Jaffareadstoo ~ Reads of the Year 2021

 

I started a new feature this year where I highlighted a book I thought was pretty amazing and made it my Featured Book of the Month

Here are my Twelve Featured Books in 2021

  

  

  

 

 

Here are the  books I thought were deserving of a place on my Reads of the Year List 

So ...in no particular order

  

 

 

 
 

   

 

 

 

 

 Huge thanks to all these authors for taking me on the most amazing journeys and for firing my imagination when the world sometimes seems a very grey place.

📖 Book List ~ My Twelve in Twelve in 2021

 

As the end of my reading year approaches

 Here are my much anticipated 12 in 12 

Thanks to Jo at The Book Jotter who inspired this meme...

📖 Twelve authors who were new to me:

1. Julienne Brouwers - Double Deceit
2. Linda Tyler - The Laird's Secret 
3. Beth Morrey - Saving Missy
4. Tracey Bloom - The Wife Who Got A Life
5. Kate Hewitt - The Edelweiss Sisters
6. Rebecca Wait - Our Fathers 
7. Sharon Gosling - The House Beneath the Cliffs
8. Saima Mir - The Khan
9. Jessica Redland - Christmas Wishes at the Chocolate Shop
10. Julie Caplin - The Little Cottage in Ireland
11. Will Carver - Psychopaths Anonymous
12. Lori Ann Stephens - Blue Running

📖 Twelve authors I have read before:

1. Dorothy Koomson - All My Lies are True 
2. Helen Fields - Shadow Man 
3. Carol Cooper - The Girls from Alexandria
4. Sue Moorcroft - Under the Italian Sun
5. Susan Lewis - The Lost Hours 
6. Lisa Jewell - The Night She Disappeared
7. Barbara Erskine - The Dream Weavers 
8. Elaine Everest - The Patchwork Girls
9. Anna Belfrage - The Whirlpools of Time
10. Kathryn Hughes - The Memory Box
11. Fiona Veitch Smith - The Crystal Crypt
12. Christina Courtenay - Tempted by the Runes 

📖 Twelve books from authors I know will never let me down:

1. The Burning Girls - C J Tudor 
2. A Thing Called Love - Nell Carter
3. Mr Right Across the Street - Kathryn Freeman
4. The Sewing Room Girl - Susanna Bavin
5. Dead Ground - M W Craven
6. How to be Human - Louise Beech 
7. Cold Case in Nuala - Harriet Steel
8. Her Previous Self - Anne Allen
9. A Narrow Door - Joanna Harris
10. The Collector's Daughter - Gill Paul
11. The Forgotten Maid - Jane Cable
12. The Visitors - Caroline Scott 

📖 Twelve Audio Books I have enjoyed listening to:

1. Jamaica Inn - Daphne du Maurier
2. The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman
3. Driftnet - Lin Anderson
4. Mudlarking - Lara Maiklem
5. The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah
6. Buried - Lynda la Plante
7. The Henna Artist - Alka Joshi 
8. The Secret Keeper of Jaipur - Alka Joshi
9. The Cottingley Secret - Hazel Gaynor
10. Sycamore Gap - L J Ross
11. Torch - Lin Anderson
12. Seven Bridges - L J Ross

📖 Twelve books that surprised me.....in a good way:

1. The Appeal - Janice Allett 
2. The Lamplighters - Emma Stonex 
3. Clanlands - Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish 
4. The Girl at the Back of the Bus - Suzette D Harrison
5. Exit - Belinda Bauer 
6. Ariadne - Jennifer Saint 
7. Bombshell - Mike  Rothmiller and Douglas Thompson
8. Goshawk Summer - James Aldred
9. Deep in the Woods - Ruth Pavey
10. The Winter Garden - Alexandra Bell 
11. Tamesis Street - ShelterBox Books
12. B: A Year in Plagues and Pencils - Edward Carey

📖 Twelve books that took me by the hand and led me into the past:

