Such a lovely festive story with great characters and a lovely setting

This is the story of Sophie who opens a hotel after catching her ex cheating on her, because of this she dislikes everything Christmas and so at her hotel there is never Christmas, it's the perfect place for people wanting to get away from festivities! Of course she meets the lovely Brody and might just be thawing a teeny tiny bit lol. Will Sophie and Brody find solace in each other?

Loved this story Highly recommend!

Escape For Christmas (by Phillipa Ashley) is a lovely, warm and cosy Christmas read. Set in the snowy hills of the Lake District, Sophie lives in her little guesthouse along with her two cats, after becoming the new owner. Previously a Christmas shop owner, Sophie left her life in Stratford because of her cheating ex-boyfriend and best friend. She decides to host an alternative Christmas for those hoping to avoid the festivities, as she is. While hosting this getaway, the guests come across many unpredictable events, but luckily, the good-looking vet next door is there to save the day. The story follows Sophie as she gets to know her business and her new neighbours.
I would recommend this for anyone who wants to escape to snowy hills and delve into a little bit of romance.

You’d think someone who used to run a year-round Christmas shop and who has cats called Jingle and Belle would absolutely adore Christmas wouldn’t you? Well, Sophie used to until her relationship fell apart spectacularly at Christmas. She’s built a new life for herself running Sunnyside Guest House in the Lake District and decides to offer an alternative Christmas break – an escape from Christmas! Despite the fact that she keeps explaining it’s just an alternative, the locals will insist that it’s an anti-Christmas break! I thought it was a really good idea actually. I do like Christmas and all the traditions but can appreciate that other people find it a difficult time of year and it must be hard to be bombarded with Christmas music and advertising which seems to get earlier and earlier each year!

Sophie’s nearest neighbour is handsome vet Brody and over the time she’s owned Sunnyside they have been getting closer. They seemed to be perfect for each other and she was just starting to believe that perhaps she could trust someone again when all of a sudden, something happened to break that trust. As a reader we know what the reasons for that were but poor Sophie doesn’t. I was so hoping that somehow Brody could explain everything to her but also respected his reasons for not doing so. I loved his black lab Norman, a typical dog who is keen to eat everything in sight!

I really enjoyed meeting all the guests and finding out their reasons for not wanting to celebrate a traditional Christmas. They were certainly an eclectic bunch! I don’t want to tell you all about them as you’ll want to discover who they are and why they are there for yourself. However, it’s fair to say that they definitely had an alternative Christmas and, thanks to some unexpected arrivals and an unexpected snowfall, a very different experience to what they had expected!

Escape for Christmas is a fabulously festive read in a beautiful setting and with a heart-warming romance. With its themes of hope, love and new beginnings cosy up with a cup of hot chocolate and add this book your Christmas reading list.

This was a lovely cosy festive novel set in the gorgeous landscape of the Lake District.
Sophie is hosting a Christmas break with a difference at her guest house near Lake Windermere. There will be no festive decorations or turkey but instead her guests will have a few days filled with fiesta and flamenco dancing. The rooms quickly fill up with an interesting collection of guests who each have their own reasons for trying to escape the normal festivities.
I really loved Sophie and her determination to make a success of her new venture. Her guesthouse sounds like an idyllic place to spend a few days and I loved the idea of a non-Christmas break. The guests were an interesting group especially the unexpected arrivals on Christmas Eve and it was fun to see them come together as a group. As you might expect, things don’t go completely smoothly but everything gets sorted out in the end. The animals were a fun inclusion too especially Harold, a black labrador with a love of sausages.

I was less convinced by the romance aspect of the novel. Brody is gorgeous and probably everyone’s idea of the perfect vet. However, his willingness to go along with Tegan’s plans at the expense of his own happiness made him seem a bit weak and I wasn’t convinced by the situation in general.
Apart from that one aspect, this was a fun read perfect for a wintry evening in front of the fire.
Thank you as always to Net Galley and the publishers, Random House UK, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a lovely christmas read, it starts with adultry and ends happy, it is in a lovely setting and the characters were likable, overall a nice start to christmas

I really enjoyed this book - I've read a few by Phillipa Ashley and she's reliable every time.
I wasn't feeling Christmassy - the problem with reading Christmas books in November, but actually it was lovely and festive (despite the "anti-Christmas" that everyone misjudged).

I loved the Christmas magic included - I don't want to include spoilers. This is more than your standard romance, miscommunication, happily ever after - and would still be an excellent Hallmark Christmas film (my favourite!).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Well written with a mixture of Christmas cheer. A group of people, who are seeking a no-fuss Christmas, marooned together with no electricity during a snow storm. Each person has arrived with a mixture of issues which are gradually resolved while another guest gives birth with a vet and retired nurse in attendance. Of course what could be better than a new baby born Christmas Day!

