The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements

Hazel never set out to be a wedding planner. She was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Ollie's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty venue, word about Hazel's expertise soon spreads. 

But Hazel's clients expect the very best - she's promised lawyers Gemma and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. But as weather, in-laws and wilful brides conspire against her, can Hazel get two very different couples to walk up two very different aisles to say 'I do'? And will she find her own happy ending if she does?

Abby Clements is one of my favourite authors and she has delivered a sweet romantic storyline for us in her latest release The Winter Wedding. Rather than this being a festive read, like the title suggests it is more a Winter read full of romance

When Hazel steps in to plan her twin sister’s wedding for her at short notice she didn’t expect to become in demand from other bridal parties looking for her to take on their Weddings but with all this love in the air will Hazel ever find the love of her life?

Hazel was a very caring and creative character who didn’t seem to know exactly what it was that she wanted to do but she has a great unique talent in making the little sets, I had visions of walking into a room full of loads of miniature dolls rooms ready to coo over! The supporting characters were all likable characters but Hazel was easily took center stage in this book. I loved the friendship which blossomed between Hazel and Amber they had so much in common and also had a kind of respect for each other which is shown in a particular part of the book.

This book seemed very different to the author’s previous books, this was more of a gentle easy storyline compared to the deeper absorbing books I am used to from this author. This isn’t a bad thing it is great to see authors delivering something different and I did really enjoy this book and had to keep snatching chapters here and there but the difference being with this book is I felt like it was all wrapped up where as usually I am left wanting to meet the characters again because of the connection I have with them and their story, I can’t bare to leave them.

This is a wonderful fun and uplifting romantic read perfect for a cosy Sunday in away from the manic Christmas crowds.

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I want to brighten someone else’s day with this book so I have a copy of The Winter Wedding up for grabs and this giveaway is open world wide so Good Luck everyone x

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The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements

Anna and her husband Matteo are ready to embark a delicious Italian adventure. After a year and a half running their ice cream shop on Brighton beach and raising their baby Isabella, Matteo is starting to miss Italy. A shared passion for ices means it's easy to settle on a new business idea - they'll open a shop in Sorrento's cobbled square, a short walk from the sparkling blue sea. For a while, life is sweet; but then Matteo's overbearing family get involved … 

Anna's younger sister Imogen feels like things are finally coming together - she's living with boyfriend Finn in a beach house in Brighton, and her photography is taking off. Then her career stalls, and the lure of Capri - and a man from her past - prove difficult to resist.

I still remember reading Abby Clements debut book Meet Me Under the Mistletoe and being blown away by what an incredible read it was especially for a first book. I have read each of her books since and they have all been easy 5* reviews and her writing style has grown with each book but I have to say out of her books it is the characters from Vivien’s Heavenly Ice Cream Shop who have stayed with me and I was really hoping that there would be a sequel to this book as there still seemed to be more to be told about Anna and Imogen so you can imagine my delight when I found out that they were both returning in The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop.

Business is booming in Vivien’s and Anna and partner Matteo are so passionate about their job everything seems to be going well but Matteo is really missing home and really wants to return to Italy and give daughter Bella a taste of the Italian life. Anna takes a chance and between them they come up with a plan to open up a new shop in Sorrento.

With things going so well for her sister Imogen finds herself at a cross roads, feeling anxious in her relationship at the thought of taking things to the next level and settling down and her career has taken a nose dive.

It was no surprise to me that Abby Clements has again struck gold providing us with another summer delight that transported me away to the Amalfi Coast I feel like I have returned from an idyllic holiday!

The books pulls you in straight from the Prologue and managed to capture my attention the whole way through thanks to these familiar friendly characters and the tantalising menu of desserts, cocktails  and ice cream! The authors manages to make her descriptions of not only the treats but of the settings really easily to visualise, the square where Anna and Matteo opened their new shop just felt so tranquil and welcoming I would love to have been sitting by the fountain reading this book!

I really enjoyed the relationship between Anna and her mother in-law as I could really relate to it but looking on the outside in I actually found it quite funny too!

I thought this was a superb sequel and I was so pleased to catch up with Anna and Imogen to see what life has thrown at them since the previous book and I wasn’t disappointed. I do think you could read this as a standalone but the first book Is such a treat and so you wouldn’t want to miss out so treat yourself to both books and a tub of lemon sorbet to go with it!

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Amelia Grey's Fireside Dream by Abby Clements

Amelia has a dream: toasting chestnuts by the fire with her husband Jack in their own cosy cottage. Their real life is another world - a cramped one-bedroom flat in Hackney. But when life takes a surprising turn, removal vans are soon heading to the Kent countryside. They soon realise the cottage makeover is a far bigger project than they'd anticipated. On top of that, there's Amelia's newly loved-up mum and her tearaway half-sister, Mirabel, to contend with - pushing Amelia and Jack's marriage to breaking point. Amelia begins to strip back the wallpaper and fittings in the cottage and discovers the story of the cottage's previous owner - and a hidden secret. As Amelia's ideas about love and family change, will her fireside dream finally come true?

Having read Abby Clements first two novels and thoroughly enjoyed them I didn't hesitate in adding her new release to my wish list.

