A lovely Christmas read as the nights get longer and the weather gets colder because this story will warm you from the inside.

Sabine has had a long life and knows that this will be her last Christmas, she lives in Mitras Castle, which has been in her family for generations, but she doesn’t have a close direct descendent to leave it in their hands. She has a couple of front runners to take over from her extended family, but she still needs to choose the one. So she invites them all to the Castle for Christmas before announcing who shall inherit it when Christmas is over.

Sabine employs Dido and Henry to take care of the running of the Castle and food preparation. Their business, Heavenly Houseparties, had luckily had a festive cancellation. There are some delicious dishes whipped up by Dido and Henry, that will make your mouth water. Dido recognises a couple of the guests from her past that she hopes have forgotten her. But time will tell.

The author conjures a cosy setting with a couple of frosty moments from the guests and Sabine. The snow comes at the right time to make it a perfect picture postcard setting in Northumberland. The family discover that they have a few skeletons in the cupboards that come to light, and romance blossoms among the Christmas residents, from the past and present.

It is quite the perfect Christmas with family traditions brought back to life and a future well and truly sealed. A lovely story.

One More Christmas at the Castle is an amusing, entertaining and sweet read.
Sabine is the overpowering matriarch and her story is revealed gradually throughout the story, with a few twists along the way. Dido and Xan are both great characters, supported by a plethora of others; all of whom add their own special magic to the story. The setting of a country house Christmas is sumptuous and I was totally engrossed.

Sabine knows that this will be her last Christmas, so she fills the house with people who are her closest relatives. She can spend time with them and decide what to do about her will.
Dido thinks she is just at the castle to cater for the Christmas guests, but Sabine has other reasons for inviting her.

A great festive read

This was a nice story, with a cosy, festive setting and very enjoyable. I struggled a little with too many characters and sometimes a got a bit confused about who was who, but the story is captivating and very well written, definitely worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and loved many of Trisha Ashley's previous books which is why I was so excited to receive this ebook to review.
Sadly I just couldn't get into this one, I think the first issue is the formatting of the advanced ebook - at times it was way off. It's a big book with so many characters I couldn't remember who was who, the story didn't draw me in.
Sadly this one wasn't for me, but as I have loved many others I will continue to look forward to future books from Trisha.

A nice story with all the Christmas feels! This was an easy read, with a couple of twists to keep the pace. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, 3.5 stars.

I have struggled a little with this read, I felt that there are so many quite minor characters that I got quite confused about who was related to who (and why!) and had to keep going back to re read parts! Also I found many of the characters quite unlikeable or less than interesting.
I did enjoy the whole festive setting though, the castle sounds incredible and some of the many gorgeous recipes are mouthwatering! it is a lovely festive, cosy and enjoyable read, I just found it a little confusing with such a large cast of characters.
Plum the dog though, wonderful!

I love Trisha Ashley books so I was surprised that I just couldn’t seem to get into this one. I loved the friendship between Henri and Dido but there seemed to be a lot of the story told through conversation which I personally don’t love. It just felt a little slow to me.

Trisha Ashley always writes good Christmas books and this is definitely one of the best in my opinion. It has a familiar theme of a large Stately Home, and secrets and scandals.There is a large cast of characters, but it is easy to remember them all
This is to be Sabine's last Christmas, and she wants to make it memorable, like her childhood Christmases. She hires Dido to help organise one last celebration.
There is a strong sense of nostalgia with the traditional festivities. This book focuses on the build up to Christmas and is perfect for making you feel festive.
There are lots of descriptions of food, and it will probably make you hungry! It is also poignant, a little sad, but also heartwarming and enjoyable. I loved the mysteries and intrigue.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Reading the Trisha Ashley Christmas offering is a must for me, and what a truly stunning book this is. A joy to read with lovely characters and an excellent storyline.

I really tried to get into this book - twice. I was surprised as I usually like Trisha Ashley's books. Maybe it was the sadness of thinking that it would be Sabine's last Christmas in the house. Maybe I read it at a time when I needed uplifting and this was too sad. I maybe could have persevered with it and been surprised but this one was just not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC to review.

