This is a great escape for people who would like a different Christmas.

The characters are all totally different and the situations are enjoyable, although laden with panic at times.

There is a light romance in the story, just to confuse the issue.

An enjoy Christmas romance.

Another great book by a lovely author. I really enjoyed this one. I found the storyline engaging, though I’d have loved to read about the actual Christmas shop too - an actual Christmas shop is my dream!
There were some great stories threaded through the main storyline, some very relatable and poignant.
Definitely recommend this one for a lovely festive (or not!) read.

Not everyone loves the trappings of Christmas and this includes Sophie for whom the magic of Christmas was spoilt by her cheating fiancé and ex-best friend. After the split, she decides to leave her old life behind as she sets out on a different path running a guest house in the Lake District. As Christmas approaches she turns her back on the usual Christmas celebrations and advertises an alternative break, Escape for Christmas, Locals think she's mad, but soon all her rooms are booked with people who want to get away from it all. Let the mayhem begin!

A good read with a strong storyline and interesting well-drawn characters. There are enough twists and turns, ups and downs to keep the reader's attention and, being a romance, we must not forget the lovely village vet, Brody, with an eye for Sophie but a secret which he wishes that he hadn't promised to keep.

Once again, Phillipa Ashley delivers a festive, feelgood story with the requisite trimmings. Settle down and enjoy

Sophie used to love Christmas and ran a Christmas shop all year round, until she found her fiance with her best friend tangled in tinsel in her stockroom. Sophie leaves everythin behind to start Sunnyside Hotel in the Cumbrian countryside.

This first winter after her break up Sophie decides to host an 'Escape for Christmar' retreat for people who would like to escape the festivities. And to her surprise her hotel is fully booked. She is looking forward to hosting this wonderful mix of people, but stumbles upon some difficutl situations along the way.

Fortunately, she has her neighbour and vet Brody around who is more than willing to lend her a helping hand. From unexpected guests to power cuts to Sophie's cats getting ill, Brody is there for her.

Attracted to one another, Brody is dealing with a estranged fiancee of his own.

Will Sophie and Brody find eachother in the end?

Philippa Ashley has done it again! I absolutely loved this festive cozy read. Well paced and with very likable character, this is one of those books to curl up with on the sofa, a hot chocolate within reaching distance.

Sophie loved Christmas, after years running a Christmas shop all year round she was never happier than in the festive season. Until the year it was all ruined for her. Sophie sold her shop and opened a small hotel in the Lake District.
Now Christmas is fast approaching, and Sophie has decided to advertise her hotel as a Christmas free zone, perfect for those, like her, who want to escape the festivities.
Everything is planned to the last detail and to her surprise all her rooms are booked.
Then a heavy snowfall and some unexpected visitors throw all her carefully laid plans into chaos.
Can Sophie really avoid Christmas, or will her resolve begin to thaw and her broken heart begin to heal.
For a book about escaping Christmas, this is very Christmassy. It’s full characters you will warm to, it’s funny and has lots of festive magic and sparkle in a beautiful setting and will leave you with a warm glow.

Cozy and festive as expected from Phillipa Ashley...and the cover is stunning too!

A mix of family tensions, a will they won't they romance, and an alternative Christmas all wrapped up in festivities, warmth and hope. A great big festive hug on a cold winters night read .

Another unputdownable book by Phillipa Ashley. Sophie is a great character and the storyline is funny and romantic. Highly recommended

3.5 stars rounded up.

Escape for Christmas is a lovely, heart-warming festive read which I really enjoyed. The only thing holding my score back really was how frustrated I got with the love interest, Brody! I know the story sort of depended on him not just standing up for himself and being honest, but boy did it wind me up!

It’s Sophie’s first Christmas running her own guesthouse in the gorgeous Lake District. But she is not feeling Christmassy – after breaking up with her fiancé on Christmas Eve last year. Now she has started a new life for herself, doing something she’s always wanted to do. And she’s going to do things her way – with an Escape for Christmas alternative celebration at Sunnyside guesthouse.

The locals are suspicious – but the getaway is a success and a troupe of interesting characters arrive at the hotel for the not-festive period. These were some of my favourite characters – each bringing with them something they wanted to move on from, and finding something at Sunnyside to help them do that.

There was such a lovely warm feeling at Sunnyside – and despite the alternative Christmas theme taking place, the book itself is full of festive cosiness, snow, hot chocolates and lovely winter scenery, with an overriding theme of hopefulness and starting anew.

And then we have Brody! Sophie’s neighbour and the local vet who she starts to grow close to. But there are some twists in the tale as she gets to know more about him.

