After the news she hears from her doctor Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas. Widowed, with no close family,she decides to invite the remaining ones from her husband's family and her own to spend Christmas with her. There is no one coming whoSabine loves or even likes apart from her godson Xan and her long time best friend. During this time Sabine must decide if there is someone in the family who deserves to inherit her castle or will she leave it to the National Trust.

She employs Heaven Houseparties to cater for the event because it is owned by Dido and her business partner Henry. Sabine is the only person who knows of the link between her and Dido. Sabine isn't being benevolent doing this as Dido is not in the running to inherit ,rather it is to satisfy Sabine's dark curiosity.

I have to say I disliked Sabine very much, I couldn't find anything endearing about her. She used her money to manipulate and get everything her own way.
Dido on the other hand is such a lovely young woman who sees the best in everyone and only wants to make people happy. I also loved Henry and Xan. I enjoyed the friendship between them and Sabine's best friend.
Don't read this book if you are hungry, have something to eat first. The characters in this book must have gained a few stone after the food they have consumed . I have never read a book with as much food in it. It all sounded so appetizing I was googling recipes all the way through.
A good Christmas story full of intrigue and past deeds that come back to haunt certain people.
It's about not holding on to old grudges, forgiving, and happy endings.

I love this time of year when the festive books begin to arrive. This is the first one I have read this year and I’m pleased that it is by one of my ‘go-to’ authors. Trisha Ashley always delights me with her annual festive stories. As the title suggests, this one is set in a castle which turns out to be in a remote part of the north of England. I was literally hooked by the story right from the start and found it hard to put down. I should mention the book’s bright and attractive cover which depicts the castle in question just as I envisaged it from the author’s description.

The setting for this story, Mithras Castle, is actually a manor house to which a battlemented wing has been added at some time. The owner of the house and land surrounding it is Sabine Powys, an elderly widow. Having recently found out that she has not very long left to live, she has decided to have a fantastic Christmas celebration like the ones she remembers from days gone by. To this end, Sabine has engaged the services of Heavenly Houseparties, a business run by friends Dido and Henry, to organise household activities for the month of December, including a house party over the Christmas period. Dido feels an instant attraction to the castle and its grounds that she cannot explain, never having been there before. She does, however, recognise Sabine’s godson Xan, who she met, and had a tremendous crush on, in her teens. It seems that she is still attracted to him, but is he aware of her? As the month progresses, and more of the Christmas guests arrive, it becomes apparent that Sabine has an alternative motive for inviting them all there - she is to decide the future of the castle after her death. Among dusty old books and letters, long-kept secrets come to light that shock everyone and make Sabine’s decision even more complicated.

I can highly recommend this wonderful festive read, which would make a great addition to anyone’s Christmas reading list or Christmas stocking. It is positively brimming with varied and interesting characters, all in a marvellous setting in which the reader is served up meal after meal of mouthwatering dishes while being privy to family feuds, shocking revelations and unexpected romance. I loved the clever way in which the story is told, with chapters voiced by Sabine or Dido in turn. I found myself really immersed in life at the castle in the days leading up to Christmas, anticipating the arrival of the guests, wondering what they were going to be like - a mark of skilful storytelling. Although central to the plot, Sabine’s illness and terminal diagnosis do not overshadow the story; they are dealt with with sensitivity and there is also plenty of humour within the book. I do enjoy a story featuring a dog, and this one has a cute little spaniel who is never far from the action; with all that lovely food being produced in the castle’s kitchen, that’s not surprising.

This is a very typical Trisha Ashley read, warm and uplifting with a two strong main female characters and host of other well rounded characters to boot. The Christmas feel in this builds up well as Dido and Henry work their household magic whilst employed by Sabine to manage her castle home over December. We are treated to Sabines memories of her past both good and bad as well as her life, or end of life to be accurate currently whilst she considers the future of her estate. This is a fabulous character read with a lot of seasonal cheer and winter warmth.

I have read all of Trisha Ashley's books and this one was just as good, if not better than the others.
Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.

Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought. But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel...

As past secrets come to light, can this still be a magical Christmas to remember?

I was transported to the castle by the descriptive text and really enjoyed the story, I know it will be a good one if written by Trisha!

I love all Trisha Ashley books, and especially her Christmas stories. This one certainly didn’t disappoint!

I loved the setting for this book - Mitras Castle is lovely, and the gardens and grounds sound delightful. The atmosphere of the whole story is very Christmassy, and wintery. Perfect to curl up with when the weather is unpleasant outside!

