With the promise of December in the air and the hedgerows laced with frost, Huntersbrook House has never looked more beautiful. Once the Craig family's beloved home, the house has been transformed into a magnificent countryside venue. And its first booking couldn't be more perfect - the Christmas wedding of a well-known film actress.
Yet, behind the scenes, the Craig children are feeling the chill. Pippa is skating on thin ice with her reckless personal life; Joey, preoccupied with the business, is blind to his fiancé's struggles. And Lainey's future is dealt a cruel blow. As the wedding approaches, everyone hopes the house will weave its magic. But can the Craigs put their differences aside and pull together as a family once more?
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ReplyDeleteNot for me this book...a holiday read. I did read it all though! A simple tale about how the ladies in the family resolve simple "issues" with their partners etc whilst preparing a family home for an event venue and a Christmas Wedding. A bit Danielle Steele. 2/10
DeleteVery dull. Waited for all the little family member issues to become full-blown dramas but they merely fizzled out - like waiting for a sky-blazing rocket firework but getting a damp squib! Very twee and quite childishly written - Enid Blyton crossed with Danielle Steele. Wouldn't recommend even as a holiday read. Quite frankly, a few hours of my life wasted!!! 1/10
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't one for me I'm afraid. Far too cheesy and with such a saccharine overload it should come with a health warning! Would Joey, a partner in a firm really use words like 'totally stoked' and 'awesome'? If so, someone needs to take him aside! Really didn't like the Disneyfication of the whole story, especially the ending when everyone revealed their 'special' Christmas present and the author chucked in surrogate mothering, twins, a job offer with a famous actress and then Sadie with only 4 months to live (probably had enough at 80 looking after everyone's kids and cooking!) Also, what happened to Danny and Missy too at the end after featuring heavily throughout the book? Also, didn't like the name Lainey either - started to grate on me, just like the character. 4/10
ReplyDeleteLoved the story bit like a Maeve Binchy book. Family drama and how they hide things from each other when actually opening up is much better. Learnt quite a lot about peer pressure in using drugs. Exciting to use House as a business and the difference between city and country life. 7/10
ReplyDeleteSorry ladies! Not my cup of tea. Bit too chic-fic. Skimmed all of it but don't think I missed any wow factors. Even drug abuse/abuse by priest/illness/manipulation/PND/soggy male characters didn't cut it!
ReplyDeleteTracey 1/10
Sorry ladies! Not my cup of tea. Skimmed it but don't think I missed any major plot twists. Don't think chucking in drug abuse/abuse by priest/ illness/PND/manipulation/soggy male characters added to story. I have a friend called Laney so agree with Angela!!!
ReplyDeleteGill Sheppard
ReplyDeleteThe Heart in Winter by Emma Hannigan
First of all, we ALL chose this, I was just the unfortunate one who had it bought as a present haha! As with any book, it was a huge effort to get started. It was very easy to read, but so dull and boring – anything that looked to add some excitement just fizzled out –Pippa and the drugs, the awful Missy, Ely going missing, miscarriage etc etc – it was all so lightweight (even for me!)and none of the story lines ever went anywhere except round in circles and back to the boring family home! The quality of the writing was so humdrum, dull, dull, dull! On page 414 there was also a huge error – it read Lainey when it was supposed to read Jules. Having a book published with that mistake in it? I did persevere to the end but skimmed through parts – I knew I wasn’t going to miss anything!