Although I enjoyed this book I did feel that it wasn't up to the usual standard that we all expect from Trisha Ashley. It had a slow start and in some parts was padded out a little too much. Long lost family secrets can be of interest or not but on the whole this was a good read. 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

Loved this, a very slight departure from her usual style but even more enjoyable for that. I really enjoyed all the drama being about the castle instead of about the delicate romance. It meant that I could really focus on the dynamics between all the characters and the endless takes of food preparation, all very simple when organised and well funded! A wonderful wintery tale.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure where this book was going there is a lot of out door walking description and food description but it does get there in the end and it was enjoyable quite a few “twists” but some were predictable ……. I did skip some of the description but was always going to finish the book

Sadly, I didn't enjoy this one.

The idea of a castle, and a bit of family mystery, it all just sounds perfectly wonderful as a Christmas book setting. And it is, in theory, but I was just too bored.

Main reason is, there are so many characters to keep track of, and you spend a huge amount of learning about them, and it feels like you're just being swarmed with names and places and relations, it's just too confusing. It felt like a math problem I needed to solve. That totally and right off the bat killed the mood for me.

Plus, it was too slow and too long, and I just didn't mesh with this one.

The owner of Mitris Castle, Sabine, is dying and she wants to hold one last Christmas in the Castle before she dies. She also uses this opportunity to decide who she is going to leave the castle to in her will. One of her relatives or the National trust. To help her plan the party she enlists Dido and Henry, who own Heavenly House Parties, to look after her houseguests. But in hiring Dido, Sabine has an ulterior motive.

This festive read is full of family secrets. The only issue I had was with a large cast of characters it was a little confusing.

Writing this review has been really difficult because although I absolutely loved the story and the characters, however, at times it felt much too long and a lot of the story felt like padding. I always hate saying things like that, as I know that an author invests so much of themselves into a story and it’s easy for me to sit here and judge when I’ve never written a book in my life, but I have to be honest, and at times, I did feel overwhelmed by the length of the book.

Right, now that’s said, lets concentrate on the positives – I loved Dido and Henry the two main characters – they were so believable and I would absolutely love their job, bringing Christmas cheer into everyone’s lives. Xan I wasn’t too sure on to begin with, I thought he may turn out to be the villain of the piece but you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out if I was right or not!!!

I would love to spend just Christmas at the castle, especially with Dido and Henry as the hosts, but I’ve got a feeling this isn’t the last we’ve heard from them!

I have read and enjoyed some of Tricia Ashley's previous books and so I was excited to get my hands on a free advance copy of One More Christmas at the Castle in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I would say about the book is that it wasn't the cliché'd same old story I've come to expect from Christmas-related books. It was different and original, which I really appreciated. I loved the descriptions of Christmas preparations, the love story and the way past history came to light. I found the book very satisfying to read in lots of ways.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Normally I really love Trisha Ashley books but I wasn't so keen on this one. It was ok, just not my favourite.

A sheer delight of a book. I love Christmas books and also Trisha Ashley books, so the 2 together can only mean a great read and so it does!

A great cast of characters and in a lovely setting, with snow falling almost to order, great food, skating on a frozen lake and romance in the air too.

Dido and her friend Henry are hired to cater at the castle belonging to Sabine, who sees this as her last Christmas at the Castle. Her relations and important friends are invited as she needs to decide who will inherit the castle. Dido and Henry get on with the dual roles of chef, sous chef, housekeeper, decorators, etc, to make the Christmas memorable and one not to forget.

It's a delightful book, with a secret that has to be unearthed. You will love this Christmas escape and not want it to end!

Loved it. A real Xmas read. Took me a little while to get into it and build a picture In my mind but once I did couldn’t put it down. Thankyou for giving me this chance to read

Eccentric English Christmas at its very best.
Dido and Henry run a bespoke catering company called Heavenly Houseparties, when their upcoming Christmas party appointment cancels, another booking comes straight in, and they are off to a Northumberland castle instead.
Wonderful descriptions of both the house and gardens. As the family history unfolds, hidden secrets are revealed. Fantastic!

This was a wonderful, sumptuous book. - and is about a Christmas that everyone dreams of, with snow, skating and delicious food.

Dido and Henry were two of the best characters that I have read about for a long time. Their partnership was one of family, and completely flowed - you could tell there were a lot of unread secrets and stories between them, and I for one, would like to be a fly on their kitchen wall.

