Riveting from start to finish, always something happening with a believable ending.
Good characters you could empathise with, great descriptions of scenes.

A truly heart warming festive tale! The setting is fabulous, the characters are brilliant. A good, wintery page turner.

Sky and her foster brother Freddie have had a falling out over a house in Middledip, where they spent the best part of their childhoods and now she's out bid him and moved there. it's a nice return - except for Daz. Is he a good guy or is he just spending time with her on the way back to his ex? This is one of those pleasant "it takes a village" tales that will make you smile. While I was pleased to return to Middledip and to spend time with some old friends (but really in cameos), new readers will be happy to know this will make a fine standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. As always, Moorcroft's storytelling carries the day.

The scene is set in a cosy English village where Sky spent a year in her early teens as a foster child. She has returned to where she considers her new home. The vibrancy of village life soon enthralls her and she decides to remain. A feel good, easy read with a predictable outcome from the outset.

Perfect read for a cosy afternoon snuggled on the sofa with tea and biscuits. Christmas escapism bliss.

It’s always a good Christmas in Middledip, full of fun and Yuletide ambience, even if there are a few dramas along the way. I love S.M’s Christmas books, likeable characters in a familiar setting but bringing in topics that make you think. Alcoholism, the effect prison has on families outside, why families become estranged and even looking after the planet but all done with such a light touch. I lost the sense of time when I was reading, it was that good !

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for a pre-release ARC, in return for an honest review.

This book is just so gorgeous! A lovely cast of characters and great Christmassy setting. I cannot fault it at all.

Perfect to curl up with in front of nice fire and hot chocolate in hand!

Sue has done it again! What a lovely cosy winter story. I curled up and read it in 2 days. Lovely characters, adored Wilf and so want to eat one of Marietta's cookies. Lovely story to get you in the mood for Christmas.

Another brilliantly crafted novel from Sue Moorcroft. Curl up with a cuppa and cake and immerse yourself in this feel good Christmas story. Can Sky involve herself in village life and help them win the Christmas deco competition whilst dealing with a rollercoaster of emotions from the past, present and future. You have to read it for yourself. No spoilers here!

Sue Moorcroft takes us back to Middledip for a festive tale. Sky Terran returns to Middledip where she had lived for a while when she was fostered as her mum was unable to care for her. After buying Corner House, she settles into Middledip life, making new friends whilst looking at options for a new job.
As usual, Sue makes us see life from a different angle. This time it is life after being in care and the effect on fami.ies when relatives are in prison.
You really relate to Sky and her friends and their various problems and relationships.

What a lovely wintery Christmas novel.

Sue Moorcroft has a very fine writing style. She brings her characters to life and provides beautiful descriptions of the environment, so you'll be as a reader really present in the setting of the story. It is not an exciting story, because it is about ordinary life, but themes such as loneliness, alcoholism are not shunned, and are in a nice balance with love, friendship and family.

It's a loving story, with enough entanglements and misunderstandings to keep you interested until the very end. A happy ending closes this happy Christmas story nicely.

Sky has a history of foster care because her mother was unable to take good care of her. She spent her best years in Middledip with foster mother Nan Heather. There she met her foster brother Freddy and they became "mates" for life.
Now she works in his real estate business, but the arrival of a new female colleague drives a wedge between her. Spontaneously, Sky buys a large detached house in the village where she was happy, and hijacks it right in front of Daz, who had big plans for it. Not a good start, but a beautiful friendship develops between Daz and Sky. The return to this village seems to go well and Sky makes many friends, all against a background of snow and lots of Christmas decorations.

Sky spent some of her time during childhood in the village of Middledip when she was placed into foster care. After losing the job she loves she returns to the village to live in the house that she bought at auction. She's hoping for a quiet Christmas to get used to her new life. But this year the street she lives on is determined to win the annual street decorating competition.

Soon she quickly finds herself settling into Middledip with the help of various villages and her new neighbour Daz.

A wholesome Christmas delight. I loved my return to Middledip.

