Blythe is an estate agent who lives in Holly Cross, a small little village that wants to be known as the most amazing Christmas village ever. When Blythe sells Sam, who unbeknownst to everyone, is kind of a Grinch, the house at the center of the village’s display, Blythe takes it upon herself to befriend Sam and turn him into a Christmas loving villager filled with holiday spirit like the rest of them. How the village and Sam learn to understand each other as they go through the course of the year and the holidays approach was really heartwarming.
There’s also a side story which contains a bit of a mystery that turns out quite well but my favorite part was the semi feral cat, Turpin, who quickly makes himself at home in Sam’s house. And as Blythe comes to help Sam deal with Turpin as well as get him to take part in various events in the village and they spend more time together, they start to develop feelings beyond friendship. Some fun support characters and lots of holiday vibes make this a fun little escape for a few hours and I could totally see it being made into a Hallmark movie.
Thanks to Aria Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

this book reminds me so much of gilmore girls and stars hollow…but if it was in England.

Blythe sells a house not on the market in the most christmas-y town in the UK. The town is competing for the title of the most perfect christmas village and have a new grinch to deal with.

small town vibes. very good read.

In a Nutshell: An imperfect Christmas story. Could have been really good had the characters behaved better. Not my favourite Bella Osborne work by far.

Story Synopsis:
Blythe is desperate to sell just one more house this month so that she can set a new record at the real estate firm she works with. So she bends the truth just a teensy bit when she sells a home in the picturesque little town of Holly Cross to city dweller Sam. Sam hates Christmas, so he is unaware that he has purchased a residence in the centre of the most Christmassy village of the country. Needless to say, as Christmas draws near, Sam is the Grinch who might jeopardise Holly Cross’s chances of winning a Christmas village competition. Now Blythe has to do some quick reparations as she is the one to blame.
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of Blythe and Vicky – Blythe’s best friend.

I admit, I was looking for light fluff when I picked this up. But one really bad habit I have is that even when I read fluff, I can’t let go of my logical side. As such, this book, that seemed intent on punishing the honest guy and supporting the lying girl, wouldn’t win any fairness awards from me.

Sam was clear that he detested Christmas. He was the one Blythe hid the truth from. And yet, he was made out to be the villain (rather, the Grinch) of the story. Why? Not everyone likes (or needs to like) Christmas, and it was totally unfair of them to compel Sam to get involved. If I were in Sam’s position, I would have had a mental breakdown at the annoying intimidation of the villagers. It was strangely ironic to read a Christmas story with no sign of the Christmas spirit.

Moreover, as a small-town holiday story, I expected to find some genuine Christmassy moments in the plot as well. But there’s no sign of carolling or anyone going to church, or doing anything else that’s truly connected to Christmas, except for one scene about a Christmas day family lunch. Instead, the whole story focusses only on those elements of Christmas that even I detest – the over-the-top decorations, the needless competitions to have the best decorated house/village, the frivolous expenses for purchasing huge quantities of non-recyclable décor, the cutting off of live trees, the larger-than-life gifts,… All nothing but crass commercialisation with no connection to the solemnity of the occasion.

Of course, this is only a romcom, so I can’t really expect much on character development and festive accuracy. So let me gauge it as a romcom.

The rom is almost invisible. Sam and Blythe are at loggerheads with each other, until they suddenly aren’t. There’s no mention of attraction, there’s no friendship that slowly warms up to something deeper, there’s no “sparks flew” meet-up. No build-up at all! Basically, it is like a Sophie Kinsella novel, where the idiotic self-centred heroine can do what she wants without any concern for others, and the good guy still falls in love with her. So unfair and unrealistic!

The com is more varied in comparison. There’s situational comedy, double entendre, slapstick, repartee,... I like clever humour so the puns and the dirty jokes were quite funny to me. But the slapstick humour, I could have happily kicked out.

There is a minor mystery in the story, connected to the owner of the house that Sam purchased. This is decently satisfying, though it wasn’t convincing.

The blurb makes this sound like the story of Sam and Blythe’s relationship. But about a fourth of the book is written from the point of view of Blythe’s best friend Vicky, who is a single mom and has her own second-chance romance. I didn’t like this track either, as once again, there was no build-up, and once again, the past involved lies.

What I did like about the story were some of the secondary characters such as Blythe’s mother and stepfather, Vicky’s daughter, and most of all, Tarpin the feral cat.

Basically, there are a few good holiday moments herein, but on the whole, it was a meh experience for me. I’d rather read Jaimie Admans, who does a much better job at handling holiday romances in vivid settings. Holly Cross felt very pale in comparison to the stunning locations Admans envisages in her novels.

