A wonderful cosy seasonal read , a lot in this genre can be utter tripe with no plot or storyline other than the season of Christmas . However , the back story is believable the meet cute at the airport and the development of the story and characters is pure hot chocolate on a winters day by the fire , I’d highly recommend it and would
Read again next Christmas

Last year I read This Christmas by Emma and really enjoyed it, giving me major The Holiday vibes so I was really looking forward to reading another book by her and boy it didn’t disappoint.

I loved how all of the stories integrated together with this and although you know there’s going to be a happy ending it seems to take a while to get there, when everything clicks into place it’s so good though!

There are a few emotional moments to this book because you find yourself getting connected to the characters - especially with Ollie’s job in the A&E, a lot of his patients are such characters!

This was a gorgeous read to curl up with, get yourself in front of a fire with a hot chocolate and get yourself settled for the night!

⭐️3⭐️
 
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
 
I read This Christmas by Emma Heatherington last year and absolutely loved it, so I was really looking forward to reading Maybe Next Christmas; unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
 
The book is well written, and I liked the storyline (albeit predictable). I loved Ollie, but I just couldn’t warm to Bea at all and found her irritating, and I wasn't convinced by their dialogue.
 
It's an easy festive read, but sadly it was just missing a bit of Christmas magic for me.

A great read and perfect the cosy season!

I found this a great one to read after a few heavier books, it was a simple romcom but really well written and lovely characters.

This is a gorgeous Christmassy read, I instantly connected and fell in love with the main characters of Bea and Ollie. They are fantastic, very realistic, incredibly likeable and really touched my heart. They have a beautiful story, full of twists and will they won't they? I was caught up in their story and wishing for the best, meaning I went on an emotional rollercoaster with them. Everything about this plot is perfection.
The setting of London and Ireland was gorgeous and felt like an escape. Setting it largely around two Christmas periods meant I got to soak up Christmas vibes and feel cosy.
This is emotional and complete perfection.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

Now THIS, is EVERYTHING I wanted from a Christmas book!

Bea & Ollie meet as strangers at an airport in London on Christmas Eve, when their flight gets delayed. Bea is working in a prestigious London hotel as chief front of house and is going home to her family and her fiancée. Ollie works as a nurse in a busy London hospital and is flying home to Ireland to visit his very sick Dad and his auntie for the holidays. When these two cram in together at a table of a bar to eat while they wait for their flight, they have an instant connection.

I don’t want to say much more, but both have their own personal troubles that play heavy on their minds and while both dealing with the turmoil of their lives, neither of them can forget the other.

This could easily be made into a film. I thought it was so beautifully crafted. I felt like I was in London with the Christmas lights and London buses and Christmas shopping one minute and then I was transported to the rural Irish villages, with the cosy pub with a roaring fire, full of families and friends and music.

The older characters in this book added so much love and emotion and depth to the story.

Last year I read ‘This Christmas’ by the same author and I wasn’t really keen, despite everyone else loving it. But this… this is a 5⭐️ for sure and I urge everybody to put in highest up on their books to read next Christmas .

Thank you so much to @netgalley for this one. It will live on in my heart for a long time.

Maybe Next Christmas by Emma Heatherington is a cosy holiday romance that, for me falls into the trap of being overly saccharine and predictable but if you like cosy holiday reads then you may love it. The story follows Bea, who meets Ollie on Christmas Eve, leading to a series of events that are meant to be heart-warming but often feel clichéd. I did love the meet-cute in the airport and how they were sitting beside each other on the flight so the book really was heading in the right direction for me. However my gripe was the lack of balance in the relationship dynamics. Bea seems to be the one making all the significant changes and sacrifices, which I feel would be frustrating for readers who prefer to see a more equitable give-and-take in romantic relationships.
The festive setting and premise are charming, it’s perfect if you are looking for a light, feel-good read for the holidays!

I loved this book - you cannot help but like the two main characters Bea and Ollie, and really feel for them on their journey.

The main characters were also so loveable, I feel like Ollie’s Aunt Nora who loved finding out what the whole family were up too 😂

Theres a lot of emotions as you go through the book, and I highly recommend reading.