Amelia is fast approaching 30 and one thing she wanted to do by this milestone was to be living in the country. When she convinces husband Jack to make the move, they soon start searching for properties and when Jack views a property that needs some work doing on it with out Amelia seeing the inside they put in an offer and before long the house is theirs. When the day of the move comes around Amelia's dream is far from perfect!

Having just finished this book it has left me with a lovely cosy, fuzzy feeling inside. I found this one of those books that you can't wait to see the end to see how it all pans out but at the same time I didn't want the book to end, I think I will have a case of book blues after this one!

Amelia is a very loveable, girl next door character with lots of ambition and so I found I could really warm and relate to her character. The storyline mostly centres on Amelia and Jacks relationship and also the restoration work on their new home. The attnetio to detail is fantastic surrounding the restoration, I could easily picture the rooms as they were being transformed and the garden sounded like a stunning focal point.
The auhor weaves a few extra storylines into the main story which just adds to an already perfect read.

One thing I have to say is that there is consistant enjoyment and quality through all three of Abby Clements books, if you love one you will love them all as they all have a similar feel but with a fresh storyline each time. Abby Clements has become one of my favourite authors. Grab your copy today xXx

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Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements

When Imogen and Anna unexpectedly inherit their grandmother Vivien's ice cream parlour, it turns both their lives upside-down. The Brighton shop is a seafront institution, but while it's big on charm it's critically low on customers. If the sisters don't turn things around quickly, their grandmother's legacy will disappear forever.

With summer looming, Imogen and Anna devise a plan to return Vivien's to its former glory. Rather than sell up, they will train up, and make the parlour the newest destination on the South Coast foodie map. While Imogen watches the shop, her sister flies to Italy to attend a gourmet ice cream-making course. But as she works shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best chefs in the industry, Anna finds that romance can bloom in the most unexpected of places...

As soon as I heard the title of the new Abby Clements new book I knew this was going to be my kind of read. I love books that take place in shops such as Meet Me at the Cupcake Café and Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop of Dreams so I was sure this was going to be a similar kind of read. If the delicious title isn’t enough t in you over then just look at the cover it is stunning and is easily my favourite cover of the year, I am sure it will be impossible for any chick lit fans to walk past this book in the shop!

The last thing sisters Anna and Imogen expected at the reading of their grandma Vivian’s will was to be left her ice cream shop. Anna has just moved into her first hme which she has saved hard for for years and worked herself to the bone. Imogen is living her dream taking underwater pictures abroad, so running the run down family business was not on the girls to do list. Will the girls be able to forfill their grandma’s wishes or will their original dreams stand in the way?

This was a delightful, feel good read. It was everything I was hoping for and more. The characters were wonderfully well written. I loved both our main characters, Imogen was an exciting character, a real dreamer who like an adventure which is completely different to her older sister Anna who felt like a more grounded and homily character but who is also very ambitious so as you can imagine both girls brought something a little different to the book.

I loved how the storyline centered around the ice cream shop the whole way through, it was great to  see the highs and the lows in getting the shop back up and running again. The story goes more in-depth in the running and the start up of the shop than I have found with other similar books and this was something I really enjoyed.

The authors descriptive writing shines in this book and the author has clearly done some great research in Italy too. The book was unpredictable and the ending was tied up perfectly too both of which are always a big thumbs up from me.

If you are looking for a light, entertaining, easy read for your holidays this book will be a perfect choice for you. Pure Perfection.

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Meet me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements

I seem to be hooked on the up and coming Christmas reads, is that bad when it is only October? Meet me Under the Mistletoe is Abby Clements debut book and the cover is beautiful with it’s shimmering sparkle that instantly catches your eye I was hoping the storyline would win me over as much as the cover had!

Childhood friends Laurie and Rachel's lives have taken very different paths since they picked up their A-level results together. Laurie is living in London and dedicated to her career, keeping track of her friends on Facebook.

Rachel is seemingly living the family idyll in a cottage in Yorkshire - except she worries her marriage is starting to show cracks. When Rachel's mother in law falls ill and needs treatment in London, and Laurie decides she needs to get away for a break, a house swap falls into place. Soon Rachel is braving the mean streets of London while trying to keep her family together, while Laurie tries to figure out how to work an Aga and befriend the locals - and forget the man who seems intent on breaking her heart.

Will their relationships survive this test? And will they make it home in time for Christmas?

Each chapter in this book alternates between our two main characters Laurie and Rachel which allows us to get to know each of the characters in turn. I loved both of the characters but I found I could relate more to Laurie’s character, being  a business woman myself it is hard to get the work and personal life balance right, which is what Laurie is finding impossible but then having said that I was a little worried when I first met her character as she seemed to be blinded to this fact and so came across as a very cold and hard character but as the book progresses her character mellows and becomes more loveable. Rachel is a very warm and nurturing character from the start of this book and she is a joy to read, I just seem to be missing the maternal bone in my body which is why I preferred Laurie!

I was surprised that there wasn't more interaction between the two friends although both of their storylines are cleverly weaved together so it doesn't fell like two completely different stories. The storyline was enjoyable and easy to follow and I loved the shocking realisation towards the end of the book which I didn’t see coming.

There was a nice little touch of festivity to this book so makes it a perfect read for this time of year but because it is not overloaded with festivity it will be suitable to read all year around.

This was a great début by Abby Clements, I will be looking forward to more books by this author in the future.

Book Cover


Festive Feel

Book review over all


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