I haven't been a big fan of the series "The little wedding shop by the sea" but still I was looking forward to another Christmas book in the series.

I really enjoyed the setting this time and some parts were really festive and also wintery. We have several weddings set in December time and follow Holly who is a wedding photographer.

The story itself wasn't very exciting. It is full of different characters, lots of names and different settings. I found it hard to follow who is who and besides partying, preparing weddings parties and being at weddings not much is happening.

I think this series had a lot of potential with its setting but unfortunately it lacks in a proper storyline and characters I enjoy to be with.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

A sweet holiday romance story, and one that was hard to put down. When Holly decides to leave London and escape Christmas she heads to her hometown and her friends, expecting to have a quiet time ignoring the holidays. Naturally that is not the case. I liked the characters, and liked that the romance was subtle. Rory is not the best knight in shinning armor, but he is charming. Love his niece too. Highly recommend this book and author.

Loved that this was set at Christmas and the fact it was set around weddings
The love story was there at he beginning just took a while to see

This was a sweet Christmas story, the Christmassy feels oozed out the page! (Even though I read this in April!). It was a really sweet story focusing on Holly and her supposedly 'quiet' Cornwall Christmas. The characters were lovely and I would love to hear what happens next!

A series full of warmth and weddings, Christmas Promises at the Little Wedding Shop by Jane Linfoot is the fourth instalment taking place at Brides by the Sea.

This time around our protagonist is Holly, a food photographer who grew up in the seaside town of St Aiden and now lives in London. This is her first Christmas alone after a break up, being a year since her boyfriend proposed to her and she left him waiting for an answer. She has regretted her stunned silence ever since, and has spent the year wishing he would take her back. With the prospect of a lonely Christmas facing her, she accepts an offer to photograph a winter wedding and returns to St Aiden with the intention of lying low.

Of course, nothing ever goes to plan and Holly finds herself being taxied to Brides by the Sea in Santa’s sleigh, complete wjth an elf by her side. This wouldn’t be so bad, except for the fact that they run into Rory, an old face from Holly’s past who has a habit of teasing her for her rosy red cheeks. To him, she is Holly Berry, or just Berry for short, and Holly is surprised to see that he hasn’t moved on from this small town. He is the last person she wanted to see, yet somehow it is still a comfort to be reminded of old times.

With the worry of photographing her first wedding on the horizon, Holly finds herself unwittingly conned into accepting more wedding jobs, as formidable Brides by the Sea owner, Jess, grooms her to become their in-house photographer. This means being thrown together with Rory, often the only available pair of hands to help out at the last minute. He knows Holly is still yearning for the love that she lost, but could she be missing something else right under her nose?

I thoroughly enjoyed this return to the little wedding shop, and thought Holly fit in perfectly with the other characters seen in previous books. You don’t need to have read the others, but I think it does enhance the enjoyment of this one, especially given some of the quips being made. However, Holly easily holds her own as a protagonist and is introduced with plenty of history to give her a well-rounded sense of character.

From the very beginning you can understand how her mind works, and become attuned to both her strengths and weaknesses, willing her to succeed. She is full of self-doubt about her skills, and needs that extra reassurance (often from Rory) to make her believe in herself. Wedding photography is a completely new field for her, and at times the pressure is almost too much, and she is tempted to throw in the towel. However, despite Holly often being hot headed and impulsive, she is yet to realise that that may have saved her from an unhappy marriage, leaving her heart open for something new.

Where Rory is concerned, they share an easy companionship, with Holly never having to justify herself to him. Despite knowing that she still pines for her ex, Rory is always there when she needs him, no questions asked. This is on top of his own problems, as he has been left to care for his sister’s two young children whilst she is in hospital. He is almost as out of his depth as Holly is, demonstrating that he is pretty clueless when it comes to children. This provides for much of the comedy throughout the book, especially when trying to reign in his language around the kids.

As a Christmas-themed novel this was everything I wanted it to be, full of cheer and warmth to bring a smile to your face. Holly had her own insecurities to work through, complemented perfectly by the rapport building between her and Rory. This meant that there was just the right level of both character and relationship development throughout, with it being easy to sink into the story and become engaged in the cosy storytelling. Another great instalment to the series, I can’t wait to return to the Little Wedding Shop again soon.

