NEW RELEASES: After Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

Here's some news for those who enjoyed Mhairi McFarlane's bestselling novel You Had Me At Hello! After Hello is a short story sequel about Rachel and Ben and is available now.

In You Had Me At Hello, the one who got away came back… but what happened next?

Together, apart and then back together again, Rachel and Ben had a rollercoaster ride to get here. But now happily in love and partners in crime once more, it feels like it’s all been worth it.

But when a face from the past reappears, misunderstandings come between them once more.
Can they hold on to their happy ever after?

BOOK REVIEW: Christmas at Cranberry Cottage by Talli Roland

Having been a fan of Talli Roland since her very first novel, it’s always a treat to read her latest offering. I’ve always enjoyed her books (including Build a Man, Watching Willow Watts and The Hating Game) and novellas. Christmas at Cranberry Cottage is no exception.

When photographer Jess Millward hears of plans for a railway company to tear down her family home, she leaves her busy life in New York behind and rushes back to her quiet village. Despite her loving grandmother seeming fond of the idea to sell up and move into a nearby care home, Jess is intent on her mission to save Cranberry Cottage, the home which she grew up in. With Christmas approaching and only a short time before the new railway is built through the village, Jess sets out in her plight to persuade the railway company – which includes Tom, Jess's handsome childhood crush – to cease its plans.

Despite Christmas at Cranberry Cottage being quite a short read, I enjoyed every page. Talli conveys great characters and setting in such a short time and in turn has created a heartwarming, festive read. Jess was a very likable character and truthfully? I think this story would have also worked well as a full-length novel. As Jess spends her time working to try and put things right, the reality can often be that certain things simply don't need fixing.

This is the perfect story to curl up with on a cold night. And if you've already read and enjoyed Christmas at Cranberry Cottage, check out Talli Roland's other Christmas novellas: Mistletoe in Manhattan, Last Christmas, Married by Midnight and Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts.

Rating: 5/5

BOOK REVIEW: Married by Midnight by Talli Roland

Christmas is almost here, and it's been fun reading some of the many festive-themed novels that have been released over the past few months, including some novellas. I was lucky to receive a copy of Talli Roland's new Christmas story, Married by Midnight, which was released in early November, and after having loved her previous Christmas tales, Mistletoe in Manhattan and Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts, I was looking forward to this one.

Kate is soon to be married to Tim, her seemingly perfect fiance. After all, it's written in the stars - both Kate and her Mum, firm believers in astrology, have consulted the horoscopes and all signs point to a perfect match. Even if sport-mad Tim really doesn't seem like the best match for Kate. The stars can't be wrong...

With Mum and sister Bea in tow, Kate's on the hunt for a wedding dress in a local boutique when she stumbles upon a vintage dress from the 1930s. It's the perfect dress. And pinned into its delicate fabric is a good-luck note.

Determined, Kate and Bea set out on a mission to uncover the history of the dress and the mysterious note in time for Kate's wedding.

Married by Midnight is a short book, which I finished in one sitting along with some hot chocolate. It's the perfect festive read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Talli is a very talented writer, having written some fantastic novels (including Build a Man, Watching Willow Watts, The Pollyanna Plan and most recent novel The No-Kids Club) which is evident in this story, and even though Married by Midnight is short, it's a magical tale complete with wonderful characters.

Rating: 5/5

FESTIVE READS: Christmas Novellas

We've already featured some great new Christmas reads from some well-loved and debut writers. Here are some shorter festive reads - novellas perfect for curling up with in winter.

Sealed With a Christmas Kiss by Rachel Lucas
Kate has taken to life on the remote Scottish island of Auchenmor like a seal to water: she's given a new lease of life to the Laird's estate in her day job; she's befriended the once-nosy locals; and even young Laird Roddy is not quite so grumpy these days.

Better still, Kate has just had her best idea yet: they'll turn the castle into the most gorgeous wedding venue in Scotland. The pressure's on as the first wedding is booked in for Christmas Eve - just weeks away. But with a mismatched bride and groom, a hysterical PR on her case, her own relationship woes and a huge storm blowing in, can Kate pull it off in time?

The Gift: A Christmas Miracle by Joanne Clancy
Julie Hamilton loves Christmas. It’s her favorite time of year, from the cinnamon smell of freshly baked mince-pies to the excitement of buying gifts for family and friends, decorating the tree, and hanging stockings for Santa Claus on the mantelpiece. 

This Christmas promises to be extra special because she’s expecting the perfect gift--her first baby--on Christmas Eve. 

However, a chance encounter turns her world upside down, and soon, she’s praying for her very own Christmas miracle. 

Can the spirit of the Christmas season and the kindness of strangers find a way to make her wish come true?

