I have read Sue Moorcroft's previous books and it was lovely to return to Middledip. A story of secrets, family, relationships, friendship and community. Well written with a fabulous cast of characters. I really enjoyed the main characters and also the surrounding characters. I particularly loved Doggo the dalmation! I loved the part set in Switzerland - beautifully descriptive, I could have been there too. Well paced with plenty of ups and downs to keep the book interesting. 
 
A lovely feel good story which can be read as a standalone novel, but I recommend the other Middledip books as they are all fab!

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

Let It Snow

by Sue Moorcroft

Come along for a peek at a British view of Christmas and snow with side trips to Switzerland where Lily and the Middletones, a motley crew of adults and teens, really experience snow with accumulated depth. They embark on a trip that displays the musical talents of the informal singing group as well as Lily’s work as an exhibition artist at a Swiss Christmas Market in Sue Moorcroft’s Let It Snow.

There are lots of complex relationships to watch develop. The back story is critical as Lily and Zinnia are sisters with two “mums,” Patsie and Roma, a situation that caused them grief from classmates as children and later from other adults. Zinnia’s biological father was an anonymous sperm donor, but Lily discovers as an adult that her conception was the result of a heterosexual affair between her mother and a much older man. Her desire to meet her other family upsets both her mothers and her sister, and she is fearful of how her brothers will respond to meeting her. Lily’s family situation gets tied into the pub she works at part time and her business endeavors in Switzerland. Lily has a romantic entanglement with Isaac, the temporary manager of the pub. Their relationship gets complicated when Isaac’s ex re-enters the picture.

I enjoyed watching the intermingling of lives and surprising conflicts that prove to make the story even more interesting. Moorcroft is a master of enticement with setting and mood. I really wanted to be at that Swiss Christmas Market with expensive cuckoo clocks and chocolates. I had visions of hot chocolate, bratwurst, and fondue (but not all at the same time) transferring to my tastebuds. When Lily stood up for herself, I was proud. When she was in physical or emotional pain, I felt for her. Lots of good outcomes make for a happy conclusion, but this tale is close enough to life that not everyone experiences a fairytale ending.

An added bonus to this story is the inclusion of some excitable kids—it is Christmas, after all. An equally enthusiastic Dalmatian named Doggo  accompanies his humans to Switzerland and is quite accommodating to whatever adventures come his way.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Avon Books (U.K.) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction

Publication:   September 26, 2019—Avon Books (U.K.)

Memorable Lines:

Feelings don’t always take account of right or logic or justice. They come from inside and sometimes they’re all that matter.

As they reached the car park, fresh flakes of snow began, stinging skin like love bites from the Snow Queen.

‘Pretty,’ Lily breathed, eyes reflecting the thousand lights suspended like stars in the night sky above rows of stalls like little red chalets with snow on the roofs. Each stall glittered with stars and lanterns so the entire market seemed luminous.

My thoughts



Narrative and Plot




The tone of the book relies mainly on the festive or pre-festive tone of  the holiday season. The story is told from Lily and Issac's point of view. The narrative, at some places, felt a bit mixed up. Still, you might wish it had at least one chapter with Doggo's pov. I mean, don't you want to know what he thinks of his humans?

The plot definitely fits the ideal Christmas theme with all the snow and wintry Swiss backdrop and the Middletones reminding you the classic Christmas carols. The chaos of the holiday season and all the unexpected turn of events gives you somewhat a warm and fuzzy feeling throughout.



Characters and Conflicts




This book definitely had a lot of interesting characters but none of them were explored deeply, other than the main characters. The synopsis indicated the family ties of Lily. But her real family, never received much of a spotlight.

However, Lily is very much a lively character who makes you want to turn the pages amd get to know more about her somewhat complicated life (or should I say family tree??)

The main conflict of the story had a bit of a problem with the landing. Is it an inevitable one? No. But it isn't dull either. In short the central conflict of the book, aka, Lily's family seems like a complication that was the creation of her own flaws. Yet, the book pulled it off by creating a sympathy around the main character.

The complications in the love life of Lily and Issac goes along the same lines as well. Was the conflict avoidable? Yes. Did it hinder the flow of the story? Absolutely not.



