Lizzie's Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow

The cover, title, and synopsis would lead a reader to believe that this is a happy, feel-good novel. Well... it's not. I loved how Christmasy the story is and I loved the female friendship, but my love for it stopped there. This is a book about a wife cheating on her husband, which I do not condone. I don't find infidelity romantic. If Marcus suspected that his late wife was having an affair why in the world would he get involved with a married woman? Yes, she has her agency but he can also choose to not cause someone else the same pain he dealt with. These women also act much older than they are. All in all, this was not the fluffy Christmas romance I wanted. And the ending really irritated me. Yes, it's Christmas. But that doesn't mean reality should be thrown out the window.

I'm still working my way through Christmas books that have been on my To Be Read pile for a long time, so this book was next! I've read so many books by this author, but I've strangely never read this one! We meet Lizzie who is married to Henry. Their marriage is going a bit stale with the same old routines, so when Lizzie meets the new next door neighbour Marcus she definitely finds her head being turned and wonders if the grass is greener on the other side!

I have to admit out of all the books by this author this was my least favourite. I initially started off feeling sorry for Lizzie with Henry appearing to be taking her for granted and not giving her much attention. When she meets Marcus however and a little bit of innocent flirting turns into something much more, my liking for her falls a little. She criticises Henry to everyone but never tells him how she feels, which seemed a bit unfair. The storyline however held my attention and as I read I could tell that not everything was as it seemed and we were due some surprises along the way. The story flowed well and I liked the supporting characters, especially Lizzie's friend Ann.

As a Christmas read, it had a few seasonal moments, but due to the nature of Lizzie and Ann's storylines I didn't feel particularly festive whilst reading it. I did like the book though, the storyline held my interest and I enjoyed seeing where the characters and storylines were going. It wasn't, however, as light-hearted and romantic as I thought it was going to be.

Lizzie is in the empty nest stage of her life. Her husband Henry is pretty much set in his ways, working all day, coming home, plopping down in his chair in front of the television with a beer and ignoring Lizzie. Is it any wonder that her head is turned by the handsome new neighbour who pays her attention? Trying to sort out what she wants out of life and what changes she needs to make get influenced by how Marcus makes her feel, so time away with her BFF Annie help her put things in perspective, but is it too late?

I had very mixed feelings about Lizzie's Christmas Escape. I enjoy an uplifting story around Christmas, but this book had me feeling a bit down. First, I am not a big advocate of cheating and lying, so that put me off. As the story went on, I did feel for both Lucy and Henry and wasn't sure if their marriage could be saved, but with Christmas in the title, I was pretty sure it would have a happy ending. The characters were realistic as well as the situation, which is a sad comment on our society. Lack of communication is often the culprit when marriages begin to fall apart and this book is no exception. The secondary characters (children, boyfriends, acquaintances) all play a role, but they are small and serve a purpose. Overall, this was a story about relationships, honesty, family infidelity, forgiveness and communication. It takes place during the Christmas holidays with parties etc. playing a role, but for me this is not what I look for when I read a Christmas story.

This story wasn't really a "light, fluffy" Christmas love story. The themes and storyline were much deeper. And while the story was set during the Christmas season, it wasn't really a Christmas story. Overall I enjoyed it, just not what I thought it was going to be when I picked it up.

This book was so much more than I expected. I thought it would be a fun and festive fell good romance, but there was so much more depth to the story. The story features well written characters who are real and relatable. I found this book to be more of a women's fiction than light hearted romance, but that did not detract from my enjoyment at all. It was an unexpected gem.

There is so much more to this story than what meets the eye and I had to struggle a little bit as my feelings for Lizzie changed quite a bit as I got further into the story. I began with a lot of empathy for her and her situation. She’s been married a long time, her children are grown and away at university and her husband barely acknowledges her existence other than to ask when dinner is ready. I felt bad for her and when she meets her new neighbor Marcus, it seemed innocent but then the flirtation starts to take on a very serious tone and I had a much harder time feeling any empathy for Lizzie. I began to get angry because as cold and distant as Henry was, Lizzie never communicates her feelings to him. He deserved a swift kick and a shoe thrown at his head, but it annoyed the living daylights out of me that Lizzie so quickly embarked on this fling with Marcus without even TRYING to resolve the issues in her marriage! Also, the Christmas escape is more of an afterthought that occurred near the end of the story after Lizzie’s life is already in shambles.

