This was a nice enough, festive read. In fact the festive feel of rural setting was my favourite thing about the book.

It was sold to me as having ‘The Holiday’ vibes, and I can see this. But for me, I had zero emotional connection to the characters.

I didn’t get how Rose was some efficient boss-woman at work at the beginning of the story and then later on when she is in the cottage she suddenly becomes a chaotic messy slob??

But aside from the that it was a good storyline and the back story of both characters were good and had depth.

I especially enjoyed the end scenes of the book and how it all turned out.

Just isn’t up there with my fav festive reads.

Thank you to @netgalley for a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

A lovely romantic festive read! The book draws you in and makes you feel that you are part of the story watching the characters story unfold.

This Christmas is the perfect Christmas book to read and get all cosy with. I absolutely loved every minute, I absolutely adored Rosie and Charlie, what a perfect couple they make!

“This Christmas” is absolutely everything you want from a Christmas themed book. Too often I see books marketed as being for the festive season but Christmas barely gets a mention. This on the other hand, goes all out!

It follows the stories of two characters: Rose, who lost her partner in an accident a few years ago on Christmas Eve and who has spent every Christmas since alone and this year decides to retreats to a familiar cottage; and Charlie who is devastated being separated from his little girl (who has gone to live overseas with her Mum and new Stepdad) and is offered a stay at a cottage by a friend so that he can get some head space. Unfortunately, both end up at the same cottage and circumstances conspire so that they end up having to share over Christmas. Do they end up helping or hindering each other’s recoveries?

All of this is told against the backdrop of a snowy, wintry setting in Ireland with a cute village and festive goings on. And while none of the plot is particularly surprising, I was really impressed with the way Rose’s grief was dealt with and I applaud the author for that.

This is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold December day. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Charlie and Rose are both trying to escape at Christmas time. Unfortunately they have been double booked into an isolated cottage.
The book follows their week up to Christmas while they try to deal with their own personal issues as well as sharing a small cottage.
It's kind of predictable but a pretty cosy Christmas story.
For some reason the emotion just didn't quite hit for me.

Rate: 4,5⭐️

Read if you like:

❄️Christmassy vibes,
❄️Forced proximity,
❄️Polar opposite,
❄️Dual POV,
❄️Healing.

I really loved it, its Christmassy vibes, slow burn🔥, main characters and their dogs.

Both Rose and Charlie want to hide away from their reality, they both look for solitude and peace in order to fight their demons and they happen to find themselves in a secluded cottage in Donegal which is... double booked..

What I found in this book: Christmas magic, delightful characters, great chemistry between Rose and Charlie, wonderful, cosy love story, wise thoughts, healing, dealing with loss.

I recommend this charming story to everyone who is looking for a bit of Christmas magic in a book about loss and love. Add it to your festive tbr.

Rose and Charlie, both dealing with Christmas-related pain and loneliness, plan to spend the holiday season alone. Rose escapes to a cottage in rural Donegal to find solace, while Charlie faces his first Christmas without his loved ones.

However, when they discover that their holiday rental, Seaview Cottage, has been double-booked, their plans for solitude are disrupted. Faced with the unexpected company of a stranger, they must decide whether to spend the holiday season together. A heartwarming story about finding comfort and companionship during a time of year that holds painful memories for them.

A very cozy holiday story that definitely delivered on the Christmas feels but felt lacking in other areas.

I didn't really buy into the intensity of romantic feelings or the resolution to some pretty deep seated issues for the main characters in such a short space of time (especially when a lot of those 9 days weren't actually spent talking to each other)

That said; all the characters were likeable, the setting was picturesque and the Christmas feels were in abundance. A nice read overall.

I just loved this. It was festive, quaint and just a lovely read.
Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I liked both main characters - and their adorable dogs - but sadly there wasn't much of a plot. Aside from a lot of soul-searching and repetitive thoughts nothing much actually happened - the main characters didn't even talk for most of the book. Yet despite being a slow-burn the romance was rapid which also didn't really seem to fit with the characters and what they'd both been through. That said I liked the author's previous book 'Rewrite the Stars' so seemingly it was just this particular story that didn't resonate with me for whatever reason.

A cute festive read that packs a punch of emotion but with the right amount of cosiness too!

