There isn’t much better than a cosy Christmas romance this time of year, especially one that is definitely about Christmas! Holly Cross is known as Christmas village as they go full out for Christmas with the community as the focal point.

Get ready for all of the festive build up, from Halloween, fireworks night and then of course Christmas itself! This is a charming book that has a really strong community vibe, there are also close friendships, family ties, workplace dramas, and of course relationship dramas!

I really liked seeing all of the characters develop along the course of this book, you really start to feel for them, I think Vicky was such a strong character for me despite her not being the MC and I loved her festive Pom Poms - I’m actually going to try and make some myself although I don’t think I’ll get quite as many made as she did!!

Holly Cross residents know how to do Christmas in the right way, with lots of lights, fun, and community activities. When Blythe sells a house to Sam Ashton, she never thought he would turn out to be a Grinch! Blythe and friends make it their mission to get Sam into the Christmas spirit, and there will be lots of surprises and a little bit of mystery along the way.

This is a sweet novel with lots of fun and humor, as well as warmth and caring. Although there are some naughty innuendoes, there is no overt intimacy or strong language. This book made me laugh many times before the satisfying conclusion.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

This is a story of Sam who is looking for a nice house, in a cute village. He thinks he finds the perfect house but his realtor Blythe forgets to tell him how this village out does itself on Christmas. But Sam hates Christmas.

This is a heart warming story on how Sam evolves and learns to get into the Christmas spirit.

Blythe sold Sam a house in their village, without telling him just how Christmas crazy they were. Same is very anti the festive season. The villager have an uphill battle to get him onboard helping to win the Christmas competition.
The villagers are a great crew, with maybe the exception of Leonora, who acts like a head girl. You can just imagine how pretty the village is and wonder why Sam is averse to Christmas. This was a lovely read.

"The Perfect Christmas Village" by Bella Osborne is a heartwarming holiday tale that takes readers on a journey of unexpected love, community spirit, and the magic of Christmas. Osborne weaves a delightful story around Sam, a Christmas-hating city dweller, and Blythe, a real estate agent with dreams of success.

Sam, seeking the perfect home in a perfect location, unwittingly buys a cottage in Holly Cross, a village that transforms into the most Christmassy wonderland each year. Little does he know that he's about to experience a festive overload in the place he least desires it. Blythe, eager to make a sale and achieve Real Estate Agent of the Month, bends the truth to sell the house to Sam, setting the stage for a series of comical and heartwarming events.

As Sam discovers the Christmas-centric nature of Holly Cross, he unintentionally jeopardizes the village's chance to win the coveted title of Britain's Most Christmassy Village. The villagers, passionate about their holiday traditions, rally against Sam's presence, and Blythe finds herself in the middle of the chaos, tasked with fixing the situation.

Osborne skillfully crafts a narrative that captures the essence of community, love, and the transformative power of the holiday season. Despite Sam's initial aversion to Christmas, the enchanting atmosphere of Holly Cross begins to work its magic on him. As the festive season unfolds, Sam finds himself drawn to the warmth of the community and the joyous spirit of the holidays.

"The Perfect Christmas Village" is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and Christmas magic. Osborne's vivid descriptions bring Holly Cross to life, making it a place readers would want to visit, especially during the holiday season. The characters are endearing, and the plot is infused with festive cheer, making it a perfect read for those who love heartwarming Christmas stories !

Book Review: The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I really need to stop being lured in by beautiful festive-looking covers. This was another meh read for me. Don't even get me started on the morals of someone lying and selling a house to someone in a village known for Christmas when they know he hates Christmas. That is a huge side-eye right from the start. Honestly, it just went downhill from there for me. The only thing charming about this one was the cover and the setting.

The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne tells the story of Sam, a Christmas-hating individual, who finds himself moving to Holly Cross, a village that transforms into the most Christmassy place in the country every year. Blythe, a real estate agent desperate to win the title of Real Estate Agent of the Month, twists the truth to sell Sam a cottage in the midst of this festive village. Sam's arrival not only jeopardizes Holly Cross's chance to win the title of Britain's Most Perfect Christmas Village but also puts him in his own personal hell surrounded by fairy lights. With everyone looking to Blythe to fix things, the festive season looms, giving Sam the opportunity to fall in love with more than just Christmas in Holly Cross.

While the premise of The Perfect Christmas Village may seem promising, it fails to deliver on its potential, leaving readers disappointed. The major concern with this book is the questionable morality of Blythe, who deceives Sam into buying a house in a place he despises. This act of manipulation and dishonesty sets a negative tone for the entire story, making it difficult to empathize with the characters or become invested in their journey.