I’m glad I didn’t give up on this story, however, because I was surprised at how it all played out and it resolved very well. In the end, I ended up feeling a lot of empathy for Lizzie, but also admiration. I was pleased to see her take full responsibility for her actions when confronted by not only her husband but her daughters. She also demonstrates a lot of courage by starting her own business, something she always wanted but never dared to try.

The story flows well and the characters were easy to engage with. I especially liked Lizzie’s friend, Ann, who demonstrates loyalty to Lizzie even though she is going through her own trials. Lizzie is lucky to have her as a friend. There are some surprise twists that came out of left field, but it enhanced the story very well.

My Final Verdict: Although I struggled with a few parts of the story, I recommend this story to readers who are looking for a story about forgiveness and second chances because isn’t Christmas the season of hope?

*SPOILERS ALERT*


Hmmm I wasn't a big fan of this book. First of all looking at the cover you'd think you were getting a lovely sweet Christmas story but this book didn't really feel festive to me at all apart from a few mentions of snow and Christmas shopping it just didn't give me that warm fuzzy feeling I look for in Christmas books. My main problem with this book is the plot.

We follow Lizzie who is married to her childhood sweetheart Harry and have two girls together, latly there marriage has gone a bit stale and Lizzy is feeling frustrated, her new next door neighbour Marcus catches her eye and soon sweeps her off her feet and here in lays where the book made me see red! Lizzie goes onto fall for Marcus and eventually sleeps with him therefore cheating on her husband... You are then excepted to feel sorry for Lizzie when her daughter finds out and she starts to feel guilt, we follow Lizzie and her friend Ann who go away on a trip to try and get their heads together, Marcus won't return any of Lizzies calls and she starts to sense something funny may be a foot, meanwhile in the hotel they are staying in she stumbles across Dave Ann's husband going into a bedroom with another woman and gives him a lecture about cheating 🙄 ummm pot kettle black!! Harry finds out about Lizzies affair and leaves her and once again we are mesnt to feel sorry for Lizzie even more so when it turns out Marcus is a love rat and is also married, this not being the first affair he had had!!

I really couldn't stand Lizzie and the fact she wouldn't really face up to what she had done and the fact the author wants us to feel sorry for her.... No don't think so a cheater is a cheater. Also why is this book marketed as a romance, its definitely not, it's more of a (bad) chick lit.

Overall this book left an extremely bad taste in my mouth and I wouldn't recommend it at all.

2.5

"Lizzie's Christmas Escapes" sounded like an entertaining Christmas story and I was looking forward to read it.

I liked the beginning and I started well into the story. I was curious about Lizzie's escape and what was going to happen. With the new male neighbor arriving I was starting to get skeptical. The story then started turning into a direction I didn't like at all. The story lost me more and more and unfortunately it wasn't a cosy Christmas read I expected.

The ending was way too much for my liking and it bit too sappy happy. In parts it was very unrealistic as well.

The atmosphere had a few bits of Christmas here and there but couldn't get me into the Christmas spirit. I was really hoping for more here.

A charming read, about Lizzie, whose daughters have left home, and whose husband seems to be more interested in watching TV than in his wife. Lizzie is an engaging character, and together with her best friend Ann tries to enjoy her life while silently despairing of her marriage. A new neighbour, Marcus, shakes things up for Lizzie ... this was a lovely cosy read, about marriage, friendship, temptation and of course Christmas!
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

Such a cute and warm winter read. I enjoyed every single second, and the characters were absolutely wonderful, I felt like they were my real friends.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. I am just not interested in this book anymore. Sorry for the inconvenience.

A Christmas story packed full of drama. Lizzie and Henry are married they have two daughters who have left home. Lizzie is bored with married life. So she and her friend Ann decide to dress up and go out somewhere rather than the bingo. They meet Lizzie's handsome new neighbour Marcus and his brother. Lizzie is attracted to Marcus and decides to throw caution to the wind and encourages his advances. I must admit I didn't like cheating Lizzie much, however the story tells of those around her as well and this evens things out nicely.

Lost interest unfortunately, therefore didn't review online.

Couldn't put it down! I read it in less than a day. I loved the characters and the story and will definitely be reading more by this author. This was the perfect funny feel good festive read about rediscovering the magic of Christmas. Will recommend for fans of Holly Martin looking for a light cozy read.

I love Christie Barlow but I confess, this didn't quite hit the "feel-good Christmas romance" description on the cover, hence the disappointment I felt after reading it.

It was a good story, but I'm still not sure where all the happy feels come in. Lizzie is in a rut, tired of her relationship and is tempted by the handsome new neighbor. It is well written, but with deception, lies, and turmoil in the mix I wouldn't consider it festive.

