The Best Festive Reads of 2018 So Far...

Since I started blogging a few years ago now, I've read quite a few Christmas novels! This year I've decided to list my favourites of the year so far as there are so, so many different ones out there that it's hard to choose which festive novel to read first!

Going through to write this post, it's actually surprising how many books I've already read this year and it's only October! So let's get stuck right in...

1. Dreaming of Christmas by T.A. Williams

You can read my review here.

2. The Christmas Cafe at Seashell Cove by Karen Clarke

You can read my review here.

3. Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at The Winter Wonderland by Heidi Swain

You can read my review here.

4. The Mother of all Christmases by Milly Johnson

You can read my review here.

5. A Winter Beneath the Stars by Jo Thomas

You can read my review here.

6. Love at the Northern Lights by Darcie Boleyn

You can read my review here.

7. One New York Christmas by Mandy Baggot

You can read my review on the 12th of November. So watch this space!

So those are my favourites so far! I've still got plenty more on my TBR pile but these have stood out to me so far this year. I've also been wanting to re-read the following other Christmas novels!

A Cosy Candlelit Christmas
Tilly Tennant

The Canal Boat Christmas: Port Out
Cressida McLaughlin

Possibly going to re-read these!!

A Winter Flame
Milly Johnson

The Canal Boat Christmas: Starboard Home
Cressida McLaughlin


OK no - definitely going to re-read these!

Christmas Cakes & Mistletoe Nights
Carole Matthews

The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop
Caroline Roberts





















And those are my best festive reads of 2018 so far! What festive novels have you been loving?

The Little Book Cafe: Amy's Story by Georgia Hill

The Little Book Cafe: Amy's Story

Georgia Hill

Rating: 4 stars

Amazon UK

Escape to the seaside for a new three-part series for fans of The Canal Boat Cafe and Willow Cottage.

Amy, the manager of The Little Book Cafe, is a hopeless romantic who had her heart broken, but quietly refuses to give up on love.

With her friends Tash and Emma, not to mention their shared love of books and delicious cake from the cafe next door, Amy might just find the courage to fall for a real life romance this time...

Amy's story is the final instalment of The Little Book Cafe series so wrap up warm this Autumn and treasure this wonderful book.

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I was so looking forward to diving into Amy's story and I can honestly say that it certainly didn't disappoint. We'd seen a little bit about her in the previous two novella's and was excited to read more about her. I must say that this cover is just absolutely delightful. I adore the burnt orange colours, it just screams autumn! I love the big pumpkins, the cute little cupcake and of course the pile of books in the centre of the cover! The colourful leaves around the outside just completes the cover for me.

Onto Amy's story. I really felt for Amy throughout this novel. Her mother treated her awfully and she just wants to catch a break. I will say, I feel like theres a huge focus on weight in this book and I really don't feel like it was necessary. I couldn't believe it when friend Emma said 'Yes, you've got some weight to lose' and Amy's mum saying she'll never find someone who will love her and being shocked at Amy's size. I just felt it was all a bit over the top and as the story went on it got a bit annoying.

One thing I liked about this, was that the women all came together in the end. In the first novella, Tash and Amy didn't see eye to eye, and now in this one they are rooting for each other. It was nice to see. It was also nice to see that Amy and her mum finally sorted things out and that they were going to be more positive to one another. I did enjoy the descriptions of the hot chocolates, the parties. Everything was described so beautifully and it was such an easy read. It took me a few days to read it (but that's because I'm such a slow reader!), you could easily sit down and read this in a few hours.

I'm sad that this is the final one in the series, it was so nice being back in Berecombe and I loved reading about some much-loved characters again. I wished there was another Christmas one! Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

The Mother of All Christmases by Milly Johnson

The Mother of All Christmases

Milly Johnson

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

Eve Glace - co-owner of the theme park Winterworld - is having a baby and her due date if a perfectly timed 25th December. And she's decided that she and her husband Jacques should renew their wedding vows with all the pomp that was missing the first time. But growing problems at Winterworld keep distracting them...