Moreover, the plot lacks depth and fails to explore its potential conflicts adequately. The narrative revolves around the villagers' efforts to maintain their Christmas spirit while Sam tries to cope with his aversion to the holiday season. However, these conflicts are resolved too easily and lack any real tension or emotional impact. The story feels predictable and lacks the necessary character development to make it engaging.

The writing style is also underwhelming, failing to capture the magic and charm that one would expect from a holiday-themed book. The dialogue feels forced and lacks authenticity, making it difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper level. Additionally, the pacing is inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others feel rushed, leaving little room for the story to breathe and develop naturally.

Despite its flaws, The Perfect Christmas Village does present an idyllic setting that evokes the charm of a festive village. The descriptions of Holly Cross and its transformation during the holiday season are vivid and visually appealing. However, this alone is not enough to salvage the overall reading experience.

In conclusion, The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne falls short of delivering a captivating and heartwarming holiday tale. The morally dubious actions of the characters, coupled with a lackluster plot and underdeveloped writing, make it difficult to recommend this book. If you are seeking a truly enchanting holiday read, it would be best to look elsewhere.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

🌟 Review 🌟

This was an absolutely adorable read and one that I have definitely needed, and used, to escape reality over the past week. I didn't want it to end!

I love @bellaosborneauthor books and this one was no different. Blythe was a really relatable, down-to-earth character and I empathised with her struggles with her Father especially, as well opening up after being hurt.

I love how, along with Blythe, the reader unpeels the layers of Sam to find the shiny centre of him. He is a complicated man but this book is about what we all want - to be seen, understood and loved.

I love how this book literally builds up to Christmas in terms of its structure, and skips along quicker and quicker, as this is very much how I feel about Christmas as it nears. It also helps to build the excitement and tension towards three strands of the plot - and how Bella interwove those was also brilliantly executed.

At its heart, this is book about community, family, and taking chances. It has many twists and turns. It's the perfect Christmas read!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I have loved Bella’s previous books and this was no exception - plus a holiday read is always fun! The story had me smiling and laughing a lot. The main characters are likeable and so are the rest - which is important in a book like this as you want to be transported somewhere that you’d want to go! Loved it.

The Perfect Christmas Village is all about community spirit and help when it’s needed.

Blythe is an estate agent and sells a house to Sam, but she forgets to tell an all important thing about the house and village. The village competes to be the most festive village every year, but Sam hates Christmas.

It’s a fun christmassy read that will make you smile.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

The Perfect Christmas Village was a pretty sweet read that had a heartwarming small town with a wonderfully tight-knit community. The ‘townies’ were definitely the best characters and are what made this read enjoyable for me. Sadly, that’s where my enjoyment ends.

Unfortunately, the festive feeling just wasn’t there for me. I think because this book began at the start of the year, meaning it covered more holidays than just Christmas, by time we got to Christmas I was underwhelmed. You spend over 70% of the book building up to December and that’s around the time I’d expect our main characters to get together and we’re creeping closer to Christmas. But no. Christmas happens in just one short chapter and it was very sweet though.

I understood the need for the book to begin earlier as there needed to be time for certain stories to play out, but I did find the beginning a little difficult to get through. I was confused as to why a book called The Perfect Christmas Village was spending so much time outside of the festive season. It makes sense now, but when you begin the book and it’s currently April (or whenever it started) you do have some questions.

Even after finishing the book, I’m not sold on the romance between Blythe and Sam. Too much time was spent having little spats and not enough time was spent with them actually getting to know each other. After one event Sam invites her back for coffee and out of nowhere he’s asking her to sleep with him. It’s obvious this is where the book was going, but the change in mood was drastic.

I was way more invested in Vicky and Owen, even if I didn’t like her character that much. This being the fact that she constantly objectifies Sam and Owen. There’s finding them attractive and then there’s constantly making crude comments. I felt like this brought the tone down and stopped this from being a clean romance. Which is fine, I’m not prudish but it was so out of place.

I love that Vicky and Owen had their first kiss at 17 after a Captain America film - literally what happened with my boyfriend and me, we’ve been together for over 7 and a half years now.

This wasn’t a bad read in the slightest, I had a pretty good time reading it, but the fact that it didn’t deliver on the festivities or romance is a big deal for me.

Sam who hates Christmas moves to Holly Cross, the most Christmasy village ever. sweet story and setting, I enjoyed it very much.

