5 Word Review: Family, community, Christmas, expectations, creativity.


When we first meet Loretta in the sewing shop, everything seems to be wonderful. We sharp find out that below the surface it isn't all rainbows and butterflies, and I loved how the story unfolded and the family found a way to bring themselves back together.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, and it gave us a deeper understanding of the characters. I loved being in their heads and seeing how they felt, then having what other characters thought of them displayed. It was beautifully written and a clever way to explore how people can hide their srtuggles and hurt behind a shining exterior.

I don't want to pick favourites, but I think I liked Fern's story the most. My heart broke for her and the immense pressure she put on herself, and out of all of the characters I was rooting for her the loudest. She may not be the most able with a needle and thread, but she is nonetheless amazing.

I loved the crafting angle of this story, it had me itching to dig out my Christmas cross stitch baubles that I'm supposed to be saving for December. I settled for digging out some wool and making pom poms so I can add some to my own tree when it goes up.

Christmas At The Village Sewing Shop by Helen Rolfe was very creative, and I loved how it brought everyone together, as both a community and a family.

This book is told from the perspective of all three sisters and their mum, Loretta, which I was a bit unsure about as I find that sometimes it can get a bit confusing as you flit between characters from previous books. However, I didn’t find that this was the case with this book and was able to distinguish who was speaking by the voice of the chapter and what was happening, I think the fact that they all have rather different personalities helped this to.

I really liked the shop being the central part of this story and how the community was involved to, it really set off a cosy vibe and made me really want to visit - especially with the final surprise! The shop itself was quite partial to the girls and their stories, helping to revoke those childhood memories and stir something up inside them all, but I especially loved how their mum and Grandad subtly pushed them even closer together. Ivor is such a character and it sounds like he gets up to all sorts of trouble - reminds me of Angus in Heidi Swain’s books!

The girls themselves are very set in their ways at first and it’s clear that the passing of their father had a massive affect on them all, driving them away from each other rather than together. It was so interesting to see how they’d all reacted in completely different ways and then when we hit the turning point it’s such a lovely moment. I don’t want to say too much more otherwise I’ll spoilt elements of the story!

There were a few bumpy parts of the book and a lot of secrets came out - none of which I was expecting at first but then the little puzzle pieces started to slot together! Such a well written story that has left me craving gingerbread men and makes me want to get my crafting box out!

This was such a lovely book, I really enjoyed the different POV and seeing how the sisters viewed their past experiences and how they then repaired their relationships.

I loved how the sewing shop was at the heart of the community and the yarn bombing, brought back memories of when this was done in my town.

This book is a perfect Christmas read, family, love and community spirit.

Review
What a lovely heartwarming festive read.

Lantern Square is a beautiful setting for a beautiful story. I loved the relationships between the sisters and the way they bond over the beautiful craft of sewing and making a gorgeous quilt.

My sister is my best friend and I couldn't imagine having anything less than the relationship I have now with her.

I love Helen's writing and this book is a must read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can't beat a good Christmas novel and this is one of those. An easy read and is very well written by Helen, but her books are always great and enjoyable. I rate this one with 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Christmas and families and all the messiness that results from both. The book had real and I really enjoyed being back in lantern square

A lovely cosy Christmas read I would definitely recommend.

A story of three sisters who used to be very close. Nicknamed The Three Sewing Girls by their grandad who was over the moon they loved sewing as it was the family business - a sewing shop. There is also a family secret to be revealed.

The sisters sadly grew apart and two of them lost interest in sewing. One is now married with two sons but her marriage is far from perfect. Another left Butterbury to become a midwife and then travel. The youngest daughter stayed to help her widowed mum run the shop although her heart lies in photography.

When Loretta, the girls’ mum, pleads with them all to have a family Christmas with their grandad they are concerned he may be seriously ill and all agree to put their differences aside for the sake of their beloved grandad.

Will they build bridges and become a tightly knit family again?

Well I was certainly hoping they would.
I enjoyed the way the book was written from the mother and each daughter’s POV in alternating chapters. I got to know each daughter and the mother and the reasons for their choices in life.

I also enjoyed the possibility of romances between the two single sisters and two brothers who all grew up in Butterbury.

The Christmas theme yarn bombing was brilliant. I live seeing photos of post boxes with knitted Christmas tops pop up in the news!

I was very surprised to read in the acknowledgements that the author was not a quilter as it felt like it was written from the heart. The girls bonded over making a quilt for their grandad and it was the focus of the story.

I truly did fall in love with this gorgeous story.

What a great way to get into the real spirit of Christmas; family, friends , giving and togetherness.
Mum Loretta has been in charge, with the assistance of youngest daughter Daisy, of Butterbury Sewing Box since her parents passed it on to her. Sisters Daisy, Fern and Ginny have grown apart and rarely spend quality time together, but this Christmas Loretta has some very important potentially life changing news, and she gathers her girls around her.
With family secrets and scandal to explain, this will be a Christmas to remember.
A lovely festive story.