An absolute delight.
Mrs Powys, widowed and owner of a castle, a family home that has been in the maternal family for generations. Childless and given a terminal diagnosis, Mrs Powys decides to have a family gathering at Christmas to help her decide who the beloved family castle should be left to in her will.
She employs the services of Heavenly Houseparties run by friends Dido and Henry, but their employment runs deeper than just the hospitality services they brilliantly provide.
Dido starts to fall in love with Mitras Castle and the grounds as well as one of the guests who coincidentally had met before as a teenager.
The perfect description of the surroundings of castle and grounds and the sumptuous food made you want to be there in person.
I thought that keeping up with who each guest is may be confusing but each were introduced, they each stood out in their own right.
Then the thoughtfulness of celebrating a family Christmas with tradition was magical.
However, there are secrets and tensions that creep into it and draw you in and make you want to keep reading.
This was a heart warning story and I was sorry it came to an end. I enjoyed every antique bauble and log fire in it.
I was looking forward to seeing what recipe would be included at the back, maybe that will be included in the final book rather than this pre release copy.
I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this with Transworld and #NetGalley #OneMoreChristmasattheCastle
So looking forward to Tricia Ashley’s next book..
Review also shared with Goodreads and Twitter.

The formatting in my digital version was a little off, so it wasn’t always clear which narrator was talking in each chapter, but I soon got over that and it became obvious just by tone of voice who it was.

There are definite tinges of sadness throughout this story, and it does touch on some sensitive subjects, but at the crux it is about making the most of your life and the time you have left, and looking on the bright side. At the end of the day, Christmas is about friendship and family and love, no matter how hard they can be at times to hold on to; they always find a way in the end.

There’s an array of characters, all delightful and wonderful in their own individual ways - and they may be more connected than they think. At first, I found one of the main characters, Sabine, cold and snappy and hard to like, but I took to her instantly regardless of this, and once you chip away at the layers, you find she’s actually very caring and loving.

This is well written and whilst the undercurrent is of the traditional “happily-ever-after” festive book I love, there’s so many layers to it that make it enjoyable and exciting to read as there’s secrets hiding round every corner of this castle.

At times I definitely forgot I was reading a fictional book, and was wanting to tell everyone all the gossip as if it was real. And then I realised I had to leave the castle and return to my real life.

Tricia Ashley has created such a wonderful setting at Mitras Castle. You understand why Dido senses that it has a special atmosphere which seems to speak to her, as it does to Sabine. With its beautiful grounds, frozen lake and Winter Garden, it feels like the perfect place to be snowed in at Christmas. There is are mysteries at the heart of this story and at times it feels like a classic mystery story where guests are trapped in a remote house.

Dido and Henry's friendship is believeable and there are so many vividly described characters who visit the castle. I loved all the fantastic food which Dido produces and all the festive touches which are described. As a Christmas read this feels perfect, with Christmas trees, baubles, wreaths and swags, candles, crackers, snow- it is all there! Dido and Henry set out to create the old fashioned Christmas traditions of Sabine's childhood. Their care for how everyone is feeling captures the Christmas spirit despite the instincts of some of the guests. This is a gorgeous festive read, with strong characters and a twisty plot.

In short: A festive treat
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

Whenever I read a Trisha Ashley book I feel like I'm coming home.

This lovely novel has all of Trisha's hallmarks. Wonderfully written, gorgeous quirky characters and a beautiful old setting.

A wonderful read, especially in the run up to Christmas! Enjoy!

Widow Sabine knows it is her last Christmas in her beautiful castle, so employs Dido and Henry of Heavenly House parties to make it the best yet with her friends and family as guests.
But soon past secrets and acquaintances threaten to spill over, will it be the last Christmas that Sabine hoped for?
I absolutely melted into the atmosphere of this book! Everything; the castle, the setting, the winter garden (my fave!) and the characters were so unbelievably gorgeous I just could not put this down.
The characters were a fantastic eclectic mix, it really brought the story to life. I absolutely adored the little dog Plum! Such a huge personality in such a tiny dog, Trisha is truly a very clever writer.
The story, although tinged with a little sadness, came together so authentically and beautifully that it just felt absolutely natural and completely right.
I have to admit I loved it so much, that I REALLY slowed my reading down towards the end, enjoying the festive atmosphere, soaking up all those festive preparations and imagining all those mouth-watering meals! I just didn’t want it to end.
One of my very favorite authors because I get to read books like this one that will stay with me for a long time after. The PERFECT read to throw you headlong into the season, I highly recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley, Trisha Ashley and Random house for the copy, I absolutely devoured it!

