I loved the cover of this book straight away and Holly really does know how to draw you in and get you absorbed in this book. Her descriptions are spot on, her writing superb. All in all a must have feel good book in my opinion. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for allowing me to give my own opinion ( )

I really enjoyed this novel it was a relaxing Christmas chic lit read. The characters were likeable, there were the usual plot twists that cause misunderstandings along the way and a feel good ending. Will I read other novels by the same author, yes I will do so. Was it a five-star novel that will crop up in my memory in years to come, I don't think so. However, it ticked all the boxes I needed it to therefore gets a well-deserved four stars from me. ( )

I don’t have particularly high expectations for the Christmas romance stories that I read at this time of the year. As long as there is a romance and lots of Christmas events, food and decorations scattered throughout, I am happy. Christmas at Lilac Cottage fulfilled all of the previous items so I was pleased with this story about an ice-carver who rents the annex of her seaside cottage to a very handsome single father. Penny and Henry fall in love surrounded by the spirit of Christmas, and Henry’s teenage daughter, Daisy is an added bonus to the life they are making for themselves in the charming town of White Cliff Bay.

The story line is heart-warming if somewhat predictable and Christmas At Lilac Cottage was the perfect book to curl up with in front of the Christmas tree. ( )

With characters so full of life they almost burst off the page, Holly Martin has written another winner. I have previously read and adored Fairytale Beginnings so when I saw another Holly Martin book, I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

Holly has created a perfect manly man in Henry; he's strong, loyal and has a cute bum! I loved that there was a bit of a mix-up when Henry first arrived in town and Penny thought that Daisy was his wife, so she tried to dampen her attraction to him. Penny (not short for Penelope, producing a huge guffaw from me!) is so lovely - she's been so unlucky in her life and pretty much gave up looking for love...until she met Henry.

I found that I read this book with a smile on my face and with the odd giggle thrown in, as I've come to expect from Holly Martin. Seriously, Holly's books should come on prescription - they are a literary anti-depressant. I can't wait for another visit to White Cliff Bay with Snowflakes on Silver Cove.

I have noticed that Holly Martin is building quite a fan base and it's no surprise with books of this quality. I'm definitely a Holly Martin fan - she reaches out through each fabulous page to give the reader a massive hug and will warm even the coldest of hearts. When the snow starts to fall in Gateshead this Christmas, I'll be picking this book back up to escape to White Cliff Bay once again.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Christmas 2019 - Nice!

This was cheesy, silly, formulaic and set in a quirky Small Town, as all Christmas romances must be by law. I can't put my finger on why this is okay with me in some instances, and why I can't get past the first few pages in others. In this case, I really enjoyed it.

The premise: lonely Penny has been Really Hurt in the past and has given up on love. She rents the annex of her cottage (I'm not even sure what that means) to a couple, Daisy and Henry, hoping to make new friends and maybe have someone to hang out with. This couple changes her life in a way she never expected.

The characters, although they don't behave like any actual humans ever have, were really likable and I rooted for them. I liked the ice carving details although I remain skeptical that anyone could make a living from it. The one thing that was a real problem with this book was the constant repetition of points that had already been made many times - an obvious way to pad the page count when the plot is a little thin. And there was a ludicrous subplot involving sexual harassment that had me snickering, it seemed to be lifted from one of the daytime soaps, circa 1983. Scrooge-y comments are now out of the way.

So this is obviously not a rave review but the novel delivers what it promises, a cozy romance to cure up with in front of a fire.

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