1. A Net for Small Fishes - Lucy Jago
2. The Drowned City - Karen Maitland
3. The Prophet - Martine Bailey
4. Mrs England - Stacey Hall
5. The Wolf Den - Elodie Harper
6. The Beloved Girls - Harriet Evans
7. A Woman Made of Snow- Elisabeth Gifford 
8. Cecily - Annie Garthwaite 
9. The Swift and the Harrier - Minette Walters 
10. The Surplus Girls' Orphans - Polly Heron
11. In the Shadow of Queens - Alison Weir
12. Christmas with the Railway Girls - Maisie Thomas 

📖 Twelve books that took me into a world of crime and psychological suspense:

1. Night Swim - Megan Goldin
2. The Dark Room - Sam Blake
3. The Whole Truth - Cara Hunter
4. Unsettled Ground - Claire Fuller 
5. Condemned - R C Bridgestock
6. The Happy Family - Jackie Kabler
7. Catch as Catch Can - Malcolm Hollingdrake
8. The Killing Tide - Linn Anderson
9. Swindled - Sue Shepherd
10. Trick or Treat - Katerina Diamond
11. Double Pursuit - Alison Morton
12. The Quiet People - Paul Cleave

📖 Twelve books that took me on extraordinary journeys around the world:

1. Clanlands - Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish ( Scotland)
2. Three Weddings and A Proposal - Sheila O'Flanagan (Ireland)
   
3. The Museum of Desire - Jonathan Kellerman (USA)
4. Journey To Paradise - Paila Greenlees (Singapore)
5. The Henna Artist - Alka Joshi (India)
6. Those Hamilton Sisters - Averil Kenny ( Australia)
7. The Storyteller of Casablanca - Fiona Valpy (Morocco)
8. Song of The Nile - Hannah Fielding (Egypt)
9. Fresh water for Flowers - Valerie Perrin (France)
10. The Shanghai Wife - Emma Harcourt ( Shanghai)
11. A Woman made of Snow - Elisabeth Gifford ( Arctic)
12. The Spanish Book of Short Stories ( Spain)

📖 Twelve Books From Debut Authors :

1. The Sanatorium - Sarah Pearse 
2. Call Me Mummy  - Tina Baker 
3. The Plague Letters - V L Valentine 
4. Tall Bones - Anna Bailey -
5. Ariadne - Jennifer Saint 
6. In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced - Justine Bothwick
7. The Madwoman's Ball - Victoria Mas
8. The Lines between Us - Rebecca D'Harlingue
9. The Girl in the Maze - Cathy Hayward 
10. Cecily - Annie Garthwaite 
11. The Castilians - VEH Masters
12. Always, in December - Emily Stone 

📖 Twelve Books I bought for myself :

1. Clanlands - Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
2. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
3. The Night Hawks - Elly Griffiths
4. The Once and Future Witches - Alix E Harrow
5. Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart
6. Holy Island - L J Ross
7. The Cove - L J Ross
8. The Wolf Den - Elodie Harper
9. The Secret -Katerina Diamond
10. The Man in the Moss - Phil Rickman
11. A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins
12. Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone - Diana Gabaldon

📖 Twelve Feel-Good Novels :

1. Coming Home to Brightwater Bay - Holly Hepburn
2. Home on Folly Farm - Jane Lovering 
3. The Cornish Midwife - Jo Bartlett
4. Primrose Park - Christie Barlow
5. Under the Italian Sky - Sue Moorcroft
6. Midsummer Magic at Miss Moonshine's Emporium - Authors on the Edge
7. Happy Days at Mermaid Cove - Marie Laval
8. The Country Village Christmas Fete - Cathy Lake
9. The Beach Reads Book - Kathryn Freeman
10. Falling for a French Dream - Jennifer Bohnet
11. The Rose Garden - Tracy Rees
12. A Special Cornish Christmas - Phillipa Ashley

📖 Twelve books I am looking forward to reading, and reviewing, in 2022:

1. Sapphire - Heather Burnside 
2. The Key in the Lock - Beth Underdown
3. Pandora - Susan Stokes Chapman
4. Love in a Time of War - Adrienne Chinn
5. The Keeper of Stories - Sally Page
6. Before We Grow Old - Clare Swatman
7. Elektra - Jennifer Saint
8. A Spring Surprise for the Cornish Midwife - Jo Bartlett
9. Where Blood Runs Cold - Giles Kristian
10. Outside - Ragnar Jonasson
11. The Paris Bookseller - Kerri Maher
12. The Hemlock Cure - Joanne Burns

To all the blog readers and book bloggers who support our blog in so many ways 

To all these talented authors for sharing the gift of your imagination with me and to the many publishers who continue to support Jaffareadstoo in so many generous ways.

