assume that live-in cooks/housekeepers have a pretty repetitive life; and although Dido and Henry clearly enjoy their work, it’s pretty boring to read about. I personally feel the book would benefit from a ruthless edit - for example, we don’t need to read about Dido taking Mrs Powys her breakfast tray 6 times in detail and we don’t need to read about them taking the dog for a walk countless times either - we get the gist after the first time, second at most!

This is a long detailed book and if I hadn’t had an ARC and felt duty bound to finish it, I probably would have DNF’d it at 25%. SO disappointed that I won’t become a fan of this Author.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I normally like this author’s books but I was disappointed in this one. Reading all the 5 star reviews, I am wondering if I read a different book! There were too many characters and I was struggling with the cast of characters - trying to remember who was who. The coincidences and amazing connections stretched my credulity rather too much. Dido and Xan were a great couple.

The overall story was well written but felt it would have benefited from some judicious editing. Some detail which fleshes out a story is perfect but when the detail overwhelms the story - that’s not good.

Overall, an entertaining read.

A story of interwoven families with a Christmas flavour. Sabine, after discovering her days are numbered invites her last remaining relatives and friends to spend Christmas with her at the castle unbeknown to them she is trying to decide who to leave her beloved castle and fortune too. She also arranges for a catering company to cater for her (Dido and Henry) but does Sabine have another motive. A really enjoyable book with lots going on to keep you interested. Slightly repetitive in parts but doesn't spoil the enjoyment of this book. Characters you really warm to, even Sabine who doesn't suffer fools gladly. Totally recommend

This is going to be a perfect Christmas read for Trisha Ashley fans. Friendships, hidden family secrets, snow, delicious descriptions of food, throw in a cute snoring dog and this book ticks all the boxes. I heartily recommend reading this for yourself.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I love everything this author has written hence me reading a Christmas book in the summer. Great storyline, great characters and this authors books always makes me smile. Loved it.

Definitely guaranteed to get you in the mood for Christmas , Trisha Ashley’s latest returns the reader to Northumberland, but rather than “skint northern lifestyle “ it’s all Fortnum and Mason. Sabine Powys, a very rich, haughty and elderly owner of the family castle is dying and she wants a Christmas reminiscent of her childhood. Dido and Henry run an upmarket catering service and are hired for the month of December., they charge a fortune, but provide excellent food and service. Soon after they arrive, Sabine takes an instant dislike to Dido and will only deal with Henry. On top of the tension with Sabine, Dido discovers her teenage crush is a member of the house party, she is only too happy to hide in the kitchen wondering will she get another chance.
Lightweight romance with plenty of atmosphere, sure to please.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This book was perfect in so many ways. . The food descriptions were fab and Dido and Henry were a slick team in the kitchen and I loved it. Catering for Christmas is always a nightmare . Sabine was a strong character and cunning with her inheritance . The love element between Henry and Don was just beautiful. I liked Xan . Trisha Ashley kept slipping in little twists. It is going to be big hit. Absolutely loved it. A must read