An uplifting festive romance perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Phillipa Ashley, Trisha Ashley, Sue Moorcroft, Rebecca Raisin and Donna Ashcroft.

Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.

Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.

A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.

But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …

My Review

I really enjoyed this – perfect for a Christmas read. It’s great fun with just enough intrigue to lift it from a simple romcom into something more interesting, with some lovely characters to root for.

If I ever have to move into a retirement home, I’d love to live in the place where Bella works, but let’s get back to the beginning. Bella is escaping a failed relationship and a conference dinner with the company she works for. She hates her job and needs to get away for a bit. While hiding in the church in the pretty village of Haileybrook in the Cotswolds, she has an unfortunate encounter with a Christmas tree, followed by an embarrassing rescue by the handsome Jack. This results in her posing as his plus one and all seems fun and lighthearted. And maybe a bit romantic as well.

But when she has to rush off, it looks like Jack is just a distant memory. Until she returns to Haileybrook to take up a new position as finance manager at the retirement home.

We meet lots of new people in Bella’s Countryside Christmas plus a few from Claire’s other books like Elle, Kate and Lucinda. I particularly love the retirement home’s committee, or as I call them The Ladies with Lavender (see what I did there) and Iris, Wendy and co.

Another great story from Claire – probably my favourite though I said that last time! Many thanks to the author for an ARC.

About the Author

Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire, UK, with her husband and two children. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but need a little help to realise it.

A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul, her first novel, at clairehuston.co.uk along with over 150 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.