In ‘One New York Christmas’ we meet Lara Weeks. Lara is a small-town girl who always loved Christmas and her little home town. Lara is definitely a small-town girl through and through. She drives a truck, knows a lot about farm animals and isn’t afraid to get dirty. When Lara gets dumped by her boyfriend of two years, she and her best friend are determined to make him regret his choice. And what a better way to do that than to go to New York and meet an handsome actor.

This was a story that took me a little time to really get into. But not in a bad way. There was just a lot to get into in the first view chapters. Lara is definitely a tough hardworking woman but when she gets dumped by her good-for-nothing boyfriend she is devastated. I get that! But I didn’t really like the way she still wanted the guy back. It frustrated me, which is definitely a bravo to the author who made me feel these emotions.

After the first view chapters I began to love this story more and more. I looooooved Seth’s character. He was an actor, waiting on his big breakthrough but he definitely didn’t want the whole fame part of being an actor. I loved that about him. And I loved how kind he was. And this book definitely made me laugh multiple times. There were so many funny moments.. Especially those moments when Lara acted without really thinking.

Not only the romance and the humor in this book was something I enjoyed. I also really enjoyed the other characters in this book like Seth’s mom, her homeless friends and Aldo Lara’s brother. There where so many things that made this book fun that I honestly can’t even write them all down.

Although I didn’t really need to have any more reasons to want to visit New York one day, this book made me want it even more. Christmas in New York just sounds magical and dreamy.. and sigh..

‘One New York Christmas’ was definitely a very fun Christmas read I enjoyed immensely. I really have to read more Mandy Baggot books.

Lara's practical, no-nonsense attitude to life hides a certain emotional vulnerability. A contemporary romantic heroine, she drives trucks for a living but also finds time to look after her father, and as she describes him'nearly brother Aldo. Travelling to New York for Christmas isn't on her festive agenda until her boyfriend betrays her and her supportive friend Susie makes her an offer too tempting to turn down.

Lara is a likeable character and her fun-filled adventures in New York are romantic and thought-provoking. Seth is on an emotional journey of his own, and meeting Lara is unexpected but perfectly timed. Both characters are trying to find out what life has in store for them and together they experience a romantic, poignant Christmas experience in New York.

The descriptions of New York are detailed and vivid, letting the reader experience the city's vibrancy at this special time of year.

A Christmas story with realistic characters, but a fairytale plot filled with lots of Christmas magic.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Random House UK - Ebury Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

One New York Christmas has two assets: the descriptions of the Big Apple at Christmastime and the rather unusual encounter between Seth, a former US TV-series star going through a rough patch professionally, and Lara, an English small-town truck driver who, after getting dumped, flies to NYC with her best friend to enjoy a shopping spree and lick her wounds. Although I liked how Seth and Lara’s story unfolded, and how touching Seth’s background story is, I must admit that I never really warmed to Lara’s personality who struck me as quite clueless for much of the story. After all, she stays in an annoying state of denial as to her future with Dan: her exboyfriend who left her, updated his Facebook status to single and published news about him with a new lady. How can she still describe him as her boyfriend when speaking to others? It doesn’t seem very realistic to me.

Even though the plot offered a few poignant moments with colourful characters, I actually disconnected from the story several times. Some passages were lengthy and didn’t seem quite necessary to get the plot to move along. I think it would have benefited from a few more cuts.

It was still enjoyable here and there, but definitely not my favourite read of the season.

Just what the good book doctor ordered. Christmas, romance and snow. Perfect to get you in the holiday mood, this book starts off with a unconventional break up. Dumped whilst driving to the Annual Christmas Parade, Lara decides to make her ex jealous and go travelling to New York, where she meets up with the handsome Seth Hunt. Determined to make the ex boyfriend jealous, she is on a mission to post photos of her having fun on Social media, so he can see what he is missing, in order to win him back.
However, things don’t go quite the way Lara and her best friend thought they would. Lots of snow, fun and Christmas romance included. Read it. #OneNewYorkChristmas #net galley

A perfect, festive, romantic comedy! Settle down with a glass of mulled wine & enjoy this book! I will definitely be reading other books from Mandy Baggot.

