Esme loves everything about London, her boyfriend, her friends, her job on a top tv cooking programme and the fact she can experience so much about Christmas immediately from her front door.
One day though it all comes to a grinding halt.
She is sacked from her job.
She is dumped by her boyfriend.
She can only go home to Sandchester.
There with her madcap parents who made me laugh out loud, especially mother Carol she starts to rebuild something of a life she may want.
Finding refuge in Mistletoe Cottage, still in its seventies decor and no central heating it seems a really madcap adventure to set out on. But her father’s advice is never go back.
So Esme goes forward and embraces the new way of making a name for yourself – as a blogger, a social media whizz and a name to watch.
Embracing her love of cooking and food, she clutches her grandmother’s recipe book to her chest and embarks on her own version of a cookery programme with some interesting results!
Going back home means she comes face to face with some old friends. Joe in particular always had her attention when they were younger, but will his reputation ever change and is something about his past preventing him from moving forward.
But he always seems to be there for Esme and with Christmas coming has she now found someone to kiss under the mistletoe.
This is a great festive read and one for all food fans as well. Mouthwatering descriptions of food and the fun of amaetuer recordings of making lots of funny moments. What made it more interesting for me was that we got to see how other people affected by what has happened to Esme as the story progresses.
It was good to see how her ex-boyfriend was now managing and his attitude to relationships and the role women play in them made me want to punch him! He got under my skin for the wrong reasons. Always a sign of good writing and characterisations for me.
This was a book when good overcame bad and those that needed to get their comeuppance did and everyone lived perhaps not happily ever after, but they all found where they should be and a contentment that many spend a lifetime looking for.
A good Christmas read.
Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage is published on 11 October.
I will check out Katie Ginger’s earlier novels now – I have a feeling I will enjoy them.
The Book Jotter 