Your books have taken me on the most wonderful armchair adventures 😊

Come back on the 31st December when I reveal the books I thought were truly special

Book Revew ~ The New Years Eve Party by Hannah Emery

Harper Collins
17 December 2021

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

Resolutions are made. Marriages are broken…

A gripping domestic thriller set in The Cotswolds and perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Adele Parks!

It started with the party…

Frankie, Verity, and Alice live in the idyllic Cotswolds community of White Fir Lake, but behind closed doors, everyone has a secret they’re desperately trying to keep…

And ended with a bang!

Now, as midnight on New Year’s Eve approaches, the three women will face the consequences of a long-ago holiday, one which changed their lives forever … and threatens to shatter their perfect worlds into perfect pieces.

My thoughts..

The people who live in White Fir Lake are not as they seem but because the place is so idyllic we are lulled into a false sense of security as. far beneath the surface. carefully hidden secrets are buried. When an unexpected stranger arrives in their midst there is the possibly that everything they had so carefully hidden away over the years is about to be revealed. 

The author has created a great sense of a community at White Fir Lake and I enjoyed getting to know those who call the place home, especially Verity and Frankie, close friends who share their secrets, and worries, over copious bottles of wine. The story moves along at a good pace and it's interesting to see the perspective from the point of view of Verity and Frankie and also getting to know Alice, a relative newcomer to the group and who, it would seem, has an agenda all of her own. 

I enjoyed watching how the story unfolded and the complicated twists and turns in the plot helped to focus the energy on what was to be revealed in the final denouement on the night of the traditional New Year's Eve party which is always hosted by Verity and her artist husband Max. There's such a lot of activity going on which I can't reveal but going back into the past with these characters reveals some ghastly secrets and the story definitely kept me turning the pages to find out more.

I found The New Year's Eve Party to be an intriguing domestic thriller and a great way to spend an afternoon at this time in the festive calendar.

About the Author

Hannah Emery studied English at the University of Chester and has written stories for as long as she can remember.Her favourite things are her family, friends, books, baking on a Saturday afternoon, going out for champagne and dinner and having cosy weekends away. Hannah lives in Blackpool with my husband and their little girl.

Twitter @hannahcemery #TheNewYearsEveParty

@OneMoreChapter 

🎄Fabulously Festive Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Cathy Lake

 

It's time to light the fire, twinkle the fairy lights and mull the wine

🎄Come and join us for a Fabulously Festive Boxing Day Sunday Brunch🎄

I am delighted to welcome author, Cathy Lake

to our Fabulously Festive Brunch today

🎄Welcome, Cathy. What festive food are you bringing to this Christmas Sunday brunch?

Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

🎄What would you like to drink; we have buck’s fizz, mulled wine, egg nog, gingerbread latte or a cup of spiced tea?

Mulled wine, please.

🎄Where shall we eat our festive brunch, around the kitchen table, by the fire in the formal dining room, or outside on the patio?

Can we wrap up warm and eat outside while gazing at the glorious view?

🎄Shall we have festive music playing in the background? If so will you share with us a favourite piece of music or Christmas carol.

Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You!’ is my festive favourite.

🎄Which of your literary heroes (dead or alive) are joining us for our festive Sunday Brunch today?

Let’s invite Charles Dickens because it is Christmas, after all…

🎄Which favourite Christmas book will you bring to Sunday Brunch?

‘A Christmas Carol’

🎄Do you have any special Christmas Traditions?

I watch Christmas movies like ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ and make festive goodies like a Christmas cake and mince pies.

🎄Are you tinsel or glitter?

Glitter!

🎄Are you real tree or artificial?

Real trees smell wonderful!