I also loved the characters, particularly Dido and Henry. I loved the way they teased each other and their fun sense of humour. In fact, there’s gentle humour throughout the book. I really enjoyed the way that Nancy and Sabine interacted, it brought a whole new aspect to Sabine, making me like her a lot more.

There’s a lovely romance or two going on, as well, and a cute dog. What more could anyone ask for?

Overall, this was a relaxing and Christmassy read, with plenty of romance and humour too. There’s nothing to beat a Trisha Ashley Christmas book!

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

A Trisha Ashley Christmas story is always a delightful treat. One more Christmas at the Castle was no less ,it is an immersive story and I felt like was on a vacation with the characters. Good food, stunning locations, bit of humour,mystery,love and warmth all around.

I enjoyed this book so much. It was one more Christmas at the castle in more ways than 1. I did not want this book to end it was sad funny happy all the way through. Sabine Powys owned the castle but was coming to the end of her life. She had lived in the castle all her life it had been passed down through generations. Her cousin had moved in to help out the house keeper who has worked there forever along with her husband who took care of the garden.
Sabine wanted to do one last Christmas and invite the remains of her family and life long friends with the intention of letting them know who would inherit her estate.
Sabine employed heavenly houseparties to come and do the catering and looking after the guests. Henry and Dido were the couple who were heavenly houseparties. They arrived at the castle and arranged everything for Sabine just as she wanted it done. As the guests arrived each one thinking they would get the castle the story unfolds. Sabine God son also was invited for Christmas but he was also there to write a biography of Sabines husband and of their life together. Many turns and twists finding love in the strangest ways and many left disappointed.
Trisha Ashley has done it again. A fantastic book full of surprises and happy endings where you just don't expect them.
This book is well worth the read but don't expect to be able to put it down untill read.

When Dido and her best friend and Heavenly Houseparties business partner, Henry are employed by wealthy elderly Sabine Powys to cater for her and her houseguests at her beloved Mitras Castle for the Christmas period, she has no idea this booking will have a profound effect on her in many ways.

This is Sabine’s last Christmas, and she is determined to treat those close to her to a celebration as much like the elaborate Christmases of her childhood as possible. She also has another reason for bringing the residents of the castle together. She is dying and must decide to whom she is going to leave her large fortune.

One of the guests, her godson, Xan, is researching Sabine’s late husband’s life and Dido is horrified to discover that they have met each other years before. Determined to keep her distance from him in case he recognises her, she keeps her head down and focuses on her cooking and planning the best Christmas possible.

As Christmas draws nearer secrets are unveiled, Dido does her best to ensure that Mrs Powys is satisfied by her and Henry’s efforts. However, despite her best efforts, Sabine although liking Henry, takes against Dido. Dido is determined to do her best and remain professional and isn’t about to let Sabine’s nastiness towards her deter her from creating a magical Christmas for them all, but as Christmas draws nearer she discovers more about the elegant, frosty woman who has employed them.

This is another brilliant book by one of my favourite authors, Trisha Ashley. It might only be September when I read this book but losing myself in Dido, Henry and the gorgeous Xan’s time at the castle with the delicious food, ice-skating on the frozen pond, and the beautiful decorations made me long for Christmas to hurry up and get here.

A perfect festive treat, I wish I could give it 10 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Press for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

What a wonderful festive read.

This is my first Trisha Ashley book and can safely say it wont be my last. It is chunkier than books I tend to enjoy and it did take me a while to get into but once I was invested I flew through the rest of it.

The characters are really likeable and it is a cosy read to get you in the mood for the festivities.

A book filled with secrets and snow, what could be better.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this Christmas book on autumn! Was a great read of family, relationships, secrets and people coming together. Loved all the major and minor characters associated with the story too.

Omg this needs more than 5 stars, what a book trisha ashley has out done herself again, I was hooked from the start, but how the story line progresses etc was brilliant I love the main character Dido and how independent and strong she is, but I also loved Sadie grumpy but loveable, this is definitely a book you will not want to miss so get pre ordering it's out next month, such a fantastic Christmas book and so detailed that you feel like you are there in this book, that's why I love trishas style of writing she can make you feel your the main character and this is your story x

It’s always a very special year when you get the absolute treat of a Christmas Trisha Ashley book. One More Christmas at the Castle is a dream of a book with Dido and her friend Henry running the successful Heavenly Houseparties they are booked to cater Christmas in Northumberland for the inimitable Mrs Sabine Powys who wants to get her affairs in order and sort out her will so she invites what is left of distant family and friends and her godson Xan to see them all together . With the magical winter garden at the castle and all of Dido’s recipes and menus this book is so comforting just like a warm hug and has made me start to look forward to Christmas. Fantastic

