This was a cute little Holiday book and I could relate to Esme as we are the same age, changing careers, swear a little too much, starting a blog, ect. I really enjoyed her character as I could see myself in this story very easily.
This is my first Katie Ginger book and I did enjoy her writing as it had fully-developed characters, flow, story line, and perfect setting. Since I'm not bristish, I do love all the new holiday traditions you learn about, food, and/or words- which does make the book a little more fun.
I wish Esme had her own cooking show as it sounds so fun to watch! This is also a great Lifetime/Hallmark movie. As you love her friends, her mom sounds like a hoot, and her little nephew sounds soo cute! Joe is an interesting character that you don’t know exactly want is going to happen but I did enjoy him as the book love interest- even if he was a little moody.
Overall, I give it 4 stars in the Holiday book department and 3.5 stars in the normal book world.

*Received ARC via Netgalley and HQ digital for honest review*

What an enchanting, captivating story! I loved every moment of this gorgeous, romantic and funny read from Katie Ginger. This is definitely one book that will fill you with festive cheer.
Katie has written a story to warm the coldest heart with well-developed characters that you will love. Esme and Joe have gone through so much that even though they get on instantly, they’ve both endured enough misery to put them off any further romantic endeavours; but sometimes feelings can not and should not be ignored.
Esme is such a nice character; I really was on her side from the off. She deserved a better go at things in London but I am so glad we saw her go back to Sandchester and her wonderful, quirky family. I LOVE her Mum and Dad – they add some very funny moments, as do her wonderful friends. I want friends like hers – always having her back no matter what.
This is beautifully written and gives us humour, love, romance, festive fun and a heart-warming tale of moving forwards and working hard to get the happy ending you deserve. I do love the inclusion of her blog, vlog adventures etc as it felt up to date.
Love a happy ending? Then I cannot recommend this delightful read enough.

Oh my goodness I adored this novel by Katie Ginger and I’m not sure why I haven’t read any of her work before as her writing style connected with me on so many levels. Katie Ginger is definitely on my radar now and has a firm place in my favourite romcom author list.
Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage is a gorgeous festive feast of a read that I quickly devoured. I loved it so much I wanted the storyline and characters to be real so I could connect with them and learn more about their antics and foodie delights.
Esme is a Food Tech for one of the current top foodie TV shows but when she discovers that the glamorous host of the show has double crossed her she decides enough is enough and voices her grievances but sadly her voice isn’t as important as her nemesis and she is left with an ultimatum.
When Esme thought her day couldn’t get any worse her boyfriend decides to dump her. So jobless, broken-hearted and now homeless Esme heads home to her parents. Esme’s parents are crazy but fabulous and are just the tonic she needs and with the encouragement of her friends Esme sets up a blog to share her love of cooking and of the memories she had cooking with her dear grandma.
Joe moved back to his hometown a few years ago but has been secretly struggling with emotions of the heart. His mind and heart is still in turmoil but when he meets up with his old school friend Esme he starts to see another purpose in life. Can these two lost souls who have returned to their home town learn to let love in again?
Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage is such a fabulously funny read and it’s filled with so much warmth it leaves you with a satisfied cosy glow. However, with all the delicious sounding recipes that Esme creates you’ll be left with a hunger for her food and a desire to get cooking.
A delicious cosy read that will fill you with a satisfied glow.

I won't lie, this was REALLY slow for me at first and I found it truly ridiculous how Nina got fired just like THAT. I mean, there are other ways one can DO to prove that they're telling the truth. How she was dismissed so easily was just dumb and had me rolling my eyes because of how frustrating it was. BUT GOOD THING, this book's pace picked up and I was soooo enjoying it. I loved reading how Nina was starting with her blog and how to get an audience like sis, I can relate. I saw myself there for a moment and it took me back to the days when I started blogging and it felt like no one was there to read. My heart was melting because of the memories. And I love Nina. I love her goal-driven personality and the way she knows what she deserves. I just full on love her and I felt a sense of pride reading what she's achieved after everything she's worked so hard for.