🎄Are you mince pie or yule log?

Can I have both? ;-)

🎄Are you Christmas crackers or party poppers?

Christmas crackers

🎄After brunch shall we play party games, or collapse in front of the television with a huge box of chocolates?

The latter sounds good to me!

🎄What can you tell us about your fabulously festive read that won’t give too much away?

It’s a story about the importance of friendship in healing a broken heart, about forgiveness and moving on, about learning to trust again after a devastating betrayal. Throw in a festive setting, rescue dogs and familiar characters from Little Bramble and readers have everything they need for a heartwarming Christmas read!

Zaffre 
2021

Clare Greene and Sam Wilson are getting married and everyone in Little Bramble is excited for the event of the year. But Clare and Sam are busy people and have left organising their wedding to the last minute.

Luckily, wedding planner Hazel Campbell has recently moved to the village. She had what she thought was a wonderful life in Edinburgh with a successful business, a loving fiance and her own wedding coming up. But when she caught her groom-to-be in bed with her best friend she fled, leaving everyone and everything behind.

Little Bramble seems like the ideal place for Hazel to start over. As she throws herself into planning the perfect country village winter wedding, she starts to find herself again. And soon she realises that a second chance at happiness might just be on the cards

 

More about Cathy 

Cathy Lake is a women's fiction writer who lives with her family and three dogs in beautiful South Wales. She writes uplifting stories about strong women, family, friendship, love, community and overcoming obstacles

Twitter @LakeAuthor

Facebook 

Instagram - @darcieboleynauthor

Website 

Cathy, thank you for sharing your fabulously festive brunch today.

Follow us on Twitter

@jaffareadstoo  #SundayBrunchwithJaffareadstoo

🎄 Merry Christmas ...

 

Thank you for your company on Jaffareadstoo over the year and for reading

 and commenting on all my book musings.

Merry Christmas, one and all, and happy reading.

Love from Jo and Timmy

🎄Festive read ~ Christmas with the Railway Girls by Maisie Thomas

 

Penguin
11 November 2021

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

Manchester, 1941

Christmas is the season for family and friends, and this year the railway girls will need each other more than ever.

Cordelia appears to have the perfect life. When her daughter Emily arrives home unexpectedly, she can't wait to introduce her to her friends. But when things don't go to plan, Cordelia must decide where her loyalty lies.

Things aren't going too smoothly for Alison either. Her beloved boyfriend has yet to propose, but there's a charity fundraiser dance and she's dressed up specially. Surely, tonight must be the night.

Colette's friends are envious of her devoted husband; he meets her after every shift on the railway, and accompanies her around town. But Colette has a secret, one that will change her life—if only she knew who to confide in.

With the festive season fast approaching, the railway girls are hoping for some Christmas magic..

🎄My thoughts..

It's such a treat to join the railway girls as they quietly, and confidently, go about their collective war work, on the northern rail network, during WW2. For those who have read the previous books in this lovely series this is the welcome return of old friends and we pick up the story pretty much where The Railway Girls in Love finished. 

It's been interesting to see the development of these characters over time and whilst this story focuses the attention on Cordelia, Alison and Colette, it's always so good to see the gang reunited as they set the world to rights in their regular meet ups in the railway buffet. There's a warmth to these stories which really captures the imagination and whilst this book tackles some sensitive issues about relationships, it does so with an uncanny knack of seeing right into the heart and soul of the matter. I'm being deliberately vague as to the ins and outs of the story as this is one of those books which you want to sink into without any spoilers from me!

Beautifully written with a strong sense of time and place and a wonderful supporting cast I found Christmas with the Railway Girls to be quite an emotional roller-coaster of a read, and with my thoughts firmly fixed on one character in particular I really hoped that everything would work out well. There's such strong authenticity to the stories that it really makes the war time era come alive in the imagination, from making do and mending, to always being there for one another in times of crisis. I found myself smiling at the thought of the railway girls reusing Christmas wrapping paper, time and again, as that's something that my own mother, herself a young woman during WW2, frequently did, much to the amusement of the rest of us. Years after the war ended, my mother would never scrunch pretty paper and throw it away !

