Love, heartbreak, friendship, confidence, a chance meeting, New York City, and London set the stage for Fairytale of New York. It's a charming winter romance that has an old Hollywood movie feel to it.

Charlie travels from London to New York City to spend the holidays with her boyfriend Harry but he is nowhere to be seen. He is not answering phone calls and Charlie has no idea where he lives (Seriously, how does she not know her boyfriend's address). Questions about Harry's whereabouts swirl through her head as she finds a place to stay. Has Harry ghosted her? Has something happened to him? She sets out to find the answers to her questions.

Along the way, she meets a man named Pete who is kind, understanding, and welcoming. While Charlie seeks the truth, Pete helps her out and shows her NYC and invites her to meet some of his friends and family along the way.

I could feel Charlie's frustration, confusion, heartbreak, and hope jumping off the pages. At times I got a little frustrated with her. Seriously, you have been with someone for 16 years and when he moves across the pond for work, you do not know where he lives? But apart from that, I enjoyed both Pete and Charlie. I liked how Pete befriended Charlie and tried to help her feel less alone in NYC. I also enjoyed how Charlie grew over the story and found her footing. She becomes more self-confident, aware, and assertive. I thought the author did a great job showing Charlie find her footing and wondered if I was in a different country and suddenly ghosted, what would I do? Would I have turned tail and returned home, or would I stay and go on a quest of sightseeing and truth finding?

I participated in the Boldwood books readalong with this book and had a great time doing the prompts and challenges. They made this book even more enjoyable.

Wonderfully heartwarming, a hug in a book. A fairy tale of New York is well written, funny, heart breaking and hard to put down.

This is the first book I've read by this author; I was intrigued by the book cover and the blurb!
Although the book starts at Christmas it’s not exactly a Christmas book. Thirty-two-year-old Charlie Brown arrives in New York, expecting to spend three lovely months in the city with her boyfriend Harry. Except Harry is nowhere to be seen and isn’t answering his phone..
This is a lovely story about finding your own inner strength and resilience in the face of challenges.
I was a bit worried when I read the prologue and thought the book was going to be dark and twisty – it’s not. It is a real page turner though and would make an excellent movie. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

Thanks to @theboldbookclub for hosting #FairyTaleReadAlong!

Such a fun rom-com with wonderful characters and I kept thinking it would make a fabulous movie.

It's always a treat to discover a new author, too, so I'll have to check out other books by @zoefolbigg

What a fabulous feel good book.
Charlie heads off on a romantic trip to meet up with her boyfriend in New York.
Let’s say things don’t go according to plan. But that’s ok Charlie’s good, right?
Taken on a heart pulling, heart jumping, sad & joy ride with this book.
But it’s so lovely.
New York sounds fab, London sounds fab, the descriptions are wonderful.
So glad I got to read it.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Fairytale of New York by Zoe Folbigg, published by Boldwood Books
This was one of the best stories I've read this year. I did not want to put my kindle down! Great story line and characters, good twists and turns and a wonderful ending. The story was very easy to get into, it had me on page one
I liked the characters, and their descriptions, Charlie's surroundings and adventures were well described and thought out, I like how Charlie meets people throughout the book. And how her relationship with Pete unfolds.The whole story was written in a believable way.  The story was not too fast paced, events were well timed with lots of description.
It was fun to read some history throughout the story as well and read about sights and sounds of New York and London.
Charlie has finished her last day of work for the Christmas holidays and she is heading home to pack and fly off to New York to be with her boyfriend Harry for 3 months. But when she gets to the airport, he isn't there to meet her.
Read this lovely novel to find out what she does next. I will be reading more books by this author!

The Fairytale of New York by zoe folbigg is a holiday romance, that much more than a holiday story or a romance. When Charlie is left stranded with no explanation from her long term boyfriend, in JFK the day before Christmas Eve, she is too embarrassed to admit what happened to her family back home. But she's in New York during the holidays and is determined to figure out what happened to her MIA boyfriend and to experience NYC.

The holiday portion of this book passes quickly, with a lot of emotions for Charlie, and the kindling of the romance with Pete takes the majority of the book as Charlie needs a lot of time to recover from her breakup (fair enough!). As a result, this book is just a really great fiction story about what to do when life throws you curveballs and the importance of listening to your heart. I binge read this book over a weekend day, and really enjoyed it. I think it is a great book for fiction readers who don't mind a small amount of romance that doesn't get in the way of a good story. I also think it is perfect for readers who don't want a traditional holiday "hallmark Christmas" style book, but want to enjoy a few reminders of the season. This is the kind of holiday book you could read any time of year!

Thanks so much to the Netgalley and the publisher, Boldwood, for giving me the chance to read this book. I'm really looking forward to seeing what other stories Folbigg has to tell!

This book made me feel so much. When Charlie was desperate and so disappointed, I felt her despair. I felt her hatred for her ex-boyfriend (it was sooo deserved). When she was getting to know Pete, I felt her coming out of the darkness. I felt her uneasiness, her braveness, and her joy. I felt her hesitation to move forward and eventually her readiness to reach out and capture happiness for herself.

The book was a little chaotic at times, but the emotions the author pulled from me more than made up for that.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book was a great December read since maybe half of it takes place around Christmas and New Year’s. The story has a lot of depth to it and was very immersive - it was very hard to put this one down. I loved the settings of New York and London - it felt like a bit of an adventure exploring these places with the characters, especially when I recognized a few places from my own travels.

I really enjoyed the main character, Charlie. She is accomplished and hardworking, but she also has some self-doubts and ghosts from her past that she needs to resolve. Along the way she befriends Pete, another likable character who helps show her around New York City. These characters are joined by a diverse cast of side characters that were interesting and had their own stories.