All in all, this did most of what it set out to do. If you don’t use your brains too much and are a Sophie Kinsella fan, you might enjoy this as an entertaining light read.

Unfortunately for me, I was looking to replicate the great characterisations I saw in this author’s ‘The Promise of Summer’ and ‘The Library’, but that wasn’t to happen. As it was also over-dramatic for my tastes, this might just be a case of right book, wrong reader. Do read the other reviews and get a more balanced opinion before you take a call.

2.5 stars.

My thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Perfect Christmas Village”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Blythe has sold Sam a house in the most Christmassy village but omitted to tell Sam this and he absolutely loathes Christmas.

There was a lovely array of characters in the book from the unstoppable force that is Leonora to a kindly gent like Arthur and everything in between. Unfortunately, the behaviours of some of the characters annoyed me at times.

Although the synopsis is mainly about Blythe and Sam, there are a couple of other storylines running through involving Vicky and Murray and I enjoyed them unfolding.

A fun and emotional read that I would recommend.

Thank you Rachels Random Resources, Aria and Netgalley for my copy which I read and give my honest review voluntarily.

A quick read but not great. Blythe was rude and did lie to Sam quite a bit just to win a contest. I didn’t blame him at all for wanting nothing to do with her or the crazed villagers. Including Vicky who thinks everyone should do her part time jobs for her so she can collect the money, what? I understand helping out in an emergency but not all the time. She really was just on the lookout for a sugar daddy type I guess. Very uncomfortable.

All the nosy and not charming villagers didn’t help either. If I was Sam I would have run screaming and demanding a refund.

Another warm and uplifting read from Bella Osborne who is without a doubt one of my favourite authors and a go-to author when I need a cosy fix. The Perfect Christmas Village has all the ingredients you need in a heartwarming and beautiful festive story. 5 sparkling stars on top of the Christmas tree from me!

I always enjoy a Bella Osborne story, they are some of my favourite reads. As I’m a big fan of Christmas as well as Bella’s books this is the best pre-Christmas present I could get and I can you you that when I opened my present there was nothing disappointing inside at all. It was a magical festive read, with some grumpy/sunshine energy and someone who dislikes Christmas (how ?!) being won over by the most Christmassy village and a bit of romance, yeah he was never going to stay a non-fan!

I love Holly Cross, it’s residents, I love how infectious their enjoyment of the Christmas period is, their passion for all things seasonal is so cute I want to go join them. Sam and Blythe’s story is just so lovely, it’s lighthearted abd full of great humour, the witty banter was fabulous. The supporting cast of characters, the community play just as important a part in this story and I love that so much, because who doesn’t love reading about feisty friends and neighbours, wondering and hoping if your favourite supporting character might get their own story one day.

If you’re looking for a book that will entertain you, bring warmth to your heart and very toes, that will bring Christmas alive, then this book is it and you will want to fall into it’s pages and come out ready to decorate your street.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.

The perfect Christmas village is also the perfect Christmas novel. Combines a little bit of mystery, a lot of homey warm villagers, romance, and of course the perfect winter holiday. Another Hallmark movie to be!

Blythe and Vicki have been friends since childhood, growing up in Holly Cross. When Blythe has a life setback, she moves back home with her mom and stepdad. She loves living in Holly Cross again, but she yearns for her father’s approval. In her quest to be the best estate agent in Holly Cross, she stumbles into a home sale. For a home that’s not for sale.

Sam, the potential buyer, is one good looking man. Blythe notices this, but his attitude toward Christmas is less than appealing. What Sam doesn’t know is that the house he wishes to purchase is simply the center of the Holly Cross annual Christmas festivities. Can Blythe turn his grinch-ness into community spirit?

Adorable book that I enjoyed immensely. Sappy, sweet, all the things you look for in a Christmas novel.

A heart-warming and cosy seasonal read. Very engrossing and was hard to put down. There is something magical about festive books and this one is no exception.

Holly Cross sounds like the most Christmasy village around. I loved the community spirit - not just the encouragement to join in with the decorating but the support each household gave to eachother - the realisation that it takes a whole community working together to achieve something good. I liked Blythe’s never say die attitude and was willing for her to prove a number of doubters wrong. A feel good read which will certainly put you in the Christmas mood.

I confess I choose to read this book because of the gorgeous cover and because I love Christmas and I am keen to get a head start on my Christmas reading but after reading it I am so excited to say that it is a funny, festive, romantic comedy with my most favourite thing featured Dog's!! Although it is set around Christmas it can easily be read at any time as the main plot isn't focused on Christmas. The plot is more rom com with Blythe the real estate agent trying to make a sale and she manages to sell a house to Christmas hating Sam. What Sam doesn't realise is that he has moved to the most Christmas loving village ever. Will Blythe bring Sam any festive cheer? I had a joyful time reading this book and I found it to really get me in a upbeat mood and it was soo much fun.

