Member Reviews
I read this as my book club read for December and the overall feeling was very positive with mostly 5 star reviews.
I adored the setting for the story which is a Christmas tree farm. The characters were likeable - even the old school friend who used to be a bully became a friend.
Liza reluctantly returns to the farm which was owned by her father and his partner. Her father died and his partner has decided to retire and needs to discuss the future of the farm. Lisa wants rid of her share and has plans to travel.
The main running of the farm over the past few years has been taken over by Ned, the hunky son of the remaining partner who lives the farm and has added many new ideas. A Christmas hut rental scheme for locals to sell their handmade crafts turns out very well with lovely Christmas shopping evenings complete with hot chocolate.
Will Liza find a buyer for her share of the business so she can move on with her life? Or will the community spirit and Ned change her mind and convince her to stay?
A lovely uplifting Christmas read.
Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. Heidi is a fantastic writer especially with cozy Christmas stories .
I raced through this, much needed boost of festive cheer.
Heartwarming and uplifting which lets face it ….we all need . Beautifully written against a backdrop of Christmas trees
Full of love ,hope and family.
Romance, friendship and new challenges aplenty in these pages of this beautiful covered book.
Published 28th October
Unfortunately this book has suffered from my lack of concentration. Perhaps in a more focused frame of mind I would have enjoyed it but I struggled to connect with the characters. The romance genre is not my favourite but I usually like to give them a try at Christmas and I think for the right reader this would be a total winner, but it wasn't for me.
If you love Christmas romance then this is the book for you!
Unfortunately it wasn't really the book for me but I did love the setting of Wynter's Trees and the characters. This book has the expected plot of a Christmassy book which many people have come to love and there are dramatic disagreements and cute moments all leading up to the end. It is an easy to read and fast paced story but there is a little too much repetition of Liza's thoughts and feelings which got a bit boring for me.
Overall I liked the story but I'm not a big fan of this genre.
If you haven't read the first one, like me, this can be read as a standalone.
The Queen of Christmas has done it again with this gorgeous novel.
Liza doesn't want to be back in Wynmouth it's never felt like home to her & is full of painful memories. Ned loves Christmas & everything about it, but what does Liza's return mean to him & Wynter’s Trees.
Heidi has created a beautiful winter wonderland at Wynter’s Trees & filled it with wonderful friendships & delightful characters. Aside from obviously loving Liza & the gorgeous Ned, I really liked Liam & Chelsea & seeing what happened to them along the way. My need for love & romance was fulfilled & not just with the inevitable relationship but also with side characters that you can't help but get invested in too. As I'm finding is a lovely bonus with Heidi, I loved finding out what had happened to Hope & Sophie since the last book. I really hope we get more from Abbie, Wren, Maya & Chelsea in future books, maybe even with one as the female lead?
It was a pleasure to be back in Wynmouth & I can't wait to return next time & see some old friends.
Underneath the Christmas Tree was our December Tsundoku Squad read and it was the perfect way to spend Christmas in Wynmouth. Heidi swain has done it again and this is a wonderful heartwarming story about family, love and hope.
Ned is another swoon worthy male lead and my heart went out to Liza immediately. She was so brave to go back to the Christmas tree farm again and face her grief. As always Heidi has written a beautiful setting and the beach huts and decorations sounded a magical way to spend the days leading up to Christmas.
Absolutely loved this book. Heidi swain just knows how to make you feel festive. Fab characters and a fab storyline. Enjoyed every page
Underneath the Christmas Tree is a wonderful slice of Christmassy heaven from beginning to end and I think has quickly become my favourite of all of Heidi’s fabulous Christmas books.
First of all just look at that dreamy cover, I fell in love with that immediately and when I opened the book and found it was based on a Christmas tree plantation I thought eat your heart out hallmark Christmas movies.
Underneath the Christmas Tree ticks every box you would hope to find in a Christmas book and is just absolutely gorgeous. I could see Wynter’s lodge so clearly in my mind and really wanted to curl up in there with one of those delicious sounding hot chocolates.