Conclusion



Overall, this is pretty much a one-time holiday read if you enjoy the European atmosphere and Christmas carols. The romance is there, but it is not doing enough to pull your heart strings. Yet, you can't stop rooting for your main characters.

While I'm waiting for the snow that is forecast for later in the week, I've been re-reading Let It Snow by one of my very favorite authors, Sue Moorcroft. Published earlier this year and set during the holidays, now is the perfect time to read this delightful tale.

For Lily, family is everything. She has two loving moms and a sister, Zinnia who have been her world. Told that her birth father was a one night stand, Lily is shocked to discover he actually was married at the time and more than just a fling her mother had one night. Now Lily is determined to find her father on a journey that will take her to our favorite Moorcroft town, Middledip, and on a road trip to Switzerland for a holiday market and more.

There always IS more with a Moorcroft book which is why I adore her so very much. Secondary story lines often become my favorite parts of her stories and this one is no different. While there is a romance, of course, the romance isn't the primary focus of the book - Lily's journey of discovery, the tangled family webs that go with blended families and the "fall out" from finding siblings no one knew of until adulthood. With creative writing, well developed characters and a road trip through Europe, Moorcroft has, once again, created people and places that are unforgettable.

This book left me confused for a bit. The narrative sounded more like a travelogue than a novel. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed the travelling part great deal than the story wrapped around it.'Let it Snow' stroked in me the fire to travel which had been dulled for some time now. Through Moorcroft's efficient writing Scotland with all its pristine beauty and festival traditions has come alive and I was rather tempted to book a ticket right away. Well, that is part of my bucket list now.
        Now to the story. Lily and Zinnia are part of a homosexual family unit and now Lily has found out the identity of her father with whom her mother had an affair only for getting pregnant. Yes, this sounds flat even to my ears and surely her partner is not that forgiving. But they have weathered this storm somehow and now Lily wants to meet the rest of her biological family including her two brothers. She takes a job as the serving staff in the pub operated by one of her half brothers, Tubb. But even after two years, she is not confident enough to reveal who she really is. And that is taking its toll on everyone.
      Zinnia, her sister, accuses her of not being happy with their family and regretfully I agree with her. What is the need to tarnish another man's memory by bringing up this affair now? Especially when he is thought to be a besotting father. However Lily argues her case, I partly blame her for the fractures inside her first family. And that has ruined the romance for me. I am no expert in the complexities of human emotions and therefore don't want to judge Lily's motives. Still, I can't help feeling let down. Does the author intend to convey the incompleteness of homosexual families?

I absolutely adore Sue Moorcrofts books and Let it Snow was no exception. It was a wonderful read that kept me engrossed from the start.

What do you do when you discover your father is not the what you always believed? Lily Cortez and her sister have always known their parentage was not normal, but Lily now finds out that what she has believed is not the case, and she probably has family elsewhere.  Thus, she begins the search for her family that takes her from her cozy English town to the wintery Switzerland, and, when she finds two brothers she never knew existed, must decide whether to tell them what she has discovered or not. At the same time, Lily finds herself temporarily working part-time at a pub, with Isaac as her boss. To complicate matters, Lily and Isaac are attracted to each other—but Isaac has a rule to never date co-workers. Can he find it in himself to break the rule? As the story progresses, we find Isaac stepping up in situations where others might not, along with his Dalmatian dog, Doggo.

This book definitely provided a good “trip” for me to the setting locales. In addition, the author has inserted a myriad of situations, some good and some funny, while ensuring they all end up on the good side.  I was fascinated by the story of Lily’s search as well as her encounters and budding relationship with Isaac. I do not normally read books with this sort of underlying theme, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, as the two mothers’ idea was not very overreaching, just a backdrop for Lily’s story. This is a good book that reads easily. The author has managed to throw in a mix of interesting situations and has well developed characters, along with a wonderful setting. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

I am feeling so christmassy having read this book! 

Having discovered that she was the result of an extramarital affair, Lily decides to reach out and connect with the new members of the family.  But how does she tell then? This is a wonderful tale which takes Lily from the cosy Three-fishes pub in Mendlehip to the slopes of Switzerland.  Along the way she seems to have met her perfect match, but is it the wrong time?

A beautifully written winters tale, I will be reading more of Sue Moorcroft's books!