I received this book as an ARC from Aria&Aries through NetGalley and this review is based on my own opinion.

Blythe has to sell one more house to become real estate agent of the month so she bends the truth to sell a new house to city boy Sam.
Christmas hating Sam moves to Holly Cross, thinking that he found the perfect house. But little does he know that Holly Cross turns into the most Christmassy village in the country.
Sams arrival might cost the town their chance to win Most Perfect Christmas village and everyone expects Blythe to fix things but Christmas might not be the only things that Sam falls in love with this year.

The Perfect Christmas Village was just as the title says; perfect.
The story really made you feel as if you were spending Christmas in a cosy village and it had a lot of funny scenes that had me laughing out loud on thr couch.
I would really recommend this book if you want to get cosy with a blanket and a cup of tea, or a hot chocolate and if you like Hallmark movies 🥰.

The Holly Cross Christmas Fayre is going strong and attendance is always huge.

Blythe and Amir are in competition for most sales this month at the Happy Homes Estate Agency. The end of the month is near and Amir is one sale ahead of Blythe. She must sell one more place.

She remembers a home on the Green whose owner recently passed away and she knows it will be sold. However, as it’s not currently listed for sale, she takes a chance and shows it to a man named Sam who wants to move to the area. She has a key to the house as she had promised the previous owner she would feed his feral cat, Turpin. It took a little time, but she finally got a call from a solicitor for the deceased and arranged to sell the house to Sam.

Ah, but Sam has a big dislike of Christmas which is not good because this village is really big on Christmas, plus the lights and other celebrations are numerous. But Sam continues to nix any plans of lights or decorations. But Blythe doesn’t let that stop her.

Blythe’s best friend, Vicky, is a single mother to young Eden. She is struggling to make ends meet and has added dog walking to her to-do list to make extra money.

It’s nice to see how Blythe tries to slowly break down Sam’s disdain for Christmas. But when she learns the reason why, she is more understanding of him. As a huge cat lover, I really liked Turpin and how he brings Blythe and Sam together all the time. In addition, the humor with bits of risqué comments thrown in, made me laugh out loud. I just loved this book which came at a time when I really needed a good laugh.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A festive read set in a village community that loves Christmas with a new resident who has his reasons for not liking the festive season. Blythe is active in the community and a good person, but she is also driven by her need to prove herself. This leads to complications when Sam buys a cottage in the village. What happens next is an engaging mix of conflict, community, friendship and romance. There is also a mystery to solve. I like the village setting, the characterisation and the twists and turns of this festive tale.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

3.25 Stars
One Liner: Okayish read

Blythe doesn’t like it when a fellow agent records more sales than her. She is determined to be the Real Estate Agent of the Month and, in a desperate attempt, manages to sell a house to Sam Ashton (by hiding certain truths). While Sam loves the house, he doesn’t like Christmas.
With the house being the center of the village’s Christmas activity (which they take very, very seriously), things get difficult for Sam and Blythe. Holly Cross Village has a chance to win the title of Britain's Most Perfect Christmas Village if not for Sam. The responsibility falls on Blythe to fix things. Maybe a Christmas Miracle can help her.
Vicky is a single mother to a five-year-old Eden and Blythe’s best friend. She is trying to manage her boring part-time job and the new business venture. But her happiness is threatened with the news of an ex. Can Christmas bring hope for her?
The story comes in the third-person POVs of Blythe and Vicky.

My Thoughts:
Though the official blurb doesn’t mention Vicky anywhere, her story takes up over 30% of the book. She also gets her own POV, which Sam doesn’t.
The story occurs over seven months, starting at the end of May and ending on Boxing Day (December 26th). While this gives enough time for the lead couple to get to know each other and fall in love, the results are mixed.
I do love the setting and the enthusiasm they have for Christmas. There’s quite a lot of competitiveness and almost military-style planning to set up the annual event. The stakes are higher this time due to the contest.
The village has an array of characters to bring enough variety to the setting. They add to the warmth and humor.
Turpin is the highlight of the book. He is a semi-feral who wipes to take a swipe at anyone or anything he doesn’t like. All scenes with Turpin are my favorite (and he did save the book).
The premise of Grumpy vs. Sunshine and Grinch vs. Christmas (or something like that) is fun. However, I’m not that convinced by the execution. While Blythe and Sam have a fine banter, I couldn’t feel any chemistry between them for most of the book.
While I understand Blythe’s character (and how her relationship with her father shaped her life), I didn’t like how she kept pushing Sam despite repeatedly telling her he didn’t like Christmas. TBH, if someone sells me a house without revealing certain info and expects me to jump into the local madness, I will kick them out and lock the door. There’s a thin line between being persuasive and forcing a relative stranger to do something they don’t want (if the roles were reversed, it’d be called harassment).
In a way, I liked Vicky’s character a little better. She is a single parent with some not-so-good business ideas to make more money for her child. She’s a flawed character but someone who gives good ideas to Blythe. However, her track with Owen is not well-structured. Though it makes some good points, characters cannot move on without acknowledging their past. Important discussions should occur on the page.
Everything ends well, of course. The mystery around Murray is solved, and we get HEA. The ending is stronger, but the path to it is rocky and not as enjoyable as I expected. Furthermore, the pacing is slow and seems to have substantial filler content.

