The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

We have had quite a few entries for our Best Christmas 2011 Book, many of the authors I have previously read before but we have got a new author who has entered and she has entered with a bang! I am sure you all see the package which arrived on my doorstep containing the book. It truely felt like Christmas opening the package to find the book which was placed in little snowballs and snowflake confetti with a miniature Baileys and a box of chocolates. Surely this is any woman’s perfect Christmas present sending you weak at the knee’s! One thing I know you will want to know though Is the book as good as the package?

Plot
All Lydia’s ever wanted is a perfect Christmas…
So when her oldest friends invite her to spend the holidays with them, it seems like the answer to her dreams. She’s been promised log fires, roasted chestnuts, her own weight in mince pies; all in a setting that looks like something out of a Christmas card.
However, her winter wonderland is about to be ruined by the ghosts of boyfriends past, present and potential future. She’s snowed in with her current boyfriend, her old flame and a hunky stranger. Well, three (wise) men is traditional at this time of year...

My Opinion
I snuggled up to read The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey, with my Baileys coffee and my box of chocolates and I got lost in the book!

Putting the package aside and focusing now on the book I have to say the cover does give a festive feel and the title of the book couldn’t have been more perfect. One thing I have noticed with many Christmas books is just because they have a festive cover doesn’t always mean the story has the same festive feel to it but I am happy to say that this was not the case with this book.

The story is set over the week of Christmas and Scarlett Bailey sets the scene for us with a group of friends celebrating Christmas together in a remote setting and being snowed in already giving us that cosy feeling. This is a traditional realistic Christmas feel to this book rather than the magical Christmas feeling.

There is a real mix of characters in The Night Before Christmas and I have to say it must be the first book I have read where I have liked each and every one of them. Sure they all have their bad moments where we can hear the pantomime boo in the background but because all of the characters are developed so well we just have the attitude that well everyone makes mistakes and HEY its Christmas so we can forgive and forget!
Lydia who is our main character is very down to earth giving that girl next door feel and although she seems to have men dropping at her feet we still feel sorry for her situation. The mix of male characters is very generous in this book so ladies there is a man for each of us hidden in this book. For me this has everything a book needs for a full 5 star rating.

The pace of this book flows nicely with the storyline getting off to a fast pace. For me The Night Before Christmas is a real contender in our Competition despite this being Scarlett Bailey’s debut book. For any men reading this review you are on to a winner if you wrap this up for your partner this Christmas!

The Night Before Christmas Publication date is 27th October so go ahead and pre-order your copy now!.
If you would like to have the chance to win the same package which arrived on my doorstep then head over to  Scarlett's facebook page

You can follow Scarlett Bailey on twitter @ScarlettBailey
or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scarlett-Bailey/114529108652745
Pre-order your copy here