I was unable to read and review the book by the publishing date due to other commitments.  I will update the review immediately upon completion of the book.  Thank you NetGalley and publisher.

I wanted to get into this book more I did like the Christmas aspect and the family dynamic I liked that part I felt bad for the main character a lot but other than that it was a quick read! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

Let it Snow by Sue Moorcroft.

We love Christmas here at SL HQ and never need an excuse to read a good Christmas book ahead of the season, especially one where the cover promises a snowy festive season. 

We meet Lily whom is at the centre of the story and she wants to meet her brother.   A move to a village where her one brother lives is on the cards, as is a holiday to Switzerland where her second brother lives.  Despite her family being against Lily meeting the rest of her siblings. 

As we follow Lily’s journey the story is well written and Lilly is a likeable character.  With chaos building for the festive season it makes for a good relaxing read by the fireside. 

I don’t want to give too much away about what happens as it would be a spoiler. But it’s. Story that warms and prepares for the fast approaching holidays.

Overall this was cute, I didn't love it but the Christmas element made up for it. I would recommend this for people who enjoy Brit Lit more so than me

I really wanted to enjoy this book as I love Sue Moorcroft's previous book but unfortunately I struggled with this one. I didn't feel any connection with the characters and the story felt too long for what was actually happening. It wasn't the easy, enjoyable, heartwarming festive read that I was hoping for.

A brilliant read. We have a family needing to know their father and when the so called truth comes out, they are knocked sideways and need to find the truth. In that, a trip occurs to the beautiful swiss alps  who wouldn't want to be there... snow, christmas and love. 
A beautiful book.

I was very excited to read this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me. Right from the beginning til the end, I found myself a bit bored. Not much is happening in this book and even thought the characters are all very nice and interesting, I wasn't drawn to them. But it's not because I was a little bit disappointed in this book that you will be! I can see that many other readers loved it, so hopefully you will love it too!

Recipe for a perfect Christmas read (also known as my review!)


Take one familiar and well loved village (Middledip)

Add a cosy village pub (The Three Fishes)

Ensure that your heroine (Lily) is down to earth, likeable but not without some pretty big secrets

Pre-heat the boss (That'll be Isaac!)

Dollop in a lovable Dalmatian called Doggo 

Add a generous helping of romance

Whisk in some simmering attraction

Stir in some difficult family situations 

Carefully blend through some serious issues 

Throw in a trip to Switzerland 

Coat the mountains with a generous dusting of snow

Sprinkle in some Swiss chalets and twinkling fairy lights

Combine with Christmas markets and delicious sounding food and drink

Add a little Christmas adventure 

Mix in more than a hint of spice 

Blend together carefully

Don't forget to sing a few Christmas carols and songs as you wait for the mix to mature

Best enjoyed before the end of December


Verdict? Another fabulous book from Sue Moorcroft. A delicious treat of a book to be savoured this festive season.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Let it Snow by Sue Moorcroft.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I love Christmas anyway, and this book had snow too. Lots of snow. And a spotty dog. 

Lily wants to meet her brothers. Her sister is against the idea and her parents aren't completely on board. But that doesn't stop Lily moving to the village where at least one of her brothers lives and works, and it doesn't stop her travelling to Switzerland either to meet the other one.

The story is very well-written with some great characters. I did think the mad dash at Christmas was a bit unlikely, especially as this meant dropping everything, including breaking a promise to Isaac. And there was quite the info-dump from Hayley's mouth after she received her prognosis. 

But generally, it's a nice festive story with some good characters, and it certainly put me even more in the mood for Christmas this year a few months too early.

Lily grew up with her sister Zinnia and their two mums, always believing that her father was a one night stand her mum barely remembered. She is therefore shocked one day when her mum blurts out the truth, she had an affair with a married man and tells Lily his name. Lily then discovers she has two older half brothers and decides she wants to get to know them. 
Lily gets herself a job in a pub owned by one of the brothers, Harrison Tubb but after two years working there she still hasn’t plucked up the courage to tell him who she is. When a health scare means Tubb goes to Switzerland to recuperate with his partner Janice he brings in Isaac as temporary manager. 
Lily and Isaac find themselves drawn together but both have their own reasons for holding back. A trip with the MIddletones singing group sees their remaining barriers come down but just when they think they could have found some happiness fate intervenes and tears them apart again.
Lily and Isaac have to decide if they can make a relationship work and Lily needs to find the courage to tell her brothers who she really is.
A perfect story for any time of year but the snowy setting and carols sung by the Middletones make it 
especially perfect for Christmas.
Sue Moorcroft writes great characters and describes the scenery of Switzerland so clearly I felt I could see it and wanted to be there!
Doggo was a special highlight for me, I could imagine him rolling around in the snow and it made me laugh.