Maybe Next Christmas by Emma Heatherington @penguinukbooks and a NetGalley review. Bea and Ollie live in different worlds yet somehow their paths cross and just maybe it’s love at first sight. Their journey to each other is easy but it seems that’s these two are meant to be and maybe there’s a little bit of divine intervention at play!
I really enjoyed this sweet, cosy and romantic read, definitely not one to keep on your TBR just for Christmas. Bea the main character is focused, insanely organised at times, determined, stubborn, passionate and incredibly kind, someone you would want fighting your corner. They are both vulnerable and scared of getting hurt. Ollie is also determined and focused, kind and is grieving, has the biggest heart and endearing. The author writes with a respectable honesty about death and grief, honouring grief and the way grief can hurt whether it’s someone that has passed recently or who have passed some years ago. For me that felt very relevant especially at Christmas, where grief no matter how long the passing can come at you at full pelt and knock you sideways. It’s very predictable but it’s such a tender and heart warming read that this can be forgiven and enjoyed. The characters and not just the main ones are incredibly likeable for example Leroy and Aunt Nora, bringing humour and wisdom from these two characters and so worth a mention in their own right. I loved this book I think that’s plan to see, it’s so very easy to read and get lost in which is down to the talent of the author and her writing. I will be recommending this to friends and family and for me it’s an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A festive read that can be read at any time of the year. Although predominantly set around Christmas this book is the type you can read whenever and wherever you want. Bea and Ollie meet at the airport on Christmas Eve what follows is a story of will they won’t they with a bit of everything else thrown in. I laughed, I cried and I loved every chapter of this story.

I was invested in this one from the first page. I loved how the characters seemed to come alive to me and I was rooting for them from when they first met. Definitely one I will recommend as a lovely festive read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book

On Christmas Eve, Bea meets Ollie while they’re both waiting for a flight from London to Ireland for the holidays. Bea is heading home to break up with her long term boyfriend and Ollie is heading back for a last Christmas with his terminally ill Dad. They get chatting after their flight is delayed and then part ways. But neither can forget the other until fate intervenes and they meet again.

The story happens over a year between Christmases and is told from both Bea and Ollie’s POVs. It’s sweet, romantic and the characters are genuinely nice people who you root for all the way through. They’re both dealing with life’s struggles, grief and loss but neither wallow in it and just want to help others.

Just like Emma Heatherington’s previous Christmas novel, this was a lovely festive story with a nice romance, loveable characters and a great supporting cast.

4.0 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Penguin for this eARC

Wow, what an emotional ride this book took me on. I usually go for more lighthearted romance books but I’m glad I stuck with this one and gave it a fair shot, because this book is utterly charming. It’s full of cosy, festive vibes, real gut-punching romance and a HEA that warmed my heart. Really very few negatives - just the character dialogue feeling a bit old (I’m their age and I just don’t talk like that), and maybe a few repetitive thoughts, but overall, a really fantastic Christmas book.
Trigger warning - death, death of a parent, terminal illness, cancer, and medical content. I might have been put off reading if I hadn’t already known in advance.

A lovely easy Christmas read, perfect to get you in a romantic frame of mind for the season. I enjoyed the story and the way it unfolded, even if it was a little predictable to me.

What a perfect Christmas hug in a book!
Fate brings Bea and Ollie into each other’s lives on Christmas Eve as they wait for a delayed flight home. Both of them are facing difficult situations at home in Ireland: Bea a long distance relationship that is dwindling with the distance and Ollie a sick father. Will fate conspire to bring them together again? Only time will tell. This is a lovely story of love, family, friendship and caring: a beautiful, heart warming Christmas romance that’s just the book to curl up on the sofa with a hot chocolate with under a warm blanket.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House UK for a copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Penguin - Random House UK and Emma Heatherington for granting me a Netgalley digital Arc of Maybe Next Christmas in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Maybe Next Christmas is a heartwarming romance that is a journey full of love, grief, and courage to change in our life journey chasing a dream. Emma Heatherington’s writing brings to life the magic of family connection and love at Christmas time between the traditional trimmings of a 5-star hotel in bustling London and the cozy charm of a rural Irish village.

