It would be utterly impossible for me to not like a story that starts with the heroine’s professed love for he movie Harvey, in fact her love of all things vintage, black and white films from the 40’s and her determination to have a life that is surrounded by the things she loves. In fact, I might think Dodie and I were separated at birth (rather a prophetic thought when one gets into the book) as she and I are quite similar – but she is by far more interesting and nicer. Dodie’s got a newly opened vintage store with her flat above it, a best friend with a take no prisoners attitude, a grandmother that would put a sugar-stoked toddler to shame with her energy, a half-hearted, semi-committed relationship with a football mad couch potato and a determination to make a go of her shop.

But when her latest purchases arrive in a large lot from an estate sale, and a coat that she hopes will be perfect for her has a letter from 1944 in the pocket, the questions are never-ending. While her best friend Isla may not understand Dodie’s obsession with the letter, and not see the romance there, Dodie feels that it would only be right to return the letter to the person who received it, or a member of their family. But she has only a first name for both parties, and the start of an address. Research leads her to meet Ed, a resident in one of the two flats, unsure of the owners or their whereabouts, but with plenty of ideas and an apparent willingness to help her search.

Throughout Dodie’s ups and downs with the search, a Facebook post that garners press attention, and an actual lead to a family member of the letter’s recipient, her story is a curious mix of openness, self-assurance and wild self-doubts. The tentative relationship started with Ed that leaves her questioning his ‘secret squirrel’ ways, the apparent nonchalant treatment that she is expected to take from her long-ish term boyfriend, the true regard and friendship she’s developed with a homeless man – her heart just shines through. And Tilly Tennant takes us through Bournemouth – the Christmas Market, the beach, the events at the town garden all mixed and influenced both by Dottie’s choice of clothing (vintage), her thoughts, and most especially the fact that everyone she meets gains something from their interactions: smiles, kind words, help, even some healing. And with all of the immediate questions answered, against many odds, and a polar bear dip on Christmas morning – the story is a perfect entrée into the Christmas season – full of laughter, life and simpler hopeful moments curled up with a vintage movie.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9qr/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I've only read one previous book of Tilly's, but I have all the others sat patiently on my kindle (I promise I will get round to them!). I was instantly attracted to this one of hers because of that gorgeous vintage looking cover - I love that kind of thing so knew I was off to a good start.

Dodie is someone I would love to be friends with. She is all things vintage! She runs her own little vintage shop for starters, everything that comes through her door has it's own little story. She's an old romantic who swoons over the old movies time and time again and there's a wonderful quirkiness about her that just instantly makes a reader warm to her.

The main focus of this book is when Dodie finds an old letter in a green coat that ends up in her shop, dating back to the war period from a soldier writing to his sweetheart. Dodie is instantly affected by this and goes on a mission to try and put this story together. I think this part of the story meant the most to me. In this day and age with texts, emails and social media, there's always a way of contacting someone - yet back in the war days there was just a letter and the hope that it got to where it was meant to. It makes you sit back and think how much those things would of meant.

This was a wonderful, emotional, heartfelt and romantic read. If your a Christmas fan, but don't like too much of an overload of festivities then this is ideal for you as that part just nicely plays a background part. A lovely vintage delight.

Dodie Bright is a warm, thoughtful, slightly eccentric girl who owns a vintage shop in the seaside English town of Dorchester. She’s the kind of person who sees the humanity in others regardless of any possible gain for herself. I was smitten with her immediately! Her story is a lovely holiday tale that will leave you in the mood for your favorite old movies, ready to sing carols, and string the lights. Get ready for the kind of nostalgia you get from your warmest and fondest seasonal memories.
While unpacking some clothes for her vintage clothing shop Dodie finds a letter written in 1944 in the pocket of a coat from ‘George’ to ‘Margaret’. She is so overwhelmed by the devotion and emotion expressed she decides she must return such a personal item to either Margaret or her family. With no other information, and a faded address, Dodie doesn’t have much to go on and follows her only lead to the street address. Here she meets a rather curmudgeonly, but oddly willing to help, Ed Willoughby. Dodie finds a partner in her quest in Ed, and she can’t quite explain the match, or his seemingly hot and cold reactions towards her. She has a boyfriend, Ryan, she’s trying to navigate her own feelings towards, so she tries not to put a lot of thought into it. Ryan isn’t a great match for Dodie, so we understand her motivation for not sharing this part of her life with him. Ryan’s not a bad guy, they simply aren’t a great fit. As the story progresses we are drawn into both a mystery and romance beautifully woven together.
Tilly Tennant does a wonderful job crafting this sweet holiday story. The characters have depth, no one is all good or all bad even if their actions are unlikable. There are some minor secondary storylines that are left hanging. Perhaps these are addressed in the next book (which I most certainly will be reading!). I definitely recommend A Very Vintage Christmas for anyone who enjoys holiday stories, contemporary fiction, or romance.
I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from Bookouture through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.