The romance was also so sweet and a little angsty because of Joe's history - angst in a sad way. I also love how supportive he was for Nina and how he was slowly opening his heart for something new. And aside from Joe, Nina's friends and family were just as supportive and present in her life. Being there for her and all. And reading this kind of relationship, whether it's between family or friends or with a special someone, set during the holiday season just warms my heart.

Esme has had a horrible day. She's lost her job, been dumped and has to move out of London. She returns home to Sandchester, where she grew up, and doesn't know what to do with her life. Enter Joe, the charming estate agent she knew from school who helps her find Mistletoe Cottage.

I loved this story. Esme has such a great relationship with her friends and her love for baking really shines through. I felt myself instantly rooting for Joe and hated Leo from the start! This was such a warm, cosy Christmas novel and has made me feel all festive!

Esme Kendrick is forced to move back to her small hometown of Sandchester after losing her job, boyfriend, and apartment all on the same day. She has no money, no home and no prospects and is feeling like a failure. She does not want to stay with her parents, so when they offered her some money to find a place of her own until she gets back on her feet, she jumps at the chance. She is determined to make a go of her life's work, and with the support of her friends and family, she decides to follow her dreams and write the cookbook she has always wanted to get published. Of course, that does not happen right away and she has to get her name out there first. This brave young lady starts a blog, then vlogs and finally does some live broadcasts that had me in stitches.

I absolutely loved this book. It is a heartwarming story about love, friendship, taking risks, not giving up and following your dream. I loved the characters, especially Esme and Joe. They were both hurting, the difference was that Esme did not want to hide, but Joe had been back for two years and had done nothing to move forward, he was hurting so badly. Esme is a lovable and realistic character. I wanted to be her friend, or at least follow her blog. She had me laughing several times as I rooted for her, to move forward along her bumpy path. Her love of cooking and baking spoke to me as I know it is not easy to find your passion. Joe was the handsome guy she remembered from high school, but he was so closed off, that she was not sure what to make of him. I felt so bad for this man who was so eaten up with guilt that he could not feel anything. Of course this is a romance, so you know that Esme will help him heal. Throw in Esme's somewhat crazy family, and her quirky friends and you have an amazing support group. The other story line is her ex-boyfriend Leo. As the story moves forward, Leo realizes what a mistake he has made and decides that he wants Esme back and is sure she will come back. Well, he is in for a surprise.

The story is beautifully written and full of humor. If you like a slow developing romance then you will enjoy Esme and Joe's love story. I was glad that it wasn't instalove, but took time for them to realize how they felt and was still developing as the story ended. This story is set in winter around Christmas and the holidays are an important part of the story, but this is not just a Christmas story. I consider it a winter, romantic, holiday story. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a heartfelt, uplifting winter romance.

Esme Kendrick thinks she's living her best life, with a job as food technologist on a popular cooking show, a handsome boyfriend, and amazing apartment in London.

Then she loses the job because she objects to the star claiming one of Esme's grandma's most treasure recipes as her own, and that same day, her gorgeous boyfriend dumps her for the woman he's been seeing behind her back. Since the amazing apartment is his, that's gone too.

Her friends help her get her stuff out, but unemployed now,, her only option is to go back home to Sandchester, and start rebuilding her life and career. Her parents give her the money they'd been saving for her wedding, and a guy she knew in school, Joe Holloway, is back in Sandchester as an estate agent, after a disappointment he doesn't discuss in Australia. He helps her find a small cottage she can afford for a few months, to avoid living with either her parents or her married sister. (Who are lovely people, but for reasons that quickly become clear, it wouldn't have worked.)

