'The Christmas Calendar Girls' is out now from the wonderful Aria Fiction, in ebook format-what better way to get into the festive spirit and banish the winter blues than tucking into a blanket with a huge mug of coffee, cake and this book?

It genuinely is the perfect antidote to miserable, rainy days where no one seems to know what is going on-especially me-but everyone seems so unhappy.This lush story with an awesome redemptive arc pays no heed to the dismissive, sniffy attitude that still exists when it comes to womnen's fiction(give me strength, these writers are bloody troupers finding the heart and soul of their characters and making you care about them! It's not an easy thing to do at all)

So, the book itself, a perfect slice of fiction wrapped around nuggets of everyday life for the 3 calendar girls -Fern, Davina and Cara-all have their own reasons for distracting themselves from every day life by throwing themselves into a campaign to save the food bank in their hometown of Chesterwood.

Each one of us is only 3 wage slips away from using a food bank-on average-and they are a vital necessity for many people in a day of such wealth that we really should be appalled that anyone needs them . Anyhow, off my high horse, this issue is dealt with sensitively and thoughtfully, and each of the three women start to gather a community around them with this genius idea of a living advent calendar. It not only explores the challenges to creating such a scheme, but also the benefits to everyone when they start thinking of others at this time of year, a time made for giving and being selfless. And in giving, the girls recieve so much more than they bargained for...

I was immediately draw to the character of Fern-her backstory was just so sad and how she uses her job as a journalist to draw attention to the girls' scheme is a neat juxtaposition with how she is diving into work as an outlet for the grief she feels about her hsband's death. Her attempts to keep her and her daughter going through the most difficult of times-moving house,starting afresh with a child after losing a husband-really moved me. Her relationship building with village newcomer,Kit, has the reader totally invested in them becoming an item!

Fern and her friends are the center of the story but as the advent calendar idea spirals to involve the whole village, you get to see glimpses of other people's lives as it touches on very real issues, without being overtly political, just sadly, very real .

I felt it was a beautiful piece of writing, this time of year is always a smorgasbord of reading for me as you have the creepiness of the Halloween horror stories nestled next to the Christmas and festive novels-completely spoilt for choice!
'The Christmas Calendar Girls' is my first book by Samantha Tonge, but I have already chosen my second-it'll be 'Game Of Scones' so that I can read the followup, 'My Big Fat Christmas Wedding'!

Thanks so much to Vicky at Aria for the blogtour invite! Don't forget to check out the other wonderful blogtour hosts thoughtout this week, and next, as Aria really gets the Christmas spirit flowing!

This is one of those wonderfully festive books that you can really imagine being played out as a gorgeously cosy Christmas film.
More than just a typical feel good book though, there is a level of depth with the readers eyes being opened to a problem that may well be reflective of their own community. I think this book serves a purpose in highlighting the importance of food banks and the jeopardy they often find themselves facing.
What a beautiful idea, a unique take on typical fundraising – bringing to life the advent calendar within the community. The three main characters, friends, work hard to pull off this incredible feat all in the hope of raising money for their local foodbank, so it can pay the rent needed to keep it going. As well as this each character is facing their own personal issues -whether that’s matters of the heart, possible illness and overzealous Mother in Laws.
Samantha Tonge has written a brilliant story with friendship and community at its heart and a cast of characters that will welcome you in and make you feel like you belong. There are many ups, there are a great deal of lows; it has drama and misunderstanding, love and grief. You will go through a wide range of emotions throughout the festive journey our ladies undertake.
A wonderfully heart-warming, life affirming tale. I enjoyed every moment and highly recommend.

I love Christmas. December 1st, out come the Christmas decorations, and all the lovely memories of Christmases gone by. I always appreciate how lovely it is to have my family around me, but realise for many, this time is particularly devastating.

This story highlights many contemporary social issues, families in poverty, homelessness and addiction. Whilst these are prevalent at all times of the year, they are more noticeable during the festive period when the divide between the have and the have nots is more acute.

