BLURB:
Blythe is just one sale away from being Real Estate Agent of the Month, so she twists the truth to sell a home to city boy Sam, who is looking for the perfect house in the perfect location. Little does he know he's just bought a cottage in the middle of the most Christmassy village in the country. And if there's one thing Sam loathes, it's Christmas.

Sam's arrival puts Holly Cross's chance to win the title of Britain's Most Christmassy Village now in jeopardy, and the villagers are soon up in arms. Meanwhile, Sam is in his own personal hell surrounded by fairy lights and everyone is looking to Blythe to fix things.

But as the festive season looms, maybe there's more than just Christmas in Holly Cross for Sam to fall in love with.

REVIEW:
I thought this was a cute read, although I confess to being confused as to why there are political statements within the book. Living outside of the USA, I have no interest in US politics, and skimmed over these parts. It was, however, jarring, and drew me out of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review. This review will also be posted to my Instagram account (@kathleenryderauthor), as well as to my blog (daydreamsinthedesert.com) closer to the release date.

I received a free copy of, The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was enjoying reading about Blythe, Eden, Sam, and the other until the Donald Trump comment, there is no need for politics in a Christmas book, the book did nothing for me after that, what a let down.

The Perfect Christmas Village is a seasonal heartwarmer. Full of interesting characters, stalwarts of the village that am sure anyone living in smaller communities might recognise.

The action centres around Blythe a friendly young woman, always keen to help out and very active in the community. She had a close friendship with an older resident, Murray, who sadly passed away recently. Her father is a high flying estate agent in the city and she is so keen to be the top seller at the local estate agency she works at, to make him proud of her, she “sells” Murray’s cottage before it actually goes on the market.

To make the situation more complicated she sells the village life perfectly to the new owner, without mentioning the most important aspect, how massive Christmas preparations and celebrations are to everyone living there. In particular the fact that the cottage is always lit up and fully decorated the literal centre of the display. Not something the owner can duck out of and essential to winning the Perfect Christmas Village competition. Complicated by lies but mainly by the new owner, Sam, who doesn’t like Christmas in any shape or form.

I enjoyed reading the book. I love the sense of community it evokes. To be honest Blythe frustrated me a little with her competitive nature, naivety and determination to prove herself to her Dad but her honesty and kindness won me out in the end.

The story comes with it’s own little mystery as to why Murray had a funeral in Manchester, when he had no family there. I liked this addition to the story as it added depth to the final chapters. I also loved reading about Turpin the ferral cat and his madcap attempts to sleep in weird comfy spaces inside the cottage despite the humans that actually live there.

Lots of love and laughter are to be found inside the “Perfect Christmas Village”

Another gorgeous romantic book from Bella set around Christmas. Enter Sam who absoutely hates Christmas so when he moves into the village of Holly Cross, he's walked into his worst nightmare..

But could a worse nightmare actually be a place where Sam falls in love with Blythe, the woman who tricks him into buying a house in the world's most Christmas place?

Find out in the latest offering from Bella which is perfect for Christmas 2023.

This is such a cute and fluffy Christmas romance, a village obsessed with Christmas and a newcomer who hates it, I really enjoyed it, such a delight to read

Blithe only needs one more sale to get Real Estate Agent of the Month, so she twists the truth just a bit to make a sale to Sam. The only problem is, Sam is the Grinch, and their little village is very enthusiastic about Christmas!

This is a feelgood holiday romance, Hallmark style. The characters are loveable and realistic, and it's fun and heartwarming to watch the relationship between Sam and Blithe grow slowly over the course of the story. Sometimes the villagers are a little over-the-top with the Christmas stuff, but that's half the fun of getting on Sam's last nerve! I loved watching Sam come around to appreciate the season.❤️

Wonderful Christmas romance to curl up next to the fire with. Definitely would recommend this one if you're looking for something to give you happy feels!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The story is set within Holly Cross, an idyllic village community, with lots of friends and neighbours. Sam hates Christmas, and all it involves, but when Blythe (an estate agent) sells him a house, she fails to tell him that Holly Cross is the most Christmassy village in the country. This sets the tone for their relationship as they become to know each other better.
I like the easy, light hearted writing style and vivid descriptions of the characters and village, the author brings them alive with a stroke of the pen. Lots of humour and a good storyline which keeps pace as the story unfolds.
The book is about friendships, developing romance between Blythe and Sam, and the ongoing adventures of Turpin, the mischievous cat. Blythe and her friend Vickie write their own stories. Blythe is busy getting Christmas trees and decorations sorted, while chemistry sizzles between her and Sam. Vickie is a single mum and doing her best to look after her daughter.
Delightful winter read.

The Perfect Christmas Village was exactly the heart warming Christmas filled story I had hoped for.

Set in the idyllic village of Holly Cross with Estate Agent Blythe leading the story we are introduced to an array of colourful characters who all hold a special place within the village. As we learn of the community spirit to come together and celebrate the years celebrations along with the desire to create the best Christmas display yet newcomer Sam doesn't seem as taken with Christmas as the rest of the village and as such a battle of wills begins.

The addition of characters such as Vicky, Murray, Arthur and Leonora helps to build on the community feel of the village that helps draw the reader in and give a great sense of the village and its inhabitants. Their stories however are limited in areas and not fully explained leaving me to wonder if we may in the future hear more from Holly Cross.