Annie Pandoro and her husband Joe own a small Christmas cracker factory, are well set up and happy together despite life never blessing them with a much-wanted child. But when Annie finds that the changes happening to her body aren't typical of the menopause but pregnancy, her joy is uncontainable.

Palma Collins has agreed to act as a surrogate, hoping the money will get her out of the gutter in which she finds herself. But when the couple she is helping split up, is she going to be left carrying a baby she never intended to keep?

Annie, Palma and Eve all meet at the 'Christmas Pudding Club', a new directive started by a forward-thinking doctor to help mums-to-be mingle and share their pregnancy journeys. Will this group help each other to find love, contentment and peace as Christmas approaches?

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Perfectly Imperfect Woman; a gorgeous read full of love, life, laughter - and crackers!

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Milly Johnson has a gift. There's no two ways about it. Her writing draws you in from the very beginning and just when you think that these characters are going to be happy finally - BAM! Something happens that turns their world upside down. This is the point where you do not want to put the book down and you take it absolutely everywhere with you. This book is no different to the others I've read by Milly. I absolutely loved it.

The cover is wonderfully festive, I love the colours, the cute little shop cabins and the beautifully lit Christmas trees. The title is extra special too. It's a novel that you can't wait to dive into. And dive into it I did! I really enjoyed reading about the three women, it was nice to read about women who were pregnant, as with most of Milly's novels they do not include children. Also with most of Milly's other novels, we get to know three main characters with a side bonus of visiting some other characters too. In this novel, we focused on Eve (from previous novel A Winter Flame), Annie and Palma. All three ladies are absolutely lovely and I couldn't wait to read their stories and about their pregnancies. We also touched in briefly with Effin (One of Eve's workers) and Caraid (Think that's how it's spelt!!! Effin's niece).

The story slowly builds up, and at about half way through - that's it - you're hooked. There's no going back and you feel as though you have to finish it -  and soon! What I find with Milly's novels, is that every chapter is left with a big cliffhanger, so if you're reading before bed, that 'one more chapter' idea that you usually tell yourself never works and you end up reading 6 more before you finally convince yourself to put it down. Then, when you're eating breakfast you find yourself reading it again! I wouldn't say it was overly festive though, there wasn't much mention of Christmas, although this didn't really matter because the storyline was just so good.

It's honestly impossible to dislike this book. It has everything and you find yourself relating to the characters quickly. I think Palma was my favourite in this novel, I really felt for her and all that she had been through - I found myself thinking on more than one occasion 'Can't this woman catch a break?!', just a quick side note, you WILL need tissues when you start reading about her giving birth! I was soooo emotional it's unreal! Milly Johnson what have you done to me! Crying into my porridge. Although having said that Annie was really cute too and I was so pleased that her and Joe finally got what they've always dreamed of! Overall, it was an utterly brilliant novel and I am so pleased I managed to read this before it was released. It's definitely put me in a festive mood and it's not even November yet!

Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

A Winter Beneath the Stars by Jo Thomas

A Winter Beneath the Stars

Jo Thomas

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

Escape to snowy Sweden in the gorgeous new novel from the author of Late Summer in the Vineyard and Sunset Over the Cherry Orchard. Fans of Jill Mansell and Milly Johnson will love this unforgettable winter story from Jo Thomas.

Halley has been running away from her problems for years.

On a courier trip to Tallfors, deep in Swedish Lapland, everything is going to plan. Halley has her bag, with two precious wedding rings inside for delivery... until she doesn't.

The only way to save the wedding is to team up with mysterious reindeer herder Bjorn, the one person who can lead her across the snowy tundra to be reunited with her bag.

On a journey of a lifetime beneath the stars, with only the reindeer and a bad-tempered stranger for company beside the fire, Halley realises that she will need to confront her past heartaches in order to let the warmth of love in once more...

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I've always loved Jo Thomas' novels, so when I got an opportunity to read her first ever winter novel, I jumped at the chance. I saw this cover and instantly fell in love, add in some reindeer and snow and it sounds like the perfect novel to cosy up with a hot chocolate. I love the deep colours on the cover, the gorgeous deep white snow and the beautiful stars dotted around the sky. It gives you a real understanding of what happens in this novel.

