I went in to this book thinking it's going to be another typical christmas romance. But I was wrong! This is full of details about the characters loves and background. And it is so full of history about the place it is set! A great story, full of twists, forgiveness, family no matter what shape it comes in!

A fantastic book!
This book is full of wonderful quirky characters and the reader is drawn in very quickly. I loved the way Trish mentions past characters from her books though they are not central to the plot of this one. The Christmas Invitation has quite a few twists and turns which are not predictable but really keep the reader guessing.
It is a well written story, full of moments to make you smile'! Just right for curling up with for a few hours. I would recommend this book to anyone! Not just Trish Ashley fans
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Uk and Trish Ashley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I love Trisha Ashley's book so I was intrigued by this as well. To be honest, I wasn't hooked at once by the beginning of the novel. I'm not very keen on stories where the main character frequently refers to a horrendous past secretkeeping me the reader in the dark. However, the story slowly grew on me. There are quite a number of storylines wowen into each other to give out the tapestry of the story. Some twists could be predicted, others kept the reader guessing. I loved the characters - well, except the two villains, of course. I also loved the general warm and friendly atmosphere of this country house. So at the end I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and I did close the book with a smile.

A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas read to curl up with on a cold, grey day. Well written with a cast of lovely characters that rapidly draw you into the story. First book I have read by this author but will certainly read more, sometimes all you want is a simple and engaging read to loose yourself in and this one certainly does that.

My first book I have read by Trisha Ashley was Twelve days of Christmas. I loved that book,so I have always looked forward to a new Christmas book. I really enjoyed this book,although I have to admit it was a slow start. I would definitely buy it as a Christmas present.

I first discovered Trisha Ashley's work around two years ago and within three months I had read her entire back catalogue. Since then I have keenly anticipated each new book and this one didn't disappoint. It had all the components that are typical of this author's work, a older couple who like to match make, a precocious yet cute child, a couple of devoted staff members and several distant relatives. Not forgetting a feisty heroine and a moody, misunderstood man. As I got close to the end of the book I found myself reading more slowly. I had fallen so in love with the characters that I dreaded having to leave them. Hopefully some may crop up in a future story. I know this is a book I will re-read several times in the future and will probably enjoy it as much if not more each time.

It may only be November but when I saw the new Christmas book from this author I knew I had to read it.
As always this writer knows how to put warmth and character into any Christmas read.
Meg doesn’t celebrate Christmas so with no plans she is asked to spend Christmas painting for husband and wife, Martha and Henry. As the celebrations start, Meg is faced with a person from her past who she tries to avoid at all cost, .With a few more surprises around the corner Megs Christmas is made.
Beautifully written with humour, romance and perfect snowy setting for Christmas

I am a massive Trisha Ashley fan but I just couldn't get into this book at all. It felt incredibly long winded with characters that I struggled to feel any connection with. I was left feeling underwhelmed and un-festive which was a massive disappointment as I normally love Trisha Ashley books.

I really wanted to like this more. Trisha Ashley has long been an autoread-autobuy author for me. But I just didn't love this. There's too much going on, the plot feels like a mashup of things that Ashley has done before (and better) and although it was nice to see some old friends and locations from previous visits to Trisha-world, that didn't make up for the fact that the Heroine and her love interest didn't actually spend that much time together and you didn't really get to see why they liked each other so much. It's nice and festive though, I suppose that's something. Never mind. I'll just go and re-read Winter's Tale again - that's still my favourite.

The Christmas Spirit....
Will Meg discover the Christmas spirit when she responds to a Christmas invitation to spend the run up to the festive season in a pretty, snow covered hillside village? A likeable cast of characters and an engaging storyline laced with plenty of gentle humour make for a warm and enjoyable read.

A Trisha Ashley novel is a solid choice if you're looking for an entertaining read, and this lovely book doesn't disappoint. Full of warmth and well-drawn characters, I would have no hesitation in recommending this fab festive read.

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

Trisha Ashley’s annual festive novel is here and it’s got everything you’d expect. Portrait painter, Meg is commissioned by renowned epigrapher, Clara and her poet husband, Henry to create a set of portraits of them. With a little persuasion, Meg duly decamps to their Victorian Gothic pile with the dual purpose of convalescing and painting her way back to full health. The fly in the romantic ointment comes when she bumps into Lex Mariner, a brooding potter she knew from her art college days. There’s a shared enmity between Meg and Lex and as the story unfolds we find out why. This pleasing romantic slice of Christmas escapism is set against a backdrop of crackling winter fires, Henry’s burgeoning collection of antique glass tree baubles, a Winter Solstice ceremony, mouth-watering descriptions of food and picturesque snowy scenery. In short, Happy Christmas and thank you for the advance review copy.

