Lovely read, very well written with fabulous characters and a great storyline.. Read it in two sittings which sort of says it all. Loved it, highly recommended.

I love reading Christmas romances and this book didn't disappoint.

The book is based around the character of Sophie. She is very well fleshed out and her backstory well defined. Even after having gone through the challenges in her love life she has thus far she has made a new life for herself in the Lake District and I enjoyed reading about how she finds love again. I enjoyed reading about a strong woman character in a romance novel.

A great read to get you into the Christmas spirit or to just curl on the sofa with a hot chocolate.
And it will also inspire you to visit the Lake District too!

This was an enjoyable cosy book, perfect for cold evenings curled up in bed.
Sophie has moved to the Lake District to set up a guest house and escape the painful reminders of her past. With Christmas round the corner she decides to offer an alternative to the traditional Christmas celebrations and soon she is booked up for the festive period. Having been badly hurt in the past all of Sophie's defences are up, however she falls for the charms of the local vet and her neighbour Brody, however life is never plain sailing and things don't always go to plan
If you fancy a nice easy read this is a really good book for you.

Escape for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley is a heartwarming and charming holiday romance set against the picturesque backdrop of the Lake District.

The story follows Sophie, who, after a painful betrayal—being jilted by her fiancé for her best friend—has turned her back on Christmas celebrations. She buys a guest house in the Lake District and offers a unique holiday experience for people looking to escape the typical Christmas festivities.

As the guests arrive, the quiet retreat Sophie planned quickly turns into a drama-filled escape, especially when a snowstorm and power outage leave everyone stranded.

The unfolding events create a warm, cozy atmosphere that contrasts perfectly with the cold, wintry setting.

A notable presence in the story is Brody, the local vet, whose complicated relationship with his fiancée—who has just returned from America after falling for someone else—adds another layer of tension.

While they maintain the façade of being together for her father's sake, Brody’s growing feelings for Sophie make things increasingly difficult for him.

Their budding attraction adds a delightful romantic spark to the story, and readers will find themselves rooting for them to find happiness together.

Phillipa Ashley masterfully captures the beauty of the Lake District, making it easy to imagine being snowed in amidst the stunning landscape, surrounded by warmth and holiday spirit.

The inclusion of pets, particularly Brody’s work as a vet and the cats in the guest house, adds an endearing touch that animal lovers will appreciate.

Escape for Christmas is a feel-good, festive read filled with romance, drama, and a perfect dose of holiday charm.

Fans of Phillipa Ashley and anyone looking for a cosy, uplifting Christmas escape will adore this novel.

It’s the kind of book that invites you to curl up by the fire and get lost in its delightful world.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very good book.

Greatly enjoyed the storyline and characters, very happy to see cats in the book.

Nice characters but some of them I feel like their back stories were rushed and not thought through enough.

Definitely recommend reading over Christmas

Thanks to NetGalley, and Cornerstone Random House UK for the copy

As someone who loves Christmas I felt my heart break for poor Sophie when her partner hurt her so badly on Christmas Eve ruining the holidays for her. I think it’s a must read for the winter months with a cosy blanket. I really enjoyed reading this book and felt I was standing right there seeing Sophie living her life.

A charming Christmassy read. Sophie decides to host a non-Christmas winter break at her guest house in the Lake District. An eclectic mix of guests arrive and there’s unexpected drama towards the end. Fun to read.

Phillipa Ashley has done it again, a Christmas story with a heart and soul. You know from the title that it's a seasonal story and you know by the genre that the main characters will eventually find love together but it is not too full of cliches, rather a set of relateable, interesting characters with little sub plots of their own, the perfect winter read.

I totally love Christmas books so was thrilled to get chance to read this. I loved the story, the characters and the Christmas vibes despite this being a book about escaping Christmas. A real heart warmer

Bits of this book definitely have cosy, Christmas vibes, however I did find the book repetitive and not properly fleshed out. The book is very predictable which is fine for a quick Christmas read. I do think there’s an audience that would love this one though.

Another Christmas hit for Phillips Ashley. One of my favourite authors for seasonal romance and she hasn’t failed me yet! Just the right book to curl up with in front of the fire on a cold, dark day. Following Sophie’s venture of running a guest house, I loved being introduced to the guests looking for “an alternative” Christmas who all had their reasons for wanting to be somewhere else and do something different. Mix this with Brodie and his complicated love life, and you get misunderstandings, some soul searching and hope. An enjoyable read.

Sophie has been hurt. Not just an upset customer in her Christmas shop hurt, but boyfriend cheating with best friend hurt. At Christmas time.

As a strong woman, Sophie has made a new life owning and running a guest house so she decides to do something a little bit different for her first Christmas after this hurt, and not every local agrees it’s a good idea. With the guest house fully booked, meeting the visitors was a delight! Ordinary extraordinary guests made for fun reading and there were a few Christmas surprises that I hadn’t seen coming!

