This is a cozy Christmas story which I truly enjoyed reading!

Hannah bumps into her brother Rob’s best friend Nico in Stockholm, the two rekindle a fast friendship. But both of them have their own problems to deal with.

Hannah has to deal with an inattentive boyfriend, Albin as well as the risk of losing her beloved shop while, Nico has two children to look after as well as deal with the constant troubles of his alcoholic ex-wife.

Coincidentally, when Hannah moves back to the little village of Middledip to take care of her Nan, Nico has just moved in too. Under the same snowy sky, can the childhood friends make a romance work – or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?

The main characters Nico and Hannah are so well written and extremely likeable. Nico’s kids Josie and Marie are such a delight to read about. However, Nico’s ex-mother in law was so annoying that I really wished that I could her a piece of my mind.

The book covers so many different aspects such as eating disorders, addiction, failing relationships, family, friendship and parenting. Each of these have been included in the story in such a smooth and beautiful way. It was amazing to read Nico and Hannah’s journey as they faced the different challenges in their lives and emerged stronger than before.

Overall, it’s a perfect festive read!

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC! ( )

Merry Christmas.
This year I thought I'd read a couple of seasonal books in the run-up to Christmas, to get me in the mood. Christmas Wishes was an enjoyable Christmas read, set partly in Middledip, UK, and partly in wintry Stockholm. But the heroines of the story, for me, were the children.

When we meet Hannah, she is in Stockholm, running her own high-end boutique. She lives with her boyfriend, Albin, in his swanky apartment, but we get the impression that all is not well with the relationship. Nico, a friend of her brother's, turns up at the shop while on a business trip to Stockholm. He looks like he's been living in a ditch and she is concerned for his well-being. She tries to buy him supper and in return he brings out his merchandising skills.
Nico is separated from his wife and has custody of their 8 year-old daughter, but life becomes even more complicated as her addictions start to resurface and she is unable to look after her second child.

The story unravels gradually, as Christmas preparations proceed. But as I said above, it is the children who steal the show.
It was interesting to spend part of this novel in Sweden, a place I've never visited, but I did find the constant dropping of Swedish place names and phrases became a bit irritating after a while. Characters were either super nice or totally awful, I can't think of anyone who fell in-between.

An enjoyable read, if a little predictable, well narrated by Julia Winwood, who obviously has a knowledge of Swedish. I'm not a great fan of Chick-lit, so if that's a genre you enjoy then I'd definitely recommend this. ( )