Published By: HQ
Pages: 384
Released On: 22/10/2026
Mabel has no intention of celebrating Christmas. Living alone in her beautiful old house in the woods, she’s happier keeping the world at a distance.
Brooke has planned every detail of a magical family Christmas at her parents’ house. But when a fierce snowstorm forces her, her husband and their two daughters to take shelter in Mabel’s home, all her careful plans are turned upside down.
Also stranded are Izzy and Jason, two colleagues with unfinished business and undeniable chemistry. Izzy is hiding a lonely heart behind a bright smile. And Jason may be the one man capable of breaking through her walls.
Suddenly, Mabel finds herself hosting the last thing she wanted: a full house for Christmas. Then the chaos, laughter and warmth begin to work their quiet magic. As the snow falls and the fire crackles, this snowbound group discover that family can be found in the most surprising places.
Because sometimes the Christmas you never planned is the one that changes everything …
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I think this is my fifth or sixth of her books and whilst I find them okay, they’ve never really been my thing and I’ve always struggled with them. But I don’t know why because they’re so similar to my usual happily-ever-after festive books that I love so much but they always seem to be missing something for me.
I mean, about 95% of the reviews I’ve already seen online are 4 or 5 stars, so I don’t think it’s anything wrong with the book, I think it’s more that I don’t necessarily gel with them.
I’ve read books with characters who love Christmas and some who hate Christmas, but this had a character that wanted to ignore it for reasons I won’t spoil, but I don’t think she ever hated Christmas, so that was a good angle.
Throwing this group of people together was so clever. They were all very different and were all written well. Some of it felt a bit forced but overall they all felt natural and I think the worked together. My favourite was Mabel, who I’d probably call our main character. She was the most likeable and I wanted to know more about her.
I found it quite slow. I know you need world building and time to build the story up and introduce the characters which is fine, but it was more than that. I needed more and earlier to grab my attention as I found it waning.
I can’t say it’s a bad book because it isn’t – it just isn’t for me. And I think after feeling that way for half a dozen books I might have to accept that her books just don’t hit the mark for me. But I’m glad so many people loved it.