I'm sorry to the author and publisher but I couldn't finish this book.
The characters were tedious and I really couldn't connect with the story
I so wanted to read this book and others that read it loved it...but I just couldn't get into it
I'm sorry and please don't go by my review...give the book a chance because others liked it
I will not review anywhere but here because I don't want to hurt the authors ratings

I absolutely love the idea of staying in or working in a Stately home over the Christmas period. All the talk of decorating and baking makes me so festive and excited for Christmas.

I really liked Mrs Powys character, she was honest and a bit stern but I had a feeling her edges my soften throughout the book. She's been through a lot looking after her husband and running the castle so not really surprised she's a bit sharp and edgey round everyone.

I loved the revalation around half way into the story. It's odd that Mrs Powys pretended not to know but I think she was nervous and a little scared to get hurt.

I really enjoyed this book, including the relatability of the family dramas over Christmas, there's always one, however big or small.

Trisha Ashley provides some perfect Christmas escapism, set in the run up to the festive season and with a marvellous sense of its Northumberland location with the requisite snow and freezing temperatures. You can experience a traditional Christmas vicariously as elderly widow, Sabine Powys, is feeling nostalgic, yearning for the magic of her childhood seasonal Xmas celebrations at the remote Mitras Castle. She hires Heavenly Houseparties, run by Dido Jones and her good friend, Henry, to organise her last Christmas party, she has a terminal illness and is not given long to live. Sabine sees this as an occasion to invite all the family she has left, assess their characters with a view to making the necessary decisions regarding her will. Her beloved godson, Xan Fellowes will be staying too, working on writing a biography on her late husband, Asa, with his plans for interviewing Sabine, and working his way through the papers and contents of Asa's study.

Dido with her never ending lists is an extremely organised and gifted cook, in charge in the kitchen, whilst Henry takes over the other household tasks required, whilst occasionally indulging in his love of making delicious baked snacks. Sabine proves to be an imperious and formal woman, intent on making clear that social lines should not be crossed, but as Xan and Henry know each other from their school days, she softens when it comes to Henry, but she is far more frosty towards Dido. It is no accident that Heavenly Houseparties was hired, there are family secrets behind the bitterness that Sabine feels towards Dido, and she is not above deliberately escalating family tensions once her guests arrive. There is plenty of intrigue amidst the Christmas festivities, with Dido cooking up a storm with her mouthwatering food, not to mention love, fun, and friendships, as everyone gets into the spirit of a never to be forgotten Christmas.

This is not a novel to race through, but one to savour at a more leisurely pace to imbibe the oodles of atmosphere, appreciate the joys of a traditional Christmas and all that goes with it, set in the picture perfect location, ideal for preparing to become immersed in your own plans for Christmas this year. Ashley creates a wide range of characters, the wonderful in the likes of Dido, Henry, and Nancy, and including the odd dislikeable one too to add a little spice to the mix. You can always rely on the author to write a quality Christmas novel that you can lose yourself in. This is engaging, entertaining and an utterly enjoyable read that I think many other readers will love too. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I’m a huge fan of this author and I always look forward to her Christmas books each year, so you can imagine my excitement when I was invited on the blog tour for Last Christmas At The Castle. Once again the author has written a feel good, absorbing and festive read which will help get readers into the festive spirit.

Firstly I love a good Christmas read. There’s nothing nicer than snuggling up as the weather gets colder and reading to get you into the festive spirit. As the books says it’s never too early to get excited for Christmas and I wholeheartedly agree with that! This book helps to bring to life all those magical Christmases you had as a child and hope to recreate with your own family. I loved all the wonderful descriptions of a traditional family Christmas with friends, family and lots of yummy food. Just a warning, don’t eat this book whilst hungry!

The author’s wonderful descriptions made me feel like I was actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. I felt like I could really imagine the beautiful countryside and could see the characters doing the ice skating on the lake. The characters were all fabulous creations who I enjoyed following throughout the book. I especially loved Dido who definitely warmed my heart with her attempts to always see the best in people and wanting to make everyone happy. I wasn’t sure about Sabrine however as she didn’t seem a very nice person and seemed to use her money to try and manipulation people to do what she wants so she can get her own way.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which has made me very excited for Christmas. I was quickly drawn into the story and found the book hard to put down as I so wanted to find out what would happen next. The storyline was surprisingly gripping with lots of secrets and surprisingly revelations being revealed. I thought the ending was wonderfully heart warming and I felt very sad when the book ended as I had to leave the characters and the castle behind.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book via netgalley.