I didn't realise that this book was part of a series. I have enjoyed reading the book as the characters are so loveable I just wish I had read the previous books in the series first. An enjoyable read in a lovely setting.

Review: This is part of a series but even thought I haven't read them all I was still able to enjoy this book. This is a lovely story set at Christmas. It has charters that you just fall in love with. I enjoyed this book. I adored the cover.

I have to admit that when I started reading this book I was a bit disappointed - girl plus two potential love interests - seemed like it was just going to be a repeat of previous visits to Brides by the Sea.

Boy - how wrong was I!!! Yes it did follow the same format but it was a wonderful, heart warming story that filled me with joy and I was rooting for Holly big time. Plus, I got to go back and revisit ‘old friends’ catch up and see how they were doing - Poppy, Immie, Jess and to a lesser extent Sera and Lily. I know I have mentioned it in previous reviews of this series but I am totally overpowered by how much I feel I know these guys and am part of the fold and I swear I can almost taste those cupcakes that Poppy bakes. The last few chapters tied up a few loose ends and I was sad to say goodbye to them all as I imagine this is probably the last instalment in this series, for now anyway.

I realise I haven’t told you much about the book so short synopsis - Holly is heartbroken and wants to get away from London and all things Christmassy but has committed to doing wedding photographs for two of her ex boyfriends friends on a beach at Christmas - cue Brides on the Sea. She plans on this being a one off and doesn’t bargain on ‘helping out’ the resident photographer. Throw in an old crush from her past and all her friends and this makes for a lovely Christmas read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This was the perfect Christmas read. I snuck away with this book when I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of Christmas with family for a while. It was perfect for this.
It is a truly romantic story, even if the outcome is predictable, it was exactly what I wanted to be reading.

Christmas Promises at the Little Wedding Shop is the fourth and final book in the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea series by Jane Linfoot. I have read and enjoyed every book so far and feel this was a nice, pleasant conclusion to the series. Lots of loose ends were tied up and characters whom you have been with on a journey with since the first story have now become familiar friends. But I do feel it is now the right time to finish up with these characters and for the author to turn her attention to a new setting with fresh new characters ready and willing to share their stories. For me, I don't think this book was the strongest out of all four but it was still a nice, light, easy read with plenty of mishaps and surprises accompanied with lots of festive charm and romance.

Our attention this time turns to a new character Holly North as she arrives to spend a month in St.Aidan's, more specifically several weeks at Brides by the Sea. This is the unique shop run by Jess which caters for every need as demanded by a bride. The regular characters we have come to know are all once again present but for those new to the series there is plenty of back-story mentioned so one wouldn't feel as if they were missing out. For me that was perhaps one slight problem I had with the book, the fact that there were so many characters. I understand we had read of them previously but there was a significant gap between my reading of books three and four and for me I had forgotten some of the finer detail as to who was with who and what stage they were currently at. I found it hard to keep track of various relationships and connections and at times trying to do so took away from my enjoyment of Holly's story.

I understand it was necessary to include all the characters whose stories we have read of before but I don't think all of them should have been given such prominence rather some should have taken a back seat and one or two lines regarding them every so often would have sufficed. That said, that was my only problem with this book and I pushed it to the back of my mind and focused firmly on Holly. She seemed to be at Brides by the Sea slightly under duress, as if she was doing a favour for someone in the run up to Christmas, when really she just wants to curl up away from everyone and indulge in a box set of Friends uninterrupted. Little does she realise the all the people at Brides by the Sea have very different plans in store for her and her re-acquaintance with a childhood friend may provide Holly with a lot more than she bargained for.

Holly's normal day to day job is food photography but she has arrived to take photos of a friends beach wedding. Somehow one senses this wasn't top of Holly's to do list but she couldn't say no. Christmas is coming and Holly hopes to fulfil her role quickly and painlessly and slip back to London where she can avoid the whole festive season which stirs so many bad memories for her and only emerge from the cocoon she wishes to create for herself when the New Year has passed. Let's just say last Christmas wasn't that ideal and twelve months on she is still pining for what might have been. Everyone around her may love the run up to Christmas and the big day itself but for Holly it is a firm big no. There were two reasons for Holly coming across as a grinch I could understand the reason connected to a family situation but with the regard to the other I thought she was being silly. She should have gotten over it instead of moping, she was the one who had made the decision and she should have stuck by it. Holly's plans for a quick visit to get the job done are soon scuppered when resident photographer for the shop Jules ends up with chicken pox.