A good easy read romance. At first you want to give the main character a shake for being a total doormat for her boyfriend. Quite a lot of coincidences in the story make it a little far-fetched at times but the story is enjoyable enough to forgive these.

I am a huge fan of Tilly's but sadly this book was just not for me. i couldn't get into it right from the start sadly. I dont know why it was well written and theres great reviews but it just wasnt for me. sorry

To my shame I have to admit that ‘A Very Vintage Christmas’ is the first book I have read by Tilly Tennant, despite having several of her books in my ever increasing ‘To Be Read’ mountain. I have heard lots of good things about her books from other bloggers and so I started to read with high hopes. I was not to be disappointed either.
I don’t want to type too much about the storylines as I have a nasty, but unintentional, habit of giving far too many spoilers away about books I have enjoyed. Dodie is the proud owner of ‘Forget-Me-Not Vintage’ which is a shop which sells vintage clothing. Every item that comes through the door has its own story to tell. Dodie, who is certainly one of a kind, is a hopeless romantic at heart. Dodie finds a love letter in the pocket of one of the coats she buys, which immediately intrigues her. The letter is from a soldier to his sweetheart back home and it was written in the aftermath of the D-Day Landings. Dodie visits the address that was given on the letter but when she gets to the address, she realises that the recipient of the letter no longer lives there. Instead there is a rather handsome sounding but grumpy army veteran called Edward, who agrees to help her with her search. Bit by bit Dodie manages to piece together the story of this particular story and she is there to pick up the pieces if things go wrong. However, who will help Dodie, whose romantic life needs a bit of a helping hand? Who will Dodie end up with? Will she get her happy ending? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves as I am not going to tell you.
I have to say that I took to Dodie from the start and I ultimately began to see her as a friend. Dodie is a friendly, determined young lady who has managed to make her dream of opening a vintage shop become a reality. Dodie is slightly worried about the future of the shop as the footfall in the part of town where she has her shop, is not as good as it would be in the more popular areas of town. Dodie loves what she does and she has a keen eye for what she knows will sell. Dodie is persistent and she certainly won’t take no for an answer. I get the impression that Dodie has regrets about her own love life. She sort of has a boyfriend but to be honest, I thought that they just weren’t serious enough about each other to have a true relationship. I felt that she was much better suited to the lovely sounding Edward. Edward comes over as a grumpy devil but I think that that is not who he really is. I think his experiences of army life and the horrors that he has seen, are what have made him into the person we meet in the book.
‘A Very Vintage Christmas’ appealed to me on so many levels. It is a happy romance type of book but it also involved another of my nerdish passions- history. I absolutely love anything to do with the Second World War and find the topic fascinating. Reading ‘A Very Vintage Christmas’ became seriously addictive and I found that I just could not out the book down. It was almost as if the book had glued itself to my hand. The pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and before I knew it I had finished the book, which I was so disappointed about. I was enjoying the story and the quality of the writing so much that I just wanted the book to continue on and on. I became totally immersed in the story and it felt as though I was actually living the tale so to speak. After I had finished reading this book, I really did feel as though I had been through the emotional wringer with the feelings of hope, despair, amusement and well you get the picture.
In short I absolutely loved reading ‘A Very Vintage Christmas’ and I can’t wait to read more from this hugely talented author. Fortunately, I don’t have too long to wait because the second book in the series called ‘A Cosy Candlelit Christmas’ is due for released on 26th October 2017. I would definitely recommend this book and this author to anybody. I award this book a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I am definitely a fan of Tilly Tennant. For me, her books are either good or not, there is no in between. I thought that this book was good. Dodie runs a vintage shop which she loves. She gets clothes from other stores or estate sales and has found a few interesting things in pockets such as gum wrappers, coins, but this time she finds a letter. She tracks the address of the letter to a nearby house but the tenant inside knows nothing of the people who lived their previously.
Dodie makes it her mission to find out what happened to the author of the letter and her sweetheart and she finds some help along the way.
A love story blossoms and so does this book.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This is a sweet Christmas tale set in the beach town of Bournemouth.

