A lovely Christmas Romance in a small village.
Bella a local school teacher found her boyfriend of 5 years packing his bags when she arrived home.
Her neighbour Nick and his son Freddie are getting over his wife leaving with her lover and have to cope with Freddie being bullied at school.
The pair get together to help each other through their problems, you know what is going to happen but its a good journey on the way.
The small village has a great atmosphere where everyone knows each other and helps each other.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc in exchange for my honest review.
Posted to Goodreads

Revisiting Meadowbank is like a warm hug and I loved hearing about the old characters from The Secrets of Meadow Farmhouse. The idea of a giving tree is an amazing idea for a storyline and is definately something I would love to do.

I loved Bella and Nick and I was rooting for a happy ever after for them both. Katie writes beautiful love stories that are tinged with sadness but showcase the real beauty of love and kindness.

There hasn't been a book of Katie's that I've read that I haven't enjoyed and I'm really excited for my next one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

To start, so I don't forget, let me address the educator questions. This is not a book to read as part of a curriculum; however, if a student (middle-high school) wanted an easy book to read set in another country, this one would be safe to recommend. There would be obvious things that are different including things about the schools and the amount of drinking involved. This is standard for the UK and most European countries but since it is not in the US, students sometimes need to have the cultural differences explained. (Much like what is done prior to a high school trip to Europe.)

The story, set in a small English village, centers around Bella, a young teacher. Her teacher friends, Nina and Jonathan, are important parts of her life. For teachers, it is common for fellow teachers to be close friends outside of school. Also highly involved in Bella's life is her family who live nearby and the many members of the village who help to prepare for the holiday season.

Early in the book, Bella's live-in boyfriend decides to break things off and move out. As Christmas is her favorite holiday with all the village activiites, Bella comes up with a Giving Tree to help her through the season as well as
help many within the community. While she suffers with a little heartbreak, she focuses on the Giving Tree and finds comfort there

Through reading, you do get to know many of the people in the small village. Without tons of description, the author still allows the reader to know all the quirks of the townspeople...the good people, the odd people, the mean ones...they all appear. This can be hard to do so as a reader, I appreciate when it is well-done. Also, you get a little taste of English schools by having part of the story set in school.

Of course, we have romance, but it is sweet and done well. All the romance and drama takes part with the village park and Christmas festivities taking place all around them. This is a sweet, easy to read book, with characters that would be fun to follow in another book.

I did receive this book via #NetGalley. #ThePerfectChristmasGift

Please note I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I liked this book, but I didn’t love it.
It’s very well written but the story had holes in it that I just couldn’t get my head around. For a small village with a lot of people doing it tough who was actually buying the vast supply of gifts for the wishing tree? There was a theme of bullying that was never really resolved and felt like it was just thrown in.

I also feel the need to mention that Bella’s parents are implied to be functioning alcoholics, this is not a huge deal in terms of the story but should be pointed out.

Not my favourite Christmas novel but still enjoyable.

This is such a cute little Christmas story. I loved the idea of the giving tree being for anyone who might need a little Christmas cheer. I didn’t really see the point in a certain character existing in the beginning but I guess it did give the protagonist something in common with her neighbor.

I won’t spoil anything but this is a light hearted Christmas read. It’s an easy quick book, I do wish there had been a bit more storyline and background on some of the characters. There’s a few instances that makes them seen one dimensional. And it’s a bit rushed at the end. But cute nonetheless. Freddie is adorable.

Bella is a primary school teacher in a lovely little English village, she's just been cruelly dumped by her boyfriend of five years on the run up to Christmas. Instead of wallowing in heartbreak she realises that a lot of people are struggling, in one or another, and starts a giving tree. She grows close to "the boy next door" single parent Nick and his son Freddie. Is this just neighbourly friendship or something more?

I liked this book but found everybody soooo nice, the antagonist's parts were a bit lackluster. However in saying that I do like Katie's style of writing it flows really well and you want to keep reading, it's definitely a "just one more chapter" book.

