I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
A Yorkshire Christmas
by
Kate Hewitt
contemporary romance in eBook edition that was published by Tule Publishing on October 28, 2014 and has 213 pages.
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Second in the Christmas Around the World romance series and set in Ledstow, Yorkshire. The couple focus is on Claire Lindell and Noah Bradshaw.
In 2015, A Yorkshire Christmas was nominated for the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Romance Novella.
My Take
This was a cute, (short, as it took just over an hour to read) sweet romance with a conflicted couple, and I liked the twist on how Hewitt had them meet.
I did prefer Noah to Claire. Noah is an honorable guy with a lot of baggage, and Claire’s arrival provides the catalyst for changes. Now, Claire…she’s got issues too. Most of them caused by her cold, “perfect” family. She’s so desperate for a caring love that she deludes herself into grasping anyone. However, I did appreciate Claire’s approach with Molly, as it is so honest. And caring.
The annoying part is how easily desperate she is. Yeah, it is an insta-love, but Hewitt does set up a good premise for it. It’ll make you want your own cottage for Christmas…provided that sweet sheep farmer is next door, lol.
It was cute how distressed Noah was about getting through the Christmas holiday. He was so focused on his daughter and wanting her to open up to him.
I despise Dani and her parents (they sound just like Claire’s parents!) Actually, I despise any parent who refuses to acknowledge their child’s issues. Nothing says you can’t love your child no matter what, but don’t blind yourself to their problems. You’re not helping them.
I am confused about that “grandfather”. Was he Noah’s grandfather, and he died five years ago? Or was he Noah’s father — Molly’s grandfather…who died last year? No, wait, five years ago…? Hmm, Hewitt has some consistency issues between Noah’s father’s death and if Mark has one daughter, ahem, or two. I am rather worried that an eleven-year-old knows what a rubber is.
Hewitt did a sweet epilogue, although I wouldn’t mind revisiting them to see how they’re doing.
The Story
Fed up with her superficial (and wealthy) family, Claire decides to avoid the “perfect” Christmas with her family and hole up at her godmother’s cottage in Yorkshire — and lick her wounds from a near disastrous romantic decision.
After her car skids into a snow bank, Claire may have accidentally found her perfect Christmas — and the family and love she’s craved — when she offers Noah Bradford of Ayesgill Farm help to push the back end of one of his sheep out of the icy mud, even if she’s going to ruin a brand new pair of Prada boots during the rescue.
The Characters
Claire Lindell is a history teacher at Stirling Academy for Girls, an exclusive school in New York City. Melanie Lindell is her perfect, icy mother. Abby is her sister and married to the perfect Andrew; they have two perfect children: Skylar and Andrew “Drew Drew” Junior.
Noah Bradford is a struggling sheep farmer with a past. Jake is his Border collie. Ayesgill Farm has been in his family for three generations. His father died last year (or five years ago) of early Alzheimer’s. David is his estranged brother. Dani is Noah’s selfish ex. Molly is his eight-year-old daughter.
Holly Cottage is Ruth Carrington‘s home in Ledstow and borders Ayesgill Farm; she is Claire’s godmother and had been at Vassar with Claire’s mother.
Mark is the jerk; Brianna and Emma (Claire’s student) are his daughter(s).
The Cover and Title
The cover has a white background which sets off the close-up of Noah and Claire at the top and the cozy winter setting of Ledstow village at the bottom. In between in red is the author’s name writ large with the title in script below it.
The title is the setting, A Yorkshire Christmas.
