This was a sweet Christmas read from a new to me author. It’s all about Cleo, who has decided she’s finally going to tell her best friend (and long time crush) that she loves him while they spend Christmas together. Unfortunately, her extended family gatecrash the party and her plans go awry. For a long time this was just a so so read for me, but once the Christmas mayhem with all the family started (about half way through) I was invested. I enjoyed this one and would definitely read another one from this author in the future. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely easygoing and festive read. It is set in a gorgeous location with likeable characters.
This is one of the first books by Isla Gordon that I have read. I will definitely be looking out for more of her books.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Cleo is a people pleaser who works hard for her family business. She puts the business needs before her personal life and also has a secret love for her best friend, who spends half the year abroad.
Cleo is planning to take control of her future, but things conspire against her plans.
She finally thinks things are going right when her well made plans for a quiet Christmas fall apart around her. II loved all the scenes set around the beach and could imagine living by the cafe .Such a great read.

I really enjoyed reading this very christmassy and family oriented chick lit book! So many things is happening in there! This book is all about the relationship between Cleo and Eliot, the best of friends for so long. Cleo is secretly in love with him since day 1 and after so many years of friendship she is determined to let Eliot know her true feelings for him this Christmas! When I really really ( and i mean REALLY) enjoyed reading about their relationship and the chapters about it, I thought the many many many parts in between where too long and made the book a bit annoying. I think it is written this way in purpose but as a reader I thought this made the book a bit boring in many parts and this really a shame as the storyline is very good and the story between Cleo and Eliot is exciting!
I hesitated to give this book a 3 or a 4, at the end I am giving it a 4 as it was still very enjoyable to read!

A Snowfall By The Sea is a wonderful, festive read and is lovely and heartwarming too.

It’s set in Wavebreak Bay down by the sea and it sounded like such a wonderful place to live.

From the very beginning of this book it pulled me in and honestly didn’t let me go until the very end. I was so engrossed in the story and just couldn’t stop turning the pages.

The two main characters were wonderful and i absolutely loved how their story unfolded.

This was such a cosy, heartwarming and festive book and I loved it very much…….

This is the story of Cleo who lives in Wavebreak bay, she loves her home especially in the winter when the tourists are gone and the lovely festive lights start to go up. This is also when her best friend Eliot comes home from San Francisco. She decides that this is the year she is going to tell him how she feels.

Of course life is never that easy and things are made difficult by the fact her entire family have shown up for Christmas.

This is just such a gorgeous festive story that will really make you feel festive and cosy, highly recommend!

Cleo lives in her hometown of Wavebreak Bay which is by the sea. She's in a bit of a rut but never mind because Eliot is coming back from San Francisco for Christmas... She's been in love with him for a long while and has decided the time has come to let him know. A lovely festive read, heartwarming with a great setting.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my request, from Little, Brown via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Oh my.
Started reading the book with huge expectations - well, it's Isla Gordon's book. Lisa Dickenson. But, sadly, I must state that it was a very flat read. That, actually, the last releases by this author, as Isla Gordon, were flat reads. I keep requesting them out of sentiment probably, I LOVED Lisa's books, but now they are something completely different. Unfortunately, not good different.

The premise was so promising, and the beginning as well. But then I started to feel like Cleo in her goundhog year. Firstly, Cleo herself. It was not funny. It was desperately desperate the way she was behaving, trying to please everybody and her sister not inviting her to celebrate Christmas together as a result. I didn't feel sorry for Cleo, I felt angry with her for being such a push - over.
The main thing in the plot, Cleo telling Eliot about her feelings to him. Oh. My. God. She repeated over and over again she's going to do this and I couldn't wait for her to do this just so that this thing is over. But when she finally told him, well, then Eliot actually disappeared as a character. He was almost not there. Confusing.

The writing style was OK, flowing nicely, though there was nothing from Dickenson's brilliant humour. Yes, it was light - hearted, but nothing more. It was a very slow read, even with many things happenning. I wanted to love this book, really, but not this time, sadly.

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

I love reading Isla Gordon’s books.

The story is about Cleo, which tells us what happened in the years before as well as the present. Cleo is feeling as though she’s not doing much in her life and is always going along with what others expect of her and needs to start speaking up for herself.

Throughout the story you could feel the frustration that Cleo felt by her habit of pleasing people. It was enjoyable seeing her start to break that habit and think about what she wants from life.

As well as this, we read about her feelings for Eliot, the times over the years when she nearly told him how she felt.

The way Gabriela and Cleo were there for each other was lovely. The chaotic Christmas where Cleo and family had guests turning up was lovely as was the setting of this beautiful story.

I recommend this book.

A Snowfall by the Sea

Cleo loves the sea. She’s always been a waterbaby. But it seems the sea doesn't love her and despite living with the most beautiful view of Wavebreak Bay she’s not able to seek the sanctuary in the waves. Maybe because she somehow lost her way. She’s been treading water by working at her parent’s seafood restaurant for ten years since she came home from university. The only event to look forward to is the arrival of best friend Eliot here for the winter season. She wants to be more than friends but is afraid of losing their close link.
This year it will be different and she starts to be less passive and more go-getting. She plans a cosy Christmas and a big declaration but then her family descend and it seems she is never going to tell him. It’s time for even more drastic action otherwise the family murder mystery game they are all playing might just be the real thing!
Isla Gordon brings a fresh take on the human need to change and grow. She adds some laughs too and a lovely heart to heart as Cleo seeks to reconnect with her estranged twin Gabriela. The horror of a snowed in Christmas with unwanted guests is also only funny if it’s not happening to you!
Altogether a fun book with a mushy centre that will warm your frozen heart unless you really are the Grinch.