The Perfect Christmas by Kate Forster
Hollywood movie star Maggie and friend and manager Zoe need an escape from their complicated star-studded lives in LA. With its history and Christmas charm, London feels like the perfect getaway.

But can they truly leave their realities behind?

In their luxurious quarters, the girls meet Holly who is ideal at showing Maggie and Zoe the sumptuous sights and sounds of London in their most glittering light. But behind her bright façade, Holly is hiding a secret: suffering from unrequited love, she’s looking for a Christmas miracle. Desperate to see an unattainable love story for Holly come together, will our LA starlets succeed in providing a Hollywood ending before the dawn of Christmas Day?

Secret Santa by Scarlett Bailey
A self-confessed Christmas queen, Sue Montaigne prides herself on organising the annual nativity pageant in her small Cornish village of Poldore.

But this year, what with having to deal with the repairs on Castle House after it was wrecked by a terrible storm, training a new – and frankly flighty – Virgin Mary and managing a Joseph who is allergic to sheep, she is distinctly lacking a little bit of ‘me time’.

And then there are the auditions for the new Santa. But nothing prepares her for the beautiful man who turns up, a twinkle in his eye and a promise to make her Christmas dreams come true…

Christmas at the Cove by Victoria Connelly
When Millie Venning escapes to her aunt's cottage on the windswept Devon coast for Christmas, she isn't looking for romance. So, when she finds a handsome stranger already at the cottage, she's baffled. Has her aunt double-booked the cottage by mistake or is she up to her match-making tricks once again? 

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five more festive reads!

As it's now truly winter outside and Christmas is now well on its way, it's been great fun curling up with some festive reads.  Here are five more Christmas picks, including the new novel from Talli Roland and the sequel to Holly Martin's One Hundred Proposals.

One Hundred Christmas Proposals by Holly Martin
If you thought Harry & Suzie’s life couldn't get anymore sweepingly romantic than Harry asking her to marry him at the end of One Hundred Proposals – think again!

It’s Christmas in a snow-kissed London, and the.PerfectProposal.com have vowed to carry out one hundred proposals in December. No easy task at the best of times - made even more complicated by Harry & Suzie trying to plan their first Christmas and a visit from the dreaded in-laws. But one hundred deliciously Christmassy proposals later they find themselves asking if everything is still perfect in their own relationship….

Welcome back to the divinely warm world of One Hundred Proposals – with a sprinkling of pure, joyful, festive magic.

The Reluctant Elf by Michele Gorman
Meet Britain's Worst Innkeeper...

Single mother and extremely undomestic goddess, Lottie, has five days to become the ultimate B&B hostess to save her beloved Aunt Kate’s livelihood. 

When Aunt Kate ends up in the hospital, Lottie and her seven-year-old daughter are called to rural Wales to stand in at the B&B. Without the faintest idea how to run a hotel (she can barely run her own life), Lottie must impress the picky hotel reviewer and his dysfunctional family who are coming to stay over Christmas. Without the rating only he can bestow, Aunt Kate will lose her livelihood. 
But will Danny, the local taxi driver who she hires to help her, really be Santa’s little helper, or the Grinch who stole Christmas? 

Married by Midnight by Talli Roland
Christmas is coming . . . and so is the biggest day of Kate's life.

While choosing a vintage dress for her Christmas Eve wedding, Kate finds a cryptic note pinned to the inside of a 1930s gown. As doubts about her own ceremony loom, Kate is determined to track down the dress' owner and determine what became of her - and the marriage.

Will Kate find the answers she's seeking to propel her down the aisle, or will her discovery prompt her to call off the wedding for good?

Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson
Running out on your wedding shouldn’t be this much fun!

A remote Scottish castle on a snowy Christmas Eve. A handsome husband-to-be. A dress to die for. It should have been the happiest day of Leah Harvey’s life – but the fairytale wedding turns sour when she finds her fiancé halfway up the bridesmaid’s skirt just hours before the ceremony!

Fleeing the scene in a blizzard, Leah ends up stranded at the nearest cottage, where she collapses into the arms of its inhabitant – a man so handsome she thinks she must have died and gone to heaven!

And when Rob Cavelli suddenly finds himself with an armful of soaking wet, freezing cold, and absolutely gorgeous bride on the run, he’s more than happy to welcome her into his snowbound cottage this Christmas…

The Great Christmas Knit-Off by Alexandra Brown
Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats, and jumpers. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the cock-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale.

There, Sybil discovers Hettie’s House of Haberdashery, an emporium dedicated to the world of knitting and needle craft. But Hettie, the outspoken octogenarian owner, is struggling and now the shop is due for closure. And when Hettie decides that Sybil’s wonderfully wacky Christmas jumpers are just the thing to add a bit of excitement to her window display, something miraculous starts to happen…