Suzanne Snow

This is book four in the Welcome to Thorndale series. I had no idea it was part of a series when I began reading it. It works fine as a stand-alone although I am interested in reading the other books.
This Christmas romance is set in England. The main characters, Olivia and Tom, are middle aged.
I enjoyed this Christmas romance. I like Olivia and Tom. It was interesting to have a character who was an actor but is changing career to writer. I have occasionally wondered about actors who have left the limelight and what their lives are like after. I found Tom and his story believable. Olivia, a single mom whose adult child is in the process of making her own life, is a much more familiar character. I understood her hurt and her fears, although I did want to shake her a couple of times. The storyline with Olivia returning to her family home after her father moves into an elder community was also familiar as I deal with my aging parents and all their possessions. You never really know how much you, or your parents, have acquired until you need to move it all. The supporting characters peaked my interest and are the reason I would like to read the previous books. I absolutely adored the book shop and, even though there was some sadness with a book shop closing, the scenes in the book shop warmed my soul. I loved the Christmas book theme and old traditions becoming new that Olivia and Tom had going on. The author, whose work I had not read before, did an excellent job of making you feel as though you were right there. There was some tension between Olivia and Tom but also some teasing, fun and light passion that moved along at just the right pace.
If you are looking for a Christmas romance that is modern but feels a little like another time this book may be what you are looking for. I was always aware that the time is the present yet it felt magical like Christmas tales set in the past often do for me. It was a delightful mix. I do recommend it to all who love or dream of Christmas romance in a small English village.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. My voluntary review is based on my thoughts, feelings and enjoyment while reading this book.… (altro)

Annie Armstrong moves to live in her godmother’s old cottage in a small village in Yorkshire after being nearly jilted at the altar. She’s suffering from a broken heart. She meets Jon and there begins a ‘will they, won’t they’ relationship.

This is a very gentle and sweet read, a little too gentle and sweet for me. And all quite predictable, too. Nothing seems to happen and the ‘will they, won’t they’ scenario is just too drawn out. There’s too much padding to the story, I didn’t need to know what each character was wearing. The characters are very frustrating, I wanted to bang their heads together. However, it’s nicely written and I think there is the basis of a good story in there somewhere. Perhaps a serious thread running through it? At the end of the day, I just don’t think this was my cup of tea and I’m sure it will appeal to other readers of this type of romantic fiction.… (altro)