With regards to the story itself, I simply loved it. It was certainly what I would call different to what I usually read. As well as it being a quick, easy, heartwarming novel, there's a real deep theory behind it as well. You can tell as you're reading it, that a huge amount of research has gone into this novel and I think it's amazing! I really loved reading about the Sami way of life and it was just so intriguing and enjoyable! Parts of this novel absolutely broke my heart and actually had me crying! I was an emotional wreck by the end of this book but it was just absolutely beautiful.

I absolutely loved the setting of this novel, it sounded so surreal and beautiful. I have a huge urge now to go and visit!! The character of Halley was interesting. I had a feeling that she was hiding something and I was so intrigued to get to the bottom as to what it was. This is the same for Daniel. I knew that there was something that had happened for both of them that had caused them to be so anxious and so withdrawn to love. It was just such a beautiful read that I found myself eager to read more, tempted to pick up the novel at every opportunity to read on.

The Oyster Catcher will always be my favourite read by Jo Thomas, but this is a very strong contender that's fighting for that top spot! This novel is like a huge warm hug. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland by Heidi Swain

Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at The Winter Wonderland

Heidi Swain

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

The sparkling new Christmas novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author Heidi Swain!

After calling off her engagement, Hayley, the Wynthorpe Hall housekeeper, wants nothing more than to return to her no-strings fun-loving self, avoiding any chance of future heartbreak. Little does she know, Wynbridge's latest arrival is about to throw her plan entirely off course . . .

Moving into Wynthorpe Hall to escape the town's gossip, Hayley finds herself immersed in the eccentric Connelly family's festive activities as they plan to host their first ever Winter Wonderland. But Hayley isn't the only new resident at the hall. Gabe, a friend of the Connelly's son Jamie, has also taken up residence, moving into Gatekeeper's Cottage, and he quickly makes an impression on Wynbridge's reformed good-girl.

As preparations commence for the biggest event of the season, the pair find themselves drawn ever closer to one another, but unbeknownst to Hayley, Gabe, too, has a reason for turning his back on love, one that seems intent on keeping them apart.

Under the starry winter skies, will Gabe convince Hayley to open her heart again once more? And in doing so, will he convince himself?

Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at The Winter Wonderland is the perfect read this Christmas, promising snowfall, warm fires and breath-taking seasonal romance. Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Carole Matthews and Cathy Bramley.

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Heidi Swain does it again! I am a huge fan of Heidi's novels and this one was no different. It has the same wonderful community feel that all of her other novels have. Let's just take a moment to talk about this absolutely stunning cover. Absolutely everything about it screams Christmas and it's so, so beautiful! Probably one of my favourite covers of Heidi's to date. I adore the purple sky, the thick snow, the cute little cottages and the beautiful Christmas tree taking pride of place in the centre.

This time, Heidi's novel follows Hayley, the Wynthorpe Hall housekeeper. Hayley thinks she's found it all, a good job, lovely friends, and a good looking and cheeky fiance Gavin. However, things turn upside down when Hayley finds herself wishing she never got close to Gavin in the first place! To avoid anymore gossip about her life, she moves into Wynthorpe Hall and doesn't look back. She starts to love her job even more and new arrival Gabe is one of the reasons behind that.

Hayley and Gabe both have their secrets, (Gabe's was so heartbreaking!) but can they put it behind them to start a relationship together? We go through so much with this couple, and it was such an engaging and heartwarming read. I absolutely loved reading about the Christmas and festive events that take place at the Hall and at Wynbridge. It was honestly just to heartwarming and I adored reading about the sweet treats that Dorthy made or the crafty festive items on sale by the girls at The Cherry Tree Cafe.