A lovely story, ticking all the boxes for a cosy Christmas read – I just wanted Brody to have a bit more ooomph about him!

A lovely festive, feel good read. The story has all the elements you need for a good romance. Sophie who runs a B&B and Brody, her neighbour and local vet, have romantic feelings but they are always pulled apart due to circumstances and misunderstandings beyond their control.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed reading this lovely festive book. Loved the will they, won’t they romance, the Christmas Eve drama and the B&B guest drama. A lovely uplifting book.

Another great Christmas read by Phillipa Ashley .this lovely story set in the lake District has all the good feels you need in a. Christmas story .

I am so hoping that anyone reading this review is an avid Phillipa Ashley fan because they wont mind at all what I am about to write.
This is not a book pretending to be great or deep literature. It's a feel good, slight little story, predictable in the way it progresses and eventually turns out, but that's no bad thing...it is, I imagine, exactly what Phillipa Ashley's readers want from her.
It is story about Sophie, a lovely ( inside and out ) bed and breakfast owner ,bruised by the infidelity of her ex partner who meets a charming and kind local vet, Brody.
Their road to a happy ending ( I know it's maybe a spoiler but, honestly, what else might anyone be expecting!) is long and twisty, and snow filled.
Several other characters fill the pages, some more successfully than others, a stereotypical Italian movie star look alike being in the latter category.
Agatha, the retired nurse is much more believable, and Hugo and Una are quite sweet. All of these are guests at Sophie's inaugural Christmas Escape event and cope remarkably with all that Phillipa throws at them in the course of a long Christmas weekend.
It's sweet, it's easy and it would be a nice curl up at Christmas tale. Expect only that and all will be well.
Net Galley and Random House supplied me with an e arc and this is my honest review.

This had all the elements of a lovely, festive, cosy read. Set in the Lake District, an alternative Christmas getaway for those seeking to spend Christmas a bit differently.

Sophie was a pleasant character who had her baggage, I liked her concept of an alternative Christmas and her friendship with Brody. I just found her to be a bit prim and proper. Trying to diffuse situations that had nothing to do with her.

Brody on the other hand, even though he was a 'nice' guy, was a bit of a wet blanket. The guests on the other hand were so funny! The mishaps along the way were amusing and fun to read. Ultimately it was lovely to read about the views of the Lake District at Christmas!

Another great Christmas story from Philippa Ashley. Set in a beautiful location, Sophie is now running a guest house and decides to hold an alternative Christmas but things don't quite go to plan!

Escape for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley is a heartwarming and festive romance that captures the magic of the holiday season. Set in a picturesque, snow-covered location, the novel follows a protagonist seeking a fresh start, only to find love and healing in the most unexpected places. Ashley’s charming characters, sparkling dialogue, and cozy holiday atmosphere make this an irresistible holiday escape. With its themes of new beginnings, love, and the warmth of Christmas spirit, Escape for Christmas is a delightful and uplifting read that will leave readers filled with festive cheer and belief in the power of second chances. It’s the perfect book to cozy up with during the holiday season.

Sophie ran an all year round Christmas shop in Stratford Upon Avon with her fiancé, Ben. When Sophie found out he was cheating on her with her best friend, she sold her shop, and the flat above it, and moved to Cumbria to run a guest house called Sunnyside.

With Christmas approaching, Sophie doesn’t feel like celebrating. She advertises her guest house for people who don’t wish to celebrate Christmas.

With the dashing vet, Brody, being her neighbour, Sophie realises she likes him a lot, but will the magic of Christmas work for the two of them?

This is a lovely story set in beautiful Cumbria, near Lake Windermere. Such wonderful descriptive writing, I felt as though I was there and joining in with the celebrations.

I enjoyed the characters, especially Harold, who is Brody’s black Labrador.

An entertaining tale, perfect for getting you ready for the Christmas period.

My thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another fantastic Christmas book from Phillipa. Sophie leaves Stratford Upon Avon to run a B&B in the Lake District and because Christmas has previously brought heart ache she decides to run An Escape from Christmas few days which is a sell out but doesn’t run according to plan. Alongside this is a budding romance but it’s complicated as all Christmas romances are!! Thanks to Phillipa and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley

Warm, cosy read set in the Lake District over Christmas; what more can you want?
This book wraps itself around you, so settle down by a real fire, have hot chocolate or mulled wine and get stuck in. It's a fabulous read.

Thank you for the advance copy, I may have to read it again over Christmas!

This is the perfect Christmas book to get you 8n the mood for christmas. Filled with joy and the perfect festive moments

Really enjoyed this book. Easy read, lighthearted and all the Christmas chat! Thanks Net Galley for the early read