The ethos of this story is emotional and heartwarming, and it shows how communities coming together can embody the true meaning of Christmas. It is a story of friendship, women supporting each other and gives hope that with the right support, even the hardest problems can be overcome.

Fern, Davina and Cara are complex characters, bound together by the friendship, through their children. Each has a story, and sometimes things are not what they first appear, but their friendship is what motivates them through the difficult times.

Kit is an enigma, kind, generous with his time, but closed off, with high emotional boundary walls. He helps Fern, start to live again, but is she asking for something he cannot give?

This is wonderfully festive, full of community spirit, but also realistic, not everyone wants to help, some would rather look the other way. The women’s friendship is believable and uplifting, and the conflicted romance between Fern and Kit is heartwarming. There are also lots of lighter moments, which balance out the angst, making this a lovely book to read to get you in the festive mood.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A living advent calendar. To start with, can you get an actual better premise for a Christmas book? Put that with an author that I already knew to write beautiful romance and smile along romantic comedy and I was one hundred percent in!
This is a cosy, charming, and yet bright book with a range of characters I fully enjoyed. I’ll admit I actually found it very emotional at times and at one stage considered taking a break because I found some aspects so sad, not just that of Adam (which hit me hard, one little hint of how nice he was and what they’d gone through at the end and I was nearly on the floor!).
The Christmas aspect was spectacular, and transported you to Chesterwood and the community as well as any movie could. There were many moments I smiled appreciatively, some lovely romance, very well done everyday and of course a bucket full of heartwarming happenings that made you take a breath, leading to the ending this lovely book deserved. Very much recommended and I look forward to Ms. Tonge’s next book! Thanks so much to Aria for allowing me to be part of the blog tour and for the book in return for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5/5

Favorite Quotes:

Davina stood up and gave me a piercing stare that only a mother of twins could master.

The best sorts of friends were good at turning me into we.

It felt as if a light bulb switched on in my chest whenever I saw him, like that magical sensation as a child when you discover the tooth fairy has visited.

I took out my phone, brushed my hair and took a selfie. The strained smile made me look like a convict. So I took twenty more and finally created one that didn’t suggest I’d turn up to a date hiding an axe. Then I created a profile on Tinder. Not words I ever thought I’d be saying…


My Review:


This was a fun and easy read with relevant real-world issues, heart-squeezes, insightful observations, and clever levity in equal measure. While battling overwhelming odds to raise funds to continue a charitable operation, the overall tone of the story was decidedly upbeat with hard-won lessons and positive outcomes all around. I enjoyed the creativity and everydayness of the characters as well as the entertaining storylines, and relatable conflicts and concerns. Ms. Tonge’s poignant writing is laced together with such perceptive watchfulness; her stories are a learning experience as well as an entertaining one.

The protagonist of the novel is Fern. A freelance journalist with a young daughter, she moved to Chesterwood three years earlier after the premature death of her husband. Although part of her is still grieving, she thinks it is time to move on, especially as her friendship with Kit seems to become something more. However, Fern has other things to worry about besides her love life. The local food bank is about to be closed because the rent is too high. To try and save the place that is so important for many people around the area, Fern organize a living calendar event around town to raise money. Also, she is worried about her two best friends. Perfect wife and mother Cara who has always everything under control has become very forgetful and distracted while Davina is worried about her children’s strange behaviour. Will Fern be able to make it to Christmas without much drama? (Don’t count on it!)

October is the month of Christmas reads and I lost count of how many Christmas books I have read so far, but I enjoyed each one of them including The Christmas Calendar Girls. The author created a protagonist that feels authentic and relatable from the very beginning. You can feel her pain as she remembers her husband, but you also cheer her on as she tries to build a new life without him. She is compassionate and caring, working hard to help the homeless of the village. She is always ready to help others and, in the meantime, she has a job to do and a daughter to raise.

I loved the community feeling and the Christmas atmosphere that together make a fantastic Christmas novel. An enjoyable and uplifting novel about friendship, family, love, loss, and new beginnings, The Christmas Calendar Girls is one not to miss this Christmas season!