Escape For Christmas was a delightful and charming read with an inviting warmth. The characters were all relatable and well-drawn, though perhaps a bit too harmonious—I'm not sure real people would get along quite so perfectly! The story flowed effortlessly, and while some parts were predictable, I found myself genuinely drawn in. It was refreshing to enjoy a romance without over-the-top, cringeworthy scenes. Overall, a lovely, feel-good holiday escape that captures the spirit of the season.

Who doesn’t love a Christmas love story at this time of the year, and this one is up there with the best of them. It’s a lovely story with some good twists.

After an awful break up, Sophie leaves the Christmas shop she ran with her ex, and fulfils her lifelong ambition to run a guest house in Cumbria. She decides to fill her guesthouse, over the festive period, with others like her who want to get away from celebrating Christmas. Unfortunately, all doesn’t go to plan. Luckily their lovely neighbour, the vet, is on hand to help out. However, is he as nice as he seems?

This was a lovely, feel-good book, full of fabulous characters, beautiful scenic descriptions, and I’d love to book into her Cumbrian guest house myself!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6992578914
https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2024/11/escape-for-christmas-by-phillipa-ashley.html

This was a lovely, wintery novel that was an enjoyable read. It follows Sophie who, after having her heart broken has opened a guest house in the Lake District. This Christmas she's offering people an escape from the festivities as that is what she feels she needs. She soon gets to know her next door neighbour Brody and the novel follows from there. I did enjoy this one, it was easy to read and it felt fairly cozy. I didn't love it as much as other books by this author as it felt a bit disjointed and long winded in some parts but then other parts seemed skimmed over very quickly. It was a cute read though and I am keen to read more by the author in the future.

Escape for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley did not disappoint! A lovely festive romance - Sophie, a guesthouse owner in Cumbria used to love Christmas but following her fiancé calling off their engagment at Christmas time, she's now planning to host a break for people who want to escape the festivities and just have a good time together without the tinsel and turkey. When she develops feelings for her vet neighbour Brody, things get complicated but as ever with Ashley's stories, it all works out in the end. Definitely one to read over the festive period with a hot chocolate or Baileys!
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cosy read, which would be good on winter days, when you are ready to escape reality and suspend some belief, with characters full of depth and complications, who all bring something new to the story, but some inconsistencies throughout and Brody, the love interest, not really hitting the mark for me.

The story centres on Sophie who takes over a guesthouse in the Lakes after discovering her boyfriend having an affair with her best friend.
She decides to offer an alternative break for those not wanting a conventional Christmas.
She meets Brody the local vet as she has two cats who need a checkup
This would make the perfect Christmas read in front of a warm fire with hot chocolate.
I raced through it I liked the cats and Brody's menagerie.
There are various ups and downs so you are never totally sure of the ending.
It was an enjoyable read.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

This quirky Christmas or non Christmas tale had me laughing at times then shouting ‘It’s Christmas!’ At the characters.
As Sophie operates the non festive guesthouse, neighbour Brody helps out when things go wrong- and it seems that lots goes wrong for Sophie!
An enjoyable easy read festive read.

A lovely easy heart warming read! I enjoyed the idea of this book, even though I love Christmas! Sometimes people just need a change of scenery at certain times. With a twist of events, it made for an entertaining read with lovely characters - and animals!

An enjoyable festive read which engaged me and kept[t me reading. There were times where i could predict what was going to happen, but that did not spoil the book. The concept of a Christmas without Christmas was bound to introduce some quirky characters and add a new dimension to the season. Well worth a read.

Sophie relocated to a beautiful area in the Fells, and a guest house called Sunnyside as a new business, following a shock breakup
with her fiancé. She has loved everything about Christmas up to that point, and even ran a shop which was all about Christmas, but it is now ruined.. She makes friends with the locals and a certain handsome vet called Brody is on her mind more than anyone else! Then she has a shock from him when she discovers that he has a fiancée and she’s arrived to spend Christmas with him! She can’t dwell though, as she has a house full of guests to celebrate her unchristmas celebrations !! As only Phillipa can do, the story surrounds you and I fell in love with all the characters. There were a few comical moments that made me laugh. It was brilliant!!
Many thanks to Random House for the opportunity to read this arc copy for review consideration via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #RandomHouse, #Phillipa.AshleyWriter.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishers for a copy of “ Escape For Christmas “ for an honest review

This was a perfect festive read, with likeable characters in the idyllic setting of The Lake District.
I was drawn to the idea of a hotel that catered for those wanting to escape Christmas, and although there was no doubt in the outcome it was fun getting there.
Lovely and heart warming.

A sweet Christmas read. A bit different from Phillipa Ashleys usual books I think. But i still enjoyed it all the same. I loved Sophie and Brody however found them both slightly childish at times - an overall good Christmas read

I fell in love with this book from the beginning. I was transported to the Lake District and could picture the setting perfectly. The characters were likeable and it was nice to learn more about them as the story unfolded. It was a relatively cosy, easy read but very enjoyable. There was enough going on to keep me interested and look forward to picking it up each day. A good book if looking for a wintery romance read.