This book is described as a heartwarming and festive read and it absolutely did not disappoint. Cleo is a likeable woman living in her hometown and despite loving where she lives, feels as though she’s trapped in a never ending circle. In love with her best friend for years she decides that this Christmas she’s finally going to tell him!

What I loved about this was it was clear to the reader from the beginning how both Cleo and Eliot felt. There’s no ambiguity about anyone’s feelings except between each other and that was refreshing in a book of this genre. It meant from the beginning you (along with everyone else in the book - shout out to Rosa!) were cheering them on from the get go. I did think that Gabriela could be a bit selfish considering she was Cleo’s twin but ultimately quite likeable, and I did think the decision for her entire family to spend Christmas without Cleo was quite frankly mean - although essential to the plot!

The resulting farce of a Christmas was entertaining and so ridiculous to the point that I could just see how it could well happen in real life! I really did enjoy this read and would like to read more of Eliot and Cleo’s story and how it unravels as well as pick up on Gabriela and Rosa’s stories. Although I genuinely mean it when I review a NetGalley book and say I would buy a copy for a friend, this is the first one I have actually preordered.

I finally just want to commend the author for the following fantastic lines which cracked me up!

‘I feel like a posh mug,’ Cleo said. ‘Like a rich knobhead?’ Rosa asked. ‘No, like an actual posh mug. Like, you know when you buy yourself – or someone gifts you – a really fancy mug’

Cleo is a people pleaser who can't say no but needs to tell her best friend Elliot that she is in love with him when he comes back from America to spend the winter working in the family restaurant. Unfortunately her parents are about to ask him if he wants to work at a new place they are opening in America full time so she needs to do it quickly but can't work out how
Deciding to do it at Christmas she invites Elliot to stay at her parents house on as they will be spending Christmas at her twin sister Gabby's house
Things certainly don't go to plan as not only do her parents and sister arrive back, so do other family members and they end up with a house full
A nice easy Christmas read

A Snowfall by the Sea is a really heartwarming festive read. It focuses on Cleo and her life with friends and family in an idyllic setting by the sea. Somewhere along the way, Cleo has lost her way and this Christmas is her opportunity for new chances and to change the focus. This story left me with a feeling of wanting to be a little braver myself, try new things and to sometimes prioritise me instead of others. The story jumps between past and present, giving glimpses into Cleo and Eliot’s past. I really enjoyed this story and found it a page turner.

I’ve been enjoying Isla Gordon’s books for many years now (under her various pen names). This one is no exception.

The story follows Cleo, who has got a bit stuck in her life, and wants to start speaking up for herself more. I think Isla Gordon does an excellent job of showing us how trapped Cleo has become by her own inertia and wanting to please the people she loves, and really making the reader feel that frustration build. I really enjoyed seeing Cleo start to break that shell and figure out what she wants from life.

Of course, as well as the personal development, there’s a lovely romance too. I loved seeing all the almost moments through the years that Cleo and Eliot have known each other. I love romances that don’t just start over a few days!

I enjoyed the relationship between Cleo and Gabriela, how they support each other. I loved the chaotic Christmas caused by the snow, with new people turning up every five minutes! Oh, and I loved the location so much.

Overall, this was a lovely story of both romance and a personal journey, set in a beautiful location.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

This is a really lovely Christmas book. I enjoyed the characters and navigating the story along side them. I enjoyed the romance in the story and the pure pleasure of discovery of the characters development.

An enjoyable read.. I got a bit frustrated with Cleo who put everyone else before herself but I was thrilled when she realised she needed to,change and go after what she wanted. Cleo had good friends, a loving family and a best friend Eliot. When her twin sister doesn’t invite her to join the family for Christmas she plans a Christmas for her and her friend but things don’t go to plan and Cleo becomes a slave to everyone else’s needs yet again.

A very enjoyable read and very likeable characters. I look forward to reading more by Isla Gordon in the future.

Thank you for the advanced copy which I devoured in one sitting. A new author to me and I was drawn by the cover (seems to be a new thing for me!).
Well written, well put together and overall a fantastic book, perfect for this time of year.
Cleo and Elliot are the main characters in this could we be more story, flitting between past and present. I enjoyed how it developed and would recommend it.

This was a new author to me and always good to find a new one to add to my favourites. The cover and title of this book enticed me and I was hooked from the first page. This book had a cosy uplifting festive feel and really drew me in with its engaging characters and dual timelines intertwining the past to present day. This was a lovely feel good escapism read which I devoured in almost one sitting and also have taken away from reading that it's ok to say no occasionally and that we all don't have to be people pleasers all of the time.

A nice story . It moved back and for which I am not a fan of but it worked. .It was slow burn love story. Neither of the main characters had the confidence to admit how they felt. Also Cleo was a complicated main character. She just wanted to please every one and at times you were frustrated with her. She was also a twin and she lost her love of the sea. Not the ending I thought but a better one.. A good read