To summarize, The Perfect Christmas Village might have a perfect Christmas at the end but doesn’t manage to inspire the same level of feelings. It’s a decent read but not something I would add to my top seasonal reads.
Thank you, NetGalley and Aria & Aries, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a lovely cosy festive read with relatable characters. My favourite character was definitely Turpin the cat and I loved reading about his escapades.
Holly Cross takes Christmas very seriously and it was fun to read about the celebrations. There were also some serious subjects in this book but overall it was a nice, heartwarming read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

With a father involved in the property business who seems to find her a constant disappointment, it means a great deal to Blythe to be recognised as Estate Agent of the Year in the village of Holly Cross – even if it means selling a house that’s not even on the market, and hoping everything can be put right later. The house belonged to her friend Murray, recently passed away – and the (at first) delighted buyer is Sam, who had been a particularly difficult client to please until she showed him the house of his dreams.

The sale works itself out – with a bit of a mystery attached – but Sam, who hates Christmas with a passion, is horrified to find that he’s moved somewhere that’s in contention for the title of the UK’s Most Perfect Christmas Village, with a community for whom success means so much and whose efforts are managed with military precision by the redoubtable Leonora, with firm plans for his house to be the centrepiece of their display that it’s always been. When he absolutely refuses to engage, Blythe doggedly sets about trying to change his mind – with an adopted semi-feral cat (the wonderful Turpin) who needs feeding, she’s a regular visitor, chipping away at his reluctance to join in, their friendship growing as she begins to find that he’s not quite the miserable so-and-so he at first appears to be.

I really must say that I loved everything about this book – that grumpy/sunshine relationship between Blythe and Sam (both of whom turned out to be such likeable characters, with particular issues in their past lives), the community of Holly Cross with its quirky and such wonderfully drawn individuals, the subplot with friend Vicky and her attempts to find a source of extra income while managing a relationship of her own, and all the many activities in the build-up to Christmas that really were absolutely everything I could possibly have wished for. There’s a lot of laughter, the humour so perfectly judged – but there’s plenty of poignancy too, with all the issues really sensitively handled, along with a few elements of mystery and moments of particular drama.

It’s all just so perfectly paced, thoroughly enjoyable, and the warmth of the writing really is exceptional – the whole book felt like the most gorgeous festive hug, and I adored every single moment. This is one I’d urge every lover of Christmas romance to add to their reading list – I promise you won’t be disappointed, and that it’ll delight you in every way. It might be only October, but I found myself buying some new fairy lights and a far-too-large nutcracker ornament today – and it’s all because of Bella Osborne…

(Review also copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

A pleasant Christmas story based in an adorable festive setting.
I loved how the two opposite characters were drawn together.
I really wanted Blythe to succeed! With her unwavering dedication to work, her friend and the community, you couldn’t help but like her!
Sam was an interesting character, a bit mysterious and aloof, it was fun to see him deal with the wayward cat Turpin ( great name!) and to eventually fit in more with the community.
Some unexpected twists added another element to the story and meant it was quite the page turner!

Thank you NetGalley, Bella Osborne and Aria & Aries for the copy of the book The Perfect Christmas Village. This is my personal review.
I was so excited to read a book by author Bella Osborne. I have read many of her books and loved reading them. For me this one just fell short of my expectations.
The town named Holly Cross was perfect. The characters were likable. The romance was easy and just right for the story. And yet it was missing something for me. I wanted a heartfelt tug as Blythe and Sam grew closer.
This book would make an excellent holiday Hallmark movie.

A very cute read! It wasn't my favorite book ever, it was unremarkable, but it was cute. It was good. It was solid and predictable and everything I wanted to escape the real world for awhile. The tone was positive and clean, and the dual story lines between blythe and Vicki worked. Dogs are never a bad addition, and I found myself blissfully distracted by a good (albeit shallow) read. I'd recommend this for a good holiday escape!