In my eyes its never too early to start the Christmas reading and what better way to start than with Sue Moorcroft’s latest festive release “Let It Snow”. A book with such an apt title, as snow features quite heavily in this book both as part of the setting and the Christmas carol “Let It Snow” is brought to life by the Middledip choir the Middletones.
Lily Cortez grew up in an unconventional but very loving family with her sister Zinnia and their two mums Roma and Patsie. Lily’s settled life is thrown into disarray when she learns her father was not a one-night stand she was led to believe but a married man her mother Roma had an affair with. Needing to find the missing pieces Lily heads to Middledip in the hope of connecting with her missing family. But two years on and Lily’s full identity remains hidden, she’s hoping her forthcoming trip to Switzerland will give her the chance to reveal who she really is and give her the happy ending she’s longing for.
Lily’s such a warm and loving character that you can’t help but instantly adore her, although I think that applies to most of the characters that Sue Moorcroft creates. I was longing for her to find happiness with both sides of her family and hopefully with the gorgeous Isaac who she just can’t but be drawn to. But poor Lily encounters more than one bout of turbulence as she heads out on her journey to Switzerland. 
This is a gorgeous festive novel which has been brought alive for me through Sue’s wonderful realistic characters, Doggo being one of my favourites and her wonderful descriptive settings. I loved reading about the Swiss trip as I could really imagine what it was like from the glistening snow covered streets to the twinkling lights at the Christmas market. 
This delightful festive read is sure to be a hit with Sue Moorcroft’s fans and it’s made me realise I need to go and read more of her books as I loved this one.
Thank you to Avon via Netgalley for providing me with a copy to review honestly.

Lily Cortez and her sister Zinnia have been raised in a family with two mums, however Lily is shocked to discover that her father wasn't - like Zinnia's - an anonymous donor but her mum had an affair with a married man. She's desperate to find her another family and it leads her to Middledip, where her half - brother Harrison Tubb is the owner of the village pub. She starts to work at the pub while also starting her own career as a designer of exhibition stands. She enjoy her life there, and getting to know her brother, even though she hasn't found the courage to let him know they are family.
This is only one of the themes running through the story. Because of Tubb's health scare, Lily finds herself working in the pub with a temporary boss Isaac, and almost immediately they're attracted to each other but Isaac has a rule of not dating co - workers. There is also the Middledip choir which Lily is a part of and they're travelling to Switzerland to sing at Christmas Fair there. And then there is also Lily's family, falling apart. Puh.

I had a feeling that the book is repeating itself, over and over again. We were rambling about one and the same thing, the same event was told about again and again, and actually, for me, there was nothing happening. All the characters were too nice to be true, their actions didn't feel realistic and spontaneous, and the dialogues sounded too wooden for my liking. The lack of action has been filled with descriptions of Switzerland, and as much as I love Switzerland in winter, it was too much, or with Doggo going in or out of his crate, and the main characters didn't capture my attention. I'm sorry, but that's the way I feel - but it doesn't mean that you're not going to love this book! I hope you will!

Lily and Isaac were nice characters, both with past, both with rules. However, Isaac was too perfect to be true, he always said and did all the right things, he was there when he was needed, he put his own needs aside and the only thing that he missed was probably a white horse. Zinnia was absolutely unlikeable character, already starting with the name, I mean, Zinnia? The way she treated her sister, blaming her for everything was horrible.

Nevertheless, "Let It Snow" was a lovely, steady winter read with a bit of romance and will they/won't they, though it was not the most important part of the book. The most important part though, me thinks, were family bonds, acceptation, becoming a part of a group and I liked how Sue Moorcroft mixed lightness with the seriousness, and put a lot of care and love into her story. Because next to the whole drama there is turkey, snowballs, carols, a village pub and lots of snow.