A chance meeting in Waterloo Station changes everything for Nicola and Dmitri. Be aware that the cover for this lovely novel might lead you to believe that it's a fluffy Christmas themed book but it's actually more. Although there's a romance, it's the back stories of Nicola and Dmitri that made this special for me. Nicely written and with a big heart, this is one where you'll actually feel emotion on the page. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a good story about two people who need healing and find each other.

“You are who you are”

An interesting premise around which to build a holiday story that combines hope, choices, chances and a dash of courage to come out the other side. I’ll be honest and say up front that the ‘perfect’ life that Nicola claims she has – high-flyer up the corporate ladder, all of the associated stresses and pressures – and the addition of a long-term relationship – with a married co-worker made her difficult to engage with – particularly since she seems to be more invested in her own plans. She’s a loner, with only one actual relationship that is solid – with her younger sister – a judgmental yet not wholly ‘clued in’ character, Nicola was difficult to like with walls and self-delusions up to her chin: actually that part fit her well as one would have to be deluded to carry on a three-year affair with a married co-worker. And, things aren’t getting better for her anytime soon: it’s the build up to Christmas – she’s got no interest (not really) in the holiday, and to make things EVEN worse the trains aren’t running and there is a loud and happy choir of carolers right where she needs to be.

Dmitri is the conductor of this little pop-up choir, and the choir has been his connection to all things music for ages. Dmitri is quiet and contained, with a huge set of secrets and dreams that are unfulfilled- but a woman isn’t in his plans, despite the instant interest he has for Nicola. This first chance meeting is inauspicious, but will lead them both into paths unimagined as the story moves forward. Dmitri, for his part, was far more the star of the show here, even as he holds his broken dreams close while sharing his love of music and sharing himself with the people he encounters. Even though he is the quieter type, he does engender loyal friends who will (and do) go to great lengths for him to find happiness – just none of them actually see Nicola, at least not as they first encountered her – as worth him or the effort.

Slowly these two work on a friendship on their next encounter – Nicola still manages to be much more prickly than necessary -but Dmitri is one who looks beyond that – hoping to find her softer side. I can’t say that I felt she ever redeemed herself for herself, but she did make some progress – even if her ‘friends’ and particularly her sister were the ‘judge everyone around us’ types – rather than work to actually sort out their own issues. I just felt mired in the slower lulls of the story, and the vast amounts of work that I was required to do to find Nicola worth caring about in her own right. I’m not saying that affairs and adultery doesn’t happen – but there is a certain level of immaturity and selfishness that resides deep in the character of someone who takes that route and won’t bother to look beyond the confines of being the side-piece – and I don’t believe that enough was done here to make Nicola a person who had truly done that self-examination to make choices that would move her on. Dmitri was lovely and his loss of a dream without allowing it to crush his love for music and the people who enjoy it was a far more empathetic and engaging character – and his search for a purpose and a road into hope and happiness was easy to cheer on and enjoy – the moments that were magical and atmospheric (and there were those) didn’t always balance out or override the almost brutally realistic moments that kept this story grounded and not entirely overloaded with that ‘holiday’ feeling.

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-a0Y/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I really enjoyed this book. Its characters have some heavy baggage that they are dealing with so it's not just another lighthearted romance. However, there is still plenty of romance and a nice holiday setting as the two characters try to find their way to each other, baggage included. I felt like the author did a nice job of balancing the characters dealing with truly terrible things that had happened in their past without letting this either be whisked away too lightheartedly or letting it make the book much darker. When I read a romance I am not looking for deep soul-searching characters and the author's treatment fit the bill just right.

A great story, full of emotions that moves and entertaing you at the same time.
I love the characters, the mood of Christmas in London, and how the plot develops.
This is real page turner and you're hooked since the first pages.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Aria and Netgalley for this ARC

This was a case of cover love for me at first (just wow!); I then read the synopsis and knew I had to read the full book.

The story of Nicola and Dmitri was a slow burner initially for me but I feel like that suited their relationship. I did not like Nicola's character at first, but grew to totally admire her, however not in a corny bad-goes-good kinda way! I feel like we were expected to follow her journey and almost change opinion of her.

This was not the light-hearted, almost 'fluffy' Christmas romance you would typically expect from this genre. There were hard-hitting issues for both main characters that were superbly dealt with, never being brushed under the carpet or rushed to a too-soon happy conclusion and this helped me feel them grow through their painful pasts. Some of the themes could easily make people think twice about prejudices and how misjudged others can be. It was excellent to see how Nicola transformed because of Dmitri's sad past, no major spoilers but I think we need more characters like her going into charity shops! Definitely one of the lighter moments in this enjoyable read.

I loved to read about Dmitri thinking about his Russian homeland - he was almost poetic in the descriptions and transported me right there as it was so evocative at times. I also cannot wait to look up some of the music mentioned as I can absolutely imagine Dmitri playing and putting literally his heart and soul into the performance.

Overall this book is 4/5 stars - a heart-warming, believable and vivid read. I will be looking up more of Lauren's work!

My many thanks to Aria via NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Lauren Westwood Book and I really enjoyed it... I can't wait to read the other one's.

Beautiful and haunting romance of two broken people who make each other whole at Christmas time.

The two main characters are Nicola (work driven corporate person) and Dimitri (Russian/works with music and choirs), so completely different people.
Nicola was admittedly a difficult woman to warm to: through her own choice she’s something of a loner, very much all work and no play, beside her love for her sister and the fact she has spent the past three years sleeping with her married colleague.
Dmitri was the very opposite, I adored him from the moment we met him and whilst he guards himself, refusing to let a woman get close for his own reasons, he has a huge heart and is surrounded by people who clearly think the world of him.

There was an air of underlying sadness throughout the story, certainly not an upbeat Christmas themed story, but one that made you think more about the hardships people have gone through to get to where they are now. But also about how things can be overcome - as in this story, both characters found happiness in the end just by a chance meeting in a railway station which totally transformed both their lives.

The more I got into the story the more I just kept on reading.
A book that has a beautiful ending!

Not the light-hearted Christmas romance I was expecting, but a more gratifing story instead. How can two hurt souls move past their trauma and let love into their hearts? Music plays a big part in bringing Nicola and Dmitri together, and the magic of Christmas in London also plays a supporting role. A lovely read for your Christmas list. Well written.

Moonlight on the Thames by Lauren Westwood is a hearthfelt seasonal story.
Even though Nicola is very succesful at her job, her personal life is a disaster and as the Christmas approaches she finds herself less joyous and more unhappy than usual. All the fuss about the holiday gets in her nerves, especially choirs. Dmitri on the other hand loves conducting his choir especially this time of year but allthough outwardly happy hides deep sectets and regrets that stopped himfromfukkfilling his dream of becoming a pianist. Will they heal each other souls?
Deeply moving and poignant story about love, loss and broken dreams will have you in tears at times.
Beautifully writtten and mesmerising perfect read foe the magic season.

Moonlight on the Thames by Lauren Westwood took me surprise. I had meant to just glance through it, skim read it at best. But I found myself reading it with due attention and enjoying it. Yes, Dmitri and Nicola both had over-dramatic pasts and the resolution was a little too neat, but it was engrossing and enjoyable.

Ah what a wonderful story, with such feels. The emotions, situations and characters truly resonated with me and definitely took away some of the blues lingering in my mind.

I love Christmas novels set in London. Maybe it's because I can relate to the area so much. I loved this novel. It wasn't the most lighthearted novel I've read, as I normally read really heartwarming and lighthearted novels that are set at Christmas but overall it was still a lovely story.

It's magical, enchanting, romantic and just overall such a nice read. I'll be looking out for more from Lauren Westwood in the future

Nicola is a high flying executive with the perfect job, perfect house and perfect affair. Is it all as it seems? A chance meeting with Dimitri is the start of a realisation that things can me different.

Amazing book. At times I’ve been in tears. Such powerful writing and description that draw you in fully. I’ve found it hard to put the book down desperate to know the ending. This is not a Christmas book for those wanting to read about shopping or parties this is a book that dives into the soul of the characters and illustrates the shadows cast on daily life. Read this you won’t be disappointed.

December 1st and the countdown to Christmas has started. This day, Dmitri conducts his church’s “pop up” choir at London’s busy Waterloo Station. For Nicola, Christmas is not a time to celebrate, her train is late, and she is not happy to be caught up in the crowd of people moving closer to enjoy the festive music and singing. All Nicola wants to do is get on the train and go home. And she is not shy about letting Dmitri and everyone else who is listening, know this.
Dimitri and Nicola both have dark secrets, hidden heartaches, and unresolved issues. They come from different backgrounds, live in different worlds, have both made mistakes, and are both seeking...something. Dimitri is from Russia, loves music, gives freely of his time to others. Nicola works in the fast-paced, high-powered private equity world and holds others very much at arm’s length. That they meet at all is serendipitous. But meet they do. And the story that follows is wonderful.
I’m not a huge fan of contemporary romance, but as a British ex-pat , I was captivated by both the cover and the blurb. I wanted this book if for no other reason than to visit London again, even if vicariously. This is not your typical “boy meets girl and they fall in love” read. This is a beautifully written story, with real depth, both the main protagonists having interesting back-stories. One of many highlights for me was the recognition running throughout that it is not only blood that makes up families and that we need to reach out and take that helping hand when offered.
Moonlight on the Thames is not all goodness and light. The story is full of wonderfully joyous moments, love, fellowship, true caring and understanding. Those moments are offset by tough family situations, the dark side of human nature, and the under-belly that exists in any and all large cities. By turns, it is incredibly uplifting and deeply disturbing. At times, almost magical, at times brutally realistic. I have to admit that I cried at the end.
I have no hesitation in recommending this book to lovers of romance and thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this wonderful read. I will be looking for more from Ms. Westwood.

4.25 Stars.

Uplifting yet at times sobering, Moonlight on the Thames introduces us to Nicola and Dmitri, two strong, wounded souls, each coping the best they can with the hands life dealt them in their younger years. And then fate in all her romantic glory steps in, showing them that with the right person, Christmas really can be the most wonderful time of the year.

“Her heart had been locked up for years, the sign firmly turned to closed.”

After their pretty rocky introduction to one another on a station platform, you‘d never imagine that Dmitri and Nicola were destined to be. Nicola was admittedly a difficult woman to warm to: through her own choice she’s something of a loner, very much all work and no play aside of her love for her sister and the fact she has spent the past three years sleeping with her married colleague. Dmitri was the very opposite, I adored him from the moment we met him and whilst he guards himself, refusing to let a woman get close for his own reasons, he has a huge heart and is surrounded by people who clearly think the world of him.

“It is possible. To have a good life and a strong relationship. To no longer be a victim but a survivor.”

That chance meeting at Waterloo is the beginning of a story incorporating self-acceptance, discovery and love and, in Nicola’s case, a degree of self-redemption. And as she and Dmitri get to know one another and lay old ghosts to rest, it becomes evident that each is the missing piece to the other’s puzzle.

“You need to find your own happiness and grab it with both hands.”

This wasn’t a flawless read—there was a bit of a lull in the middle for me and some of the characters I found a tad overly judgemental, particular Nicola’s younger sister—but overall Moonlight on the Thames is an engaging, character-driven story combining the real with the incredibly romantic, and whilst it may not be your general festive offering, that’s what made this the book it was, leaving you entirely satisfied when you flick the final page.

Not the light-hearted Christmas romance I was expecting, but a more satisfying story instead. How can two hurt souls move past their trauma and let love into their hearts? Music plays a big part in bringing Nicola and Dmitri together, and the magic of Christmas in London also plays a supporting role. A lovely read for your Christmas list.

I must admit the cover drew me to this book initially, it's just so lovely, Christmas in London, just beautiful. And I have to mention, there is a Spotify playlist for the music in this book which I really loved, as I do love a playlist linked to a book. Unfortunately it was mentioned at the end of the book and I wish it had been mentioned at the very beginning so I could have listened to it whilst reading the book. As I read an advanced copy though I'm hoping this will be changed by the time the official version comes out as it's not music I normally listen to but it just went with the book and was really lovely.

The two main characters are Nicola (work driven corporate sort of person) and Dimitri (Russian/works with music and choirs), so completely different people. I really didn't like Nicola's character at first. There was an incident at the train station where Dimitri's choir were singing and she had a hissy fit because her train was delayed and she didn't like the Christmas music. She was also having an affair with a married colleague, so I immediately had an issue with her. Dimitri on the other hand was a darker horse and it took a while to figure out his story, but he seemed like a much nicer person. The story just drew me in immediately though and made me want to know more about why they were both the way they were.

Nicola and Dimitri slowly got to know each other, even though initially it was through Nicola seeking Dimitri out to say sorry about her temper tantrum, and Dimitri bringing her on a journey through Christmas London as a penance, including helping out the homeless at a shelter with their Christmas lunch, as Nicola didn't like anything Christmas related. But the minute they started to enjoy each others company Dimitri backed off and pushed Nicola away. But the odd pull of attraction between them was too strong and Nicola came back again to the shelter and a friend of Dimitri's, looking for answers or an insight into Dimitri. What she heard wasn't what she was expecting. There was quite a bit of to-ing and fro-ing between them, with each backing off and each making an effort to find each other again.

We slowly get to know why they were both the sort of closed off personalities they were, and they both had very sad reasons, although Dimitri did need a bit of a slap (as his sister did give him in the story!) to get himself out of his self-pity, he did wallow a bit. But Nicola's presence in his life seemed to give him the incentive he needed and he slowly started to come out of his shell and jump-start his life again, starting to believe he was good enough, both as a person and a pianist.

There was an air of underlying sadness through a lot of the story, certainly not an upbeat Christmas themed story, but one that made you think more about the hardships some people have gone through to get to where they are now. But also about how things can be overcome as in this story, as both characters found happiness in the end just by a chance meeting in a railway station which totally transformed both their lives.

This book was so much more than I was expecting. I was expecting a light, Christmas-themed story, and it definitely felt like Christmas with the choir music, but it was much more of a darker feeling story of two characters finally finding redemption in their work and each other from the issues that had gone before and held them both in little bubbles of their own making. The more I got into the story the more I wanted to just keep reading. A book that I was quite surprised I loved so much by the end (really lovely ending I have to say!) as I wasn't entirely sure at the beginning. An absolutely enthralling book that I will long remember.

This was my first Lauren Westwood book and I can't wait to read the other ones. I could not stop reading this book. It's a light and charming book, Nicola and Dmitri are a wonderful couple, I have fell in love with them! The characters are well developed and the book still needs some editing for the kindle platform.

A fabulous Christmassy and romantic story which I must say is so much more than just a fluffy read.
This story is well written and the characters Nicola and Dmitri even though they are flawed are actually quite likable. I found myself really hoping the best for them by the end. I have so much I want to say about the plot but I'm so scared that I will give away too much! So what I will say is, it's well worth the read and I feel it's one I would like to re read closer to Christmas again!

Nicola is dreading the Christmas season, and encountering a group of carolers taking over Waterloo Station is about all she can take. However, after heckling the group of singers, she can’t get the handsome choir master, Dmitri, out of her head. As their paths continue to cross, traumatic pasts unfold while romance blossoms.

Author Lauren Westwood has a stunning command of this world she’s crafted, and the result is a novel that reads almost operatic. These characters and their lives are heightened, and their trajectories soar just like Dmitri’s music. Westwood does not shy away from tragedy and how individuals would naturally respond to those events even years later. But that’s exactly what makes the sprouting relationship between Dmitri and Nicola so compelling and rewarding.

And it’s certainly a whirlwind along the way. Usually it’s so hard to create a character both highly flawed and highly sympathetic, but Westwood manages this with both Nicola and Dmitri. There were a few points where I was frustrated by their choices, but they were justified. It’s not a light, easy romance by any stretch, and that was a pleasant surprise for a holiday read.

Overall, this is a hauntingly beautiful novel.

Finally! Christmas books! What a lovely way to start the reviewing season :c)

My review has been posted to Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)