Upon returning from hospital, after a bout of pneumonia, Meg is decidedly NOT in the Christmas sprit. Nor is she in the mood to pack up her canvases, paints and pallet knives, and travel to the Lancashire countryside to paint the portrait of Clara, historian and celebrated crime writer. But no one says no to Clara. So Meg sets off to the Moors to have her first ever Christmas, Meg grew up in a commune where Christmas wasn’t celebrated, and she is very excited about it.

When Meg arrives to the Red House, her complicated past and this big manor house collide.

With elements of new-age and ancient druid traditions, this is a lovely book with a bit of a mystery. I have never read anything by Trisha Ashley before, but would certainly read another of her books.

I loved this, it’s classic Trisha Ashley, such a great Christmas read, a fabulous mix of humour, romance and a little bit of drama. As always Trisha writes wonderful characters you can’t help but adore and root for, this is just an adorable and addictive read. Highly recommended to fans and if you’re not a fan yet, pick a copy up you soon will be.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Brilliant as always. A lovely, gentle romance (more than one actually and they all happen very quickly in Trisha world!). Add in lots of humour, dogs, a sweet little boy, and a mystery from the past, this story does not disappoint. A festive read too, since it's set round Christmas. Recommended.

I've read quite a few of Trish Ashley's books before, and in my opinion her Christmas books are what she writes best. I was thrilled to be offered an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher.
I found this book to be a little slow to start with, but I soon got into it, and enjoyed the style of writing and the storyline.
Trisha's books always contain an eclectic mix of characters, and there is her usual quirkiness and humour within the book. It was interesting to read about the characters histories and past lives.
Overall I enjoyed reading this, it is a good festive read.

I always enjoy a book written by Trisha Ashley, and ones set around Christmas in particular. This book did surprise me a little, as I struggled a bit to get into the story, but once I got going, I literally didn’t want to put it down. It’s one of those books that I miss now that I have finished it; I’m sure other readers will recognise that feeling.

The central character in the story, Meg, is a skilled artist recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia. She is approached by a rather forceful lady, Martha, who wants her to paint portraits of her and her husband, Henry. The request is accompanied by an invitation to spend the festive season with the couple in their country house set in a small hamlet high on the Lancashire moors. Having been raised in a commune, Meg has never celebrated a ‘conventional’ Christmas, and accepts the opportunity to experience something different. Once she arrives at Martha’s home, she finds herself enveloped in a household full of interesting characters. Unfortunately, one member of the extended family is Lex, someone with whom Meg has an unfortunate history. She hopes that if she can avoid him, her stay may still be an enjoyable one, but fate seems to have other ideas. There are quite a few other surprises in store for her too during her snowy Christmas visit.

This is another delightful tale from Trisha Ashley, filled with amazing characters and wonderful settings. Martha’s house and household were so warm and welcoming that I would love to be snowed up there for Christmas myself. Fans of her books will recognise quite a few familiar names from Trisha’s previous stories. I loved all the twists and turns in this book; I was never quite sure what would happen next and who would turn up. As well as drama and romance, there was a nice amount of humour in the story. I can’t fail to mention a very cute little dachshund who quite stole my heart. I can certainly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who enjoy a really snowy Christmas tale; it would also make a perfect addition to a Christmas stocking.

After a slightly slow start, I absolutely devoured this book, had a duvet day after a really busy weekend and finished it in 24 hours. It was a bit longer than it could have been but overall a definite recommendation to get you in the mood for Christmas

Whilst recovering from a recent illness, portrait artist Meg is barely aware Christmas is approaching. After all, they didn’t celebrate the festivities at the commune farm where she was brought up. That is until a steamroller of a woman turns up at her door insisting Meg live in at her home on the Lancashire Moors to paint herself and her husband.

Unable to politely decline in the face of such a forthright character, Meg packs up and heads North but upon her arrival a face from the past brings up unwanted memories. Memories that might provide a less than idyllic atmosphere for her stay at the Red House.

With the deadline for the art fast approaching and her love for this eclectic family growing every day, can Meg find a way to bury the past and truly discover the magic of Christmas?

This is the book that contains the family festive fun everyone wishes for themselves!

As usual, Ashley writes an incredible cast full of quirkily brilliant characters. Each individual is easily lovable, even the not so nice ones lend a certain humour to the mix. I especially warmed to Clara, the quick witted and plain-spoken Lady of the house, together with her husband, Henry, they provided a charming head for this eccentric household.

The Lancashire Moors provide a wonderful wintry backdrop to the story, and it was lovely to hear familiar names and places from previous books. The imminence of snow and frost lent this story a real air of excitement and made it especially easy to snuggle down and let the mind wander into Christmas, even if it is only October!

At 528 pages, this story is a lot longer than one would expect for this genre, but I felt it gave time for the story to unfold perhaps a little more naturally and realistically. This book is an extremely worthy Christmas read and I expect it to be flying off the shelves to fill stockings!

A nice read but unfortunately not as good as some of her previous novels.
Even so it's a charming light read that is perfect for some Christmas cheer.