Member Reviews

This is an ideal read in the run up to Christmas. Esme is fun, realistic and makes you want to keep reading to see where the plot takes her. The food made my tastebuds tingle with anticipation and made feel excited for the festive season. I read it in one night and it made me chuckle and sob.
I have found a new author to follow. I recieved an arc to review and give my honest opinion.

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A very entertaining and well written Christmas romance. Great plot, quirky characters and a beautiful setting. Loved this book and I highly recommend it. Thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook and this is my unbiased review.

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What a cute Christmas read that makes me want to cook!!! I adored the recipes described in the book and what an important role they played! I loved Esme!! I felt so sorry for her!! I loved that her character didn't give up but just kept going. Joe was a great character that has struggled with a traumatic event. Together these two characters made the perfect book! The descriptions of both the food and the English countryside were simply charming. I enjoyed this book so much!!

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If I had to quickly sum up this book in one word it would be... DELIGHTFUL! I finished this book with a huge grin on my face.

Esme's story and character brings warmth, hilarity and charm to your lap as you curl up with this perfect book. I wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did with this story, but there is so much to enjoy between Esme's wine-induced mishaps, her completely bonkers family and also satisfying comeuppance for some miserly sods! I think this is firmly in the romcom category that I am sure will make you laugh as much as you swoon (the best combination).

Katie Ginger's writing is witty, soulful and on the pulse, featuring things like social media "live broadcasts" and the rising popularity of influencers who are authentic and show themselves 'warts and all'. This story also covers heartache, workplace bullying and a very true to life portrayal of depression, counterbalancing the humour in the story at just the right amount.

Joe's past that haunts him was revealed in a tender way that made you just warm to him more, especially as you witnessed the battles he internalised between his own happiness and the guilt he carried. I savoured the progression of his character and how he found a way forward.

The story's overall tone is uplifting, feel-good and snug, bringing delicious homemade cooking combined with festive charm and a dash of sizzling friction that ultimately you know is going to end well but is, of course, so worth the wait!

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I have been eagerly awaiting this book and what a little gem it was.

Esme thinks she has life under control and everything heading in the right direction unitl the rug is pulled from under her feet. After a horrendously bad day Esme is forced to reassess her life decisions and moves back home to her parents in Sandchester.

I absolutely loved this book, it is a story full of hope, determination and at times desperation. Esme's antics will make you laugh throughout and leave you craving home Chocolate cake. The descriptions are vivid and allow you to visualise her in the cosy kitchen in Mistletoe Cottage. Esme is a superb character brimming with personality who I would love to have as a friend, especially with her wonderful cooking skills. She is the friend everyone needs in their lives and her Mum is a full force of nature that will make you giggle. 

A book full of love and laughter that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy, leaving you feeling you have a lost a friend in Esme when you reach the end. I devoured this book and whilst reading it looked forward to picking it up to keep reading, even forsaking chasing Daisy to get ready for school as I was so keen to keep reading.

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Food technologist Esme Kendrick is forced to move back to her hometown after losing her job, boyfriend, and apartment all on the same day. With no money and no place to call her own, she feels like a complete failure. But Esme is determined to get back on her feet, and with the support of her friends and family, she decides to follow her dreams. I absolutely loved this book. It is a heartwarming, inspiring Christmas story about love, friendship, taking risks, and not letting the fear of failure keep you from following your dreams. The story is beautifully written and full of humor. Esme was a loveable and realistic character. I rooted for her, laughed with her as I followed along on her bumpy journey to making her food blog successful. Her love of food and baking rubbed off on me and made me want to cook some of her mouthwatering recipes. I loved how readers got to see snippets of her blog and all the sweet stories she shared about her grandmother. Esme's strong bond with her friends and family just added to the cozy, heartwarming feeling of the story. If you like a slow-burn romance then you will enjoy Esme and Joe's love story. I really loved the sweet, hopeful ending and was really pleased to see that two certain characters got exactly what they deserved. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a heartfelt, uplifting Christmas story. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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If you are only going to read one Christmas romance book this year, pick this one.

Food technologist Esme loses her job and her boyfriend on the same day and moves back to the sleepy village she grew up in. She meets up with Joe, who she fancied at school, he is now an estate agent and finds her a cheap little run down cottage to move into. She has to pull up her big girl pants and get on with rebuilding her life.

Esme is totally relatable and endearing, plagued with doubts and insecurities and her drunken vlogging is hilarious. Joe, who is nursing his own heartbreak and depression, is lovely and I like how the writer has portrayed him, strong yet vulnerable. There was real depth to both of the characters.

In fact all the characters in the book are well written, you really feel like you would want to know and be friends with these people. Well apart from Leo and Felicity, that is.

I really don't want to write much about the storyline as I don't want to give any of it away, just read it ... in a day, don't put it down!

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the ARC</p>

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An adorable winter read, perfect to cosy up with in front of the fire on a cold night. A lovely story about friendship, love and second chances in life. A really addictive read and so uplifting.

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

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I've been supporting Katie's books since her debut, so it was extremely exciting when I heard about the third and even more excited when I got accepted to read it through Netgalley!

Like all of Katie's stories, I was hooked from start to finish and fell in love immediately with Esme - Katie's female lead. She was so quirky and completely herself through and through. You'd never be able to compare her to anybody else, that's for sure and she deserved all the happiness in the world, after a dreadful day that turned her life upside down. I was giggling a lot during the very disastrous moments Esme faced, as she embarked a new journey of documenting her cooking and sharing her Grandma's recipes with the world.