If it's a nice gentle, feel good Christmassy read you're looking for, look no further.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

A good romp of a romance with lots of Christmas cheer and good deeds done.
Two broken hearts end up working together on a kind Christmas project and it brings out the best in the village and the school. The romance is central to the book but there is plenty to add to mix to keep the interest too with a bullying child, a mild assault and a car break down. All of this takes us off on little tangents and fleshes out the plot but the growing romance between Nick and Bella isn’t really explored with everything else going on.
It is a cute tale, I’d have liked a bit more of the emotions of the two leads as their partnership progressed.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

For Bella Christmas is her favourite time of the year and she’s counting down the days. Arriving home, looking forward to the weekend, she’s shocked to find out her boyfriends leaving her, for someone else. Upset, angry and heartbroken Bella is now wondering whether this Christmas will be the same as she’s enjoyed over the years.

Nick, Bella’s next door neighbour is also facing a first Christmas, as a single parent, also thinking whether he can give Freddie a magical one.

Wanting to mend her broken heart and enjoy Christmas, Bella comes up with an idea, one where the whole village can get involved, and that is to have a Christmas giving tree, the whole community can be secret Santa and give each other what they really need as Christmas presents.

Bella decides to be the elf that collects all the donations and delivers them with the help of Nick and Freddie. Bella and Nick begin to get close and see each other as something other than a friend. But putting a spanner in the works is the return of Nick’s estranged wife, right before Christmas.

So, is the romance that hadn’t even got off the ground over, or is Nick going to be Bella’s perfect gift?

The story also sensitively highlighted what happens between kids at school, when some treat others differently.

Recommend this book.

Thanks to HQ, HQ Digital and Negalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I only came across Katie Ginger when I became a member of Netgalley and I'm glad I did. This is another lovely read from Katie. I absolutely loved Bella and her family and this book has everything you could want from a Christmassy read.

A fabulous book all about love, loss and the true meaning of Christmas. Set in a sleepy village our heroine, Bella, gets her heart broken when her partner ups and leaves for someone else. Her next door neighbour Nick has also been left with his son Freddie by his wife. On the lead up to Christmas and realising that some people in the village are struggling, in one way or another, Bella decides upon a wishing tree where people can request things for themselves or for others. The book has all the ingredients for a truly romantic seasonal read and of course a happy ending.

This is the perfect Christmas read. It flowed so nicely as was a pleasure to read. The characters were likeable and you really rooted for the main two characters. It was so enjoyable to snuggle up on the sofa and drift off into this story.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Perfect combination of Christmas, romance and relationships as well as thoughtfulness and generosity - what more could you want

A heartwarming Christmas story that really tugged at my emotions.
Bella comes home from a long day teaching school to find her boyfriend of 5 years rushing down the stairs with a suitcase. Bella confused because he didn't say he had a trip kept asking questions. Evan finally said he was leaving her that he met someone else. Heartbroken and not wanting the village to find out calls her sister, who in turn calls their mum...they come over to help Bella. In haste to get away Evan left the upstairs a mess.
In a little village it is hard to keep a secret and all the residents find out that Evan left Bella...
Bella tries to make the best of things and pours her heart into teaching and the Christmas season. Bella comes up with a wonderful idea when she finds out some of the residents are having hard times...a Giving tree. The town can fill in a form if they know of someone needing help this year and Bella makes tags for the tree and someone can pick the tag off the tree and buy that person a certain gift or food basket...
Bella's next door neighbour, Nick, is a single dad to Freddie...Freddie's mum left them to go to sunnier place...so he is struggling but finally getting a handle on the single dad life. Nick and Freddie start helping at the Christmas park and become close to Bella.
A great story with a few lessons for everyone to learn...not to mention school bullying. The book really tugged at my heartstrings and I really enjoyed reading it.
I loved the characters of the story they were really easy to like. The authors writing is smooth and it made me not want to put the book down.