Good read. Great characters, enjoyed the setting, lots of side stories weaved into it and it flowed really well. A good read for a rubbish day. Will make you feel better!

A Christmas Delight that won't disappoint!

If you're after a book to get you in the Christmas spirit, this is it. So many characters to love "nan Heather and Wilf are wonderful", festivities galore, family and friends uniting in one of my favourite places "Middledip".

A read that sucks you in and leaves your heart full!

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Sky yearns for a normal family life I just don’t think she knows it. She works alongside the only family she knows and even though Freddie’s girlfriend treats her badly she clings on to him to try and keep the link. Until she snaps. Buying the corner house in her old village where she spent her best year of her childhood in foster care was a snap decision but fulfils a yearning. Meeting her rival bidder Darragh gives her another. This book is a great winter read and I highly enjoyed it,

Sue Moorcroft is a great writer who makes easy reading so I was happy to get an arc copy of this book. However, I was a little disappointed by it - definitely not her best work in my opinion.
The setting is Middledip where Sky Teran spent part of her childhood away from her alcoholic mother in foster care. When a house comes up for auction in the village Sky hopes her business partner Freddy will buy it, but Freddy has a price limit and it goes above that. Sky takes a risk and bids on it for herself and moves in when Freddy's girlfriend edges her out of the company.
Sky quickly finds life in Middledip is quite encompassing and joins in with decorating her garden for the Christmas lights competition. She meets various neighbours including Daz.
The story is a romance and includes themes of family and relationships as most of Sue's books do. The book is well written and it is easy reading but for some reason I found the characters less convincing than I normally do and perhaps the Christmas competitions were a bit contrived.
Still a feel good and very Christmassy read that I'm sure will be enjoyed by many.
With thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an arc copy.

It was sweet but a bit slow for me. All extremely predictable but I think that’s probably what you want when you pick up this kind of book. I liked it, just didn’t love it I guess!

A good Christmas read.
Very easy read with the community all coming together for the best Christmas street light show.
Sky buys a huge house to renovate it`s in a small town where she has happy memories of when she was fostered for a short time.
The community comes together to help her.
Loved the story wish all communities where like this.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
Posted to Goodreads

I love reading Sue Moorcroft’s books and this is no exception. A warm winter cuddle of a story that draws you into the village of Middledip. There are some more serious issues raised in the book but overall it’s a lovely Christmas read. Highly recommended.

Oh, I absolutely loved this book! We head to the little village of Middledip when Sky hands her notice in as a property developer and buys a run-down house in the village at auction. Sky lived in the village as a young girl when she was fostered there but hasn’t been back since. I really liked Sky’s character, she’s had a difficult upbringing but really turned her life around and worked hard to get where she is. Thanks to a disagreement with her foster brother, Freddie, Sky now finds herself doing a house renovation alone. She does however find unlikely help from opposing auction bidder, Daz who also lives in the village.

This was such a lovely story! This author always manages to write books which make you feel like you’re in the middle of a soft, fluffy hug – all warm, comfortable and joyful! Of course, it’s set around Christmas time, and you can’t get more festive than being in the middle of Winter Street at Christmas lights switch on time! Sky’s character works very well in the storyline, and despite being independent, she gets on well with all the other characters. Daz is also another very likeable character, and you can certainly see him being a possible romantic interest for Sky! I love the location, and even though the village has featured in lots of other books by this author, you don’t need to have read them to enjoy the delights it has to offer!

It's such an easy book to read, grabbing you at the first page and only letting you go so you can go and grab another blanket and a festive hot chocolate! It’s full of fun, family and friendships, with added drama and romance to keep you going! The storyline will equally warm your heart and bring tears to your eyes as well! If you’re struggling to get into the Christmas spirit, then look no further!! This book will have you feeling so full of the joys of Christmas that you will have wrapped your presents, decorated the tree and be settling with down with a mulled wine and a mince pie before the last page is turned!! This was truly a delight to read, would definitely recommend! Fab, fab, fab!!