A festive, heartwarming and well written story about family, secrets and coming together.
I thoroughly enjoyed it as it's well written and the characters are fleshed out and relatable.
The author did it again and I liked this story, rooted for the characters and enjoyed the atmosphere.
The setting is lovely and the descriptions made me wish I could travel there.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved this book. Three sisters who are all grown up, with interests of their own, who only see each other once a year at the family Christmas gathering. But this year is going to be different because their mum has a huge secret to tell them together, however she needs a plan as they don’t all get on well together anymore. So with grandads help and failing health, they need to come back and see him, before it’s too late. They do this as they love both their grandad and their mum but with huge concerns about the relationship with each other. Not only on there return do they realise their love for each other but that family means everything. Add into this realising that your still in love with your 1st love, that you don’t need to be perfect and the secret is wonderful.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas at the Village Sewing Shop - Helen Rolfe

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Can three sisters stitch their family back together?

Loretta loves running the little village sewing shop in Butterbury. Some of her most precious memories are sitting with her three daughters Daisy, Ginny and Fern, stitching together pieces of material - and their hopes and dreams.

Having previously enjoyed books by Helen Rolfe, and being a crafter myself this book screamed out at me to be read. It is a beautiful and emotional story about family. Helen has written a festive and heart-warming story that I would happily recommend.

In a change to what I expect from Helen, this book does not necessarily focus on romance. Without the romance aspect of a Christmas book it was difficult to work out what path this book was going to take - ultimately as a reader this kept me more engaged.

Rating 4/5

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great book from Helen.

Loretta has three daughters Daisy, Ginny and Fern, she feels their relationship is falling apart at the seems and comes up the a plan to stitch the sisters relationship back together. She decides to host Christmas and get all the sisters back together. She gets them working together on a new quilt for their grandad which in turns helps stitch the girls back together.

I’ve long been a fan of this author and have read and enjoyed many of her books. They are always filled with great stories and plenty of romance. Naturally, I expected more of the same, but was pleasantly surprised. For this story, romance took a back seat and let family ties be the main focus.
I loved all the characters in this story but felt drawn to Daisy. The three sisters are all quite different, Fern is married with a couple of children, Ginny is an adventurer and Daisy seems to be a homebird. At least, those are the impressions from the opening chapters. As the story unfolds, we learn that those assumptions are wrong and that the sisters have also judged each other unfairly. Their common bond, beside an historic love of sewing, is their love for their mother and their ageing grandfather.
I read this book in a single session and enjoyed every minute of it. I kept second guessing which way the story would go, but with less emphasis on romance, it was difficult to guess what was coming next. There are some huge surprises for the family to deal with and they each are faced with accepting the results of their actions. Whilst romance may be lower down the list, there is a very happy ending.
This is a Christmas book with a difference. It brings the focus back to the joy of family and revisits the secrets of years gone by. As each secret is revealed, there is a chance for the family bonds to become a little stronger. I am now left wishing that I could sew, as I would love a Christmas Quilt.

Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I'm not sure I've read any Helen Rolfe books before but what a delight this one was. Set in the village of Butterbury and in particular the sewing shop, Loretta is keen to get her 3 daughters back together and to celebrate a family Christmas at last.

A really lovely feel good Christmas story and I'll be looking out for more books by Helen.

I absolutely loved this book. Butterbury sounds like the perfect place to stay and the sewing shop sounded like it was a delight to shop in. This was an excellent festive read and one although I wanted to know the ending didn't want it to end if that makes sense. I loved all the characters and the story flowed beautifully. As a long time quilter I know just how quilting bring people together and how friendships are formed with the love of the craft. Crafters are lovely supportive people. It made me both smile and cry.

Another lovely book from Helen. Her books are really easy reading.

This one was right up my street as I love crafting. Being set in a sewing shop that also included yarn etc was great.

I found the book dealt with grief exactly as it is. Having lost both my parents I could relate to that part especially.

Thanks Helen and Netgalley for another enjoyable Christmas book.

Another super book by Helen. Set in Butterbury, where Loretta runs the village sewing shop. Her three daughters join Loretta in creating a festive quilt with hopes that they can mend their lives.

I really loved this book it is a perfect cosy festive read. Family reuniting for Christmas and all coming together to help each other, it is just so heartwarming.
This is a standalone novel, but there were visits to Lantern Square for the festivities.
I loved reading about the crafts and sewing. I am absolutely useless at sewing, but it sounded interesting and fun.
There were a lot of characters, but it was easy to follow. The storyline is enjoyable and it is well written. This is the perfect book to curl up with.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

A lovely Christmas story of family secrets, reconnecting and sewing. Great characters you can believe in, in a wonderful Christmas village setting
Well worth reading.