There are plenty of weddings upcoming in the weeks leading up to Christmas and how can the weddings be a success with no photographer? Holly is made to step into the breach against her will. I think apart from her desire to leave as quick as possible the fact she doubted her abilities as a photographer really meant she wasn't jumping to step into Jules' role. All her friends at Brides by the Sea including Poppy, Sera and Immie could see she had a real talent, that with a bit of persuasion and some confidence boosting maybe a new and improvement less doubtful Holly would emerge. Holly needed to be forced to do the things she was afraid of, to face the truth even though it hurts but at the end of the day such a cast of wonderful friends who in turn had found their own happy endings only wanted the same for Holly. Resistance it seems was futile.

This book needed that extra something rather than just mentions and descriptions of weddings and how everyone dealt with the various mishaps which always inevitable come with such a big occasion. Don't get me wrong these all added to the humour of the book but I found of the several mentioned here they all just seemed to run into each other and I became more focused on that extra something as needed. Which came in the form of Rory Sanderson, an old friend/school crush of Holly's. Rory was one of the best male characters I have read of in quite some time. Partly for the fact he was caring for his sister's children, Gracie and baby Teddie, whilst she was having an operation but also because he came across as just this most selfless person who would do anything for anybody and all out of the goodness of his heart. Gracie and Teddie provided endless humour and laugh out loud moments which really gave a fresh, light hearted feeling to the book. I was so glad they were included throughout the story.

Rory may have seemed like a fish out of water when it came to caring for his niece and nephew but really he had charm, enthusiasm, genuine friendliness and such ingenuity and charisma when needed the most. I loved the sparring and one liners that ensued between Holly and Rory but at the same time it was slowly emerging that maybe Holly's long ago crush was still simmering gently away. Holly has built up a wall of resistance when it comes to anything to do with a member of the opposite sex. Maybe this barrier was initially justified but I certainly loved Rory's determination to break it down through good humour, instilling confidence and stepping into the breach when needed. The incident with a dog and an SD card comes to mind. Holly is so nervous when to comes to photographing the weddings that Jules cannot do, she feels so much responsibility on her shoulders and the weight of failure only grows ever more burdensome but the magic of Brides by the Sea, supportive friends both male and female might just help her turn her life around.

Christmas Promises at the Little Wedding Shop wasn't my favourite in the series, that still is book number one The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea, but I am still glad I read it to see how the story panned out for all the characters I have read about since we first met Poppy and co. They have all been through so much but love, friendship , kindness and romance abound and are always the dominant message in the book and Holly's story is no different. In fact I do think Rory has been the best male character in the series by far, there was just something about him that really struck a chord with me. The themes and messages throughout this book were lovely and the final few chapters based in and around Christmas Day were perhaps the best in the book.They conjured up such vivid, magical images that you hoped everyone got the happy ending they deserved. Well, did they? To answer that you would need to read Holly's story to find out. The time is right to leave these characters behind, I think I have read enough of weddings etc and I look forward to turning my attention to a new set of characters and adventures when The Little Cornish Kitchen is published.

There really is something incredibly magical about Jane Linfoot's 'The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea' series, yet if you were to ask me to specify exactly what makes this series magic, I honestly don't think that I could pinpoint just one thing. As this is the fourth book in the series, I was a bit concerned that we had reached the prime of the storyline and all of the characters involved, in the previous book. Thankfully, I was one hundred percent wrong as this is a series which just keeps on giving.

You probably would have thought that with a name like 'Holly', Holly would be full of the Christmas cheer, right? Wrong. As far as that character was concerned, Christmas could be cancelled and she wouldn't care one bit. But, seeing as the festive season is extremely busy where weddings are concerned, Holly can't hide away from the Christmas cheer for too long.