It was so lovely as well reading about some of the characters which has made an appearance throughout most of Heidi's other novels. Although these characters pop up every now and then in this novel, you don't have to have read the others in order to understand them. It just adds to the magic that all the characters are the same! It really adds to that lovely community feel that all of Heidi's novels have. Overall, a beautiful festive read. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

Always the Bridesmaid by Lindsey Kelk

Always the Bridesmaid

Lindsey Kelk

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

The hilarious new summer bestseller from Lindsey Kelk, bestselling author or the I Heart series.

Everyone loves a bridesmaid - except Maddie, who's perpetually asked to be one.

Everyone loves a wedding - except Maddie's best friend, who's getting divorced.

And everyone loves the way Maddie's so happy behind the scenes - except Maddie herself.

One best friend is in wedding countdown, while the other heads for marriage meltdown. And as Maddie juggles her best chance at promotion in years with bridezilla texts and late-night counselling sessions, she starts to wonder - is it time to stop being the bridesmaid?

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After reading Lindsey Kelk's newest novel One in a Million, the other week and absolutely loving it, I've been searching for a new one of hers to read and stumbled across this one on sale for 99p - I mean, how could I say no to that price? This one offered humour, emotion and romance all rolled into one and I love that - that way you get to feel all the feels! The cover didn't exactly blow me away, but I was looking forward to reading another one by my newly favourite author and I liked the sound of the blurb.

As with One in a Million, it was full from the start of humour and I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion! I have to say that I think this is possibly one of my favourite novels I've read from this year. I was just laughing all the way through and visibly cringing when things just kept going wrong for Maddie! I didn't think it was possible for that much to go wrong for one person! One parts that particularly tickled me was when Maddie spilt some tea at a clients house and instead of spilling the tea on their clean, white sofa - her blue ink pen leaked all over it, leaving a huge blue stain! Honestly, I couldn't believe it, it was so funny.

The story follows Maddie, in a journal-type way. A journal that was given to her by bride Lauren, one of her best friends (I love the entries that she put in, I was in stitches!). Maddie has a lot on her plate, she's going for a new job, she starts really liking Will a guy whom she met at a wedding she worked at, and she has to deal with planning her Lauren's wedding plus dealing with other best friend Sarah's recent divorce. Throw in there confused feelings for Tom (another man she met at the same wedding as Will) and Will (said first man) 'cheating' on her, Maddie doesn't know what to do.

I honestly really felt for Maddie on many occasions in the book, to name a couple:

1. When Maddie's sister Eleanor called her life pointless and empty
2. When Lauren and Sarah had an argument and Maddie had to deal with the aftermath
3. When Maddie realised that Will wasn't single after all and actually had a girlfriend, who he was cheating on her with
4. The way Shona completely and utterly took the piss with how she treated and spoke to Maddie

Other than this, I found Maddie hilarious and loved the overall storyline as well as all of the characters (apart from Will of course). I loved the events Maddie put on and I loved the stories from the hen party (Laughed yet again when they went to the club and Lauren was puking up and crying and Sarah was getting off with a nineteen-year-old). I don't want to give too much away, although I know it's been out a long time now but it was just honestly such an amazing book and I will definitely be looking out for more by Lindsey Kelk now (if I wasn't already before!).

Love and Lies at the Village Christmas Shop by Portia MacIntosh

Love and Lies at the Village Christmas Shop

Portia MacIntosh

Rating: 4 stars

Amazon UK

Blast the Michael Buble, wrap your hands around a cinnamon latte and enjoy this warm, hilarious Christmas novel!

Ivy loves Christmas. As owner of Christmas Every Day, the year-round festive store, you'd expect nothing less!

The only thing missing in Ivy's life is a dash of romance - something her twin sister Holly will not let her forget...

When her mother passed away, Ivy vowed to take over the running of her mother's store and keep the Christmas spirit alive in the idyllic seaside town of Marram Bay.

But all this changes when an enigmatic businessman moves to the town, threatening to bulldoze her beloved shop to make way for a holiday complex.

Can Ivy save her shop before Christmas? Could there be a different side to the newest resident of Marram Bay that would make all her Christmas wishes come true?

The brand-new laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestseller Portia MacIntosh. Perfect for fans of Zara Stoneley and Tilly Tennant.

