Shelley, Lena and Pearl, fifty-something friends, escape their families for a few days before Christmas as the season threatens to swamp them. Staying at a B&B in the Scottish Highlands, they are able to relax (sort of) and view their lives from a distance. This is eminently readable.

Shelley, Pearl and Lena have been friends for more than 20 years. They all live in London. Now, shortly before Christmas, they decide to go on a mini-break to a BnB in Scotland. And it seems like all their lives may change in the course of a few days.
I loved this book. I liked all the main characters and especially that they are a bit older than your usual book heroines. From the start I felt for the three friends and hoped that their lives would sort themselves out. The story was believable and the setting in the Highlands made me want to go visit there - but maybe not in winter ;-)
Really a lovely book.

I’d love to see this as a movie! The story follows three lifelong best friends who, feeling unappreciated, decide to take a much-needed girls' trip right before Christmas. Of course, weather-related chaos ensues, turning their mini vacation into an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Each friend is forced to confront the deeper reasons behind their decision to escape. This book is a delightful mix of humor, heartbreak, and festive cheer.

I wanted to love this book so much, but I wasn't a big fan. :( I loved the beginning when Shelley and her friends were fed up with their families not helping for Christmas and deciding they need to get away... 5 days before Christmas. After that you lost me, they went from not wanting to prepare everything on their own to helping run their friend's air bnb. Maybe I just didn't connect with the characters, but was bummed about this one.

Meet shelly, pearl & lena they are all middle age & have had enough!
Shelly has had enough of her husband & kids thinking she should do absolutely everything, pearls son has moved his girlfriend into their home & she's taking over & on top of that she's found that her boyfriend is not what he seems, & lenas fiance parents who live in a mansion have decided they are coming to spend Xmas in lenas pokey flat so they can scrutinise her. So cue a last minute holiday to a secluded b&b in the Highlands!
Michael runs the b&b & the 3 women find out that he has an opportunity in London so they persuade him to go & they will run his b&b for him & this is where we meet the guests Niall, who is coming alone to do a magazine article & the Sampsons, mum, dad & 5 year old theo who are a family you definitely wouldn't forget in a hurry! Of course running the b&b doesn't go smoothly & then to top it all off the 3 women & the guests get snowed in on Xmas eve so none of them can get home for Xmas & have to spend it together, however, this isn't such a bad thing as it gives the women time to reflect & reevaluate their lives at home & make some life changing decisions.
I've read a few books by this author & this one was just as good, it was funny, thought provoking & a breath of fresh air as it wasn't all mulled wine & silent night! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a Xmas novel or wants to try one 😊

An absolutely fantastic festive read from Fiona, I have always loved all her books and this one is no exception!
A totally realistic and extremely relatable read for so many middle aged women juggling homes, work, children, husbands, menopause and then you add in the annual festive organisation, present shopping and wrapping, food shopping, cooking, relatives, tree buying and decorating and you wonder why we are stressed, harassed and totally not full of Christmas cheer!
Well this year it’s different for three friends who book a last minute break to Scotland just before Christmas, leaving their loved ones to continue the never ending Christmas preparations!
What ensues is totally different to what was anticipated being left to run a B and B, getting snowed in and entertaining paying guests, but during this time they bond, reflect on their lives and make life changing decisions buoyed by the wonderful friendship group they have!
A really enjoyable feel good read filled with plenty of laughter, perfect for getting into the festive spirit!
Would highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for this early read

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Shelley and her friends decide to go on a quick holiday before Christmas. There is not enough hours in the day to get everything done. I enjoyed this book.

What a brilliant read! I thoroughly enjoyed this relatable novel. The first chapter had me laughing out loud and the laughter continued throughout the story. I loved the countdown to Christmas, which stresses the short time-frame in which to produce another spectacular family Christmas. I have always found the run-up to Christmas a demanding time of year, trying to get everything done in time for the 'big day' and only realising I've survived another Christmas after the lunch is cleared away and everyone is too tired to want anything else.

I completely understood Shelley's plight, kids and a husband who expect her to provide Christmas, yet offer no help to ease her load.

Then there's Lena whose relationship with Tommy sounds good, apart from outside influences from his parents and ex-wife. I'm on the fence about his daughter Daisy, unsure whether there was malicious intent behind her social media posts or just a child of divorced parents wishing them back together again.

Finally there's Pearl. She's a widow and brought up her only son, Brandon, alone since his beloved father died. Brandon and Pearl work well together but Brandon has invited his girlfriend, Abi, to live with him in Pearl's small flat and that is grating on poor Pearl, yet she does not want to rock the boat so says nothing.

These three women have the opportunity to have a few days away before Christmas and take it. Pearl's cousin Michael runs a B&B in the Highlands, and with no bookings, he is able to accommodate them. Naturally things do not run smoothly, but the women cope admirably.

The story also follows the women's family members left at home to pull Christmas together without them. The best part for me was Shelley's husband Joel with his 'hands-off-parenting' style - or rather leave-it-to-Shelley-to-sort-out - getting his comeuppance.

I thought 'Tis The Damn Season was brilliantly funny, insightful, well-written and has my kind of happy ending. I would wholeheartedly recommend this novel to lovers of women's fiction.