What I enjoyed about The Christmas Calendar Girls was the focus on female friendships and what a community can do when they pull together. It was easy to read and provided light relief yet, it didn’t shy away from real problems. The book is current and up-to-date on difficulties that some people face in society today (addiction, loneliness, bereavement, just to name a few). It’s a great book for taking stock of how we need to be thankful for what we have and Tonge wrote with compassion so it worked. And come on, who doesn’t love some festive romance?! I certainly do! My only small niggle is there were too many characters thrown in at the start and I did struggle to remember who everyone was. It didn’t take away my enjoyment of the book but it just took me some time to get into the rhythm of the story. The book has so much heart and warmth, you can’t help but smile while reading it. A real feel good book all wrapped up with a big festive bow!

If you enjoy a cosy Christmas story all about kindness and helping others less fortunate than ourselves, then I’m sure you will enjoy this book.

Another Christmas story that makes you long for Christmas to be here already! Samantha Tonge has done a great job tackling some very hard issues with these characters all while bringing us a great Christmas story. This will leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling that you get reading about how others come together at Christmas time to help others.

Fern moved to Chesterwood to try and help herself and her daughter start over after her husbands death. Fern has meet some people in town from taking her daughter to school. Fern is a journalist and has recently done a story on the homeless in Chesterwood and what is available to them for assistance. When Fern found out about the food bank that was available to the homeless, she also found out that if there were not any funds raised quickly to help them out that the food bank was going to have to close.

Fern comes up with an idea to try and help the food bank. She thinks that they should organize a living advent calendar to help raise money. She enlists the help of two other mothers that she has meet from the school. While they are organizing the calendar, Fern is encountered with a chance at love again, but is she ready? Has she let go of her past and has he? There are a lot of tough topics that are dealt with in these chapters, but done so tactfully that you feel like you are such a part of these characters lives.

This is a great story about how communities come together and work for a common good. The idea of a living advent calendar to me at first was sort of out there, but these girls pulled it off and raised money for a common good. You get to learn about different reasons people may have for using the food bank and helping them get away from addiction or giving them a chance to start over with a little help. All of this woven into a lovely Christmas read with a little romance too. Great job Samantha Tonge!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

I loved this festive read with its emphasis on friends and family. Beneath the glitz of Christmas, there are some darker issues which gives the story a credibility. There is a lovely thread of being kind and valuing what matters above material things which chimes beautifully with the season. With some believable characters and plenty of variety in the plot, this is a festive read not to be missed.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

The book is a lovely festive read that is exceptionally heart-warming, poignant and a lot of fun. Add it to your festive reads list, you will not be sorry.

I really loved everything about this book , The writing style , the characters , the plot , sitting ….. Everything ..
Different and really interesting .

A wonderful, heart-warming festive read which encompasses all the great things about Christmas - and will most definitely leave the reader with a fabulous fuzzy feeling!

Fern and her two friends, Cara and Davina are all bringing up children whilst aiming to be part of the local primary and the wider community. As it heads towards Christmas, there is also extra work to be done supporting the kids with all the school activities - but this year there is more reason to be concerned. The local food bank, a lifetime to many, is under threat of closure and desperately need to raise funds to stay afloat; can these three friends help in any way whilst struggling with their own issues? Fern is trying to work out Kit's mindset whilst becoming aware that her feelings towards him are not completely platonic; Cara - normally a domestic goddess - is not her usual efficient self and Davina finds herself with worries over her usually well-behaved twins' demeanour. What is going on?

This is a superb read! Steeped in Christmas spirit and packed with the problems all of us face at some (usually several) times in our lives, there is lots to keep the reader glued to the pages. It is a charming book and also a thought provoking one, making us all aware that there is more to Christmas than just finding the perfect gift and buying more food it's possible to eat in a month, never mind a few days! I absolutely adored everything about it and Sam Tonge's creativity and writing experience shine through every part of this story. Feel-good to the nth degree and thoroughly satisfying which makes this a solid 5* read, and one I'm so happy to recommend to all lovers of a darn good festive read!

