A lovely Christmas read about Sophie, who is trying to avoid Christmas, and the lovely village vet, who has his own secrets. Sophie is running a guesthouse and is having an Escape from Christmas themed break. The guests are all interesting and have their own stories. Throw in a snowstorm, power failure, and a multitude of other enjoyable little sub plots, and this book will have you happily turning pages late into the night. Nicely done without obvious cringe moments with an interesting mix of characters, human and otherwise, this is a winner.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great read from Phillipa. Sophie opens her hotel to people who want to avoid the Christmas celebrations.

I really enjoyed Escape for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley. The characters were well written and relatable and the setting was beautifully described. I could visualise myself in the guesthouse and surrounding countryside. A cosy Christmas read. Fab.

A lovely festive read, I really enjoyed the story lining and the emotions, it's definitely a book you'd read at Christmas time, year after year.

Lovely gentle, story of a young woman who has changed her life following a betrayal who finds herself drawn to the local Vet. The characters are well rounded, the story is engaging. I particularly enjoyed the planning of the alternative Christmas and the reflections that not everyone will enjoy Christmas and the various reasons for that explored through the varying characters. Fabulous comfort read.


With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe I should have read this book before Xmas rather than after so I was still somewhat in the Xmas mood!

Quite a different way to spend Xmas but the book did work although I did think there was a lot of padding in it and found myself skim reading it quite a bit until the inevitable ending did arrive. Characters were good but just felt let down by the storyline itself.

A very predictable Christmas romcom. Lovely to read and characters you can empathise with. I loved this book.

Another perfect beauty from Ashley with every special ingredient required for a flawless (non) festive read. Sprinkle over a handsome vet, a stranded pregnant traveller, an honesty bar and rest by a cosy fire. Dreamy.

What it is with Christmas books and the Lake District bringing that real festive vibe? Possibly because I’ve never done it and I should. Love this, another author that I feel ties well with a Christmas read.

A gorgeous and festive story, I loved Sophie who decided to start her life over running a guesthouse with her two cats.
The back story and detail completely enthralled me, the guest’s, her friends even the shops she visits, no detail is too small.
Sophie and her vet neighbour could possibly, maybe fall in love… they start off as friends with a few challenges along the way including a fiancé, an Italian and a snow storm.

a great festive read set in a in the depth of the lake district.
a lovely cozy read to lose yourself in on a winters day

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was an enjoyable and festive read (despite the plot). Ashley created an engaging cast of characters. The setting was beautiful and the story flowed well.

After being jilted at Christmas, Sophie decides the festive period is not for her. She arranges an alternative retreat at her hotel for people who want to escape the usual Christmas trimmings. An eclectic mix of visitors, plus neighbour Brody, makes for a Christmas Sophie will never forget.

A lovely feel-good read, I loved the variety of events and experiences Sophie held - it sounded like a lot of fun! Easy to read, with great characterisation, made for a perfect festive story.

Escape for Christmas is a warm cosy hug of a book. Sweet, heartwarming and festive. I loved it. Phillipa Ashley never disappoints.

Sophie runs a delightful hotel in the lakes and she's running an alternative stay over Christmas for people wanting to escape tinsel, turkey and carols around the fireplace. Although I love everything about Christmas I can imagine this being a very popular way to spend the festive season, escaping all of the traditional side. One day I'd love to spend Christmas by the sea and the whole idea of an alternative stay really made me stop and think!
I always love Phillipa Ashleys books- always great stories, wonderful characters and such a lovely writing style that you know you will be relaxing into the pages as soon as you pick this one up.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable. The plot is one that is engaging and I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

I try not to judge a book by its cover, but the front cover of Escape for Christmas is so gorgeous and wintery it’s impossible not to be enticed by it. Luckily the content is fabulously festive as well. It’s not my favourite Christmas read, however it’s still a lovely book full of great characters and a decent storyline with a few twists and turns and surprises along the way.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, which did not influence my unbiased and honest review of the book.

Escape for Christmas is a warm cosy hug of a book. Sweet, heartwarming and festive. I loved it. Phillipa Ashley never disappoints.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This was the perfect sweet and cozy read that I needed for December. I had such a soft spot for Sophie and Brody is just a sweetheart! You find yourself rooting for them throughout the book. The writing is filled with good descriptions. This is the exact type of town I would love to escape to for a while as well.
Sophie is so smart and I loved her marketing idea for Escape for Christmas. Teagan annoyed me quite a bit.
I cringed at the miscommunication a bit but I appreciate that it is part of what makes the story so good.

Love the names Jingle and Bell for Sophie's cats.

Overall, I loved this cozy read. It was light and perfect to snuggle up to while diving into the world of Sunnyside/Bannerdale. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy Christmas read.

A perfect Christmas read to get you in the festive mood. Lovely setting in the Lake District, very Christmassy and romatic storyline.
Really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone wanting a nice easy Christmas festive novel.