I loved this book - perfect cheesy read for Christmas with the perfect dose of cuteness and the added value of a magical setting of New York. I loved the many comparisons between the sights and sounds of the Big Smoke and the little English town. The characters were fantastic even if you wanted to shake some sense into a couple or laugh at them!

When can I get on a plane - want to see the sights that Lemurgirl does?!

New York in the snow, Tiffany's and beautiful jewellery,a magical ball, a millionaire and a lovesick girl. All these add together to make a really enjoyable read. It left me longing to visit New York in the snow, especially if I had a millionaire to spoil me and show me the sights!
Certainly a feel good romance, warm and enjoyable. Would highly recommend this book.

Another gem from Mandy Baggot! Heartwarming, uplifting and romantic, this book brings together the buzz of NYC with the sleepy town of Appleshaw...

An enjoyable Christmassy read from one of my go-to authors for a fab uplifting read when I need a change of scene!

4 🎄 🎄🎄🎄

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Christmas stars

I’ve lost track of how many Mandy Baggot books I’ve read but what I will say is that you know exactly what you are going to get with them.

Writing that is easy to read, likeable and engaging characters, wonderfully descriptive of the locations in the book and a warm, fuzzy, and yes cheesy, storyline.

Enjoyable and reliable.

Brilliant, engrossing, different .Lara goes to New York whilst her boyfriend decides whether their relationship is to continue. She has tweeted to an.actor in order to make Dan jealous and realise his mistake. Will her ploy work - or will she fall in love with the actor? Brilliantly written, I could not wait to find the outcome.

Loved it! Perfect festive fiction.

When Lara's boyfriend Dan says that he wants a break, she wonders what she has done to deserve this. But it seems like he doesn't just want a break, he wants to end things, since he has planned to go to Scotland with other people, but not Lara.

So she decides to go to New York with her best friend Susie. Enter Seth Hunt and a cute story.

Another fantastic read from this author, this book has everything a Christmas book should have. Perfect read for this time of year!

One New York Christmas was a fab book, my first book by Mandy Baggot but will not be my last.
I could relate to Lara falling in love with New York as it is a magical place any time of the year but especially at Christmas.
Easy to read and I’d recommend to all.

One New York Christmas is the second christmassy book written by Mandy Baggot that I have read, and I can officially say that her festive novels are must have during winter.
I loved the previous one (One Christmas in Paris) and I adored this one too.

The story follows Lara who spends her holidays in New York, trying to heal her broken heart.
On the other side there is Seth, a good looking actor with a kind heart, who tries his best to succeed in the acting career, and make his parents proud of him.

At first, I thought this will be a romantic, funny story, and it was, but it was also so much more.
The story explores some complex topics like adoption and unknownness of one’s own origin.
Then, it also talks about being homeless and how there are more then few reasons how one can end up on the streets, even when he’s trying to do something with his life.

The story also talks about family, friendships and human relationships, and it well inquires those aspects.

But at the same time, while talking about such serious subjects, it manages to entertain readers, make them laugh, relax then and put them into Christmas Spirit.

I liked almost all the characters, Seth and Lara, their best friends and their family members. There are only few “unlikeable” characters, which were ment to be “bad guys” of the story, but I didn’t mind them.

However, I have to stress out that one character I admired the most was New York itself.
Yes, you’ve read it right! Mandy Baggot described that city and it’s atmosphere during December so well, that it got his own role in the story, and I as a reader couldn’t forget that we were in New York.
That, my friends, is what I call amazing writing ability!

I loved almost everything about this story, but there is one (probably not that important) thing that made me feel a bit uncomfortable, and I will tell you what it is, because I’m always honest in my reviews. However, I think most people wouldn’t even notice that thing.
I didn’t like how Lara called her brother Aldo, who is adopted, her “almost-brother”. It happened 12 times in the story, and it made me feel like she was trying to separate herself from him, like stressing out that he was not her brother by blood was so important, she had to call him almost-brother instead just calling him brother instead?
I don’t know, we have one adopted family member (my father’s cousin) and I can imagine if his sister was calling him almost-brother it would hurt his feelings. It would make him feel like he wasn’t genuine part of the family, and it would be wrong.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading One New York Christmas and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys festive chick lits and Christmas stories.