Jane Linfoot's 'The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea' series, reminds me of a good film - one that you could re-watch time and time again without getting bored with each individual element. Just like each of the books in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book in the eyes of a different character as I was able to see a different side to each of the ladies who run the wedding shop, without feeling as though I was bias to their storyline if they were the main character.

Once again the storyline was jam-packed full of dramas, emotional situations, and enough heart-warming anecdotes to warm your heart faster than a coal fire. I loved the Christmas cheer which just seemed to ooze out of the pages, but most of all, I loved reading about the community spirit and the incredibly robust friendships. As daft as this sounds, a part of me became a little green around the gills as the author had written such amazing levels of friendships girls can only ever dream about. Well, if you're a loner like me then yeah, you'll be dreaming.

I really do hope that the series doesn't end here! Another touching, majestic and beautifully written novel from the incredibly talented, Jane Linfoot.

Christmas, romance, weddings and a seaside setting - what more can you want in a book? Holly meets Rory, an old acquaintance , while staying in Cornwall after becoming single again. A funny, romantic, feel good book, one in a series of four but is a good read as a stand alone story. For those who have read the previous books it's a happy reunion with previous characters that feel almost like friends

Holly arrives back at St Aidan in style, in fact, it had me chuckling from the first page, ...and the adorable Holly just got more entertaining as the pages flew by.

However, Holly is hiding heartbreak and on a mission to ignore Christmas as much as possible. She plans to do the photography for a friends wedding, then disappear under the duvet until New Year. However, with one friend on holiday another heavily pregnant, Holly is quickly absorbed into the daily running of the wedding shop and all its demanding customers.

Although she is a food photographer, Holly finds herself thrown into the world of wedding photography and she discovers that she is rather good at it. However Jules, St Aiden's resident photographer has a critical eye, and Holly feels the pressure.

There is more chaos when an old school friend, Rory,  finds himself waist deep in nappies and Frozen for the first time in his life. His antics are hilarious and Holly finds that  he can still make her blush!

Such a charming story with believable characters and just the right amount of humour and romance. A must for anyone who is planning a wedding or just loves going to them!

This is a great book,I couldn't put it down,I like that there is lots of characters that interact with each other,this is a must read.

Magical Christmas story you can just feel the essence of holiday spirit. For your holiday reading enjoyment this book offers you joy,seasonal atmosphere,fairy lights,dreamy weddings by the sea,romance and humor abound!
Pub Date 05 Oct 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperImpulse for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love reading about the brides by the sea and what they're going to get up to next. I'm gutted to read this is probably the last one in this series as it seems everyone got what they wanted, but wishing and preying it isn't! I want to read about Jess' wedding! I love Jane's writing, she doesn't disappoint and her description of the dresses and it always makes me feel hungry reading about Poppy's amazing cakes! I thought Holly and Rory would end up together and I'm glad they did, they deserve each other. I love all the characters and how they interact with each other and are always looking out for and there for each other. I do hope this isn't the last in this series. I read that Jane's is writing a new series, I will most definitely look out for that. Thank you for letting me read and review this book, another pleasurable read.

Another Christmas time at the 'Little Wedding Shop by the Sea' and this one features the appropriately named Holly, who grew up in the Cornish coastal town and returns for a holiday, hoping to bypass Christmas entirely after the trauma of the previous year's festive period.

Holly is a likeable character. When she returns to her hometown, she finds that little has changed, as she reacquaints with old school friends and her former teenage crush, Rory. Holly, a food photographer, agrees to take wedding photos for a friend, which leads to a whole unexpected adventure. Finding it hard to say no to people she cares about, Holly is fully involved with the 'Little Wedding Shop' and much to her dismay Rory and his niece and nephew who he is babysitting.

The plot is simple but what makes it interesting is the detailed descriptions, which give the story its vivacity and the lovely blend of old and new characters who resonate and make you believe in them and the setting.

There is everything required for a lighthearted, feel-good Christmas read, Romance, children, snow and goodwill. This book will leave you with a warm festive feeling when you've finished reading it.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A funny and humorous revisit to some of my favorite characters! Heart warming and holiday magic included! I love the photography angle of the story and how Holly really grows and changes as a character.

Thanks Netgalley, the author and the Publisher. Another great Christmas feel good read to get you in the mood for the festive season.