Trisha Ashley does not disappoint with her latest book! A fabulous read that has made me want to get ready for Christmas even tho it is a balmy September day! I enjoyed this book so much that I read it again straight afterwards. Lots of little twists and turns keep you guessing and the happily ever after I love about Trisha Ashley’s books.

absolutely fabulous! Such a lovely, real tale of love and getting on with life all with Christmas woven through it.
Great friends Dido and Henry are running a house for a family gathering over the Christmas month and as the days progress family secrets fall out of drawers, photo albums and mouths. Guests arrive and leave scattering crumbs of information or sowing seeds of discontent. Everything is crossed for a happy ending for everyone as the characters are so friendly that you end up urging happiness upon them.

This Christmas will be the most special of them all....
Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.
Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought. But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel....
As past secrets come to light, can this still be a magical Christmas to remember?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me review this book.
Trisha Ashley is the queen of time theft and this book was no different. I lost hours!!! I loved the concept of their business but have mixed feelings about Sabine. One minute i hated her then she'd melt my heart a little and back again. The story is all encompassing and i stayed up late in order to finish it because i just couldnt put it down. I loved Dido and her matter of fact outlook on life she made me smile a lot. I could go on but it would spoil it. Suffice to say there are several twists and turns in this book that will keep you turning the page, oh, and an adorable little dog, what more could you want??

Brilliant novel. Sucked me into the
Pages and the kitchen !!
Loved this book, I want to live there and meet all the adorable characters!

This is the first Trisha Ashley book that I’ve read but they’ve come very highly recommended and I’ve got one of her previous Christmas books sat patiently waiting on my tbr shelf. I think I may have to try and fit that into this years Christmas reads as well now!

I found that this book had a slower pace to some of the recent books I’ve read but it was a nice relaxing pace and suited the story really well. Trisha builds great characters and you really get to know Dido, Sabine and Henry especially, as well as being able to have pretty good impressions of the other house guests. I loved Nancy that’s for sure and Simon captured my attention as I felt like there was so much more to him than we got to know. I did love to see the little bits about him in the epilogue though!

Now there were quite a lot of secrets in this book, some of them I was able to guess but others stumped me, and I loved the way that they all kind of snuck up on you in a way that you weren’t expecting. Or the reveals of them at
least!

Xan was another character that I quickly took a liking to, much like Dido, but mainly because of how inclusive he was to Henry and Dido. He treated them like everyone else rather than as ‘the staff’ and their cosy nights in the staff sitting room sound like absolute heaven!

I can’t finish this review without mentioning the food though, oh my, the food! To say Dido is a great cook is an understatement, the food that came out of her and Henry’s kitchen sounded absolutely delicious, just imagine all the home cooked comfort foods you love, add in loads of savoury nibbles and a cooked breakfast - that’s what we’re talking about here. Yep, I know, I’ll leave you to drool and dream to!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is set in the month of December, so the Christmas theme runs throughout the novel. Most of the chapters are from Dido's point of view, but some are from Sabine Powys' viewpoint. Sabine has decided this is to be a traditional Christmas at the castle as it will be her last due to terminal illness, and she uses her house party to finalise the contents of her will. Dido and Henry are the catering / housekeeping service she uses to provide all the aspects of the Christmas she wants.
The characters are well-drawn and interesting, although Sabine is not likeable and Lucy is ineffectual. There are several strands to the story because each character has their own plotline, making this an interesting and engaging read, albeit that some outcomes are predictable. I loved all the Christmas details such as present-buying, decorating rooms and watching traditional films. There is a great deal about menus, food preparation, cooking and serving in the content, so be prepared to feel hungry as you read through the book, although it is a little repetitive at times, from bacon rolls for breakfast to the large hole in the freezer for the turkey.
In my experience Trisha Ashley books are always a good read with an interesting story and characters, a dash of romance, and beautiful descriptions, and this is no exception. A great one to get the reader in the Christmas mood.

It's a lovely, warm Christmas book. Full of atmosphere, food and snow. A diverse group of distant family and almost family brought together for one last Christmas with amazing food and hospitality. The characters are well thought out and the story really draws you in. A perfect book to get you in the Christmas mood.

Unsurprisingly another fabulous book by Trisha Ashley. I have read all of her books and have yet to be disappointed !
Felt weird reading about Christmas and winter on a warm sunny day but It made me wish for snow !