Will be recommending for the holidays.

I loved this book and you cannot help but feel for the two main characters Rose and Charlie. Has The Holiday movie vibes with the little cottage down the lane. It was an emotional book dealing with grief and separation from children. I think the book did the characters and their situations justice and would highly recommend reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this wonderful book.
What a refreshingly fun festive read this is! I loved the sound of the blurb and I was totally invested in the two main characters Charlie and Rose from the start. I loved the addition of both Charlie's and Rose's dogs. I could picture the setting vividly and Seaview Cottage sounds like a perfect getaway. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light hearted relaxing read over the festive season... Or anytime of the year. It's one of my favourites this year. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I wanted the best for Charlie and Rose who were just doing their best to get through Christmas and a lot of messy and hard emotions.

I really enjoyed some of the festive scenes, eating chowder by the fire at the local pub, or feative cottage setting, watching them inevitably grow closer.

I didnt completely gel with the book, but am not completely sure why. I do think its an enjoyable read, with characters you care for and Id love to be snowed in at 'Seaview Cottage'.

I had ‘The Holiday’ vibes through the WHOLE of this book and it is true what they say, it’s THE most romantic love story since The Holiday. It truly is. Oh it’s cosy, warm, wonderful, and despite there being many festive reads out there, something set it aside from the majority. It really does grab your heart, squeezes it, and leaves you wanting to curl up in front of the fire with a book, in the cottage from The Holiday.

Both of them expected to spend this Christmas alone. But their lives could be changed forever if they agree to spend it together. . .

It’s a Christmas Hug. It’s a one-sitting kind of book. It’s magical, funny, emotional and inspiring all at once. This is a beautiful Christmas romance and there’s also the potential for more - these characters are warm, gentle, and we really need more of them.

Absolutely loved this wonderful cosy Christmas read.
To be honest I could read them any time of the year as they are usually lighthearted & leave you with a sense of lightness & a silly grin on your face.
Beautifully written with some wonderful characters the story just flowed..
The book is set in Ireland with two heartbroken strangers who feel the need to escape Christmas & be on their own with their canine companions.
The only fly in the ointment is the beautiful Donegal cottage they were hoping to stay in has been double booked by them both.
Is it a case of first come who gets the cottage as the owners fight it out who should have it.
Things don’t quite go as planned for either of them.
This delightful story held me from beginning to end & i thoroughly enjoyed it.
The perfect book to snuggle down with & just enjoy.

This Christmas is the perfect, cosy Christmas read, with the ideal combination of romance, heartbreak and festive spirit!

I really enjoyed this book, even if it was an unbelievably slow burn! The two main characters, Rose and Charlie, are both really likeable, if a bit downbeat, and it's impossible not to root for them. Both have faced difficult things in their past (TW: Grief) and have complicated relationships with the festive period, and I actually quite enjoyed the way that it took them quite a bit of time to warm up to each other (I really don't like 'insta love') so to me this felt authentic and not forced. I loved their text and whiteboard chats before they really got to know each other. Their dogs are also adorable and made perfect 'side characters'.

The backdrop of Donegal is lovely and I love the way the author described all the festivities, with the christmas markets and the cosy pubs, it was the perfect cosy setting.

A touching story with a blossoming romance and plenty of festive cheer, I just can't fault it!

Thank you so much to @centurybooksuk for having me on the blog tour for this festive read

For fans of The Holiday and The Flatshare, This Christmas focusses on Rose and Charlie who want more than anything to just have a quiet christmas alone in a beautiful secluded cottage, small problem though… the cottage is double booked!! Faced with living in close quarters, the stubborn pair learn how to find joy and hope during the time of year which has become too painful for them.

I feel like this is the perfect read for cosying up at night by the fire. The imagery of Ireland added to the cosy feel of the book and I could easily see this as a cute Christmas movie since it has similar vibes to The Holiday

Two heartbroken people dreading Christmas. They end up sharing a holiday cottage in Donegal. Can this unwanted house -share lead to happiness? Perfect reading for a cold winter's day.

A lovely Christmas book. I have never read anything from this author before and I really enjoyed it.

Nice Christmas feel to it. Thank you Netgalley.