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley, and specifically to Vicky Joss - both for my spot on this tour and also for supplying all the necessary details in good time. As always, all opinions are completely my own and entirely honest.

When I received the invite for this tour I couldn’t say yes quick enough! As soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis I just knew it was my type of read.

Fern, Cara and Davina are three best friends who live in Chesterwood. They are made aware that the local food bank are struggling to keep their doors open. The answer to this dilemma is Fern’s idea of a living advent calendar. What an amazing idea it is!? Does this festive plan work? Well I urge you to find out!

Amongst organising the fundraising for the food bank, these three women have other challenges to work through. Introducing the gorgeous Kit who makes things just a little more complicated. I won’t go into plot specifics but Sam intertwines different themes beautifully such as grief, family, honesty and courage.

The sense of community in Chesterwood just radiates from the pages. Everyone comes together in a time of need at a very cold time of the year. I loved meeting the residents, they just kept reminding each other of why they were raising money in the first place. It makes you realise what you have and to not take it for granted at all. I just couldn’t put my kindle down and when I had to I was itching to pick it back up again.

I now just have to have Samantha’s books on my TBR pile and can’t wait for what she creates next! 😊 I give ‘The Christmas Calendar Girls’ a very festive 5*/5* ❤️

Thank you to Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

My first Christmas read of the year. It’s a great feel good read. It shows the lovely relationships women can have with each other, but also shows what can happen when a community pulls together too. It shows that even from a young age how important friendship is and how we need to pull together and think of the other person and their side of the relationship too. A real uplifting feel good story that is also up to date on the problems and difficulties a lot of our society find themselves in through no fault of their own. It makes you stop and take stock of your life and makes you realise just how lucky we are.

A new book from Sam is always a cause for excitement in my eyes, so finding out there was a new festive treat in store really made me do a happy dance!

The setting of Chesterwood is gorgeous! I wish I lived somewhere like that! It has a great community feeling and their festive spirit was infectious. I had a clear picture of the whole town in my head and it was dreamy!

As well as an idyllic setting, this book featurea an amazing cast of characters. Fern, Cara, Davina, Audrey, Mia, Kitt and all of the children made for adorable and hilarious reading! I loved every second of my time with them all. Their joy, heartache, friendship, fears and love made them feel like a group I'd like to be part of in real life.

There were several important topics dealt with in the story, and as I've seen with all of Sam's writing, it is dealt with sensitively and accurately. The root of this story is helping those less fortunate than ourselves, but there are also messages of second chances, forgiveness, family and kindness.

If you only read one Christmas book this year, make it this one. And let it inspire you to make a difference.

Widow Fern has recently moved to the small village of Chesterwood with her young daughter Lily and has fitted in perfectly. She has made plenty of friends with the mums from her daughter’s new primary school. However, she is struggling to move on after her husband’s death but with the help of her new best friends Cara and Davina, she is slowly starting to feel less pain and maybe thinking about love again.

When the local food bank is in jeopardy of closing due to funds for the rent of the building they hire, Fern comes up with an idea, for the village to host a real-life advent calendar that will involve all the villagers.

The advent calendar is going to take a lot of planning and effort to make it a success and to earn enough money to keep the food bank open and with it already being the end of October can Fern and the villagers pull it off as well as deal with their own private problems too?

Who doesn’t love a festive read? When I first heard about The Christmas Calendar Girls I was thinking this was going to be one of those books about a group of women getting naked and posing for a charity calendar, how wrong could I be! This book is nothing like that, in fact the advent calendar idea is completely new to me and I think it is a great idea – you will have to read the book to see what it is all about.

Fern is a lovely woman who has had a few hard years after the death of her husband and is now bringing up her daughter Lily alone. She is at that point where she thinks it may be time to move on and possibly find romance again, but at the same time feels guilty.

The villagers are a wonderful community of people and I just wish that more communities came together in real life and helped one another out.