"Tis the Damn Season" is full of wit and wisdom. It is a story of 3 fifty something friends who are at a bit of a crisis point in their lives. The women decide to absent themselves from their families for a few days to reset before the onslaught of Christmas Day. Shelley is a working mum with two teenage children and a husband who behaves like a young child. Lena is an Anglo-Asian divorcee engaged to an Englishman from a different class. Pearl is a widow whose son's girlfriend has recently moved into, and taken over, their flat. All 3 have issues which they feel require time out to consider, and they need a break from their families.

This tale of modern relationships was a joy to read and so much of it rang true. Thanks Fiona Gibson for a book to curl up and read when life is getting you down a bit.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

'Tis The Damn Season is a festive novel by Fiona Gibson.
I enjoyed this story. It's the perfect book to read over the festive season. It's easy to follow and had a great cast of characters. It was also funny in places. A good book that I would recommend to other readers.
💜 Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an enjoyable story of three friends, Shelley, Pearl and Lena who are fed up of everything happening at home just before Christmas and decide to take a trip to Scotland. I enjoyed the way the story showed the different relationships for each of the women and liked the fact the ladies were in their 50s so was from an older generations perspective.
The ladies have a wonderful friendship and pull together to help run the Bed and Breakfast they are staying at which belongs to Pearl’s cousin, twice removed) so that Michael can go to London to meet someone he has been talking to on the internet.
As usual with Fiona’s books this explores friendships, relationships and has some laugh out loud moments and I read this in a couple of days.
Thank you to Boldwood books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book with the opinions all my own.

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

A very enjoyable story about three friends who decide to go away together just before Christmas, planning on being back for Christmas itself, but the weather intervenes and plans change!

The three friends each have a reason for needing the break away, mostly because they're just taken for granted by their families, some who are more annoying than others. They escape to Scotland to a distant family member's B&B for a break, but then events take a turn and while they offer to look after the B&B for a few days to help the distant family member out the weather worsens, they all get snowed in and they have to cope with looking after the other guests for Christmas themselves, also meaning they also won't get back for Christmas Day with their families.

Of course it ends up working out for the best in the end, new relationships are forged, whilst others end. A very enjoyable story, with the right people ending up happy, and the annoying ones ending up where they should be!

Another absolute corker from fiona, absolutly loved this. A fantastic warm Christmas read which wraps humour with turmoil of 3 middle aged women. A really easy read with an ending I loved, and not automatically predictable, alongside characters that are so relatable.

3 women with a longstanding strong friendship, all feeling the struggles as Christmas approaches and make the rash decision to spend the lead up to Christmas in the Highlands, leaving their families to come without them. Unfortunately their holiday is slightly protracted but offers the time for reflection and the beginnings of new beginnings.

Highly recommend a read.

Can Netflix pick this up?

I loved following Shelley, Lena, Pearl, and all other characters who crafted their journey! This was such a refreshing take on the usual holiday romances, but I do think I would've enjoyed it more if written in first & multiple pov. So glad I got to read this early, though!

Shelley, Lena, and Pearl finally take a well-deserved break from the holiday chaos, ditching their families for a prosecco-fueled escape in the Highlands. But when a snowstorm traps them 500 miles from home, their mini-break turns into a soul-searching journey. As they confront the real reasons they needed to get away—overbearing in-laws, a son's intrusive girlfriend, and feeling unappreciated by their families—they're forced to rethink what they really want from Christmas and life. The big question is, will they make it home for Christmas, and if they do, can they ever go back to how things were?

This book just spoke to me - Christmas is a stressful situation and our three heroines decide to go away for a break before it - genius! This is the first book I have read by this author and won't be the last, it's funny, relatable and well written - I read it in one sitting.

DNFed at 40%

If I could give 0, I would.

So you're telling me that 3 women went away for a mini vacation all to take a break from being hosting and preparing for Christmas... All so they could host and prepare for Christmas anyway? Where's the sense, where's the logic?

Ngl, I asked for this book because it was labeled as Romance. It's not a romance, it's only women's fiction.

Anyway. 3 women go together for a break a week before Christmas to get away from their families to take them for granted/doesn't appreciate them/fiance's overbearing family. They do this (especially one of them) so they don't have to think about Christmas and responsibilities and so they don't have to cook and buy gifts and think logistics.... And they OFFER to run a b&b for the guy DURING CHRISTMAS so he can spend time with his long-distance girlfriend. A guy they don't even know. A guy who is a distant cousin of one of them, who she had no contact with (other than Christmas cards) for over 20 years.

Seriously?

And THEN you want me to read about the cheating husband of one of them who doesn't even care about his kids or wife?? How he cheats on his wife?? For fucks sake, NO. I don't care if he gets Karma. I don't even care if that woman comes back to him and accepts him. I don't care if he feels remorse and tries to win his wife back. I just don't care. The minute I learned the husband was cheating I was out. And then you give me a chapter from his pov when he's visiting his mistress? Oh fuck no. Absolutely not. (How in the world is this book marketed as romance will never know).

That's enough for me. I hated it. These women say one thing but then they might get snow in and they suddenly rush home to be with their loved ones? The same ones who didn't give a shit about them? (Not talking about Tommy because he actually worshipped the ground Lena walked on. So her, I can understand wanting to go back. But Shelley and Pearl? They should have more self-respect than this).

No. Just no. This book was so not for me.

Marvellous at any time of the year! You’re never disappointed with a Fiona Gibson novel and this one is no exception. Simple storylines, lovely ending, characters you can relate to and root for, what’s not to love?

Thank you Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in less than a day.

It was fun, relatable and an easy read. This was one of my favourite books by Fiona Gibson.

Just loved it and it got me in a Christmassy mood.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.