Escape for Christmas: The perfect festive holiday romance to curl up with this Christmas from the Sunday Times bestselling author
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Sophie used to adore everything about Christmas. Hot chocolate and velvet bows, fairy lights and mince pies.
Until the December her fiancé jilted her.
Since then, Sophie opened Sunnyside Hotel, a quaint guesthouse nestled deep in the Cumbrian countryside.
And, though it might be winter at Sunnyside, it’s never Christmas.
Marketing her hotel to those who wish to avoid the festivities, Sophie is busy preparing for a season full of joy and laughter, but without the tinsel and mistletoe.
Yet, as she finds herself growing closer to her gorgeous neighbour, Brody, her heart begins to melt.
Will this Christmas bring the touch of magic Sophie needs to give love another chance?
________________________
Praise for Phillipa Ashley:
‘Sparkling and festive, as satisfying as figgy pudding and clotted cream – loved it!’ Milly Johnson
‘Filled with warm and likeable characters. Great fun!’ Jill Mansell
‘Warm and funny and feel-good. The best sort of holiday read’ Katie Fforde
‘A delicious festive treat with as many twists and turns as a Cornish country lane’ Jules Wake
‘A transporting festive romance, full of genuine warmth and quirky characters’ Woman’s Own
‘Serious festive escapism . . . like a big warm hug’ Popsugar
‘A page-turner of a festive read’ My Weekly
‘Gloriously uplifting and unashamedly warm-hearted’ Faith Hogan
‘A fantastic setting and intriguing premise, all bound together by Phillipa Ashley’s storytelling talent’ Sue Moorcroft
‘Picture perfect setting -tick!’ Good Housekeeping
Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023
From the Publisher
Publisher : Penguin
Publication date : 7 Nov. 2024
Language : English
Print length : 400 pages
ISBN-10 : 1804945544
ISBN-13 : 978-1804945544
Item weight : 277 g
Dimensions : 12.9 x 2.6 x 19.8 cm
Best Sellers Rank: 2,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) 47 in Clean & Wholesome Romance (Books) 83 in Holiday Romance (Books) 306 in Contemporary Romance (Books)
Customer reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,350 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers say
Customers find this book to be a perfect festive read with a strong storyline and well-developed characters. Moreover, they appreciate its romantic elements, with one customer describing it as a lovely cozy heart-warming read. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its writing quality, humor, and scenery, with one customer highlighting the Lake District setting as a happy bonus.
10 reviews for Escape for Christmas: The perfect festive holiday romance to curl up with this Christmas from the Sunday Times bestselling author
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Original price was: £9.99.£3.00Current price is: £3.00.
Welsh Annie –
Fabulously festive, gloriously romantic, and the most perfect Christmas read
Sophie really doesn’t hate Christmas – well, she certainly never used to. In fact, she once ran a Christmas shop all year round, even calling her cats Jingle and Belle – but that was before her partner betrayed her so spectacularly at that time of year, and with her best friend. So now she’s trying to make a success of the Sunnyside Guest House in the Lakes – it’s where she fled to have a fresh start – and it might just be that others would appreciate a rather different Christmas experience too, escaping from all the usual traditions.And it really seems they would – she’s soon fully booked, has sorted out the flamenco dancers and the hot tub, planned the paella for Christmas Day, and the guests – a particularly eclectic mix – have arrived. But she never thought the weather would cause such problems – and the heavy snow might just give them all a Christmas that’s even more different than they expected.Brody’s the local vet, and lives in his family farm on the hillside behind Sunnyside – there’s definitely real chemistry between him and Sophie, and he’s always there for her, making every problem feel more manageable. But it does seem he has a few secrets of his own, and her trust in him might just have been misplaced – and it’s a situation that looks like it’ll stand in the way of any possibility of a happy ending for them both.I really felt for Sophie as she tried to move on from the sadness in her past, Brody is the perfect love interest (well, until…), and every individual who finds themselves spending their Christmas at Sunnyside (even the rather unexpected arrivals) is quite wonderfully drawn, all with their own stories. It’s a particularly Christmassy story in so many ways, very cleverly handled – and while it’s certainly not quite the experience anyone was expecting, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The impossible romance was particularly engaging, both heartwarming and emotional, with considerable barriers to overcome – but, knowing more than Sophie about the full story, I had every confidence that they’d get there in the end. I always so enjoy a story about fresh starts and new beginnings – the setting is beautifully drawn too, and the four-legged characters are every bit as wonderful as the humans.The whole book really was an absolute delight – fabulously festive, gloriously romantic, and the most perfect Christmas read. You will add it to your list, won’t you? This is one I’d really urge you not to miss – I totally loved it.
Barbara Phillips –
enjoyable read
Enjoyable easy read which is set in a beautiful part of the country. My go to author for a change from my usual reading material.
JPB –
cosy Xmas caper
A lovely book couldn’t put it down.cosy Xmassy story(or unxmas)unexpected birth.snowed in at the guest house.but before I tell you more just get the book and enjoy it
Bookworm –
Uplifting wonderful read
Lovely easy read, gorgeous descriptions of wonderful scenery, great characters (including the animals!) I loved this, couldn’t put it down. I’m very glad I’ve discovered this author, I shall be looking for more of her books to read.
Marie M. –
Great read
Great read
dolphin1974 –
Lovely story
This was a lovely festive story, I laughed, I cried and I cheered. I’m thinking of booking a holiday in the Lake District as well.
lgj –
A little bit plodding
Whilst the Christmas romance is one of my favourite reads, this was fine but at times went on a bit too long when something was being described. Spoiler alert- the reason why Brody can’t be with Sophie initially is weak, considering his best friend knows. It would have surely been ok to relay it to woman he’s fallen for. But all romances need angst I suppose, but I found it a bit frustrating. Setting of the story is described very nicely though and the book is an easy read.
Mrs Snijder –
A warm and cosy Christmas read!
Sophie used to love Christmas and ran a Christmas shop all year round, until she found her fiance with her best friend tangled in tinsel in her stockroom. Sophie leaves everythin behind to start Sunnyside Hotel in the Cumbrian countryside.This first winter after her break up Sophie decides to host an ‘Escape for Christmar’ retreat for people who would like to escape the festivities. And to her surprise her hotel is fully booked. She is looking forward to hosting this wonderful mix of people, but stumbles upon some difficutl situations along the way.Fortunately, she has her neighbour and vet Brody around who is more than willing to lend her a helping hand. From unexpected guests to power cuts to Sophie’s cats getting ill, Brody is there for her.Attracted to one another, Brody is dealing with a estranged fiancee of his own.Will Sophie and Brody find eachother in the end?Philippa Ashley has done it again! I absolutely loved this festive cozy read. Well paced and with very likable character, this is one of those books to curl up with on the sofa, a hot chocolate within reaching distance.
Janeite –
I loved this book from Philip Ashley and escaped with the characters into the picturesque Lake District, so beautifully described. I also loved the way Sophie adored her cats who held her together while her previous life fell apart. Brody was a gentle character whose love for animals continued in his vet practice, so it was obvious the two main characters were going to find something special in each other. I highly recommend this book for a bit of escapism along with a blossoming romance to keep things interesting.
Amazon Customer –
I didn’t mind the escaping from Christmas story line, there were some interesting characters and sub plots within the book, but I found Brody to be weak and boring. I read to the end but it was a hard slog with him.