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This is the second novel I've read by Portia MacIntosh and I'll be honest and say they just keep getting better. I loved the last one but this one just blew me away because it was set at Christmas! And Christmas novels are my absolute favourite type of novel. The cover for this novel is so festive and simply beautiful! The idea of having a Christmas shop open all year round sounds amazing to me! The Christmas decorations, the little Santa and the beautiful tree looks so cute and just so Christmassy! It's one of the best Christmas covers I've seen.

As for the story, it was lovely and heartwarming. What I love about Portia's novels is that they are so lighthearted and easy to read. You feel like you're flying through the pages! This particular novel by Portia MacIntosh follows main character Ivy as she takes over her mums beloved Christmas shop but is stopped in her tracks when Seb comes along. Seb is intent on knocking down Christmas Every Day and wants to build holiday homes - which most of the village agree he should do to get more tourists! Ivy is heartbroken by their decision to knock down her childhood home and livelihood and makes it her mission to stop Seb getting his own way.

Along the way, she and Seb grow closer, no matter how much Ivy tries to stop her feeling - this man is trying to destroy her home after all! Will Seb compromise on his plans in order for Ivy to see him as he really is? It was such a great, festive read and I was left feeling so happy and warm inside once I finished it! I was sad when it finished and it was definitely one of the most festive novels I've read so far this year so would recommend giving it a go if you're not feeling as festive yet! It's a great way to get you in that Christmassy mood for sure.

Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

The Christmas Cafe at Seashell Cove by Karen Clarke

The Christmas Cafe at Seashell Cove

Karen Clarke

Rating: 5 stars

Amazon UK

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the cafe at Seashell Cove, where there's hot chocolate to keep you warm - and the man of your dreams could be waiting...

Interior designer Tilly Campbell loves being carefree and single. But her latest job is redecorating the cosy local cafe for a Christmas party, and when her friends confess their plans for the big night - including a proposal, a declaration of love and a pregnancy announcement - Tilly starts to wonder if she might be missing out...

Transforming the cafe into a winter wonderland is more of a challenge than she thought, so when she bumps into gorgeous newcomer Seth, Tilly welcomes the distraction. Seth is a single father, struggling to settle his son Jack into their new cottage, and Tilly is determined to help them make their house into a home in time for Christmas.

But with the cafe still in chaos just days before the party it looks like it's going to be a Christmas to remember for all the wrong reasons... With friends old and new relying on her, can Tilly save the Christmas party?

And could she finally find love waiting for her under the mistletoe?

A heart-warming, hilarious read about friendship, family and the meaning of Christmas. Perfect for fans of Sue Moorcroft, Holly Martin and Debbie Johnson.

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Oh how I love Seashell Cove! It's probably one of my favourite series - ever - and I was so excited when I saw another one was coming out! The cover is probably my favourite Christmas cover to date. I LOVE the use of the huge Christmas pudding, the snow, the presents - it's all so cute and pretty! I've also been really eager to read about Tilly, she's been a character in the past novels that I've liked and been interested in. As with all Karen's other books, it's funny throughout, it's engaging, and just written beautifully!

I've been so looking forward to Tilly's story and her story didn't disappoint. If this novel doesn't get you into the Christmas spirit then I don't know what will! What I will say, is that it's not as festive as what I thought it would be, there's a few mentions of Christmas baking and a paragraph or so on decorating a tree but not much else festive happens - even the Christmas Eve Party wasn't described that much! However, the overall story was wonderful and enjoyable to read - so I couldn't give it less than 5 stars!

I liked Tilly's character. She's a no-nonsense kinda gal and I love that about her. She's not overly interested in what she looks like, she prefers to stick to jeans and trainers rather than a dress and isn't that interested in a career or money. I also loved Seth's character, at first I thought he was probably too good to be true but he ended up being a nice guy and I loved his son Jack and Tilly's sisters daughter Romy's frienship - so cute! And I loved Digby of course.

I loved, loved, loved being back in Seashell Cove, as always Karen's style of writing keeps you hooked to the story until the very last page. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.