This was a really lovely, cosy, Christmas read.

I'm not normally a huge fan of "fluffy romance" books, but that seems to be all you're able to find if you want something Christmassy, so I give some a go throughout December every year.

And this was a surprisingly good one!

It was less fluffy and sweet than the usual Christmas offerings, and had a sprinkle of magic, folklore, and herbology thrown in too which I really enjoyed.
I loved all the baking and how it was portrayed as such a magic, scared act. I absolutely love baking myself and definitely believe there is a litle magic involved!

The characters were all wonderful, especially the barmy aunts! I only wish that we had a bit more interaction between them, Emma (our main character) and her Grandmother. These were by far the best characters, but there appearances in the story were too brief and sparse for my liking.

I also felt that the ending of the story was rushed.
The rest of the book had a nice, enjoyable pace, yet everything at the end was suddenly nicely tied up without much detail. There were a few budding new friendships that I would have liked to see more of, and I would have liked the ending to have carried on a little bit longer to see how Emma's new situation panned out.

But overall this was a nice, easy, heartwarming read.
A lovely book to snuggle up with on a cold, blustery day. Just make sure you have something yummy next to as it'll definitely make you hungry!

This is a lovely feel good, follow your dreams story set at Christmas time. The writing is detailed and sets up lovely cosy scenes and the characters are rich and funny and there are some moving moments. All in all yet another feel good Christmas story which I recommend if you'd like to read a magical Christmas story.

Christmas At Hope Cottage

A yellow sticky note left by her boyfriend tells Emma Halloway that he is saying goodbye after 4 years. As if this is bad enough, Emma deep in thought rounds a corner on her bike and gets hit by a postal truck. Her life is now completely altered, leaving her not only with a broken arm and leg, by her senses are completely muddled. Left with no sense of smell or taste as well as little physical feeling, she is devastated. Leaving London and her position as a food writer for a London newspaper she returns to her family in the Yorkshire Dales. There, with her quirky grandmother and 2 aunts Emma tries to heal. But given the complications surrounding her family and their "magical" art of baking, the secrets, the feuds, the gossip, and a boy she loved and ran away from 4 years before, life gets even more difficult. However, it's her grandmother's baking and the magic that it produces, that is the very core of the story. It is that magic and the hope that brings people together, that somehow you have to believe in yourself, because that is really where the magic is.

This whimsical novel was a joy to read. mixed with romance, baking and the eccentric characters that pull this story together, it is a feel good novel. This is the first book I've read by Lily Graham and it won't be my last. I cannot wait to sit down with a cuppa and a biscuit, get comfy and open the pages of the next book. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so I have to be honest. When I first started reading this book, I did pull a face. I mean it is set in the present and there was this magical idea that recipes can help people. But not make someone better, more help them in a difficult situation or help mend a marriage. For some reason I was not buying into the recipe stuff. But I continued because I really liked Emma and I wanted to see how she would do. It also helps that she was a bit sceptical like me.

I loved how she reacted around her family. Lets be honest her aunts and grandmother were a bit bonkers but they had the best of intentions. And lets not forget the sexy lodger..... will he be a better fit for Emma than childhood sweetheart Jack Allen? Well you will have to read to find out!

Filled with lots of eccentric and whimsical moments this is a book that tells the story of baking, romance, wishes, feuds and togetherness. Filled with some pretty crazy people this is a book that will add some sparkle into your festive reads. 

This is a magical read with lots of festive elements.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book, it had me hooked from the start. The characters were great as Emma takes a journey in self discovery of who she is, and what and who is important in her life. I deducted half a star as the ending felt rushed and the romance slightly underdeveloped. It does have my kleenex warning if reading in public. Overall, a great heartwarming book. * I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

I really enjoyed Christmas at Hope Cottage by Lily Graham. The characters are great! Give it a read!

Feel good romantic Christmas books are a delight and this was an even bigger one! Simply written and charming

I really enjoyed this book. I found myself unable to put it down.

Emma returns to her hometown after a bad accident. Unable to smell or taste, it’s difficult for a food writer. Add her eccentric grandmother & aunts. Hope Cottage is where the small town turns to for a bit of “magic”. After a bad breakup years ago, Emma must face her family, old boyfriend and the town.

Having read previous books by Lily Graham I knew when I seen this book that I had to read it. There is just something so magical about her books. So delving into Christmas at Hope Cottage was a real treat.

The character Emma really captured my heart, from she was little she has had to deal with a lot.
We really see her go through a journey of beginning her life again as she recovers from a horrible accident and get over her latest relationship break up.

I loved how the book has parts that go back into Emma's childhood where we find out about her crush on Jack and the problems she faced for doing so and the present day side of the book where we see Emma and Jack have the freedom to hang out together without people pulling them apart.

The romantic storyline in the book was really lovely, and I was so happy with the outcome and thought it was the perfect match for Emma.

I think Christmas at Hope Cottage is like a festive fairytale.