The book touches on every emotion such as grief, regret and guilt and it was interesting watching Liza work through all of those feelings. I loved the memories she had of her parents and how close she was to her dad’s best friend and especially how close she got with his son Ned.
This story is joyful with a real sense of community at its heart. I loved every word. A fabulously festive five star read. Merry Christmas everybody.
this author never fails to deliver a most enjoyable book to read good storyline so easy to follow and a must to read from start to finish with a nice christmas theme
My thanks to netgally for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review, which I freely give.
I have read a few books by Heidi both Christmas stories and the others. Which I have enjoyed and this is no exception.
Liza Wynter returns to the plantation of Christmas Trees - a few weeks before Christmas - which her late father founded. She had been asked to return by David her fathers partner. Liza holding 60% of the business. She arrives late evening, and opened the gate to the plantation. Unfortunately for Liza the gate is alarmed ! Ned, David's son comes rushing out, who is wet, with only a towel to cover his modesty.
We then begin a journey with Liza who made it clear she does not want anything to do with the plantation and wants out. We learn about the workings of the Christmas tree farm and events. with plenty of ups and downs. Ned also has a dog who is adorable.
I am hoping Heidi might re-visit this farm with her further stories of the Norfolk area. I really enjoyed this book, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
What a beautiful and cosy Christmas read, I loved heading back to Wynmouth and seeing a few familiar faces. Liza's story and history with Wynmouth was heart breaking to read but I thought Heidi Swain explored the depth of grief so well. There were many moments such as the tree planting scene when I couldn't help but feel emotional and let a few tears fall.
I was willing Liza and Ned to get together the whole time and loved the will they won't they of the story. The has such great chemistry and complimented each other's work style really well. The beach huts were brilliant and I could visualise all the stall holders and their merchandise vividly.
It was lovely to see the community spirit in full swing as Christmas festivities took place. I now want a lodge, in the middle of nowhere, with endless amounts of hot chocolate! This is once again Heidi Swain at her best.
As usual Heidi Swain has written another wonderful story. She somehow managed to make you feel as if you are there feeling all the emotions of Liza. This book really gives you that old fashion feeling for Christmas.
I need to visit the Christmas tree farm after reading this book.
Well done Heidi for another wonderful story and great characters.
Underneath The Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Against her better judgement Liza returns to the Christmas tree farm which was once owned by her late father, and is now being run by the rather lovely, lumberjackesque Ned. Her plan is just to tie up some loose ends but will the farm, and the people who work there, be able to work it’s Christmas magic on her?
This book has everything you’d expect from a Christmas romance; roaring fires, mistletoe and lashing of hot chocolate!
This was my first ever proper smooshy Christmas book and it gave me all the festive vibes!
The reason I’ve not rated it higher is that I found myself so frustrated with Liza, especially when she couldn’t see that the glaringly obvious answer to all her problems was right in front of her!
Would recommend to anyone who’s after a well written, easy, festive romance 🎄
As soon as it’s time to bring out the xmas decorations and light winter/Christmas scented candles, it’s time to get stuck into a fabulous book set during the festive period. Grab a mulled wine/cider or Bailey’s, the snuggliest blanket you own, light your most evocative Christmas smelly candle, light the wood burner or stick on a background YouTube fireside/snowfall ambience vid and then get lost in the covers of the latest Heidi Swain “Underneath the Christmas Tree”.
It’s a totally fabulous festive book ideal to cosy up with.
With many thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster UK for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This book was a breath of fresh air for me. I’ve recently only been reading festive romances and honestly, they were starting to become a little stale. However, I really enjoyed reading Underneath the Christmas Tree.
The Christmassy feeling, that I had so been craving from these types of books, was present throughout the entirety of this book. It doesn’t make sense but a lot of festive romances don’t really cater to the first half of their genre but Underneath the Christmas Tree really hit the mark.
The setting for this book was absolutely perfect. I find that I enjoy festive romances a lot more when they are set in England (sorry America), but they feel so much more special and contains that wonderful sense of humour that all brits love and have.