Thank you to NetGalley and HQ publishers for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of The Perfect Christmas Gift...all opinions of the book are my own

I really enjoyed this book. It was heartwarming and a real treat to read. A great book to snuggle up on the couch in front of the fire and just enjoy. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

Bella, a schoolteacher, is left by her boyfriend just before Christmas. Her neighbor, Nick, was left by his wife six months ago. Bella and Nick are brought together by a social problem Nick's son is facing in school as well as a charity project Bella embarks on after her breakup, and they soon find themselves falling in love.

This book has a lot going for it: two wronged main characters; a holiday project that brings a whole village together; even a comical antagonist in the father of Nick's son's bully. But there just weren't enough sparks for my taste. Not only sparks in the romance between Nick and Bella (they appeared to have minimal physical chemistry, and it wasn't clear what drew them together aside from mutual niceness), but any sort of fire in any of the conflicts. Nick and the bully's father have one and only one argument. When Nick's ex tries to win him back (after abandoning him and her son for months), their conversation doesn't even qualify as an argument. Bella's parents and sister, who are meant to be jolly and wisecracking and a bit odd, are relegated to the background. Even Bella's own personality - her anger at her ex, her desire for marriage and possibly children - is muted.

For all that, it's an enjoyable read. If you like Christmassy romance, in a British village, with no edge, it may be right up your alley.

Lovely Christmas book. Will be looking out for more from Katie. Bella's boyfriend of 5 years tries sneaking out of the house and just leaving her a note to say he was leaving a few weeks before Christmas. Bella then throws herself into having a giving tree to help people in her village. Her neighbour Nick and his son Freddie are having a tough time after his wife walked out on him

This was an entertaining and warming book, however, I had finished another Christmas book earlier today that had practically the exact same story: female teacher is dumped just before Christmas and she tries to get on with the festivities, single dad is trying to make the upcoming Christmas perfect for his child. It was scarily similar that I had to check I wasn’t reading the same book again.

I think this book suffered slightly because I’d read the other one which I loved so much that I couldn’t help but compare. Whilst this was comforting and enjoyable to read, I didn’t find it as finished or well rounded as others I’d read. I feel if I’d maybe read it first I would have felt better about it, and I don’t like to compare books but with plots and characters so identical, it’s hard not to, and sadly this one just fell short in the magic terms for me.

What a completely enjoyable holiday romance!
Bella's life is turned upside down when her boyfriend of five years suddenly decides he is in love with someone else and leaves her. Unsure what to do, she fills her time volunteering, and creates the town's Giving Tree. Her next door neighbors, Nick and son Freddie, are just as lost this year having his wife, Paige walk out six months ago. Can the three of them get over their pasts to create a future together? As Christmas approaches, one thing is certain. The town Giving Tree has touched many lives, and for that Bella will be forever thankful.
This was such a sweet, holiday romance. Loved every page.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is an absolute corker!!. It's a wonderful, feel good Christmas tale of wishes coming true!!.
The story starts with sHells and her fiance Evan splitting up, well he leaves and she is obviously devastated. But as it's a Christmas tale, things happen to make Christmas that little bit better and that's all I'm saying!. You'll have to buy the book!!. This is my first book by This author and I will definitely be buying more of her books!. She writes so well that I was hooked straight away, couldn't put the. book down so read it in a day!!!.
That's a great advert for.a.book!!!.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC book for an honest review.

I love a good Christmas romance but this just did not do it for me. Wonderful Bella is left by her long term boyfriend before the holidays and she’s so wonderful that No one can imagine that happened to her. Wonderful Bella has such a bleeding heart she only worries about other people while on her trip to cheer her up with her family. Comes home. Immediately falls in love with her neighbor/father of her student who thinks she’s wonderful and lives happily ever after. Did I mention Bella is wonderful? This book just felt forced