I really enjoyed this book, and give thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was suitably Christmassy, without being too sugary. I liked the fact that this wasn't just a romance - the main story centred around Emma coming to terms with her heritage. I liked the history of food references. One thing - the ending seemed a bit abrupt. I think a little more time should have been spent on it, but all in all, this is a good read.

Hi Noelle/Kim - its that time to clear shelf again! Not read all yet but I will. Thanks. Louise x

What a wonderful way to take a break from the holiday rush. A nice romance, a touch of magic and 30 year old Emma who is having a really bad day. She wakes up and finds a post it note from her boyfriend breaking up with her, she gets hit by a truck and her grandmother comes to London to take her home to Whistling. As she recovers she discovers her slightly crazy, magical family isn't so bad and love can be found in very unexpected places. Set right down and enjoy being entertained by this Christmas offering.

Emma is a food writer living with her boyfriend in London.... until he dumps her by post it note and she gets run over by a van! Feeling that she had no choice she returns to her grandmother's house in Yorkshire. Her grandmother looked after her from when she was six with the help of her two sisters and now the three of them spend their time baking recipes from their magical book.

Emma is sure that it is a bad move going back there after all these years especially when she bumps into her first love.... but can Hope Cottage weave it's magic on her

A lovely warm story that draws you in from the beginning and with that extra"magical"quality

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. I am just not interested in this book anymore. Sorry for the inconvenience.

A lovely book with just a hint of magic. The quirkiness of the characters is what I loved and how their magic is passed on through food. One of my favourite moments was when Emma baked for the village and happened to be thinking about dreamy Spanish eyes and this filtered through to anyone that ate her baking, It made me chuckle. This book is an easy read you can pick up and just enjoy. Loveable characters and a lovely magical story.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

A wonderfully crafted story that brings a small Yorkshire town and one quirky matriarchal family who is known for adding a bit of magic and hope into every creation. Emma Halloway moved to London for Uni – away from the grandmother and aunts and Hope Cottage with all of the expectations and burdens of family history that came with it. Before the age of 6, neither Emma nor her grandmother Evie knew of one another: Emma’s mother having married, left Whistling and redefined herself, leaving her history behind and Emma parentless when they perished in a car crash. So at 6, Emma was introduced to the magic that emanated from Hope Cottage, and in attending the local school, also felt the sting of ages old family feuds.

Hope Cottage has been the Halloway home for at least two centuries, housing an ancient Aga stove, a kitchen garden and greenhouse full of herbs, and the women who use “The Book” to record recipes later used to fulfill hopes and dreams of those who come for help. While guaranteeing no promises, the recipes they create are said to repair relationships, improve health, luck, courage and more: buoyed up with the annual Good Cheer Christmas Cake that is believed to bring harmony to Whistling for the coming year. I’ve read a few stories with a similar premise: each special and magical in their own right – but here Graham brings the magic and change to Emma, one who wasn’t knowingly seeking answers.

An accident on her bicycle left Emma in bad shape: beaten, bruised, no sense of smell or taste and scrambled vision, she returned to Hope Cottage to recover, worried about her own future and reeling from her breakup via Post-It Note from her long-term boyfriend. A freelance food writer that focused on the history of food – her hand and lack of eyesight are sure to be a hindrance, and her continued refusal to believe in the power of “The Book” and the sacrifices that have been paid over the years keep her morose and a bit snippy. But, even as she refuses to accept her history, the history and power of Hope Cottage haven’t forgotten her, and the slow healing combined with the solidity of family, old friends, the half-return of her first love and the on again off again warm relationship with her grandmother’s tenant have her understanding her own history and worth in the most unexpected ways. Full of gossip, laughter, struggles and redolent with the descriptions of scent, taste, and memories, this was a story that was a joy to read – total escape reading that is sure to leave you smiling and wondering about ginger snaps, lemon scones and shared cake.

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=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9sR/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I just couldn't gel with the characters or the plot of this book so I had to put it down after 40% and therefore won't be reviewing it, sorry!

It took me some time to get into this book and until just a few pages to the end I liked it but did not really love it. But then, when I turned the last page and saw that was it I thought: “No, I do not want to end it right now. There are still a lot of things I want to know”. SO would I buy a sequel? YES!!
Emma, a writer of food columns, lives with her boyfriend in London. That is, until he dumps her with a Post-it Note, she gets run over by a delivery van and has so many injuries she has to come back with her granny Evy to Hope Cottage. Evy has two sisters, Aggie and Dot. Together they make “magical” recipes fort the villagers. This “magical” part is what I did not like very much, but in the end I understood why it had to be part of the book. Emma sees Jack, a long-lost love from her past, and they kind of get together again. At the same time there is Sandro, the owner of the Tapas Hut, who lives in the annex and helps her with hall kind of things. I will not reveal the ending, but that is the part I liked the most and would by a sequel for just to know how things got on for Emma and ….