I can’t wait to see what other books Mandy Bagott has written/will write because this author is definitely on my tbr!

I really enjoyed this story and I found Lara to be such a different character right from the beginning! Such a lovely festive and romantic story. I'm now feeling ready for the Christmas season!

Mandy Baggot’s Christmas offerings are always a treat, well, there wouldn’t be Christmas without her book, no? “One New York Christmas” has exceptionally gorgeous cover and it teams together two of the best things: well, yes – Christmas, and New York. It takes us on a journey from a rural, peaceful Appleshaw in Wiltshire to the city that never sleeps, and moreover, at the most wonderful time of the year. Lara, our main character, loves her town and she also loves Christmas, and is looking towards it, especially as she’s going to spend it with her boyfriend, Dan. Dan, however, has other plans and decides they need “a break”, during which he’s going to travel to Scotland. With another woman. Here you go. Lara’s best friend Susie decides that Lara needs to make Dan jealous, and to do she needs to start tweeting some celebrities and get a reply from them (this is the bit that I didn’t fully get, to be honest, as I wasn’t sure how should it help). They both end in New York, in the company of Seth, an actor from Lara’s favourite series, who’s much more than meets the eye.

Lara was such a colourful, interesting character, and I liked her from the very first mention that she’s a lorry driver. I mean, how clever? How many lorry driver female characters have you met? Exactly! What I also liked in her was the fact that she just bitten the bullet and wasn’t afraid of trying, confronting, seeing – it was so refreshing, after so many heroines that simply bury their heads in the sand and wait for the problems to somehow disappear. Also, she was not a skinny – minnie swishing her blond hair around type of character, she was more of a tomboy – the lorry driving! – which made her seem a much more stronger person that she in fact was, but she wanted us to see the stronger version of her as well. I adored her passion and her love to her family. If you think about it, she’s really a kick ass, our Lara, fierce, bouncy and almost fearless. She’s not afraid of climbing trees, she rescues animals and she stands for herself or the things she believes in. Well, unless it comes to her love life. Then she lost her head, which is only understandable.
I also really appreciated the character of Seth, who, for once, was full of uncertainty and vulnerability, and was not a macho or too full of himself. There was warmth to him and I truly fell for him and I just wanted all the good things happen to him. His story added tons of seriousness to the book but the way Mandy Baggot tackled his issues was really great and she brilliantly captured him, and his coming out of comfort zones and confronting the past.
The supporting characters, both in the US and back in England, blend in brilliantly and complement each other in a great way.

I simply loved the descriptions of New York. They were so vivid and full of details and the fact that the city was seen through Lara’s eyes for the first time made it even more exciting and beautiful. The author has so easily transported us to New York, brought this place to life, made it jump off the pages.
The story, however, dragged a little too much for my liking. I wanted action and things happening, and I got too much of the characters’ inner indecisions and monologues, and it bothered me a little. Lara was also an adult and well, I just don’t get this whole checking and showing and posting your life to the social media, to looking for comfort there, looking on Facebook at what it is your boyfriend is doing, checking there your relationship status – I mean, do I live in reality or do I live through social media? No, thank you. And I also missed this Christmas vibe – yes, the book was festive enough but this sparkle, this vibe wasn’t there. It was also this little bit too predictable, you could see things coming a mile off, but oh well, yes, I could live with this. Also, referring to Aldo as “almost – brother” made me grit my teeth – either he was a brother, or not, no matter if he was adopted or not. And the regular reminders of Lara being so unusually a truck driver were not so necessary. Mandy Baggot’s writing style is like a hot chocolate, drawing you in and you simply want more and more of it. It’s easy to follow, inviting and full of humour – though it took me some time to get into the book, no reason probably, just one of the things, and as I’ve already mentioned, it was a little too slow, especially at the beginning. It gained speed a little more in New York, when Lara and Seth started sight – seeing.