As a northerner what makes these lovely stories so special for me is the sense of making the best of a situation which is so much a part of our genetic makeup. It is really lovely to see the same traits coming through in the Railway Girls who, infinitely kind, always make the best of what they have and share, regardless of their social class, a deep and abiding friendship with each other. Whilst there is an undeniable nod towards Christmas, this is a story which can be read comfortably at any time of the year. My only advise is to read the books in the order they were published as that way you will grow to love these characters just as much as the rest of us do.

Reading Christmas with the Railway Girls is the perfect antidote to festive stress.

About the Author

Maisie Thomas was born and brought up in Manchester, which provides the location for her Railway Girls novels. She loves writing stories with strong female characters, set in times when women needed determination and vision to make their mark. The Railway Girls series is inspired by her great aunt Jessie, who worked as a railway clerk during the First World War. Maisie now lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her railway enthusiast husband, Kevin, and their two rescue cats. They often enjoy holidays chugging up and down the UK’s heritage steam railways.

Twitter @MaisieThomas99 #ChristmasWithTheRailwayGirls

@PenguinBooksUK

🎄Festive Book Nostalgia ~ A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I'm really privileged to read many latest release books which are so current they haven't even hit the book store shelves that I forget about the books which have influenced my reading over the years.

So, welcome to my monthly Book Nostalgia feature where I'm allowing myself the luxury of going back in time with some of my favourite reads.

🎄My Festive Read is not complete without a dip into A Christmas Carol🎄

Alma Classics
November 2016

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

A Christmas Carol in prose. Being a ghost story of Christmas.

Well, no Christmas is complete, for me, without my favourite Christmas classic and it's become something of tradition, for me, to re-read this atmospheric morality tale at this special time of year. 

A Christmas Carol was first published, in London, on the 19th December 1843, and the story was completely sold out by Christmas Eve. Since then it has never been out of print and has been translated into many languages.

Divided into five staves, or chapters, Dickens tells the story of that old curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly money lender with not an ounce of Christmas spirit.  Scrooge exploits the good nature of his poor, but honest clerk, Bill Cratchit, only grudgingly allowing him a day off on Christmas Day on the understanding that  he will " Be here all the earlier the day after "..

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his dead partner Jacob Marley and is warned to mend his miserly ways, or else risk, like Marley, an eternity of doom, "I am here tonight to warn you that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer."

Taken in hand by the Ghost of Christmas past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Scrooge is given a glimpse into his lost and lonely life, unloved by friends and shunned by strangers, and is then forced to reconsider his life, and the role he plays in the lives of others.

By no stretch of the imagination is A Christmas Carol a jolly, festive tale. However, there is no doubt that the story has stood the test of time and just as Charles Dickens chose to remind us of the need for charity and compassion in this ghostly novella in 1843, so the premise of the story is just as valid today as it was back then.

And so, as Tiny Tim observed, " God Bless Us, Every One! "

About the Author

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Biography source : Goodreads

You can find out more about Charles Dickens by clicking here

You can  listen to a volunteer recording A Christmas Carol on Librivox by clicking here

You can read A Christmas Carol for free by going to Project Gutenberg by clicking here

🎄Festive Read ~ Snowflakes over the Starfish Cafe by Jessica Redland

 

🎄Festive Read 2021🎄

Boldwood Books
2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Welcome to The Starfish Café - where you will find stunning views, delicious food and lifelong friendships.

Two broken hearts.

Since she inherited The Starfish Café, Hollie has poured her heart into the business, striving to keep her mother's traditions and warm-hearted spirit alive. But behind closed doors Hollie is searching for true happiness as she grieves the tragic loss of her family who were once the beating heart of the café...

An unexpected meeting.

Jake lives by two rules: don’t let anyone get close and don’t talk about what happened. Little does he know that a chance meeting at The Starfish Café, facilitated by a fluffy lost dog, is about to turn his world upside down...

The chance to love again.

Can Hollie and Jake break down the barriers that have been holding them back from finding love and happiness, before Christmas comes around? After all, with courage, nothing is impossible...

My thoughts..