Esme has to deal with the multiple blows to her view of her life, her confidence, and her career, while setting out on a whole new path, a cooking blog that might make her enough of a name to sell the cookbook she's working on. Joe has to deal with his depression, and his guilt over what happened in Australia. Neither of them is in the right place in life to start a new relationship, right?

I love Esme, Joe, Esme's family, and Esme's friends--Helena and Mark, who also work on the show she just got fired from, and Lola, another old schoolmate who has been her best friend for years and also works in London, in marketing rather than cooking tv. Everyone needs friends like this, and in this book, you get to spend some great time with them. It's a lot of fun.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

This was an enjoyable Christmas story about Esme, who was just recently sacked from her food technician job on a TV show after standing up for herself, then when she got home her boyfriend dumped her and she had to move out of his London apartment.  She's not having a good time, until she moves back to her home town, rents a quite dilapidated but very cute cottage with the lovely name of Mistletoe Cottage, starts up her own food website called 'Grandma's Kitchen', and starts blogging/vlogging about her recipes.

Once there Esme meets Rob, an old school friend she had a crush on years ago, and the estate agent who rented her Mistletoe Cottage.  Rob has a reputation as a bit of a playboy in the area, but is harboring some a sad secret that is really weighing him down.

I really liked the way we also had secondary characters stories, from Esme's old London life and her present village life, Juanita especially intrigued me, but all Esme's family and friends were very loving but a bit mad, her Mum especially - I loved her character!  Esme's friends did remind me a bit of the group of friends in Bridget Jones Diary, and Esme herself was a bit accident prone (like Bridget)  especially during her live web broadcasts!

I did find Joe a bit irritating I must admit, the event he was brooding and depressed about was a few years ago now and he really should have got past it by now, it was like he had a dark cloud over his head a lot of the time and it did get a bit wearing, although he eventually got over it by the end of the book.

There is a very funny scene at the end of the book when Esme and her friends do a live Boxing Day Bake Off broadcast, very funny, and a few things were sorted out.

There was a lovely satisfying ending, where the 'bad' people got their comeuppance, and the 'good' people triumphed, all in a cute Christmas village setting.  A light-hearted and enjoyable read.

This is a warm, joyful, uplifting Christmas novel. If the season of goodwill isn’t the right time for second chances, family happiness and generally recovering from the slings and arrows of everyday life, then I don’t know what is! Oh, and baking!
Our heroine, Esme, is down on her luck but not deterred. A spell at home is what she needs to get herself back together again. Her loving, supportive family are a complete tonic. Esme son embarks on a new venture, and then bumps into Joe. Will they, won’t they? Neither feel inclined to rush into things so we all have to be patient to see how it will turn out.
I just love the atmosphere of the novel. It’s so comforting and festive. I can almost smell the delicious scents wafting from the oven. There’s humour, joyousness, some tension and setbacks, and the precise ending we’d wish for.
If you’re looking for a delightful and delicious Christmas read, look no further!

The scene on the cover may be picture-perfect, but that isn’t Esme’s life when she returns to her home town and finds solace in a run-down country cottage. Joe is living half a life, scared to try again and overcome his tragic past.

The main protagonists are complex and emotionally damaged, they find something in each other that gives them hope, but is it enough to take the final step? The cast of characters, Esme’s family and friends are wonderfully eccentric and flawed. Despite the emotional roller coaster Esme and Joe are riding, there are lovely humorous scenes in this story that lighten it without diminishing the conflicts they have to overcome. There is lots of festive moments and some delicious sounding recipes.

A lovely festive themed romance with plenty of heartwarming moments.

I received a copy of this from HQ Digital UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Felicity is primping in front of the camera with her honey blonde curls. She is on a cooking show Esme really made the lasagna but Felicity gets the credit for it.esme is nervous about pitching a double layer chocolate Chestnut cake to Sasha. It's a favorite she makes every year at Christmas. Felicity gets to present the recipe as her own. I didn't connect to Esme.