The main character, Dodie, was someone I could completely relate to - I too am a vintage loving gal and my dream is to open a vintage shop one day. I enjoyed the description of her shop and the Christmas-y feel to the story, however I have a few issues that left me slightly unsatisfied.

First, poor Dodie, who has the kindest, most genuinely loving heart, seemed to be walked all over by everyone and took it in stride - her best friend doesn't speak very kindly to her, her boyfriend seems more interested in sex than sharing a life with her and understanding her, and everyone puts themselves before her. I felt sorry for her but at the same to wanted to say, wake up!

Also, I would have loved to have learned more about the history of the letter. I felt as if Dodie was constantly searching for answers to the mystery, but didn't get very far which was unsatisfactory for the reader. It was an abrupt finish to the storyline without learning a great deal of information. I think the author could have taken this aspect a bit deeper.

Indeed this is a sweet tale, it just wasn't particularly my cup of tea.

2.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Tilly Tennant for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest and say I wasn't sure what to expect with this particular story by Tilly Tennant. Although I normally really love her books, it isn't usually the type of story I generally read but the cover was what won it over for me and I decided to give it a go. I must say now that I'm glad I did. It was a simply enjoyable read and has made me so excited for the next one in the series.

One thing I will say is that I didn't think it was overly Christmassy - and this is what I missed! With a Christmas book, I do want it to have a lot of descriptions and storylines devoted to the holiday, which sadly this didn't really have. But, it was still a beautiful love story that I did enjoy. I just wouldn't necessarily read it around Christmas time.

So the story follows one of a kind main character Dodie (what a lovely name) as she tries to find who the love letter she finds belongs too. It's as romantic as it sounds and you will be left with a warm and fuzzy feeling afterwards. The characters are all so unique and I think that gives this book a really lovely feel to it.

Overall, I found this story to be written beautifully and made me smile and also feel pretty emotional at times (in a good way of course!) but I would definitely recommend giving it a read. Now to read A Cosy Candlelit Christmas - I'm even more excited now about this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a chance to read this novel which I have reviewed honestly.

I had fun with A Very Vintage Christmas. The story is lively, the characters engaging… and if I didn’t like one jerk in particular, well, he wasn’t very nice to Dodie anyway.

One long lost or forgotten love letter in the pocket of a vintage coat that Dodie purchased for her vintage clothes shop brings about a bit of a mystery as she attempts to find the rightful owner, or his family at least. The journey is filled with a bit of drama, meeting a very interesting new man with his own history to be dealt with and an entire crew of secondary characters that made this a very lively tale indeed.

As Dodie and Ed set about the quest to find the person the letter was meant for, it often comes to mind just how influential one piece of correspondence could be to a life. In our modern world of texts and emails missing one text doesn’t seem all that big of a deal. Yet there was a time when a letter from a soldier at war to his sweetheart back home would have meant the world to them both… and maybe have carried a deeper message as well. Sometimes receiving or not receiving a letter can change a life. It was that aspect of Dodie’s quest that fascinated me the most about this story.

