Title: I'll Be Home for Christmas
Series: Little French Café, #3
Author: Karen Clarke
Publication Date: October 14, 2019
Genres: Women's Fiction
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars)

Last Christmas, Nina gave away her heart – only to have it broken. But this year, at her family’s cosy café, could she find a second chance at love with someone special under the mistletoe?

Nina Bailey loves Christmas. Except this year she doesn’t. Because it turns out that her husband-to-be has been cheating on her – and her beautiful wedding ceremony in the snow is cancelled.

She’s not really in the mood to be jolly, sing carols, or go anywhere near gingerbread men – in fact, what Nina wants is to avoid the whole thing. So she’s come to stay at her Aunt Dolly’s cosy café to nurse her broken heart.

Nina is determined to get through Christmas with no tinsel, no fuss – and definitely no flirting. So when she arrives and meets infuriatingly handsome Ryan Sadler, with his gorgeous forest-green eyes, she is not best pleased. And when Nina overhears him making fun of her, she is furious. (There might have been an incident with a koala onesie and a spilled bottle of milk, but that really wasn’t her fault!) So despite the spark between them, and the fact that he can whip up a fabulous dinner faster than she can say Michelin star, romance and Christmas are off the menu this year.

Unfortunately, Aunt Dolly hasn’t quite got the message, going to great lengths to provide a proper British Christmas for her beloved niece: a true home away from home. With sparkling lights adorning every wall and a tree to equal the Rockefeller Center’s and, yes, mistletoe above every doorway, can Nina resist the magic of Christmas – and stick to her no-romance rule?

This heartwarming romantic comedy will have you reaching for eggnog, roasted chestnuts and gingerbread cookies! The perfect festive book to read curled up in front of the fire, for fans of Sue Moorcroft, Holly Martin and Debbie Johnson.

I was intrigued by these two characters, Nina and Ryan, meeting and possible falling in love after their previous relationships was a wreck. I did enjoy their interactions and they were sweet and cute although minimal. I should've expected it though since this is a Women's Fiction but still, I kinda wanted more. I'll take what I can get. And I did do that. Aside from the romance, Nina's relationship with her family was the highlight for me in this book. I love how supportive and caring they are especially after the events that happened with Nina's grandma who passed away and from her breakup with her ex.

I think I would have enjoyed this far more if I read the first book in the series even though I think that this is part of a companion series because I feel like Ryan's appeared in the first two books under a pen name. I would've enjoyed that. But overall, this was a quick light read. Surprisingly, I loved the little drama near the end.

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Title: Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage
Author: Katie Ginger
Publication Date: October 11, 2019
Genres: Women's Fiction
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

On a grey London day, Esme’s world crumbles around her when she loses her glitzy job on a top TV programme, her gorgeous, city-slicker boyfriend and her stunning apartment, all in one fell swoop just before Christmas.

Esme is forced suddenly to move back to her sleepy home town of Sandchester, and despite the snow blanketing the roof and the fairy lights that twinkle in her rustic little cottage, everything is looking bleak. That is until she reconnects with an old crush and finds herself unexpectedly getting swept away.

But Joe, handsome and charming as he is, is not all he seems. Esme soon realises that he has a tragic past which he just might not be able to overcome…

Surrounded by her loving, if hare-brained, family and with the support of her hilarious friends, Esme is determined to have a go at forging her own path, even if it all comes to nothing. But one question still lingers in her mind: will she find someone to kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas?

I won't lie, this was REALLY slow for me at first and I found it truly ridiculous how Nina got fired just like THAT. I mean, there are other ways one can DO to prove that they're telling the truth. How she was dismissed so easily was just dumb and had me rolling my eyes because of how frustrating it was. BUT GOOD THING, this book's pace picked up and I was soooo enjoying it. I loved reading how Nina was starting with her blog and how to get an audience like sis, I can relate. I saw myself there for a moment and it took me back to the days when I started blogging and it felt like no one was there to read. My heart was melting because of the memories. And I love Nina. I love her goal-driven personality and the way she knows what she deserves. I just full on love her and I felt a sense of pride reading what she's achieved after everything she's worked so hard for.

The romance was also so sweet and a little angsty because of Joe's history - angst in a sad way. I also love how supportive he was for Nina and how he was slowly opening his heart for something new. And aside from Joe, Nina's friends and family were just as supportive and present in her life. Being there for her and all. And reading this kind of relationship, whether it's between family or friends or with a special someone, set during the holiday season just warms my heart.

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