For anyone who loves Christmas, this story certainly covers all bases! Like other reviewers I do appreciate that at times the pressure on Sam's character to conform to the wishes of others can appear rather strong and unsympathetic to his personal history. However I feel that the underlying story of Christmas being a time for community, human connection and giving people a sense of purpose, helps to balance this viewpoint and give greater meaning to the strength of wanting all to take part in events.

An absolutely lovely story about a Christmas loving village and a new resident who hates Christmas. It is a great read . You have love forbidden and new. A great estate agency. A pushy father and a fab step dad. . A perfect read. Bella Osborne is fantastic writer

Another Bella Osborne that I couldn't put down - a heart warming story of community spirit and a mystery as to who the woman is that's looking around the village that nobody knows? Also there is a lesson to be learnt, if you hate Christmas Holly Cross is not the village to move to - a lesson Sam learnt too late! As a hater of Christmas this is his nightmare, will he manage to get over this to become a villager? A prefect Xmas read to curl up with.

The perfect Christmas Village - Bella Osborne

This book had the perfect mixture of pure festive feels alongside great background story lines. I liked how the author highlights that the Christmas period is not always such a happy occasion for everyone. I thought the characters had some good backstories, and this gave a greater depth to the book. This will be lovely to read again closer to Christmas, and had a real small town village feel, that just warms and uplifts you. Perfect for fans of Festive Hallmark movies. Thanks so much Netgalley and Aria & Aries for this e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

if i read this mid july, mind yo business 😭

this is perfect for fans of hallmark movies and all around good vibes, found family, and pure romance stories (this is a closed door romance!)

it really set the tone for holiday season and i can’t wait to come back to it during christmas and revisit these lovely characters

"The Perfect Christmas Village" by Bella Osborne is a heart-warming holiday tale set in Holly Cross, a village that transforms into the most Christmassy place in the country. Sam, a Christmas-hating city boy, unknowingly buys a cottage there, much to his dismay. As he clashes with the villagers and jeopardizes their chances of winning the coveted title of Britain's Most Christmassy Village, the pressure falls on Blythe, the real estate agent who sold him the house. Amidst the twinkling fairy lights and festive chaos, Sam starts to see the magic of the season and finds unexpected love in Holly Cross. A delightful and charming read.

This is a really warm and uplifting read which focuses on both the relationship between estate agent Blythe and village newcomer Sam as well as the villages focus on their annual Christmas display. The village is very full on with its approach to Christmas whereas Sam, whose house is very central to the village, would rather pretend it didn’t exist leading to frustration between him and the villagers which Blythe is tasked with resolving. Both the main characters have good backstories which are shaped by issues with some of their parents and whilst this s a very positive read it does go a small way to highlighting how difficult christmas can be for some people. Overall this is a lovely village read with many heartwarming moments and some great storylines running through it.

A fun Christmas romance that takes place in a village that goes all out for the holidays. So when Sam, with an aversion to Christmas moves in, chaos follows. I found it harsh how even after he tells Blythe how much he is anti holiday, she just keeps pushing it on him. Not a thought to the fact there could be real trauma there. But I tried to put that aside and enjoy the story for what it is, a bit of escapism.

Christmas in July :D

I loved the small town setting and holiday cheer of The Perfect Christmas Village.

I felt Blythe was a bit pushy and over the top. This girl had a lack of boundaries in some situations.

Sam was sweet, and whilst I understand his aversion to Christmas, he too was a bit much with his inability to just get on board.

The supporting characters were pleasant, but their enthusiasm for the holiday celebrations could at times come across as overbearing. Some people dont want to celebrate holidays, you cant just force people to get on board.

I also felt the shifting POVs between Blythe and Vicky was a bit odd - why was Vicky important enough to get a POV and not Sam?

All in all, an easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. All views are my own.

The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne is a delightful holiday romance set in the charming village of Holly Cross.

*British Rom-com

*Christmas

*Closed door

Book Blurb:
When Christmas-hating Sam moves to Holly Cross, he thinks he’s found the perfect home, until he discovers that, each year, Holly Cross transforms into the most Christmassy village in the whole country. Blythe is just one sale away from being Real Estate Agent of the month, so she twists the truth to sell a home to city boy, Sam, who is looking for the perfect house in the perfect location. Little does he know he’s just bought a cottage in the middle of the most Christmassy village in the country. And if there’s one thing Sam loathes it’s Christmas. Sam’s arrival puts Holly Cross’s chance to win the title of Britain’s Most Perfect Christmas Village now in jeopardy, and the villagers are soon up in arms. Meanwhile, Sam is in his own personal hell surrounded by fairy lights and everyone is looking to Blythe to fix things. But as the festive season looms, maybe there’s more than just Christmas in Holly Cross for Sam to fall in love with…

Yes, it’s only July but I love Christmas romance books and read them year round. I also love British authors and recently discovered Bella’s books. A must read for fans of romance, Christmas, and fans of Bella Osborne.

The book is centered around the joy of Christmas and the importance of family, friends, and community spirit.

I loved the characters, the descriptions of the village’s decorations, holiday fayre, and small town charm. The humor sprinkled throughout was laugh out loud. A delightful book filled with Christmas cheer, love, friendship and the magic of the season.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the advanced ARC for my reading pleasure in exchange for my honest opinion.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️