Wynmouth sounded like the exact type of little village that I envisage every festive romance should be set in and I love the strong community that this book had.
At first, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy Underneath The Christmas Tree as I thought Liza was going to be an annoying main character who hated Christmas. However, that wasn’t the case I actually really liked her. She was a strong-willed character who always knew exactly what she wanted. Although I will say I have never read a romance book where the main character was trying to set up the love interest with another person. That was certainly interesting.
There wasn’t a huge amount of romance in this book, but in a way, I quite liked that. It was definitely a slow burn, which wasn’t technically that slow as the book only took place over about two months. But the build-up was infuriating in the best way.
Wynters Tree and all of its workers were such a great cast of characters. I love how they seemed like one big family and how family was such a huge part of this book. Personally, I would say the family/friend relationships eclipsed the ones of passion by a mile.
Underneath The Christmas Tree has been one of my favourite seasonal reads of the year so far. It was a quick and easy read that was much needed by myself at the time. Underneath The Christmas Tree reignited my love for reading in a time where I was struggling to turn the pages of other books.
If you are looking for a massively festive read that is sure to warm the coldest of hearts then check out Underneath The Christmas Tree now.
I absolutely loved this festive read and it was exactly what I needed after a difficult week. I inhaled it in 3 evenings. 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Liza Wynter returns to the Christmas Tree plantation that she co owns since her beloved Dad passed away 4 years ago. It's the first time she's gone back since the funeral and she is determined to leave as soon as possible, with her shares in the company sold to Ned, a man who seems to love Christmas as much as her Dad did.
Can Wynter's Trees cast its spell on Liza and persuade her to stay?
I really enjoyed this festive read! I loved the setting of the Christmas tree plantation and I enjoyed the cast of loveable character.
This is the second book in the Wynmouth series (the first one being The Secret Seaside Escape which I reviewed on my grid) and I loved a few favourite characters popping up in this novel.
If you're looking for a read that is fun, heartwarming, romantic and full of festivities, then this is the book for you! It's one I'd read again for sure
Underneath The Christmas Tree was Decembers read for Tsundoku Squad, and I couldn’t wait to read it week on week, so devoured it in a few days! I never spoiled it though for my pals, and made notes for each week so I could still chat with them.
This year I found Heidi, and fell in love almost instantly with her books. I have now read 5, and own them all except one! Underneath The Christmas Tree is the second in the Wynmouth Series, The Secret Seaside Escape being the first, but it can be read as a standalone. I’ve been reading them in order though, and I think this one could be my favourite so far!
I love Ned! He is fighting for the top position of Heidi’s male love interests, alongside Sam from Seaside Escape. There must be something in the Wynmouth water! And Liza was such a great main character. Her bravery going back to Wynmouth, facing things she never wanted to see again. And the grief that came with it all, but the friendships new and old, it all fit into place so nicely. I fell in love with the descriptions of Wynters Trees, the lot, the views, the cabin, and Bandit stole my heart.
If you love Christmasssy feel good stories, you need to get your hands on this one asap.
A high point of festive reading has to be a new Heidi Swain novel and this one does not disappoint. Crammed full of Christmassy images, it is perfect for this time of year. Liza has to face up to her memories of the past and find out what she wants to be doing with her future. The setting is gorgeous. What better than a Christmas Tree nursery to set up the Christmas excitement.
Alongside all the tinsel and hot chocolate, there is a slow burn romance and beyond that, the more serious issue of teenagers in danger of going off the rails. Liza’s kindness shines through and you find yourself rooting for her.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book
This is the type of book you need to read when the sky is grey and you're feeling blue: well written, entertaining, life affirming and heartwarming.
The author did an excellent job in delivering a sweet Christmas story, a romance but also the description of a community at Christmas time.
Liza grew slowly on me as I wasn't her fan at the beginning, Ned is an interesting character. I loved the chemistry and their relationship.
Lovely setting, sweet story that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine