This book has very emotional and hard hitting themes. Libby is suffering from grief and guilt after the death of her parents. Her grief is a major part of this book as she is struggling a lot.
Despite this, the book still manages to be heartwarming as Libby learns comes to term with her parents death and accepting it. There is a strong sense of friendship and community. Libby has a second chance of happiness and romance. This is definitely a rollercoaster of a read.
I have never been to New York or Central Park, but the descriptions were very detailed and vivid. I could imagine myself visiting there. Although there is a lot of grief and sadness in this book it still manages to be very Festive. This book is very well written and I really enjoyed reading it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my ARC.

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

Another fabulous book by Jo Bartlet.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Two years ago Libby lost her parents in a road accident and has blamed herself ever since.

Her grandparents want to go on holiday, but are worried about how she will cope whilst they’re gone. So they send her to New York, her Great Aunt Dottie has had surgery and they’d like her to help with running her Christmas shop whilst she recovers.

Whilst working in the shop, Libby makes friends with the other employees. She meets the other business owners and makes friends with them too.

As she goes for a walk in Central Park, she meets Harry, who is the park ranger. But she still thinks of her parents and what they would be doing if they were here too.

Will Harry help Libby move on from blaming herself and start to live her life?

I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed the flow of the writing and how easy it was to read. I think this is a sweet and cute christmas story about coming back to oneself and healing from the past. At some parts I was a tad confused but this could just be me reading it too fast and putting it down every so often as I was reading on my kindle.

I will definitely be checking out more from this author as the story, style and execution was really nice and well done.

This was a fun holiday read! In this book we get to follow Liberty along on her trip to New York. After losing both of her parents and struggling with guilt over the accident her Nan decides it would be helpful for her to spend time in New York for the holidays. Liberty gets to enjoy the magic of the city helping at her aunt’s Christmas shop and begins to feel closer to her parents’ memories while taking the trip they’d always wanted to take together. I loved reading Liberty and Harry’s story unfold and how the magic of the city and the memory of her mom helped it all along. This book had the perfect ending with some fun surprises along the way.

A delightful wintery story from Jo Bartlett. I read this across a weekend and it was wonderful to escape to New York - I want to go for real now!

Liberty (Libby) and Harry meet in Central Park. There is serendipity in the air. She is visiting for just two months to help Great Aunt Dottie with the Christmas rush at Candy Cane Lane. Harry makes her question her decision to return to Canterbury for Christmas Eve. I am such a soft touch when it comes to Christmas in New York that my entertainment bar may be set a smidge on the low side. Loved the NYC at Christmas time, especially the Rockefeller tree and a carriage ride in Central Park. There was bit too much "save the community center" drama and way too much "it's all my fault and I must punish myself for all my days."

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

An other amazing book from Jo Bartlett . Libby is feeling guilty for the death of her parents after two years and her grandparents tell her to go to New york to help her Great Aunt Dottie run her Christmas shop while she recovers from a surgery . When she arrives she starts to work at the shop and became friends with the other emploees . She meets new friends and in a walk at Central Park she meets park ranger Harry the man who makes her happy and loved . Will she be able to move on ?
I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Libby has alot of grief after losing her parents in a car accident two years previously when it was around Christmas. She has guilt even though it wasn't her fault that they died.

She ends up travelling to New York to help out at a Christmas themed shop that her great aunt owns that's located in Central Park.

I loved this story and loved Libby and Harry alot.


As a person who's always wanted to go New York I loved reading about all the details of the place. All I know is I can't wait to travel there one day.

Meet Me in Central Park by Jo Bartlett was a pleasant enough read if not ground-breaking. The immediate gelling of Libby, an Englishwoman temporarily in New York, with the established friendship group of locals was a little unlikely but the author created a warmth of friendship that was engaging. The descriptions of Central Park were strong a well. If you're looking for a Christmas book to sink into you could look further and fare a lot worse.

Libby is struggling to get over her parents death in a car accident two years previously at Christmas time. She travels to New York to help at her great aunt's Christmas themed shop near Central Park at her grandparents insistence, despite her not celebrating Christmas..
This is a story on how someone can be totally immersed in their grief, blaming themselves for something they had no control over. It is, however, not a negative feeling book as Libby gradually becomes involved with friends in New York, especially Harry, with whom she feels a strange feeling of already knowing when she first meet him. I was lucky enough to have a holiday there a few years ago, so can easily visualise the settings, a wonderful place to visit. It is a sign of how involved with a character I was when I had to put down the book as I couldn't understand a decision that they'd made, although I had to pick it up again to check whether they'd changed their mind. A slow paced story that makes you think back on your own times of grief, but with a positive spin so it doesn't become morbid, instead gives hope for the future.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

This book just felt very repetitive- and I was struggling to get through it. I can appreciate that this is about someone trying to enjoy and love life after death.. but I felt that every single paragraph mentioned it. It felt like such a downer to read. The immediate jealous of a stranger talking to another girl... kinda weird to me. I powered through to not DNF. The scenery of NYC I absolutely adored- and I think was the reason I pushed through. Just not my cup of tea.

I love a Christmas read and this was enjoyable an enjoyable read. Libby hasn't celebrated Christmas since she lost both her parents two years ago in a terrible accident, which she blames herself for. So when her grandmother suggests she goes to New York to help her great Aunt Dottie, she reluctantly agrees. This is a story about Libby working through her grief, found family, relationship and second chances.

I did find it a little repetitive in places, especially talking about Libby's grief. It's written only from her perspective so it's more about her grief rather than romance. It made me want to visit New York, especially at Christmas time!

I love this authors books and also have a fondness for New York and reading this reminded me of my own visit to Central Park several years ago. And brought back some lovely memories.

This book covers a lot of relatable themes such as love loss and grief and the overall theme of the book is that it is never too late for a second chance in life and to fulfill your dreams.

Reading this made me laugh and cry in equal measure and at times was a heartwarming yet heart wrenching read.

This would make a good hallmark Christmas film.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The story of Libby who lost her parents two years ago in tragic circumstances. and how she ends up in New York helping her Aunt Dottie in her seasonal shop - Candy Cane Lane. Can Libby find her way again and can she open her heart. Read it and find out. Really enjoyable.

This was a cute Christmas story about loss and second chances. It’s 100% closed door, which I do appreciate for hallmark type books which this book definitely is.

Libby loses her parents in an accident from a drunk driver and she spends half her life blaming herself for the accident. Her grandparents want to travel the world but they are worried about Libby. They send her to New York to spend time with her aunt who just had hip surgery and she makes some friends while she’s out there.

She even meets a nice guy… will she stay in New York or will she go home?

I received this book for free from netgalley and publisher In return for my honest return.

A wonderful story of hope and love.

After the death of her parents in a car accident, that was caused by a drunk driver, Libby is finding it difficult to stop blaming herself for what happened and moving on with her life in England. She is convinced by her grandparents to help her great aunt out in her Christmas shop in New York. A time of the year that Libby finds very hard to celebrate and enjoy.

Libby finds friends and is starting to enjoy her new life and what the future holds in the new found friend, Harry.

Tears flowed and smiles gathered as I grew to love each and every character.

Thank you Jo Bartlett for another wonder read!

two years after her parents are killed in a car accident, Libby goes to New York City to help her Great Aunt Dottie run her Christmas shop. Her grandparents send her there so she can get away from the memories of her parent's death. Libby hasn't celebrated Christmas since her parents were killed in a car accident heading to New York City. After reluctantly heading to NYC Libby starts to find new friends and a love interest in New York City in a Community Center. There she starts taking art classes with friends to help her deal with her grief. As she explores New York City, she remembers all her happy memories with her parents and how excited they were to enjoy NYC. This is a lovely story of someone trying to work through their grief and find their joy again. Definitely recommend this read!

First thought: A heart felt story about learning to forgive, accept and live life again in the face of tragedy. This was gracefully written and really pulled at the heart strings along the way.

Libby lost everything 2 years ago, and she’s to blame at-least that what she tells herself. She has punished and not allowed herself to experience any joy. Christmas is the worst time of the year and she’ll do anything to avoid it. Her grandparents are worried she is going down a path she won’t come back from, so they come up with a plan to send her to NYC to help her great aunt with her Christmas store.

Libby finds herself in NYC a place her parents dreamed of visiting and for the first time in two years she find herself smiling. She has made a new group of friends, she’s loving working for her aunt but she can’t figure out how to move forward. She doesn’t feel she deserves happiness and is stuck in the past.

Then she meets a handsome Central Park Ranger and she’s afraid to let him in as she’s only in NYC for a few months before heading back to England. Will Libby work through her grief and realize she shouldn’t punish herself for the loss of her parents? Will she open her heart again to the opportunity for love? Or will she return to England more heartbroken than she left?

Themes you’ll find:

* Finding Yourself
* Loss of Parents
* Destiny
* Supportive Friends
* Closed Door Romance

This was a cute feel good read that was easy to read and kept me engaged. Made me want to crawl under a blanket and I wish I had read this during Christmas season. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC

This book was very thought provoking and moving. Libby’s story really touched me. I really felt for her, she felt like she lost everything and she couldn’t make sense of it or move on. She was grieving for her loss, but also she recognised what her parents would be missing out on and even her grandparents as the book progressed. Her guilt weighed her down and her feeling like she didn’t deserve to be happy or have fun was very identifiable. Her trip to New York gave her a fresh start she didn’t even know she needed.

I loved how everyone in NY felt like lifelong friends right from the start and they accepted her and supported her even when she hadn’t shared her whole story with them yet. Harry was amazing and so supportive and loving and their connection was almost instant and then finding her mums travel book with Harry’s face smiling back really touched me. Her parents never left her and we’re still looking out for her, I loved that.

All the supporting characters were great too, everyone should have an Auntie Dottie with colourful hair, and a Rob and Dannie to offer unconditional friendship. Seeing Christmas in New York was a treat also, as like Libby’s parents it a place I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas.