3.5 This Christmas story started off very sad and slow, and it took trial and error for the story to open up and gather momentum. The main character, Esme, has left a terribly controlling relationship, and shows up on her Grandmother's doorstep. She is need of serious rest and redirection. Near Christmas, Matilda, our delightful grandmother dies and Esme is left with lots of unanswered questions about her life, her relationships, and if she should embark on the Christmas trip to Finland that her grandmother had left her. Uggggghhhhh so much anguish in a Christmas story.

Our heroine goes on the trip, and meets a funny cast of characters including a potential love interest with a past of his own. Snowmobiles, hot chocolate, getting cozy in cold weather, and visits to Santa's village all ensue. Tilly does a great job of making you feel the warm and fuzzies, but I was left spinning on some of the choices Esme made. All in all the novel is well written, and like any beautiful Christmas present, is wrapped up with a pretty bow at the end.

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

After having an on and off relationship with her boyfriend Warren (the one, who just doesn’t propose to her), Esme spends some time with her grandmother Matilda. They plan a trip to Lapland together, something Esme always wanted to do. Sadly, Matilda passes away, which is really hard on Esme, but she still goes on the trip.

She meets some great people like Brian and Hortense, but especially Zach. They spend a lot of time together. They grow very close. I really liked him, but he had his moments, where his reactions were weird and at times unrealistic. It all made more sense though, after learning about his past. To add more drama to the storyline Warren bombards Esme with messages and eventually even shows up in Lapland. I also got a bit angry with Esme. Her relationship with Warren drove me crazy and I didn’t understand her feelings at times.

I really want to visit Lapland after reading this book. Tilly Tennant has done a great job describing the setting. Add some Christmas vibes, the Northern Lights and some pretty special moments, I really fell in love.

The story is very emotional and a wonderful Christmas read!

Lovely, heartwarming read that is the perfect book to curl up with at this time of year. My last read of 2018 and what a fabulous note to end the year on! This is the kind of book that you can lose yourself in and that leaves you with a warm, comfortable glow as you turn the final page. Loved it!

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Tilly Tennant.***

I didn’t connect with The Christmas Wish, by Tilly Tennant, like I thought I would. I liked the synopsis, but the story fell flat for me. Esme breaks up with her fiancé and loses her grandmother in a short period of time. With a trip to Lapland already planned with her grandmother, she decides to go on her own. She struggles with her feelings for her ex and those for her tripmate Zach.

For me, this wasn’t a romance exactly. I’m not really sure how to describe it because I simply didn’t connect with anything aside from the setting. And truthfully there were a lot of issues in plot and character that got to me. Esme’s engaged to be married to a married man at the start. Though she leaves Warren when she finds out, she goes back to him, and that just made me think she wasn’t very smart. I didn’t understand how she couldn’t see how abusive Warren was, and the fact that far into the book she still believed he could change just irked me. Even when she stood up to him at the end it was weaker than I would have liked. I had a very hard time reading Zach, her “love interest.” For me the story was very short on romance. I found there was too much frustration without enough explanation.

Generally, my ratings are rooted in how a book made me feel, and this one was a miss for me. It’s the second book I’ve read by Tennant and not enjoyed, so I think I’m just a mismatch with this author. You should read it for yourself and make up your own mind because the book is rated 4.17 stars (228 ratings, 71 reviews) at the time of this review.

The Christmas Wish is a story of new beginnings. When Esme’s finds she can’t take her grandmother on a trip of a lifetime to see the Northern Lights in Lapland, Esme goes alone. Loved the quirky trip-mates, the little obstacles Esme overcomes to find herself again, and Esme’s newfound friendships, bound under snowflakes and starry skies.
https://randombookmuses.com/2018/12/25/review-three-christmas-book-reviews-the-christmas-wish-christmas-at-the-chalet-cupcakes-for-christmas/
Honest review in exchange for a complimentary copy from NetGalley.

I really wanted to like this book, it was part of my Christmas Reads.. I was well armed with the comfy couch, plumped up cushions, cuppa tea, and my ever faithful kindle.

Esme was in a strangely addictive, abusive relationship with Warren. She discovered he was a bigamist or rather a polygamist, went to her grandmother to lick her wounds, who died and left her tickets for Lapland. Post funeral Esme returned to that abusive boyfriend making excuses for his behavior, then ran away to Lapland and found herself...

The book had its moments of beauty with the northern lights and Santa's village.. I too want to see all that... I want to live in that village for a day or two preferably during Christmas. I liked the tour company who tried to bring the solo travelers together so that they don't feel lonely. I even liked the abusive boyfriend Warren because he stayed true to his character, using people all the time, especially the women, guilt feeling them into doing things as he wanted.

What niggled me from the beginning of the story was that Esme couldn't see the way boyfriend was abusing her with his mental games stripping her of her self-respect. What made me beyond angry was that she made excuses for his going back to his wife when Esme wasn't there. She was unsure throughout the book except the last few pages about this lout... She did stand up to him at the end, but it felt wishy-washy... I wanted to bop him one!! Or two!! With an added kick to his backside.

Overall the book kept me riveted as I kept turning pages hoping in every section that Esme would stand up for herself... It felt like a nice technique used by author Tilly Tennant to get the reader to the last page.

In a few words this was a simply stunning read. I was pulled into a dreamy winter wonderland and I loved every second of my time spent with Esme. With Lapland as a backdrop there's no wonder that this book is aesthetically pleasing to visualise. Snowmobile rides, a magical Christmas village, the real Santa Clause and the Northern Lights, how can it fail to grab your attention and your heart?



The story takes you on an emotional journey that reduced me to tears along the way. I adored the relationship between Esme and her Grandmother and I was moved greatly by the fact that her memory seemed to live on in each page of the story making me feel that she was never far away. Esme was a character I instantly took to and it was a joy to watch her grow and come alive as the story progressed. Her sweet nature and compulsive need to please those around her left me reeling at times and I admit to wanting to throw my Kindle across the room due to her inability to see Warren's true colours for what they were. But this frustrating build up made the sort after conclusion all the more satisfying to witness and I'm not ashamed to admit that I cheered for joy when love conquered all in the end.



Each and every character was created to add something special to the story and I loved watching them all come alive as the plot progressed. Zach melted my heart with his bereaved past and his touching relationship with Esme added a quiet yet poignant stamp on the storyline that left me captivated.



Tilly Tennant has created a beautiful tale of loss and love that is carefully wrapped up in a winter wonderland of magic. I adored each and every word of this book and I was sad to see the story come to an end. If you have yet to read this festive treat then don't hesitate to grab a copy and dive straight in.

I love Tilly Tenannt’s writing so much that I picked up this book without reading the blurb. It has a great setting in Finland which is one of its redeeming qualities. Having read it now, it Is true to the blurb but falls a little flat. I’m afraid that this book doesn’t do it for me as much as her previous books, and is nowhere near the standard of A Very Vintage Christmas.

Anyhoo, it is a nice book but there’s too many things that I found annoying/frustrating... the focus on the other two singletons in the party and their on/off relationship, the lack of proper conversations and realism (if she was so worried about Warren and money, she wouldn’t have been making endless calls on her mobile from Finland)... and particularly Esme’s spineless behaviour, but if you’re being gaslighted by your partner it will be difficult to see the truth...

All in all a bit of a damp squib for me. A nice Christmassy read and fabulous setting in Finland brings it up to 3* for me

A lovely Christmas themed romance, I enjoyed this book. A well written romance with friendship, comfort, heartbreak and the importance of family.

A lovely cosy contemporary story, well written with rounded characters and a fantastic location. An ideal book for a cosy afternoon on the sofa with a hot cuppa. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really nice Christmas read and I enjoyed reading something light hearted after all of my thrillers. Really liked Esme's character from the very beginning. She was easy to warm too, especially as Warren was one of those characters you love to hate. Also enjoyed the Lapland setting for much of the book, a bit different to what I've read in the past Christmas wise. A lovely festive read and highly recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ok stars

This was an ok book but a bit disappointing for me. I agree with other reviewers, the story dragged in places and it was annoying how blind to Warren she was.

For someone so weak willed and lacking in confidence, it stretched reality that she would then drop everything, including her beloved boyfriend, to go travelling with strangers to Lapland.

The book lacked that something special that gives a story Christmas magic. However I did like the Lapland characters and their stories.

Nice fun romance and light holiday read. Sort of the book version of a cheesy hallmark movie. You know it’s cheesy and a bit far fetched maybe but you just really enjoy it anyway. Was a joy to read not hard or depressing definitely had a good time reading this book.

Following heartbreak Esme escapes to her Grandmas at they plan a really special trip to Lapland. When further heartbreaking times happen she decides to make the trip alone.
What a spectacularly romantic setting for a Christmas book. Tilly Tennant has the amazing talent to transport you deep within the pages of her books, imagining yourself on holiday in the snowy setting, meeting Santa and the reindeers. You share in the emotions the characters are feeling.

It leaves you with such a warm feeling.

Exactly what you're looking for with a quick, lovely Christmas read. It helps get you in the holiday spirit and feeling warm and fuzzy inside. The characters brought a lot of love, friendship and family.

A good, cozy read for the Christmas season. You’ll be cheering Esme on to find her true happily-ever-after.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Esme has been through a rough time with her ex boyfriend and decides she needs to leave London. She escapes to the familiarity and the safety of Little Dove Morton and Thimble Cottage, the village in the Peak District where her grandmother lives, and where Esme has many happy childhood memories of.

Being back in her Grandmother's cottage helps Esme start to heal, and as Autumn turns to Winter and plans start being made for Christmas, Esme begins to accept her broken engagement with the horrible sounding Warren and enjoy spending time with her warm hearted and devoted grandmother Matilda. Her parents are going to spend Christmas with her and her grandmother, and hopefully some bridges will be built. However, when tragedy strikes, things don't go quite as straightforward as they initially seemed.

Although The Christmas Wish is the perfect heartwarming antidote to the hectic run up to Christmas, it still touches on weightier issues; such as emotionally abusive relationships and some moving storylines, particularly in relation to one character. This brings another element to the story but doesn't detract too much from the overall sense of reassurance the book brings, with its descriptions of the smells and sights you associate with December and Christmas. Baking of Christmas puddings and cakes, beautifully sparkling Christmas trees, colourful lights, decadent decorations, whiffs of steaming hot chocolate and frosty mornings.

The characters are likeable and good natured - with the exception of Warren - and the settings are delightful. There are gorgeous descriptions of the towns in the Peak District - Bakewell and its sparkling and twinkly Christmas lights, cute pale stoned cottages and proper pubs. I particularly loved the descriptions of the Arctic landscapes of blinding whiteness, miles of forests of huge iced fir trees, tiny villages made up of houses of coloured wood; just like the views you'd expect to see in a snow globe. The capital of Finnish Lapland - Rovaniemi and home of Santa Claus village - appears totally enchanting, with its gift shops selling sweets, chocolates and souvenirs and buildings draped in tinsel, lights and a sprinkling of snow dusting everywhere. It really is the epitome of Christmas, and back when you were a kid, exactly where you imagine Santa to live, with all the anticipation and excitement. Santa Claus's Village and a Northern Lights tour, have gone straight to the top of my "to travel to" list. It reads exactly how I remember Santa Claus: The Movie, which was my fave Christmas film when I was a child.

It's not entirely all light hearted fluff and is the ideal read if you enjoy your Christmassy books with a bit more meat on them, rather then just a straight forward, run of the mill romance. Nevertheless the descriptions and settings can't get much more Christmassy. This book has made me want to go out and buy even more Xmas decorations. I can imagine reading this book another year, just to get into the Christmas spirit. If you are feeling slightly "bah humbug", this is the read for you!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Slightly diff to other books by Tilly but it was a good read! I finished pretty quick as I really did find myself in and involved with the characters lives and stories! I did find my self thinking come on girl u can do it a few times! And that’s a good sign in my opinion!

Lovely festive Christmas read. Perfect for over the long winter nights. Magical storyline. Great characters that pull it all together

Exactly what you want from a quick, cosy Christmas read - will definitely get you in the festive spirit!

I have to say, out of all the Christmas novels I have read so far this year (granted not that many yet), this has got to be my favourite. It's got heart, it's got self-discovery, it's got the beautiful Northern Lights, it's got a great female protagonist and a fantastic male love interest, it's even got the perfect amount of complication (not toooooo major, but just big enough).

Of course, no novel is without it's moments where you want to smack the protagonist upside the head, shake them and scream at them "YOU'RE BETTER THAN THIS", in this case being Esme's continued relationship with the dirtbag Warren. But honestly, in this instance, I felt that it was yes, sad and a little unbelievable, but it was a reflection of a lot of the unhealthy relationships that women stay in or that they are trapped in. But Esme, set to the backdrop of the beautiful Northern Lights as promised to her grandmother, she overcomes that. And I cheered. So much.

In fact, overall, I felt that this was a "romance" novel, that was more about the growth of Esme, than it really was about the romance between her and Zach. That's not to say that there was nothing in there about her and Zach, there was plenty believe me - but I felt that it had a good mix. I of course, loved Zach and Esme, and that it wasn't just him 'fixing' her by being together with her, but rather that her final 'stand' wasn't with him. It was just her. And it really did show her growth as a character.

Overall, I really did enjoy this novel, and 10/10 would recommend.

Note: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.