I enjoyed my time with these characters and I believe you would as well. The second story in this series will be out shortly, and I’m looking forward to that.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This is my first time reading author, Tilly Tennant. What a delightful read and since I am not British it was so fun seeing the way they speak in written word. It added such a delightful charm to it. Perfect for the fireplace with your hot cup of cocoa you will get lost in this story. It's a true delight from the fairy lights in Dodie's Vintage dress shop to the small town charming cafe's and friendly neighbors. Throw in Dodie's eccentric grandmother and Nick, the friendly town's homeless man,Ryan, Dodie's boyfriend and Ed. Dodie finds an old letter in a coat pocket that comes into her vintage clothing store and it starts her on a journey to find a relative of the letter's recipient to return the letter to. This journey consumes her and takes a lot of her time. The journey was fun to read about and the twists and turns were not what I was expecting. Great story plot! Can't wait to read more by this author!
Pub Date 28 Sep 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Very Vintage Christmas was a cracking read from start to finish. The unique and refreshing storyline with a likable and relatable main character. A real Christmas gem with heart.

When Dodie finds a love letter from the past in the pocket of one of her vintage coats in the shop. It starts her on quite an adventurous journey and along the way she makes a new acquaintance with some skeletons in his closet.

I wasn’t a cheerleader for Dodie’s best friend Isla, she was a real negative nelly. But it added another level to the story which was exciting and I do believe it’s good to have challenging characters in a book.

The book covers an array of topics and every chapter is exciting.

Anyone looking for some lovely Christmas themed books for the lead-up to the big event should add A Very Vintage Christmas to their list.

Really enjoyed this cosy snowmance story. Dodie's boyfriend Ryan seemed hellish, and one did have to wonder why on earth she was with him. When Dodie meets Edward sparks fly, and the resulting story was a treat to read.

Cute and short enough to cuddle up with a mug of tea.

Dodie owns a vintage store and when she finds a letter in the pocket of an old coat, she decides to find the owner of the letter. The address on the envelope leads her to a man called Edward. Ed wants to help Dodie and together they'll try work out the solution to find  the owner of the letter. Spending a lot of time together makes them get to know each other more and the feelings are slowly growing, even though Dodie has a boyfriend and Ed's past is still lingering in the present. Dodie has to figure out to whom her heart belongs and also solve the letter mystery.

I very much enjoyed reading  about Dodie's life, it was a beautifully written Christmas story with a little bit of the mystery in it. I loved how the plot slowly built up the background for the second book and I'm definitely looking forward to reading that one as well. I think the vintage store setting was unique and perfectly fitted with Dodie's personality and interests. A beautiful story that has a beautiful cover.

Tilly Tennant is quickly becoming one of my go to authors when I’m looking for a lighthearted read that I can really escape into. I loved her From Italy with Love series and was so excited when I found out she was releasing a Christmas book! I know many of you think I’m a bit insane for already being all Christmas crazy but though this is set during the holidays, it’s not overwhelmingly Christmassy. It’s sort of there in the background and does play a part, but it’s not in your face, so any Grinches out there, don’t ignore this one because it has Christmas in the title, grab it because it’s such a fun, feel good book!

Sweet Dodie is the main character and I just adored her, she marches to the beat of a different drum but she was adorably charming and so kind. She’s an enormously giving individual and her small acts of kindness warned my heart. Her gran was an absolutely lovely addition to the story, she’s flaky and flighty but has a heart of gold. Isla is Dodie’s best friend and though her part was small, I really enjoyed their friendship and am so happy she’s getting her own book as the next installment in this little gem of a series. There are also some delicious male characters to swoon over which is always a treat.

I loved the little bit of a historical vibe this book had between Dodie owning a vintage store and the letter she finds that was written during World War Two, there was a throwback to a different time even though this was set in the present day. This was a sparkly, festive magical read with wonderful characters and an engaging plot. Tennant always manages to sweep me away to a new place and I loved the charming town where this was set and could easily picture it all clearly thanks to her vivid descriptions and vibrant writing style. Add this one to your Christmas reading list and keep your eye out for book two next month!