My tiny nag about the book is how many times it was mentioned that Fern’s husband had died, it felt like it was stated on every few pages – I haven’t counted, but it became a little repetitive after a while.

The book is a lovely festive read that is exceptionally heart-warming, poignant and a lot of fun. Add it to your festive reads list, you will not be sorry.

What makes The Christmas Calendar Girls so good is that it’s relevant. We’ve probably all seen food donation points in supermarkets, but there are far fewer people who know what it is to volunteer for one or be a recipient of a food parcel. Tonge brings to light the reality of food banks and those who use them – people from all walks of life, including those who never thought they’d have a need for a food parcel.

I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters. They reflect what could effectively be real-life; they struggle with personal issues, relationship problems, grief, love, and guilt. The key message behind the story is probably the most important – that we’re all allowed to make mistakes, learn from them, and then allow ourselves to move on.

It was quite difficult reading about the main character, Fern, losing her husband to cancer. For many of us, it is one of our worst fears. But life is full of our fears – it is how we deal with them, and others, that matters.

The Christmas factor in this book is just the icing on the cake. Plenty of Christmas decorations, bright lights, and even a few fireworks. Tonge has created a wonderful book with a wonderful message – highly recommended now that we are coming into the cold, long, wet Winter nights.

It is that time of year again, when all the Christmas books are being released. What better way to kick off the festive reading than a Christmas book by one of my favourite authors! Samantha Tonge writes a great story, and I am yet to be disappointed by anything I have read. The Christmas Calendar Girls is no exception, I absolutely loved it. It's a story about friendship, love, moving on, helping others and of course Christmas!

Since Fern lost her husband, she hasn't thought about being with anyone else, until she meets Kit. Oh Kit! Where to start with Kit, in my head I have imagined him as a cross between Tom Hardy and Jason Momoa! He is just splendid! I was hoping all the way the book that something would happen between them.

When the women organise a living advent calendar in a bid to save a food bank, they all pitch in. Even though each of them has things going in their lives, they each do all they can to help along with the rest of the community. It's a lot of work, can they pull it off in time to save the much needed food bank?

The Christmas Calendar Girls is a heartwarming, uplifting and Christmassy brilliant read. If you are looking for a Christmas read I would highly recommend picking up this brilliant book by the super talented Samantha Tonge.

THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIRLS by Samantha Tonge is more than a cosy Christmas novel. It is a wonderful tale of friendship, community, and fresh beginnings with characters that feel like your closest friends and a setting that makes you feel like you live there.

Fern, Cara, and Davina are best friends that live in the same neighbourhood even though they all have different personalities.
After losing her husband, Fern works hard to provide for herself and her daughter, and understanding how close anyone could be to losing everything, Fern sets out to help the local food bank which is under threat, with a Christmas idea, a living advent calendar, that is sure to bring the community together too. Now if only she could stop thinking about her good friend Kit in an altogether more than friendly way, life would be much simpler. But he calls to her soul in a way that makes it hard to ignore.
​Nothing is ever simple which is also the case for Fern's two besties - Cara is struggling to hold everything together and be the perfect wife, mother, and daughter-in-law, and soon appears to be dropping balls all over the place, and Davina's kids aren't having the easiest of times and she needs to get to the bottom of what is causing such unhappiness.

But with the living advent calendar just around the corner and numerous neighbours, ideas, food, and snacks to be organised for everyone on the street can these women band together, solve their own problems, and find a little Christmas magic along the way?

​I loved the idea of a living advent calendar and couldn't wait to start reading THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIRLS and this book does not disappoint. The relationship between the three women is truly special and each character captured my heart in different ways making them all equally as special. The drama, the misunderstandings, and the hope for the future, all combine to make this story unputdownable.

THE CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIRLS by Samantha Tonge is excellent in every way and I loved every page of this wonderful tale.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
First time reading this Author and thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas book highly enjoyable and entertaining can highly recommend for an excellent Christmas read.

Another amazing story by Samantha... she is definitely on my favourite author list.

This is a story I will be revisiting each year... An entertaining but heart-warming read.