Kate Forster is a talented writer who has a knack for writing about topical issues and seamlessly integrating them into the chick lit format. The world has felt dark these past several years, and reading about country estates, wealthy powerful men just waiting to save the smart, working-class protagonist from a life of ragged middle class drudgery is a welcome escape. I like Christmas and kiddos and puppies, so it all goes down well. Like D.E. Stevenson, whose books emphasize the importance of community/family and connection to nature and the land (unfortunately, Stevenson was also openly racist and anti-Semitic in quite a few of her books), there's a retreat from the modern world into a world where the consequences of colonialism, climate change, and social movements are nowhere to be found (well, maybe in the form of the addicted, traumatized first wife who is conveniently put to death) and peace and happiness lie in family, property, dogs, and happy working-class people who bring humanity to hardened patriarchs and their troubled children. I'll continue reading these kinds of books as an escape but it's hard not to question these narratives in these times. But Kate Forster is a great writer and knows her audience. Highly recommend as an escapist read.

Editorial assistant Eve Pilkins is looking forward to spending the usual over-the-top Christmas with her family, especially since it is not only her birthday on Christmas Eve, but that of her younger brothers too. But Eve's hopes of a happy holiday are dashed when her unpleasant boss tells her that she will instead be spending the festive season with one of their top authors, Edward Priest, who is struggling to meet his deadline - and she is under no illusion that if she does not ensure he finishes his novel on time, then she will be looking for a new job come the new year.

Eve normally loves everything about Christmas, but when she arrives at Edward's enormous home, the gloomy Cranberry Cross, it is apparent that this festive season is going to be different to the one she had planned. The house is freezing, the atmosphere is creepy, and Edward is nowhere near finishing his book - not to mention that he is downright rude to her from the moment she arrives. Can Eve pull off a Christmas miracle?

What an absolutely glorious Christmas story! Eve is an aspiring editor, but she has found herself stuck as an assistant to a dragon of a boss who is more than happy to exploit her talents and take credit for them. It is hardly the publishing career she envisaged, and now the family Christmas she needed to revive her spirits is out too, in favour of babysitting an entitled male author who clearly does not want her around. It may seem an inauspicious beginning, but Eve is not quite so easily cowed, and this being Christmas, there is, of course, a little magic in the air.

All the ingredients for an enchanting festive tale are here in abundance, with Eve as the catalyst for some major changes for all at Cranberry Cross, especially with the help of her warm and loving family, which is the polar opposite of the desperately sad domestic situation Edward is living with when she arrives. Forster's writing sparkles with warmth and humour, while the delicious romantic suspense builds between Eve and Edward as she helps him see the way forward with his writing, and his family, in a way that plucks nicely on the heart-strings.

I enjoyed the way Forster sets her tale in the world of publishing and cleverly uses the context to spin something of a fairy tale for her characters, but she also does something really special by threading in lovely little nods to both Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, to ramp up some delicious Gothic vibes with a modern twist. This introduces an undercurrent of sinister darkness, which is unusual for a rom-com, and I loved it! I tip my hat to Forster for making this work so beautifully with the affecting subjects she touches on around Edward's family circumstances, to bring in poignant themes of troubled mental health, addiction, broken families, and abandonment. This adds satisfying weight to the story, and brings an extra note of heart-warming loveliness to the ending Forster crafts.

This book draw me in and became so much more than the light festive story I was expecting, and it was a delight to consume. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it even scared me more than once, and it made me fall completely in love with Eve, Edward, their families and the hopeful future they make together. I loved it from start to finish, and am so impressed with Kate Forster's style that will be making sure I go back to read every one of her previous books too!

At first glance this is a lighthearted festive read with signs of romance, but dig deeper, below the surface and you’ll find an emotional read with a disjointed family and darkness in the house.
Full of interesting characters, I really felt for Myles and Flora. Eve was an intriguing character- at times so confident but also lacking in self belief. I really liked the way she stood up for herself and how she wasn’t afraid to put others first. The love and support of her family was wonderful and the twins sounded a right handful.
Definitely a case of not judging a book by its cover, Christmas at Cranberry Cross is at times gothic and dark yet also hopeful and I enjoyed the Jane Eyre references.

This book connects readers with literary assistant Eve Pilkins as she works at the gothic-inspired mansion of Edward Priest, famous author to assist him in finishing his latest book. Eve feels as if she is in a gothic novel herself, including huge echoing rooms, strange sounds at night, a mysterious housekeeper, and a sad little girl, not to mention the handsome, brooding author. There is plenty of drama to keep readers immersed in this novel about Eve's adventures coaxing Edward Priest to finish his next novel, as well as her developing relationships with his children and the author himself.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A Feel good Christmas book, about a demanding boss, a dysfunctional family, with Christmas thrown in for good measure.