This book has a fantastic cast of loveable characters, including some of the most adorable canine companions I’ve read. Over a year, so much goes into the lives of the well-developed and vibe characters that challenge them and prompt their growth in their character arc, which ties sweetly to the romance plot. Bea’s independence and wanderlust brought her to life nicely against the challenges of loving someone and striving to be true to yourself. I loved Ollie’s portrayal as a caring, compassionate, and devoted male nurse who puts their needs at the expense of his own. I think this was a fantastic nod to the service, care, and sacrifice that NHS nurses give, especially working through Christmas Day.

A love-at-first romance that is a warm, heartfelt connection and will tug at your heartstrings on Bea and Ollie’s journey as they struggle to be together as life curveballs bring them together and tear them apart. It’s heart-wrenching as they fight to be together over the distance, and Bea battles to keep true to her dreams when their connection is so sweet and tender.

A wonderful, heartwarming tale full of cozy Christmas storytelling in this slow, gentle read full of adorable romance with a meet-cute worthy of a hallmark movie and Love Actually vibes (a few nods to this movie). If you love a sweet, quick read for your TBR this Christmas, Maybe Next Christmas is one to add to your wish list.

Bea and Ollie meet when their flight home to Ireland for Christmas is delayed. These two strangers, although having met in unusual circumstances, find a shared connection but unfortunately it may well be the right place, however, it’s certainly not the right time for a relationship to go any further. What then follows is a delightful story which follows both Bea and Ollie as they go about their lives and yet neither forgets the other and the endless possibilities of something which could have been beautiful.

I’ve been quite enchanted by Bea and Ollie and invested so much emotionally in each of their characters and followed their individual stories with real enthusiasm. Such is the power of the story that it kept me turning the pages long after I should have stopped reading to do something else. There is an element of will, they won’t they about the story but ultimately I hoped that this two lovely characters would get the happy ending they each deserved. The author writes beautifully and creates time and place really well, I could imagine the hustle and bustle of Bea’s London life juxtaposed against the peace and tranquillity of Ollie’s rural Ireland.

An absolute delight to read from start to finish Maybe Next Christmas concludes my festive reading for 2024 and what a lovely way to finish.

A very sweet and festive romance - this reads like a cute holiday romcom and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and Emma’s writing was excellent. The main characters - Bea and Ollie were well written and the side characters were written with significant nuance and care that made you invest in them. In places, it was a little syrupy, and the ending was predictable, however exactly what you’d want and expect from a Christmas novel.

Maybe Next Christmas is the perfect heartwarming festive read.
The ideal curl up beside the Christmas tree & fire read to sooth your soul and get you into the Christmas spirit.

Another fabulously festive read! 🎄

Bea is making her way home for Christmas for the first time in a few years. Faced with a delay at Heathrow airport, Bea takes the time to plan how she is going to break up with long term partner Sean, having both drifted apart and wanting different things. It’s here where she comes face to face with Ollie, who is also heading back home to Ireland to spend what might be his last Christmas with his Dad. Bea and Ollie are instantly drawn to each other and sparks definitely fly but they part with no way of contacting each other…until fate has other ideas.

Thrown into each other’s paths for various reasons over the next year, will Bea and Ollie realise that they are meant to be? And can they make it work when they are a sea apart??

Some touching explorations of grief, with both main characters having experienced loss. Lots of emotional moments and I loved how raw and heartfelt the dialogue was. I could feel the agony that Bea and Ollie were facing with their difficult situation and decisions - it felt very, very real. It’s definitely a book that pulls on your heartstrings!

A fantastic set of supporting characters - from Leroy (who knew he’d be such a vital role!!) to Aunt Nora to Murphy the dog 🐶 My only gripe with the book and the only reason I knocked it down a star was because I found Bea to be a tad whiny at times 😂 but overall it was a really lovely book full of festive heart!