Altogether, “One New York Christmas” was a festive, funny and romantic read, full of unforgettable scenes, both funny and poignant. It’s not as good as Mandy Baggot’s “One Wish in Manhattan” that was a fantastic, festive novel that I loved with all my heart, but it’s a nice enough, light – hearted book with a hidden depth. A lovely story about family dynamics and following your heart, full of heartbreak, hope, romance and happiness, it’s a great way to cosy yourself in a blanket on a dark, cold evening. Recommended!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love slightly unusual heroines and Lara felt like a friend by the time I'd finished.

This is a first for me by this author... but won't be my last... I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can't wait to read more of Mandy's work.

Will this Christmas romance be just for the holidays?

Lara Weeks is heading to New York with best friend Susie for the Christmas trip of a lifetime.
A festive break in the snowy Big Apple visiting the tourist hotspots, not to mention the shopping, seems like the perfect way for Lara to get over her ex-boyfriend. Or maybe make him so jealous he begs for a second chance.
Enlisting the help of gorgeous actor, Seth Hunt, doesn't quite go to plan, but there's something about him that has Lara wishing for a different kind of happy ever after...

Well written with a fantastic cast of characters... it'll have you going through a wide range of emotions... but it's a really good feel-good story with warmth, courage and fun.
Great for snuggling down with on those colder nights.

Thank-You Netgalley for my ARC.

I haven't read a Mandy Baggot book in what seems like forever so what better way to reacquaint myself with her writing than with a Christmas book. One New York Christmas takes us from the small town of Appleshaw in Wiltshire to the bright lights of New York City at one of the most wonderful times of the year as the song goes. Our heroine of the story is Lara Weeks and she is not your usual run of the mill character. Yes she does have her problems, and her life mightn't be full of joy and happiness, but whatever her issues may be or how she views the world she really just gets on with things. She faces less personal problems, that don't directly affect her emotional well being, head on but when it comes to issues of the heart she is less reluctant to do so.

From the outset I could see Lara was determined to be a strong person who put up barriers and didn't want them easily broken. She always put others needs before her own and would bend over backwards for them especially when it came to her Dad Gerry and 'almost brother' Aldo. She was the mother figure that was so absent in their lives and I think lacking the presence of her mother really did have a deep affect on her but she tried to cover it up big time.

I don't think the people around Lara took her for granted, well maybe apart from boyfriend Dan whose actions were despicable right from the very beginning. I feel her family, the residents of the village and best friend Susie could see what Lara was trying to do but they knew if they confronted her or offered help before she was ready to accept it than that could have been detrimental and Lara really would have retreated into herself. I thoroughly enjoyed that Lara was a real tomboy in this story and that she didn't follow the normal coventions of a woman's fiction character. Her job as a trucker in her Dad's haulage company was different from the norm and her love and devotion in relation to her truck 'Tina' showed how dedicated and compassionate a character she was. Lara stepped outside the box in terms of characters in chick lit books and this was refreshing to see.

Lara is looking forward to Christmas and all the various traditions she has. It is her favourite time of year but this year things take a surprising turn when Dan announces he wants a break. Now we all know what means but he just tells Lara that he needs time to work out whether he still loves her or not. It seems he didn't need that much time as before we even finish the chapter where this announcement is made Lara discovers Dan is off to Scotland with another girl, although this is with a group of friends.

I felt desperately sorry for Lara. I could see this news came as a huge shock to her and she is left devastated and heartbroken. What follows is Susie hatching up a plan to show Dan just what he is missing, to make him feel jealous and want to run back into Lara's warm embrace. Yes the entire idea might be silly and almost farcical that anyone would do this in real life and I did think I just had to go with the flow and follow the story. Susie was the one, in sharp contrast to Lara, who just went for things never taking heed of the consequences. She really was a spur of the moment person but all the times she has the best of intentions at her heart.That'ss simply because she valued Lara as a friend so much.