Hollie has had her share of heartache in the past but is determined to make a success of running the Starfish Cafe and making it a warm and welcoming place for all those visitors who come to sample her excellent coffee and cakes. Despite having close friends around her Hollie is lonely and hopes to meet someone who will make her world complete. Jake too has had his share of loneliness and it's only when two very special characters enter his life that he realises just how much he has missed by keeping people away.

Rather like the Starfish cafe, the story has a warm and welcoming feel with extra special characters who enter into your heart right from the start. I especially enjoyed the emotional pull of the story as these two lovely characters start to open up their thoughts and feelings but blimey, the sadness they have endured had me bringing out the tissues on more than one occasion. However, throughout the whole of this emotional story this talented writer brings everything to life in such a lovely way that even the sad bits are beautifully written and thoughtfully expressed. 

I thought Snowflakes over the Starfish Cafe was an absolute joy to read. It's perfect for a cosy afternoon when all the Christmas tasks are done and you can relax in your favourite chair with a cup of tea and a mince pie and immerse yourself in a wonderful story.

About the Author

Jessica Redland writes uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community set in Yorkshire where she lives. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast and her Hedgehog Hollow series takes them into beautiful countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Twitter @JessicaRedland#SnowflakesOverTheStarfishCafe

Facebook

Instagram 

Website 

@BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers

🎄 Festive Read ~ The Little Christmas House by Tracy Rees

🎄 Festive Read 2021 🎄

Bookouture
October2021

Hopley Village #2

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

In gorgeous Hopley village snow is falling and twinkly lights are going up but Holly Hanwell feels anything but Christmassy…

It’s meant to be the most wonderful time of the year but thirty-year-old Holly Hanwell doesn’t really feel like celebrating… not after the bombshell news her boyfriend is leaving her to have a baby with someone else. So Holly’s organised a quiet Christmas in her cosy little house and plans to avoid the traditional village festivities, and anything resembling a man, at all costs.

That is until she bumps into sexy newcomer Edward. He recently bought Christmas House, at the edge of Hopley, but the renovations on the crumbling building are more than he’d bargained for. Sheltering from the snowy weather in the warm village café, Edward makes Holly laugh over delicious mugs of hot chocolate, topped with cream and sprinkles. Despite the spark between them, Holly knows she needs to protect her already fragile heart and she’s determined NOT to fall in love this Christmas.

But holiday magic works in mysterious ways and they keep crossing paths – at the nativity show, the carols, gift shopping – and then a festive crisis at Christmas House unexpectedly brings them together. Yet just as Holly realises her feelings are growing for handsome but complicated Edward she discovers a secret from his past which makes her question everything she thought she knew about him…

Will Holly and Edward’s December romance be over before it’s begun? Or will this be a Christmas to remember?

🎄My thoughts..

There's something so magical about Hopley Village which makes you want to move there right away and become one of those lucky people who call the place home. Primary school teacher Holly Hanwell is facing a tough Christmas so she puts all her enthusiasm into creating the perfect festive pageant for her pupils. When her newest pupil arrives at the school, Holly soon develops a special rapport with eight year old Eliza Sutton, and is determined to help the little girl overcome her troubles. Edward Sutton, Eliza's dad, is juggling being a single dad in a new house which needs renovations and living a village where they know no-one. Gradually over the space of this lovely story, the lives of Holly, Eliza and Edward start to intertwine and that's when Hopley village starts sprinkling its magic.

Beautifully written with all the characteristic warmth and empathy which this talented author puts in her stories, I was quite captivated by the way everything just fitted perfectly into place. Never overly sentimental but with a huge smattering of ahhh... moments, I just loved everything about The Little Christmas House. It's a wonderful read for a wintery afternoon by the fire. 

About the Author

Tracy Rees was the winner of the Richard and Judy 'Search for a Bestseller' Competition and her books are paperback and kindle bestsellers. A Cambridge graduate, she had a successful eight-year career in nonfiction publishing and a second career practicing and teaching humanistic counselling before becoming a writer. She lives in Wales.

Twitter @AuthorTracyRees #TheLittleChristmasHouse

@bookouture