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I really enjoyed the main characters of Blythe and Sam, there was more than meets the eye to both of them. All the other characters in the village were great too, they were lovable and all adding something different to the community dynamic. And let’s not forget Turpin the mischief maker.
The Perfect Christmas Village by Bella Osborne is a delightful holiday romance set in the charming village of Holly Cross. I only tend to choose a couple of Christmas books to read and review each year, as like Sam in this particular story, Christmas is not my favourite time of year, plus I often find the rom-com storylines a little too banal and 'cheesy'. Having spent almost thirty subsequent Christmas and New Year periods in Disney World, Florida, you might wonder why my non-committal attitude towards the season; which I can only really explain as the difference between the ready-made festivities laid on by Disney, versus the unimaginative British tradition of too many people crowded around too small a dining table, over-eating on what is usually, by the time it is all served up, a mildly lukewarm, full English roast dinner, followed by the fight for a semi-comfortable easy chair and an afternoon with the television on, playing to itself, while everyone talks over it. Call me 'Bah! Humbug' and I'll willing put my hands up to it!!When Sam’s dislike of the festive season meets with disapproval from his neighbours in Holly Cross, it falls to Blythe, the estate agent who sold Sam the house (maybe a little dishonestly) to sort out the situation. Blythe is an estate agent who lives in Holly Cross, a small little village that wants to be known as the most amazing Christmas village ever. When Blythe sells Sam, who unbeknownst to everyone, is kind of a Grinch, the house at the center of the village’s display, Blythe takes it upon herself to befriend Sam and turn him into a Christmas loving villager filled with holiday spirit like the rest of them. How the village and Sam learn to understand each other as they go through the course of the year and the holidays approach was really heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really got into the storyline almost immediately! I liked Blythe’s character, and whilst you might think her competitive nature is a little too much, it’s always good to have an aim in life!! Her relationship with Sam was fun, initially being very businesslike (despite there being a spark between them), with them then becoming friends. There are some obvious issues that both of them need to deal with in their lives, with the main one being Sam’s hate for Christmas and the reason why. The storyline flowed well between, not only them, but the other villagers as well. I loved the side storyline of Blythe’s late friend, Murray and really enjoyed the twist to his story at the end. Bella Osborne has a great way of bringing to life the wide range of likeable & fun characters. This is a well-written story about a community coming together to raise money for charities, and Holly Cross village feels like the perfect place to live. The author definitely brought the story alive with her vivid descriptions, and I would love to be part of this community.
MDuring the spring Blythe finally finds the perfect house for Sam Ashton a customer who has been looking for a house in the village for some time. The house belonged to Murray, an elderly man and good friend of Blythe’s who died suddenly while away on a birdwatching trip and was buried in Manchester under mysterious circumstances. Although she misses her friend and is still feeding the cat who lives in his garden, she is happy to find the perfect buyer for his house. While talking to Sam during the sale, he tells her he hates Christmas and everything to do with it but she decides not to tell him about the village’s love of Christmas and that everyone is expected to get involved.
Blythe is a real estate agent and competing for the top spot and she needs one more sale to grab the title. So she kind of sells Sam a house in her neighborhood under false pretenses. Sam hates everything Christmas and he just bought a house across the street from the epicenter of the most Christina’s village in England. Now Blythe has to work hard to make things right with Sam, while trying to persuade him not to be the Grinch. Blythe and Sam both developed into such likeable characters. They’ve both had their fair share of troubles in life, but they may just be exactly what the other needs to heal the wounds of the past. She remembers a home on the Green whose owner recently passed away and she knows it will be sold. However, as it’s not currently listed for sale, she takes a chance and shows it to a man named Sam who wants to move to the area. She has a key to the house as she had promised the previous owner she would feed his feral cat, Turpin. It took a little time, but she finally got a call from a solicitor for the deceased and arranged to sell the house to Sam.
I'm getting in my Christmas reading groove now! I loved this one. I know I say that about a lot of Christmas-themed books but what can I say I love Christmas! My favourite character has to be Turpin the feral cat. Murray was slowly getting him used to being around him when he passed. Blythe has promised to continue feeding him even though he lives in Sam's garden. Once he decides to live indoors he takes to sleeping in woks, pillowcases - while Sam's head is still on the pillow. He doesn't let Sam come down the stairs at one point or out of the utility room. nowadays and the relationship between Sweeney and Macfarlane's characters is nicely developed. As usual, they give really fine performances, particularly Sweeney 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. I received this book as an ARC from Aria&Aries through NetGalley and this review is based on my own opinion.
Speaking of holiday romance ~ it's very slow burn and I was not feeling their chemistry at all. They're frustrated with each other from May to December, but then all of the sudden they like each other. I wasn't buying it.
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First of all ~ the cover is cute and I liked the small town community vibe. It is in full force with year round events the residents are expected to participate in. They all seem to get along and have great rapport for the most part, even if they're Christmas crazy. Norman is the local baker and his treats sounded quite delightful, especially a passion fruit curd eclair and I wish I could try one. Phyllis was a hoot and seemed like she'd be fun to be around. 5 year old Eden seemed very mature and well behaved for her age, which I liked. Blythe's mother and step father were pretty great too. Blythe has to sell one more house to become real estate agent of the month so she bends the truth to sell a new house to city boy Sam.
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