A Snowstorm. A stranger. A Spark. It should be the perfect start to the perfect love story.

But real life is far messier and more complicated than in the pages of the books in Megan Taylor’s family bookshop – the last few years have left this young widow in no doubt of that. Moving back home to York should have been a fresh start, but all it did was allow her to retreat from the world.

When prize-winning author Xander Stone rams his supermarket trolley into her ankles and then trashes her taste in books, Megan is abruptly awoken from her self-imposed hibernation. It’s time to start living again, and she’s going to start by putting this arrogant, superior – admittedly sexy – stranger in his place.

Just as she is beginning to enjoy life again, the worst happens and Megan begins to wonder if she should have stayed hidden away. Because it turns out that falling in love again is about more than just meeting under the mistletoe…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Healing is never linear… The five stages of grief aren’t linear either – they all seem to exist together in one fiery hell ball of emotion that feels as though it will last forever. People will tell you that time heals but, in my experience, time just takes away the intensity.

 

Human beings have grown impatient, wanting instant gratification – social media likes and next-day delivery. But the really hard things in life take time to get over and the really good things require patience to achieve.

  

My Review:

 

I enjoyed this thoughtfully written yet humorous hybrid of British women’s fiction, romantic comedy, and family drama. The writing was amusingly clever, entertaining, and perceptively and evocatively detailed. The cast of characters was an oddly compelling assortment of annoying and fun with each one given unique and realistically flawed and relatable traits that kept me tittering and occasionally wanting to give a few of them a smack to the head. The storylines and writing style were comfortable, witty, perceptively insightful yet easy to follow, and an excellent kick-off for seasonal reading.   I’m certainly feeling much more Christmassy.