I always enjoy Samantha Tonge novels but this one is possibly my favourite of hers so far. The location sounds so pretty and idyllic and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. The idea behind the calendar is such a good one and will leave you feeling warm and happy. It was a great Christmassy read and I would recommend reading it to get you in the festive spirit!

I struggled a bit at the start of this book but as the story unfolded I really enjoyed it. The story centres around the friendship of three very different women and their families. Their fight to save their local Foodbank involves getting the community behind the idea of a Christmas Calendar. The information about the role of the food bank was very thought provoking

Kit, who is the male interest in the story, has a past that still haunts him Will he be able to see that embracing the future means letting go of his guilt

4 star review of  The Christmas Calendar by Samantha Tonge

Christmas, it’s the most magical time of the year and my favourite holiday. Samantha Tonge is a new author to me and I loved the blurb for The Christmas Calendar. Chesterwood sounds like a beautiful place to live and I found this story to be full of hope, love, family and friendship.

When the local food bank is in danger of closing, widow Fern decides to take action with the help of her friends Davina and Cara. I admired Fern’s community spirit, her sass and feisty determination not to give up was something I could easily relate to.

Can the magic of the Christmas season bring people together to help one another?

When the new man in town Kit, offers his support and assistance, Ferns feels the beginning of a spark of interest, not felt since her husband passed away. However, Kit also has baggage from his past, will it be enough to keep him from pursing happiness or will Fern be able to break down his walls?

All the characters were well written and I enjoyed reading about the people of Chesterwood and how they come together to help one another out in a show of true community spirit.

I received a copy of this book through the publisher via Netgalley.

A heartwarming story about friendship, solidarity, poverty and grief, and how romance can happen in the most unexpected circumstances.
It took me a while to warm up to “The Christmas Calendar Girls”, by Samantha Tonge (Aria), the first half of the story focusing on too much mundane tasks and details and with diary-like tones that I found a bit dull.
But the themes of grief, addiction and poverty are tackled in a realistic way, and Kit, the male hero who is an odd but compelling combination of light and darkness, really intrigued me and kept me engaged.
Kit is very hard on himself, yet a sunny and very kind and giving person, and the paradox makes him a very flawed and fascinating character.
I also liked the take on the single mom, a widow, and how the author dealt with the grief over the late husband and father.
Serious social issues are tackled in the story, too, and the importance of family and friends and the support they provide in our life.

This book was my first Christmas 🎄 book for this year, and my goodness what a cracker of a story it was! Filled to the brim with feel good emotions, kindness and friendships, it truly touched my heart ❣
I was addicted to reading this, wanting to find out if Fern and Kit could become more than friends, to see if the community could achieve its goal of keeping the local Food Bank running and to watch friendships grow throughout the Christmas season.
For me this gorgeous book has set me up, ready to embrace the season of giving, its themes of kindness and positivity were a perfect combination, alongside a little romance and intrigue.
It’s a definite 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 score from me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy and enjoyable read about female friendship, love , family, loss and most importantly Christmas, Fern, Davina and Cara all experience up and downs during the course of the story, and their loyalty binds the story together as do the themes of homelessness and addiction. I work in the charity sector and this was a great representation of the amazing work that food banks do, and it underlined the importance of the relationships between the main characters.

I read this in August, however Samantha's detailed descriptions of the food, and smells left me in a warm inviting Christmas hug (I now cant wait for the festive season). All in all recommended to anyone who enjoys chick or up-lit.

This book was only so so for me. I cannot put my finger on why I did not care for it. To me it started out slow and stayed that way. I became bored very quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book has the most gorgeous cover. As soon as I saw it, I became excited to read. This is a book, I didn’t want to put down- I loved it. Samantha engaged me from the very beginning and I felt quite invested in the characters. This is my first read by Samantha and I have loved it. It definitely won’t be the last. This is a fantastic read.
I cannot wait to read more by Samantha Tonge
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

There’s nothing like a bit of festive cheer to make the world seem a happier place and Sam’s latest piece of glittery tinsel certainly ticks all my boxes. But the book isn’t just that…

There’s tragedy here. Fern, still reeling from the death of her husband’s, moves with her daughter, Lily to pastures new in an attempt to move on with her life. But, instead she soon finds herself embroiled in trying to save the local food bank, coming up with a unique fund raising idea and, in the process stumbles on a new friendship with Kit. The sense of community spirit adds a richness to the plot as does the side stories seamlessly threaded through the story. Another well-written winner

A thrilling and heartfelt story; draws you in very quickly and doesn't let go. Excellent character development. Highly recommended!