I was looking forward to this as I have enjoyed Bella's books before, I love a count down for anything so this seemed right up my street, the only down side for me was I didn't like Blythe, she just didn't come across as very nice and when she lied or did something not very nice she could always justify it to herself and I didn't like the way she treat poor Sam, I wasn't going to finish but was intrigued by a side story.

Its an ok read just a bit disappointing.

This is a perfectly judged will they won’t they romance that we all love with a clever Christmas setting. Blythe is an estate agent and keen to get her numbers up at the end of the month she talks a buyer into a cottage she knows he will love. There are complications, of course, the buyer is Sam who hates Christmas and he’s moving into a village called Holly Cross, which is more Christmassy than the North Pole. It’s community spirit writ large and there’s no escaping the juggernaut of tinsel and lights that’s approaching. Blythe will have to do her best to make right the wrong she has done him and maybe make him like Christmas just a little bit. How hard can it be?
There are many amusing moments in this book and just writing about it makes me want to jump back into its pages. It's a fun read but manages to have a serious side too. There are opportunities for many different emotions but the heart this novel sings out optimism and belief in the goodness of people. I can’t resist a Christmas romance and I’m continually astounded that writers can come up with another variation on the theme. If there’s a job reading Christmas novels and drinking hot chocolate every month of the year I’m up for it, bring on the bells.

The Perfect Village Christmas is a really sweet holiday romance filled with all the ingredients to make an excellent winter read. The small Warwickshire town provides the setting vying for the title of best Christmas village bringing the community together. Blythe is at the heart of village life and provides the link to lots of connections within the book. Through her competitive nature she ends up selling a house in the village to Sam, who hates Christmas. This leads to a fair bit of confrontation. Sam’s reluctance to get involved did feel a little over dramatic. I’m not sure I would have still been interested if I were Blythe, Bella Osbourne always delivers a guaranteed page turner with all the feelings.

Bella Osborne never fails to give her readers a great book, the only thing that spoils it for me is that they are usually split into little novellas, so I tend to avoid them. Thankfully though, this is a whole book, from start to end of the story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Peppered with fully-formed & believable characters in a wonderful setting this book is full of humour along with friendship & romance. It held my interest from beginning to end & had me giggling at times.
Perfect winter read.

This is mainly Blythe & Sam's story, but Blythe's best friend Vicky also has her story told. I was really touched by moments in Vicky's story, but as nothing is mentioned about her in the blurb I will not give any spoilers here. I think I might have enjoyed the story even more if the main focus had been Vicky's story!

Blythe sells a house to Sam (a city boy) neglecting to tell him that their small town goes all out at Christmas and it is expected that he will participate. Some months later it becomes clear that Sam really hates everything about Christmas and refuses to play any part in any of the activities and it becomes Blythe's mission to some how get him involved and perhaps even change his mind about Christmas.

I loved all the Christmas festivities and the community feeling we get. It's such a warm hug that makes me wish I could live somewhere like Holly Cross.

The village of Holly Cross go all out for Christmas. Desperate to win the local competition for Best Christmas Village, ringleader Leonora won’t allow anyone to opt out. Local girl, Blythe’s mission is to get newcomer, Sam, to embrace the festivities and decorate his cottage but Sam can be very stubborn, especially when it comes to avoiding Christmas.

This is a feel good, smaltzy story about community and togetherness. There’s the inevitable “will they, won’t they” romance which is predictable from the second chapter, but if you’re after a book to get you in the mood for the festive season, this will do the trick.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A book on great community spirit, all the Christmas feels and friendship.

Well this was funny Blythe was shameless in wanting to meet her sales targets and poor Sam got caught up in that….Selling a house to a man who hates Christmas in the most Christmassy village! But how funny they were together. I loved their easy banter. They really made me laugh out loud. Blythe did not give up with him and it was hilarious to read.

I loved how there were several stories in here and each one tender and sweet. It was such an easy lovely read. I am so glad I read it.

What a beautiful cover.

Favourite scene’s had to be out of The Grinch or house viewing for Mr Gardener 😂 hilarious!

Well this book has definitely made me excited for the upcoming festive season, the food and drink that goes with it too.

Favourite things about Christmas;

•Mulled wine, red wine and cheese
•Festive books
•Christmas movies
•Festive candles
•The magic of it all
•Family/friends time
•Res lipstick season
•Mince pies
•Eating chocolate

A sweet and romantic Christmas read. I loved the two main characters and Blythe's mum and stepdad. However some of the characters were really hard to love. Overall a decent Christmassy read