The family secrets that emerged and grew during the time at the castle were intriguing and I didn't want to put the book down. Xan just added another piece of flavour, to dig into the family history and flesh out the story more.

I would advise anyone to read this book - just don't be surprised if you are hungry reading it,.

Not my favourite Christmas story but not the worst either. Lovely Christmas story with other family intrigue on the agenda. The start of the book was a bit slow but picked up. If you like long lost family plots then read on. Thanks Trisha Ashley, her publisher and NetGalley.

Wonderful Christmas book with family intrigue.

Sabine owns Mitras Castle but is dying and wants to make sure the castle is passed on to the right person. She has a few 'interesting' relatives, but no children or grandchildren to pass it on to. So she invites the few relatives left to the castle, along with a few friends, for Christmas where she will finally make up her mind who to leave it to, or to bequeath it to the National Trust.

Dropped in the middle of the family drama are Dido and Henry, owners of Heavenly House Parties, who are employed over the Christmas period to cook and generally look after everyone in their 'house party' host roles. But unbeknownst to Dido, Sabine has employed her for a reason, not necesssarily the nicest one, but that does (very!) slowly change, with a little help from Sabine's best friend, ex-vicar Nancy, who helps her come to terms with everything.

A really lovely book, full of family secrets, forgiveness, lovely food, snow, great characters, romance, a cute dog - and just a wonderful Christmas feeling. I do love a Trisha Ashley book!

I really enjoyed this book. Trisha’s books always have me hooked and this latest offering was no exception. I found the beginning of the book a little slow but the characters were all so intriguing and the descriptions of the castle and its grounds, especially the winter garden were so beautiful that I was soon speeding through. Christmassy and absolutely glorious. I highly recommend this book!

A really lovely feel good read, perfect for Christmas. If nothing else the descriptions of the food will have your mouth watering.
I really enjoyed the characters, and there was just enough bite to stop it from being too sweet. A light festive frolic.

ONE MORE CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE by TRISHA ASHLEY.

With thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUk for an ARC of #OneMoreChristmasAtTheCastle by #TrishaAshley.

Mitras Castle is the home of Sabine. An elderly lady who knows this will likely be her last Christmas.
The castle has been in Sabine’s family for generations and now with no immediate relatives to pass the castle onto, Sabine needs to look to her extended family to find an heir.
She invites everyone for one last Christmas and plans to use the festive period to decide who should inherit the castle.
Wanting everything to run smoothly and to be a perfect Christmas, Sabine hires Dido and her Heavenly Houseparties business to oversea the running of the festivities.
With her deep bonds rooted in the castle, Sabine is keen to make the right decision for the future of her much loved home.

This is a lovely story, cosy, warm and full of festive feels.
You’ll find a very traditional, family Christmas written within the pages of this book.

As much as this is a charming Christmas story, I did struggle with the amount of characters in the book. It took quite a number of chapters and a few are-reads before everything and everyone fell into place.

Overall, a cracking Christmas story that deserves a place in your festive reading pile.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

O.M.G. - UNPUTDOWNABLE

I think, as you will that this book deserves more than this 5. Trisha Ashley, this book was unputdownable and kept me hooked from the beginning. The story flowed and I absolutely loved Dido, the way she was strong, independent and took pride in her work.

I also loved Sabine, who has an illness and as she knows, time is slowly running out for her and she needs to sort her matters out, and decide what she’s going to do about the castle, so, she throws a Christmas party for her friends and family, wanting to make it a best Christmas ever. The food cooked by a company she picks, but with a motive behind it……….

A book, you’ll not want to miss buying. It’s fantastic. You’ll feel like you’re at the castle eating the delicious food and enjoying the surroundings.

So many secrets are revealed…..

Highly Recommend This Book.

I think this might be my last Trisha Ashley - or new one at least. I have loved her books for years, but increasingly over the last few they have seemed like a mash up of previous plots, but not as good and this is even more of that than ever. If you want to read a long lost family story in a big house, read Winters Tale - that is much more fun, romantic and whimsically magic, but without the plot points you can see a mile off and insta-love for a couple you never really see have any conversations. It makes me so sad to say this though.

A gorgeous festive read that was entertaining and interesting.
Loved the setting and characters.
It was brilliant how you had the views of each of the characters throughout the story.