Welcome to a very snowy Lake District, with all the trimmings.

This is a Christmas romance, a story of healing, and friendship.

I recommend Escape for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley.

Sophie used to own an all year round Christmas shop in Stratford with her fiancé, until she found him with her best friend. She sells up her shop and buys a b&b in the Lake District. Christmas can never be the same for her after this betrayal so she decides to market an anti festive break for customer’s who also feel the same way, for whatever reason. The B&B is fully booked.
Sophie’s nearest neighbour is Brody, a vet who appears single.
I gave this 3 stars as I felt it wasn’t up to the normal Christmas books I’ve read by this author.

A nice festive read. I liked the characters and it kept my interest throughout. Lovely descriptions of the Lake District too. Recommended.

This a great Christmas read with lots of festive cheer. It follows the usual format of girl meets boy, falls in love (but she doesn't know it), a misunderstanding that eventually gets resolved and then a happy ending. Where this book is better than most is all of the side characters. Agatha is a legend! I really appreciated the two sisters and their story too. The unexpected guests were also a great addition. This is an ideal book to read snuggled under a blanket with a hot chocolate and a mince pie.

My first Christmas read this year. Sophie plans to host a non-Christmas break at her guest house soon go awry, with heavy snow mucking up her plans. Yet there is a donkey, a no room at the Inn situation and a birth. Very nativityish! Some interesting guests, a likeable heroine, and a slow burn romance marred by the usual misunderstandings. I enjoyed it.

Escape for Christmas is just the most perfect festive read, just right for snuggling up in a blanket in front of the fire munching mince pies with Christmas music playing in the background.
Christmas is not always a time for joy and celebration particularly for Sophie who runs a B and B so she decides to open up over Christmas for a decidedly unchristmas type break for those not feeling the Christmas cheer this year!
A very diverse set of guests arrive each having different reasons to get away from the traditional Christmas, however nothing goes to plan as the weather deteriorates,there is no power and the snow continues to fall but despite this the group gel and make the most of the situation aided quite spectacularly by the gorgeous dishy vet Brody who literally saves the day and the baby!
A really heartwarming read full of good cheer, friendship, and second chances
Thank you NetGalley for this early read

Sophie doesn't like Christmas after her fiancé jilted her for her best friend.
Sophie has bought a guest house in the lake district and takes bookings for those who want an alternative to the festivities.
As the guests settle in, there is plenty of drama. Not least being snowed in and then a power cut.
Just down the road is the dishy vet, Brody. His fiancé returns from America after falling for someone else. They keep up the presence for the sake of her father, but Brody is finding it hard as he really likes Sophie.
I love the Lake district and could imagine being snowed in somewhere warm and cosy.
I do love when authors include pets in their stories, especially cats.
It's a lovely Christmassy book that all Phillipa's fans will adore.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Escape For Christmas by Phillipa Ashley a NetGalley review. Sophie was the owner of a Christmas shop, one of her favourite times of the year, until she caught her Fiancé cheating on her with her best friend. Sophie starts a new life with struggles and surprises along the the way. I’m so lucky to get to read and review books especially when it happens to be authors like @phillipa.ashleyauthor . I really enjoyed this book, for many reasons, set in the Lake District (which is a place I would love to visit) the author is great at setting the scene with her descriptive writing and the beauty of the characters surroundings jumps of the pages. It’s a book that will make you feel all sorts of emotions, happiness, shock, dislike, love, annoyance and a warmth towards the characters and it will make you laugh in parts, with a host of quirky characters. There’s one particular character (I don’t want to give anything away) that comes into the book and I took an instant dislike to this person, they are manipulative and playing with other characters emotions. However this is the success of the authors writing talent because you get invested in the characters, allowing those emotions again to jump of the pages. As with many Christmas books like this as a reader you know what you are getting, so yes it’s predictable, I knew what would eventually happen, however it’s the getting and the storytelling to get to that point that made it and enjoyable read. The main character Sophie is braver and stronger than she thinks, starting her life again, in a place where she knows no one and starting a new business that she has no experience in, you can’t help but fall in love with her determination. This is true for a lot of the characters, especially the guests to sophies B & B. I always look forward to this authors book and I wasn’t disappointed and I would recommend this lovely and enjoyable read it’s a great addition to anyone’s Christmas TBR. It’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and half stars from me and is published on the 7th November 2024.

Phillipa Ashley does not disappoint with this charming story. A festive escape for the reader and the characters is on the books until unexpected events take over. A light hearted read with some delightful characters - I especially loved the sassy Agatha! One to take your mind off all the madness of the preparing for Christmas.