I live for sweet, comforting Christmas books - this unfortunately was not one of those. There are no cozy Christmas vibes until the 65% mark. The romance between Beth and Rocco is basically nonexistent. She has a horrible opinion of him, thinks he has a girlfriend for the majority of the book (even after he tells her he doesn’t, she says he must be lying), she has led on her boyfriend of 5 years and then is disappointed when he doesn’t want her back…idk. There was no chemistry, no build up, and I was just left frustrated. I’m sad to say this one wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn't get into this one and skimmed a lot, but maybe I'll try again.

I didn't know I needed to read this book till I read this book!

It's a feel good but quite predictable romance story centered around a recently dumped Beth who takes a job with the temperamental but swoon worthy celebrity chef Rocco di Castri as his PA. The setting, the plot, the characters and the adorable dog made this the perfect weekend read. I absolutely love it and I will talk about it for years to come . Go get your copy.

A huge thanks to Boldwood books for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A little bit cliche but still a fun read. Lively and entertaining. Perfect to read with a cup of tea. The epilogue seemed a bit rushed with too much info. Maybe would have worked out better to be a few other books over time instead.

This book just wasn’t for me. I think it’s because I expected more of a Christmas romance story, and I didn’t feel that.

Maybe This Christmas? by Jill Steeples

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily

When Beth Brown loses her job and her boyfriend in the space of twenty-four hours, she thinks life can't get any worse. That's until she finds herself in the depths of the English countryside working for chef, Rocco di Castri. Not only does she have to deal with his legendary moods, but she's also expected to get his chaotic schedule and workload in check, all while she's nursing a broken heart.

It's not long before Rocco's idyllic home starts to work its magic and soon she sees a softer side to her boss too. And as the festive season approaches, Beth dares to look forward to everything the perfect country Christmas has to offer – and perhaps some romance of her own. Until news of an unexpected proposal threatens to put pay to all Beth's plans. Will Beth get her happily-ever-after? Maybe, this Christmas...

This is an uplifting, Christmas read. Perfect for a cosy afternoon reading when the weather outside is miserable. Predictable in the way that all festive novels are, this is an easy and enjoyable read.

Rating 4/5

I wanted to do enjoy this book but it was so poorly written, with such bad dialogue that I had to force myself to finish it.

Absolutely adored this book! I thought it was so cute and I enjoyed the characters. I always enjoy reading books based around Christmas. This book sure was a lovely Christmas book!

A lovely book. Like Beth, Whitefriars touched my heart. The descriptions were beautiful and I really wished I could live there. Maybe the fact that there’s always yummy food to eat helped! 😂
Beth was quite a relatable character, her life seemingly spiralling out of control, she needed to take stick and take control, she needed to know her own mind and be in charge of her own future. I liked that, although t she realised she had feelings for Rocco she refused to act on them, she pulled back and didn’t throw herself at him (except that one, very forgivable drunk moment). I liked that Rocco was the one doing the chasing, and that everyone but Beth could see how much he’d fallen for her.
That ending was beautiful, I love a happily ever after.

Perfect Christmas read, uplifting romance. Suitably festive, what's not to like. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

Thankyou so much for introducing me to this author! First time I've heard of Jill Steeples (how!!??) and I really loved this!! I was over the moon to find so many of her books in thd Kindle store and can't wait to start Starting Over at Primrose Woods next!!
Definitely a author I'll be on a binge with for the next few months

I absolutely loved this. A gorgeous romp of a romance with happy endings for everyone. I'll be looking out for this author in the future!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to review this book.

In Maybe This Christmas?, After losing her job and boyfriend in a day, finds herself working for Rocco di Castri, a famous chef. He is known for being difficult, but when he and Beth get on and sparks start to fly, it’s about to be one merry Christmas.

I found this to be a cute, easy to read Christmas story and the perfect what to get in the Christmas mood. It was your typical Christmas romance, but when picking up a Christmas romance that is what I want. I enjoyed this quick to read book, my only complaint is sometimes Beth rubbed me the wrong way, but I tend to have this problem with women leads in romances. Overall this was a good, Christmassy romance and worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I am so pleased to have found this author this year as her books are just a delight to read and this one was no exception and was a perfect read for my Christmas in July tradition.

This was a cosy and uplifting read and was perfect escapism and loved how it captured my attention from the first page and drew me in.

This was a lovely romance story and of finding happiness with a sprinkling of Christmas cheer to top it off. This would be A perfect read for cosy winter nights and to inject some Christmas sparkle into your life no matter what time of year you read it.

I loved this story. A lovely romantic read. A bad temper chef , a great sister, a barge . Had it all . People jumping to the wrong conclusion. Food and love are always a good read. I really enjoyed it

Right after a break-up, Beth gets a new job as an assistant for Rocco, a famous chef, and they head to the English countryside for three months to work on a new cooking show.

I liked the writing and the overall story, but I’m not a fan of love triangles. The synopsis didn’t hint at that storyline, so I was a bit surprised. If you like that trope, this book is for you!

Cute and comfy afternoon read. Perfect for a rainy day pick me up.
Beth and her partner of 5 years have broken up so she decides to make a fresh start and take a job as a PA for a celebrity chef, Rocco. She enjoys the job, but she very much has a crush on him, although he seems to be involved with a model called Pandora. Beth struggles with her feelings while doing a great job with Rocco, and little does she know, he has feelings for her as well. Their main struggle is communicating, which is frustrating and a trope I don’t love. I did however, love the setting as well as Rocco’s adorable puppy Millie and his housekeeper Sylvia was a breath of fresh air!
Totally predictable but still fun and a nice refresher during this heat wave.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

The time for festive books has come! Even if I did read this on the hottest day of the year.

The description of Rocco’s “country cottage” sounds to die for. It’s big but cosy and warm, idyllic and the perfect place to host a family Christmas.

I would say this is more a book that happens at Christmas rather than a Christmas book, in that you could pick up the story and place it in any season and it would still work just as well. So, for me I would have liked more festivities, especially as the over of the book just screams Christmas, but that could be because I want more festivities in everything, no matter the time of year. Nothing is ever too much Christmas for me.

This is a rare book in that I had no negative thoughts about any of the characters. I liked them all for different reasons and they worked so well together. Beth and Rocco are gorgeous main characters and you really believe their story and will them along. Pandora is the enigmatic, mysterious foreign beauty who ruffles more than a few feathers. Martin is the ex, but one that really believes you can maintain a friendship after love. Zak is not in it much, but he steals every scene he’s in. And Sylvia is the friend everyone wants, accompanied by hot mince pies and a warming hug.

It is a relatively short book, so there’s no dragging out scenes, you really get stuck in. I read this in a few hours as it’s hard to put down. Even on a hot summers day, it has the power to warm your heart and make everything feel a bit better.

It is mostly a romance, with some comedic elements, so you’ll find yourself smiling and laughing, but you will also find yourself tearing up. It’s a realistic story, not too twee or sappy, not too over the top, it’s not all sunshine and light, but the sad moments help make the happy moments shine a bit brighter.

You can probably guess the outcome quite early on in the book but that does nothing to distract from how beautiful it is. This is the first of Jill Steeple’s books I’ve read but I’ll definitely be looking out for more.