Joe was an absolutely gorgeous character to follow, and that might just have a little to do with the fact Katie has based this man on Sebastian Stan - swoon! He had been through so much trauma and Esme just so happened to be the light that he needed in his life, if only he could just let her in. My only complaint would be, I needed more of these two together!!

Everybody is in for an absolute treat with this one. Katie always smashes it with her books and this one does not disappoint. My advice to everyone would be to book a whole day out to dedicate to this story, as you're not going to want to put it down.

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A cozy love story great for a cold snowy day by the fire. The characters are likeable and plot as well.

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Such a gorgeous story that I couldn;t get out of my head after reading. It is the perfect Christmassy story and quite an emotional story as well!

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A wonderfully festive story about love, friendship and second chances. Beautifully written, I devoured every word!

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When hearts break family, friends, and a belief in oneself are what’s needed to push forward again. This story is filled with a sweet romance, great characters, a beautiful story line, and a well written plot. Plan a day by the fire because you won’t want to stop once you start reading “ Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage.”

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You'd think Esme would get into bed and not get out after her life implodes in one day and she's forced to move home to her parents place in Sandchester but that's not what happens. Esme is a strong woman who grabs the bull by the horns and starts over, this time using her grandmother's recipes to blog. Of course, there's some tough times before she gets there but her family- all of whom are a treat- is there to support her. And her old friends! What about Joe? He's sort of the dark hero of this novel- he's got a secret, he's slow to show his hand, and you know he's the one for Esme. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. A fun, cheery book for the Christmas season (with some wonderful food writing too!)

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Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage by Katie Ginger is a delightful Christmas romance. The kind of story that tugs at your heartstrings and warms you all while renewing your faith in the holiday spirit.  A story about broken hearts, family, friends, and not being afraid to take a risk in life. Ginger writes a touching story that lets you take a stroll through the beautiful lanes around mistletoe cottage.  The characters are likable and you will instantly feel invested in them. A lovely, heart-warming read, absolutely perfect for Christmas!

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Following the sudden collapse of her life, Esme returns to her home town where she decides to follow her dreams.
Joe is harbouring his own secrets and is drowning his sorrows at the bottom of a bottle.
In a story filled with food and winter magic, these two stories are woven together.

Katie Ginger has once again created believable characters who you truly invest in. Easy to read, it transports you to a cosy cottage in winter and it makes you want to make hot chocolate and curl up to read the whole thing in one go.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

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This is the Christmas story I've been longing for for years! Christmas stories are my favorite but the issue I have with them is there's no meat....underdeveloped characters and a simple feel good plot. Mistletoe Cottage had characters you could relate to, not just "light read". The story is beautifully written and has so much depth to it. Could possibly be the best feel good book of the season. Wish I could give more than 5*s

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This was an absolutely delightful story and although there is some angst, there's also lots of humor and it all just warmed my heart. I must say, I completely adored Esme's mom, Carol, what a hoot she was!! This is a story about broken hearts, family, friends, and not being afraid to take a risk in life.

Every time Esme would blog about her granny's recipes, I wanted to go try them out! lol They all sounded soooo delish and being that I love to cook and bake, it really had my interest at a peak. When she mentions how terrified she was of the pressure cooker, it brought back my own memories of being scared of it as well when my mom would use it!!!

I loved Joe as well, what a broken man he was until he and Esme met again. That one scene when he calls Clara's mother, Siobhan, I was absolutely bawling. Such a touching moment in the book.

As for Esme's friends, they were an absolute riot! We should all have close friends like that, that have your back. All in all, a wonderful story that takes place at Christmas time and oh yes....now I want to move into Mistletoe Cottage:)

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

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Esme loves everything about London, her boyfriend, her friends, her job on a top tv cooking programme and the fact she can experience so much about Christmas immediately from her front door. 

One day though it all comes to a grinding halt.

She is sacked from her job. 

She is dumped by her boyfriend. 

She can only go home to Sandchester. 

There with her madcap parents who made me laugh out loud, especially mother Carol she starts to rebuild something of a life she may want. 

Finding refuge in Mistletoe Cottage, still in its seventies decor and no central heating it seems a really madcap adventure to set out on. But her father's advice is never go back. 

So Esme goes forward and embraces the new way of making a name for yourself - as a blogger, a social media whizz and a name to watch. 

Embracing her love of cooking and food, she clutches her grandmother's recipe book to her chest and embarks on her own version of a cookery programme with some interesting results!

Going back home means she comes face to face with some old friends. Joe in particular always had her attention when they were younger, but will his reputation ever change and is something about his past preventing him from moving forward. 

But he always seems to be there for Esme and with Christmas coming has she now found someone to kiss under the mistletoe. 

This is a great festive read and one for all food fans as well. Mouthwatering descriptions of food and the fun of amaetuer recordings of making lots of funny monents. What made it more interesting for me was that we got to see how other people affected by what has happened to Esme as the story progresses. 

It was good to see how her ex-boyfriend was now managing and his attitude to relationships and the role women play in them made me want to punch him! He got under my skin for the wrong reasons. Always a sign of good writing and characterisations for me. 

This was a book when good overcame bad and those that needed to get their comeuppance did and everyone lived perhaps not happily ever after, but they all found where they should be and a contentment that many spend a lifetime looking for.

A good Christmas read.

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Really wonderful christmas story. Full of charm, romance, great characters, and magic settings this book will get you in the mood to put your christmas tree up early, it did me anyway. Lovely story, i would really recommend it.

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