I think if it had been marketed differently it would have hit all its marks. This is a story set at Christmastime, not a Christmas story.

Lizzie's Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow

Lizzie isn't happy in her relationship with her husband Henry. She starts getting friendly with her neighbor Marcus and he invites her to his work Christmas party. She is taking a big chance to go but decides to go. I have already reviewed this but my review got lost somehow. This was a very engaging story and I loved reading it. It was a warm cosy feeling reading this. Lizzie's two daughters are grown adults. Her marriage has lost its sparkle and she feels the excitement again by spending time with Marcus.

Marcus is renting a house near Lizzie. Lizzie still loves her husband Henry but she has begun to think is this all there is. Lizzie is only in her early forties, much too young to get stuck in a rut. Lizzie says to herself that the only thing that Henry and her share it a mortgage. Lizzie has a best friend named Anne. They met at college when they were sixteen. Lizzie confides to Anne about everything and they get together a lot and have a good time. Lizzie envies Anne's marriage to her husband Dave. After all of these years their love for each other was still going strong. They haven't fallen into a rut like Lizzie and Dave. Will Lizzie risk her marriage by accepting Marcus's invitation to the Christmas party?

Thank you to Net Galley, Christie Barlow and the Publisher for my copy for a fair and honest review.

Lizzie's Christmas Escape was a beautiful Christmas novel about life, love, what happens when you lose your way, and the adventurous path you can take to find yourself again.

This is the story of Lizzie and her best friend Ann and was filled with love, laughter and lots of tears, tragedy, and life changes. It also had secrets and surprises mixed throughout. Sometimes people can surprise you and they aren’t always how them seem. Learning to trust yourself and being true to yourself is important in living life to the fullest.

I was browsing through my Kindle a few weeks ago, and stumbled across this festive read from Christie Barlow. Somehow, I haven't yet managed to read a book from this author, so was eager to find out what the book was going to be like, and if I had found another new author that I could love. Luckily, the book and author didn't let me down, it was a wonderful story and brilliantly written, making me very excited to read more from Christie Barlow, both her older books and upcoming release Evie's Year of Taking Chances, which is coming out next month.

Lizzie feels like she has to make a change in her life, but doesn't really know where to start. Her marriage has become a bit stale, husband Henry is more interested in watching the TV than he is romancing his wife, and her daughters have gone to university, leaving her all but alone in her home. So when she notices a new neighbour moving in next door, Lizzie introduces herself and strikes up a new friendship with Marcus. She knows she's playing with fire, and when best friend Ann suggests a girls weekend away, Lizzie realises it might be just the escape from her shocking reality that she needs...

I love a book that I can get into from the very first pages, and this was definitely the case for this book. Barlow throws us straight into Lizzie's life, showing us that she's very unhappy but doesn't quite know how to get herself out of the rut that she has found herself in at the moment. I liked Lizzie, and felt sorry for her because she really did seem so lonely. Her best friend Ann was wonderful, but she was lonely in her marriage, and wasn't utilising the skills she had herself, which was dressmaking. Lizzie was very likeable, even when she was making some very questionable decisions, and I really wasn't sure throughout the book how I wanted it all to end, because there were so many endings that could happen in my head!

I could see why Lizzie had her head turned by her lovely new neighbour, and how easily the pair struck up a friendship. I did have my suspicions about him, but thought that it was just me being a bit of a downer, Marcus did seem lovely, even if he was a bit inappropriate considering he knew that Lizzie was married! The story between these two runs throughout the whole book, and certainly left me wondering in parts when it would all fall apart, if at all! There's also another plot involving Ann and her husband, which was just as riveting, and again allows room for lots of scenes between the best friends.

One thing I do have to say is that the Christmas escape in the title of the book is actually a very small part of the story as a whole, in fact, it could have been a bit of a blink and you'll miss it storyline, it happened so quickly, and was over again just as quickly. I thought the book would be centred around this whole girly getaway, so I was a bit surprised when it didn't. It didn't stop me really enjoying the book of course, but I was just surprised that something so prominently in the title and blurb of the book was really a very small part of the book as a whole.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and felt I went on a real emotional journey with these characters, especially Lizzie who seemed quite lost really. She had lost her children (not really lost them, but in the sense they've moved away and are getting on with their lives), all but lost her marriage, and lost her own spark and sense of self-worth, and I enjoyed reading about her trying to reclaim some of these things as the book went on. Barlow's writing was really enjoyable, the pace was great, and there was always something going on to entertain the reader, and I liked the festive feeling woven throughout the book. I'll definitely be reading more from Christie Barlow, the sooner the better!