Susie on behalf of Lara tweets celebrities in the hopes of attracting Dan's attention and making jealousy rear its ugly head. To be honest I really thought why couldn't Lara see what was right under nose, that Dan was not the man for her and she could do so much better. If she had come to this realisation far earlier on the tweets needn't have been sent and maybe the girls could have simply gone to New York on a girlie weekend away in order to get over such a life changing point in Lara's life. Instead when they see a response from actor Seth who is based in New York they take matters into their own hands and head over there determined to get some photos with him which they can then post on social media. Campaign win Dan back is launched but will it achieve its objective or will the wonder of New York have a little magic and something else in store for Lara?

It was brilliant to see Lara stepping outside of her comfort zone by travelling to New York. She rarely left Appleshaw and certainly had never left the country except for in her imagination when she read travel magazines and books. Clearly this was a young woman who craved new experiences but was afraid to leave behind those who were relying on her. Plus she was in the relationship with Dan and maybe if she had ventured far from her comfort zone and enjoyed new experiences she mightn't have come back. So for Lara it was a brave but a very much needed step. Lara wants to prove to Dan through these photos that she is strong even if inside she mightn't feel that way. In a way it was almost like an obsession – I have to keep Dan - and that was simply because she knew nothing of life apart from Dan and outside of Appleshaw. Now was the time to spread her wings, to find some independence and where better than the Big Apple?

The author certainly nailed all the wonderful descriptions of New York and all the various sights and sounds it had to offer. I could conjure up every image so vividly in my head as we viewed everything through Lara's eyes for the very first time.I felt transported to New York even though I have never been there before. Susie and her boyfriend who lived in New York provided many comedic moments as did Aldo who was a brilliantly written character. His learning difficulties were explained well without the reader feeling pity for him. Aldo was just Aldo, blunt and someone who got straight to the point and this book was all the better for his presence. In fact, I really wish that there could have been so much more of him. I know the focus wasn't on Aldo but in my viewpoint he was under utilised.

Contrasted with the predicament of Lara is the character of Seth, what a relief to have a male character who shows a more vulnerable side. One who is not full of bravado and guff instead he faces his feelings head on and he becomes a character whom the reader wants only positive things to happen to. His friend and fellow actor Trent takes it upon himself to become his agent. Trent wants to boost Seth's social media profile and let's just say we really should take control of our social media accounts as confusion and, in a way, deception arises and if this comes out in the open it could prove to be very hurtful and upsetting to all involved. Lara through her escapades in New York becomes known as Lemur Girl and this is when she comes face to face with Seth which exactly is the entire point of the girls visit. Many funny events ensue but also a more serious side to the story starts to emerge as slowly piece by piece Seth starts to reveal a different side to his character vastly different from the roles he plays on screen. He desperately wants an upcoming role which he feels affects him personally but unless he can confront his past he doesn't stand a chance of making the big move forward in his career that he knows needs to happen.

I thought Seth's story was interesting and in a way Seth and Lara begin helping each other in their own very different personal journeys, they became a support for each other. Yes they may have literally only just met, and perhaps this was fairly rushed, but this is the magic of New York at Christmas and time was of the essence for Lara and as the author did mention love can grow but it can also be instant. Learning more about Seth's heritage and where he came from made me understand him more and the experiences he takes Lara on in New York mean that she steps outside of her comfort zone and maybe begins to put Dan out of her mind. In turn she helps Seth and she gives him the incentive he needs to seek the answers to so many questions that have plagued him. If he can't uncover the answers there is no way for him to move forward. I also loved the storyline involving Seth's mother who works at a homeless shelter with a little twist. It's a timely reminder for this time of year amidst all the hustle and bustle and preparations for Christmas that not everyone is as fortunate as most of us are.

One New York Christmas did what it said on the tin providing the reader with a fun festive, romantic comedy. It's a nice light read but at the same time it is inspiring and you root for Lara from beginning to end. Will a whirlwind of experiences change Lara's opinion on things? Will Seth become the person he so desperately wants to be with regard to his acting career? Will romance blossom or it all just too much for all who are involved as they venture through uncharted territory? To find out you should read this delightful story that is the perfect antidote one needs at such a crazy busy time of year.

A wonderful Christmas romance with a great feel good factor.
Brilliant characters and a story that leaves you wanting more