I thought the style of writing was interesting in this book. It follows Charlie, but internal thoughts and feelings are shared from the characters that are around her too. I don’t usually see a narrative like this, but it really worked in this book, giving additional insight and even a sense of mystery since we obviously don’t know the whole backstory yet. I would love to read some more books by this author.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free review copy of this book. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

Charlie is reuniting with her boyfriend Harry in New York over the holidays, and she can’t wait. But when she lands, Harry is no where to be found, and try as she might, she can’t get ahold of him.

As slowly comes to terms with her predicament, she faces a new decision

I was in the mood for some more Christmas reads when I got an email from Boldwood Books about this one. It seemed perfect and I immediately downloaded it. The book started out strong a few days before the holidays and mainly focused through New Year’s. I think that I expected more out of it for the holidays, but it was more focused on the main character’s stay in New York and the subsequent return trip home. I did enjoy the story, and I felt that the writing was strong and well done. I felt the descriptions were succinct and on point with the location, making me feel like I was right there with the characters. I also felt the characters were well done and thought out. This was a wonderful story of love and growth. I just couldn’t get over the disappointment of the holiday letdown, however, it was a beautiful story.

Thank you so much to Boldwood Books and Netgalley @netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for the honest review.

So good!!

I'm so glad I picked this book up, it was just so good! I'd never read anything by this author, but she will absolutely be on my radar from now on.

Charlotte (Charlie) Brown's story is such a mix of emotions, and I can't go into details because I won't write spoilers. There's heartache and happiness, sadness and fear, friendship and unfriendlies. There are many times I want to reach through the pages and give Harry a good kick or two! Pete seems like a big teddy bear kind of guy, nerdy and sweet. I want to see more of Charlie's story if this can somehow turn into a series.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

She has taken a long trip to romance. One man disappoints her but she finds her happily ever after in an unexpected way. Charlie will travel across an ocean to find her Prince Charming.

Charlie leaves London to spend Christmas and the next three months with her long-term boyfriend who is on assignment in New York City. When her plane lands, Harry is not there and he's not answering his phone. Also, there is a mysterious lost little girl.

By Chapter 14 I thought the story was wrapped up, but there were still 30 more to go. I enjoyed the behind the scenes of a tv dance competition, the touristy New York sites, the big Greek New Year's Eve and the coffee shops.

The rest of the book dragged on. The prologue sets up the book for some twists but it really didn't pay off. <spoiler>Same with the little girl. Basically, I agreed with her friends and family that Charlie should have dumped Harry years ago and that could have been done in 100 less pages. Why didn't she take a photo of Harry with Isabelle's family as proof and head back to London?</spoiler>

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review. A lovely story beautifully brought to life (was sad to say goodbye).. Hated Harry! This would make a great film or TV series.

I loved Pete's friends and family!! They were all seemed like they'd be super fun to hang out with. But I didn't love Harry. I mean who just doesn't show up to the airport when their girlfriend is flying to see them.

Overall, this was a charming read that is set in New York and London! It starts out a few days before Christmas and would be the perfect book to kick off your Christmas reading!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

A lovely romantic read with great atmosphere and setting. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I’m a sucker for a New York City romance, and Fairytale of New York by Zoe Folbigg doesn’t disappoint.

Make up artst Charlie is ready for a few months off from work to spend Christmas with long term boyfriend Harry, who lives and works in New York. With excitement buzzing through her, she makes her way through the airport…but Harry doesn’t show.

Charlie is a likeable lead, successful and vibrant, with warmth emanating from her lines on the page. In contrast, Harry seems self-centred, selfish and spineless, and someone I would very much like to punch. Lucky for him he is fictional…

Unlike Harry, the other male character, Pete, is gentle and genuine, a slightly dorky family man who is quietly confident and charming. Folbigg has certainly written Pete as a character to fall in love with..

Additional characters are charismatic and diverse, perfectly reflecting New York and London inhabitants.

New York st Christmas is the perfect setting, allowing Charlie to explore and find her feet whilst contemplating why Harry is missing in action. It is the perfect city to get distracted by, to get lost in, to find new love…

The narrative has depth, teasing a dark past between Charlie and Harry which has tarnished his reputation with her loved ones. This alongside a budding new romance had me addicted, devouring chapter after chapter in little more than a day.

The perfect festive romance to curl up with, Fairytale of New York is out now. Thanks to Boldwood Books for the access via NetGalley.

Charlie Brown is an in-demand make-up artist with fantastic friends, a home of her own, Mabel the cat, and the perfect partner she is off to visit in New York right after her current job ends.
Only, when she gets there, do things start to go wrong.
Stranded in New York, Charlie ends up on a strange journey, meeting handsome strangers, discovering horrifying secrets, and leaving there even more confused than before.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I won't say it was a light-hearted read, as there are some more delicate matters within, but it was a good read, and I have to say I loved Pete and his family.
Charlie's support network in London and at home with her parents is awesome, and Mabel the cat is just wonderful.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, it is perfect to read in the lead up to Christmas. The book is set in both New York and England and has an engaging storyline. I wanted to find out what had happened to Harry.
This was a heartwarming and well written book. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Loved it! And I loved the ending. 💗 This was not a feel good Christmas story so if that’s what you’re looking for this isn’t it. This started out heartbreaking and crushing to eventually transform into one of my favorite romances ever. It’s a slow burn and I couldn’t put it down.
Someone said it was similar to Jo Jo Moyes writing and I would agree. I’m so glad I read it.
Thanks Boldwood Books via NetGalley.