This is the first book I have read by Christie Barlow and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It wasn’t your usual run of the mill cliché romance. There was a few twists and turns where I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. While I knew there wasn’t something right about a couple of the characters I still didn’t manage to work out the twist at the end.

It truly highlighted the frustrations people feel in relationships as I recalled from my last relationship. I was in a relationship for 9 years and definitely remember feeling the way Lizzie felt at times. I liked how I could connect with Lizzie so easily. While I am not Lizzie’s age it was funny to think it was just like reading about a friend, I felt like we were friends. It was like I was on the rollercoaster of emotions with Lizzie as she dealt with her dilemma about her relationship and the consequences of the decisions she was making, it was so true to life.

I think the close friendship she has with Ann is lovely and all women should have these special friendships. In this day and age I think we as women can be made to feel guilty for having some time to ourselves to just relax and unwind. It was lovely to read that the women did just that and took time out when things were difficult. One of my favourite parts was when they were talking about their bucket lists. I think more women should do the things that Ann and Lizzie get up to, embrace their female friendships and treasure them.

The characters and story was so relatable and I loved that it wasn’t like the usual happy ever after endings. While I won’t spoil the ending and it wasn’t quite how I thought it would end I was glad it was a little different. It wasn’t the predictable kind of story and I liked that, it could have gone in so many directions to end with.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and will definitely read more by Christie. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something festive, or who feels a bit stuck in a rut with life.

I admit I have been doing some other things over the Christmas holidays but this book has still managed to put me in a complete reading rut. So, finally, at around the 60% mark, I’m throwing in the towel. I really can’t think of a single thing that has endeared me to this book to make me want to go on.

Lizzie wants a Christmas escape because basically she’s a selfish cow who, despite her age, needs to grow up. Her kids have left home and she feels her husband, Henry, takes her for granted/ignores her/neglects her. The truth of the matter is he’s working long hours while she stays at home making a bit of pin money as a seamstress. She gets angry when he comes home, clearly exhausted, and eats his dinner in front of the tv before heading off to bed. And that’s about it when it comes to Henry’s crimes.

Apparently that's enough for immature and gullible Lizzie because when a single male, Marcus, moves in next door, she instantly falls for him.

Lizzie's moping around and whingeing about how hardly done by she is nearly did my head in. Here's an idea, how about you expand your business so that you poor ol’ Henry doesn’t feel like he has to take on extra work to pay the bills. Although I suspect Lizzie’s a crap seamstress anyway, considering that there’s a few chapters dedicated to her shopping for a dress to wear on a date with Marcus and the dilemma she faces when she can’t afford the ‘perfect’ one. I mean, seriously? She's a seamstress!! Can’t she just make her own dress?! Ugh.

Marcus is just about the most unintentionally sleazy character I’ve read in a while. He knows Lizzie is married right from the start, but that doesn’t seem to stop him from constantly approaching her (without ever bothering to introduce himself to Henry or call around when he’s home) and, basically, using her. She’s so self-absorbed she doesn’t even see how much Marcus is taking advantage.

As I’ve only gotten to around the 60% mark, I can’t tell you for sure, but I would assume Marcus is either some sort of a criminal or gay. Some ‘bombshell’ anyway that will shock Lizzie into running back to Henry with her tail between her legs and screaming that she now realises it’s Henry she really loves. What.ever.

I must also mention Lizzie’s bestie, Ann. Well, what a pain in the proverbial. One minute she is telling Lizzie that she should go out with Marcus and have some fun etc etc. The next minute she’s warning her to be careful because she’s married etc etc. Make up your mind!!!!

There’s all sorts of cliched romantic moments with Lizzie and Marcus that made me cringe: ice skating, dog walking, him buying her expensive gifts… Gross.

There is a sprinkling of Christmas, so I will give it half a star for the effort of making the holiday relevant to the storyline.

The cover/blurb indicates there’s humour in the book, but I’m afraid I find nothing funny in making plans to be unfaithful. I didn’t even get the Gary Barlow part because I have no idea who he is (okay, I did google, but I was clueless until then).

I was going to try and finish the book but the last chapter I read was a detailed account of Lizzie and Ann’s weekly bingo night (where Lizzie wins and will spend that money on the new dress and a weekend away with Marcus, I assume). Not really the escapism I was looking for…

One out of 5. Did not finish.