This book was a real feel good Christmas read, one to be had sat with a nice cuppa and piece of cake on a cold afternoon, It had many twist and turns along the way changing book genre, ex wife appearing boss demanding things. but still managed to get to a wonderful ending.

I would love to revisit cranberry cross at some point in the future so we can see what happens as I really didn't want the story to end as I wanted to find out what the future had in store for them.

The housekeeper was pure joy and in her own right could have had her own story told..

Overall a fantastic read

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found the main character a little bit annoying, but overall this was a pretty good book.

Eve Pilkins who works for a publishing house is sent to check on the taciturn writer, Edward Priest by her boss, the Grinch who is Serena Whitelaw. Christmastime is very dear to Eve and it's also her birthday on Christmas Eve. Edward's home is a mansion on a country estate in Cranberry Cross, Northumberland so Eve reluctantly heads off there, after being threatened with redundancy.

A delightful story, though it does contain some heavy topics. A varied assortment of characters really zhooshes up this tale. Very highly recommended.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Aria & Aries via NetGalley.

This is a career/romance/mystery...all combined...this would be the best movie...the book is character driven with a hint of mystery...the protagonist is quirky and such fun to read about...the characters come alive on the pages of this novel, written by a talented and gifted author. I did not want to put it down...I wanted to see how it ended...don't try to guess...just curl up in a comfy chair, enjoy a cup of steaming herbal tea, and be transported to Cranberry Cross

Another great Kate Forster book. A great Christmas book with engaging characters and a good plot. Couldn’t wait to find out what happened and raced through it!

Good read. Great characters, enjoyed the setting, lots of side stories weaved into it and it flowed really well. A good read for a rubbish day. Will make you feel better!

I wanted to love this book so much, and then I started it and... didn't. I didn't like Eve, who was a pushover with her horrible boss and then super judgemental with Edward. Send like she took all her frustrations out on him. Edward was checked out of pretty much everything, which is not ok when you have children depending on you. Talk about neglect.

What I did like - THERAPY!!! I think all books that deal with trauma should talk about the bed for therapy. I liked Eve's family. I liked the setting, such a great building. I liked Flora, although there was a moment where she has this long discussion that doesn't sound like a six year old at all, but other than that she was sweet. I also liked grumpy Hilditch.

Overall, the book was ok. I'm glad I finished it, but I will not be re-reading it.

This was a bit darker then your standard Christmas romance book, but I am not complaining. I really enjoyed it. Yes, there is romance and there are some cute & funny moments, but the story is more about dealing with a toxic workplace, loss, grief, mental illness and finding your way back . Definitely worth the read.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The juxtaposition of Eve’s close and loving family with the dysfunctional chaos experienced by author Edward’s children is quite striking. Having been bullied by her boss to travel to Edward’s home to push him into finishing his latest book on time, Eve is faced with a far different Christmas than being with her own family, but finds that love can change everything for all of them.

What a smashing story, very Christmassy and festive. Made me think of mince pies and cake. This story just carried me along quickly. A sweet read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Eve's character, but I did not like Edward at all. This book was a little depressing, actually, for a Christmas story.

Lovely Christmas read. Engaging and fast paced. The crazy ex was a bit much and I think the housekeeper should have had more of a storyline.

Thank you NetGalley, Kate Forster and Aria & Aries for the copy of Christmas Eve at Cranberry Cross. This is my personal review.
The cover of the book put me in the Holiday spirit as soon as I saw it.
The description made me feel like I was going to step into the perfect holiday story. The book I read was none of what I expected or wanted from a holiday book. It was not the cozy romance I was hoping for. I did not like the characters or the story line in this book. For me it was not a holiday reading book.

Whilst this is not the cosy Christmas lighthearted romantic read I expected, it is a well-written story that draws the reader into a gothic-style family drama. Eve is a positive character, and she is the saving grace of Edward and his family, as well as the festive element of this story. The story has a fairytale quality, as it explores dark themes, but Eve is there as a fairy godmother to instil hope and happiness into this neglected family.
I enjoyed the characters and the gothic setting.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Very enjoyable story, kept me hooked. Eves character was lovely, she works in a publishing house with Serena as her boss. At the last minute Serena tells Eve she will be working over Christmas, Eves favourite time of the year. She goes to the authors house, Edward, to work over Christmas to get his book edited and ready for publishing.

Little do they know what an impact Eve staying there will do to the whole family.

It is a lovely read, full of interesting characters. I particularly liked Floras character, she is such an intelligent little girl who just wants a loving family home. You won’t be disappointed reading this.

I hadn't read any books by this Author before, but I was drawn in by the cover. I love a cosy and festive read. This wasn't quite as cosy as the cover suggests. There were a few difficult subjects and it wasn't as easy reading as I expected.
This was still an enjoyable and emotional read. I would definitely read more books by this Author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.