I was dying to read this one, I love Tilly Tennant books, they are always so lovely.
A feel-good story set in Bournemouth, somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit.
The story was set around Dodie’s vintage clothes shop, and a letter she finds in a beautiful old coat.
She is one of those people who goes out of her way to help people, to be kind…I love her!
Dodie wants to reunite the letter with the family of the coat-owner. During this search she comes across Ed, he is currently living at the address on the letter.
Along the way we meet a great cast of characters. Dodie’s Nan who was a delight, a bit forgetful and a full social life. Isla, Dodie’s best friend. Ryan, Dodie’s Boyfriend. Nick, a homeless guy.
With Dodie’s walks along the beach and through the festive market, I felt I was there seeing the wooden cabins, smelling the festive food delights. And that dip in the sea on Christmas Day….brrrr.
As soon as I saw that Julia was from Cleveleys I had goosebumps.
It truly was a heartwarming Christmas romance.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the review copy. I can't wait to read A Cosy Candlelit Christmas :)

This is a super all round full on romantic read in every possible sense. I love the word vintage it has a classy ring to it and I feel that if I looked the word up I would find that the definition of it would be, “a young woman with bright red hair and an infectious smile.” Dodie is everything vintage from the clothes that she wears, to her shop and even the old black and white movies she swoons over an unhealthy number of times. Her high-light though has to be the delivery of her new, or should I say, old clothes, which she lovingly unpacks and drools over very dreamily.
Occasionally she discovers the secrets of the past in the pockets but nothing like she finds in the beautiful green coat with fur collar. A letter from the past that will take Dodie on an incredible life changing mission, not just for her but for others too.
I am still glowing from reading this beautiful story, this isn’t just a romantic story, this is the meaning of romance, a story from the past that gives you those gooey moments, the knees that could just give way and mostly the imagination of what it was like  to grab happiness back in 1944 in the war years. This is the spirit of romance.
Tilly Tennant captures the whole caboodle. Even in present day romance still blossoms over three generations, with Dodie’s gran being one of my favourite characters. She definitely has a sparkle in her eye and the energy to bag a bit of romance for herself too. She made and smile and laugh, what a super outlook on life!
Sometimes people can fall in love with the idea of being in love and so Dodie’s life is put to the test. This is the perfect book to curl up with as the nights draw in, a wonderfully written book that makes you warm inside and giddy on the outside, all topped off with Christmas.
I wish to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I have honestly reviewed.

Let the holiday reading begin. A Very Vintage Christmas is the first book in Tilly Tennant's, An Unforgettable Christmas, Series. The cover is immensely appealing, as well as, the whole premise of the story. Vintage clothing shop owner finds an old love letter from 1944 in a woman's coat pocket and feels compelled to return it to the family. Throw in a romance and it sounds like a quaint story, right?

I so wanted to love this story but if I didn't set a deadline for completing this novel, I feel like it would have taken me forever to finish. It is a very slow read. I felt little connection to the main character, Dodie, which led to very little interest in her quest to return the letter. This was disappointing as I usually love sentimental stories.

Dodie owns the Forget-Me-Not Vintage clothing store which is appropriate since she likes everything old except for her hair color which she changes often. I did like her friend, Ilsa, whose vibrant personality shined through in her quirky comments but Dodie was just too vanilla for me. The developing romance and build-up to Christmas take forever as well. The storyline seems better suited to characters in their seventies instead of late twenties/early thirties. It just didn't click for me. I think the writing would still appeal to some readers but I enjoy a quicker pace.

I have loved Tilly’s books that I have read in the past and was looking forward to indulging in the one of the many Christmas Themed books I have at the moment (it’s never too early right?). The cover is to die for and gives it that Christmassy feel however although the book is centered around Christmas time it’s not too much overkill which I liked. Dodie is a little quirky, she dyes her hair all sorts of colours and owns and runs a Vintage clothing store in town. She finds a letter in among some bits she has brought but all she has is the name of the people who wrote and received the letter and an address. Considering it was in 1944 she has her work cut out but wants to know more about the people involved.

On her quest to find out more she meets Ed who somehow gets involved in her search. Other notable characters were Dodie’s friend Isla, her slightly kooky Gran and even Nick, the homeless guy who Dodie talks to. Dodie's Gran definitely stole the limelight for me and it was hillarious listening to her regular updates on what 'classes' she was attending! It took me a few chapters to get into the story but once there I was completely enthralled.The story of the Wartime romance adds another level to this book and for me made it so much more interesting as it intertwines with Dodie's life. Overall this is another great book by Tilly and what makes it even better is knowing there is another installment soon! A Cosy Candlelit Christmas is being released in October 2017 and features Isla who is seen in this story. I can’t wait to get started on it!