Thank you for netgallery for providing me with this arc for review.

So this is a follow on to a guesthouse at lobster bay which I haven't read, nevertheless the story is written in such a way that it is easy to pick up and understand the previous events.

I absolutely loved this book, I was totally submerged with the story and characters. I 100% could imagine booking into the guesthouse for a visit.

All in all, what a wonderful Christmas read, I hope that we get treated to another book to see what twists and turns the characters lives follow.

It is always a sheer pleasure when I'm able to sit and read two books in a series back to back, and in about a day each, which was the case with The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay (book 1) and Christmas at Lobster Bay.

Set about 18 months after the end of the first book, this can easily work as a standalone, and I was delighted to be back with Emma, Aiden and Wilbur.

Emma though is starting to feel the need for a new challenge but given the way everything progressed she and I both wondered if she had bitten off more than she could cope with , between expanding the guest house, planning an epic 3 day Christmas break for her guests, and somehow being persuaded to take on a puppy too.

Add in Rhona being pregnant but having relationship issues, her eldest daughter clearly hiding things, the new lodger in the guest house perhaps being better looking and more available to Emma than Aiden is, and literally nothing running smoothly and this is an action packed book that I couldn't get enough of.

There are moments of high drama, trips to the emergency room for various things, being on the verge of tears and one rather touching and emotional point, not to mention cutting comments from Emma's sister who I really dislike, and some "interesting" decisions being made.

And the discussions about the menus between Emma, and Peggy are fabulous, as Emma wants things modernised while Peggy seems stuck in the 80s with her taste in food, and her bafflement over slightly more modern cuisines and presentations!

This is action packed, and completely addictive to read, I was loving it whenever I was between the pages and back in Lobster Bay with all the regulars, plus a couple of new faces. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really hope it isn't the last we see of these characters and location.

Thank you to Welbeck and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

I loved the first book and to be honest I didn't think I was going to like this book it had a very strange feel and I did find myself skim reading a lot of it, however I persevered and the ending was good, a lot happened in the last 20%, you can read as a stand alone if not read the first one and it was ok as a second, not sure I would read a third.

I received an advance copy of, Christmas at Lobster Bay, by Annie Robertson. This is a lovely Christmas story. The characters are so delightful. I really enjoyed Emma and Peggy.

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

Deciding to extend the guesthouse, Emma feels thinks it’s the right thing to do so that it that retreat develops more and in the process, she and Aidan stay together.

So, with only three months to complete this extension before she has guests coming to have a Christmas break. But, it’s not straightforward as there’s problems which aren’t nice ones, that don’t help at the festive time, for her or those she loves.

There’s problems with the building structure, Emma has a guest who plans to stay longer as well as a puppy, who wants nothing more to chew everything that’s needed for the extension. These problems cause Emma and Aidan to reach boiling point and soo.n there’s problems in their relationship.

Emma is now determined to finish what she’s started, but there’s a storm which makes everything stop, making matters worse for Emma and Aidan.

Wanting to make her dream a reality, Emma doesn’t give up, but will this dream cause her relationship to stay or break? Will Emma be able to welcome those guests with a smile, Christmas carols and cheer to a happy Christmas at Lobster Bay?

Lovely Christmas Read.

Heartwarming, Festive Fiction…
Lobster Bay - Emma and Aidan are expanding The Guesthouse, and with Christmas just around the corner their plans must not go awry. Will they be able to get past the unforeseen problems that arise in order order to keep their dreams alive? Heartwarming and enjoyable festive fiction with a lovely backdrop and a likeable cast of characters. Warm and fuzzy.

I absolutely loved my first visit to Lobster Bay so to go back at Christmas was just a pure delight.

Emma is thriving within the guesthouse and now needs a new challenge in the way of expanding the business and making Christmas perfect.

I love the cast of characters in this book Emma, Rhonda, Peggy what a joy!

Also Wilbur has a new playmate.

Full of Christmas sparkle and dramas nothing is straight forward and plain sailing.

What a great read I thoroughly enjoyed going back to the Bay.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story
This book follows on where the happily ever after ending of The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay ended off. Emma is running the guesthouse that she renovated with the help of her partner Aiden, Rhona as housekeeper and Peggy running the kitchen. She starts having a niggling feeling of restlessness, when Aiden and his sister Eve agree to open up the walls between the two houses to expand the guesthouse. But soon Aiden is off training elsewhere for two months while the renovations are underway, her friend Phil gets her a puppy and Emma is getting closer to one of the guests George. Soon things with Aiden are non-communicative and all around things seem to be falling apart.

My thoughts
I so enjoyed revisiting life in Lobster Bay at Emma’s guesthouse. It looks critically at the happily ever after myth and knocks it out. Reality isn’t a fairytale and we all have the potential to regret what we already have. I just loved George’s words of wisdom to Emma when she feels like giving it all up. There is also a good look at the hard work that goes on behind the scenes running a guesthouse. A lovely story visiting this small, seaside Scottish community.

Emma and Aidan have agreed to combine their home with their guesthouse and Emma thinks the project will be good for the couple, along with enlarging their business. But renovation work is slow and costly, with major unexpected renovations cropping up. Guests are arriving soon, and the push is on to finish the work, but tensions and tempers soar between Emma and Aidan. leaving Emma to wonder if enhancing her business has destroyed her love life. This is a sweet romance to while away the hours and dislodge the tensions of the day

Fantastic read this in one sitting. Was great to get back to Lobster Bay with all the usual characters and some new ones as well.
Emma has a new project in this edition and it’s great reading and well written to see how it all works out or does it?
Definitely well worth the read and more special if you have read the previous novel.

Can’t wait to the next visit to Lobster Bay

Highly recommended