Although I haven't yet read Katie Ginger's other novels, the attractive cover design of this one caught my eye and I thought the premise of the book sounded wonderful. Snowflakes at Mistletoe Cottage was a really lovely story and I especially liked the main character, Esme, to whom I could really relate. She was also rather amusing and I loved the Christmas theme with it's festive charm and the story's overall tone which was so snug and uplifting, bringing with it all that delicious homemade cooking.

This was a beautifully written, humorous story of love, friendship, dreams, taking risks, and overcoming the fear of failure. A dash of sparkling friction kept things fizzing and everything was wrapped up very nicely in the end.

A wonderful read with a really strong Christmas feel, this is a book that I will certainly be recommending to friends and family; I will also be suggesting it to my local library under their 'Recommend A Purchase' scheme.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from HQ Digital via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

SNOWFLAKES AT MISTLETOE COTTAGE by Katie Ginger is funny, endearing, and with just the right amount of cosy, festive magic to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Esme works as a food technician for a glitzy TV programme but when the presenter of the show steals Esme's cooking idea and presents it to their boss as their own, Esme refuses to let her get away with it and challenges her, which results in Esme losing her job. Well, at least she can sob into the arms of her long-term boyfriend Leo whom she suspects is going to propose this Christmas. But it turns out she can't, as he dumps her on the same day she gets fired and soon moves his new love interest into the flat. Homeless, jobless, and having lost some of her spark, Esme heads back home to her childhood town of Sandchester where her sometimes crazy family, are ready and waiting with comfort and support. And when an old school classmate, Joe, helps to find her somewhere to live, things may just be starting to look up.
​ Esme is a wonderful cook and wants her grandmother's recipes and her own to be shared with the world so what better time than now to focus on her dreams. But Esme soon comes to learn that dreams don't pay the rent and with vlog mishaps, and Esme's growing confusion about her past relationship and how she is beginning to have feelings for Joe who has been such a great friend, this Christmas is sure to be an eventful one. With crazy mishaps, an ex wanting another chance, the best friends a girl could ask for, and some heartbreaking secrets along the way, has Esme found the place where all of her dreams can come true?

Engaging, witty, and with a wonderful cast of characters (except for a certain love rat!), SNOWFLAKES AT MISTLETOE COTTAGE by Katie Ginger hooked me from the start and had me laughing plenty along the way. But there is also a sensitive side to this story as Esme and Joe try to figure out their past relationships and learn to let go. I loved Esme's friends who were all funny and caring but Esme's mum stole the show for me and entertained at every moment. I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down and when it was over I found myself wishing that it wasn't - I really hope that this isn't the last we see of this group!

​SNOWFLAKES AT MISTLETOE COTTAGE by Katie Ginger is the perfect Christmas read and I highly recommend it to all fiction fans.

This is a fun Christmas romance. The characters are likable, for the most part, and the main couple is adorable. This is just the kind of light read that is great for the holiday season.

What a fabulous festive read this sounds! I have read other books by this author which I have really enjoyed, so I was looking forward to this one! Esme Kendrick loses her job, boyfriend and home all on the same day. Forced to move back to her parents in the little village of Sandchester, Esme contemplates facing a very bleak Christmas. That is until old flame, Joe reappears back in her life….

I loved this book and loved Esme’s character! We’ve all been in situations where life spirals out of control for a little while and this is exactly what is happening with Esme. I so wanted her character to have some luck and good news, and with such wonderful friends and family around her, why wouldn’t that happen at some point! Esme and Joe’s relationship was heart-warming and felt just right, so I kept my fingers crossed that the story had a happy ending!

Not only is the book filled with love and romance, there is also plenty of festive fun and mouth-watering food that the author describes so well!! Esme’s recipes sound divine and it made me want to try them there and then!! This is the perfect book for this time of year and has in it everything that you could want! The characters are likeable, the storyline is well written and it couldn’t be more Christmassy if it tried! If you want a book that will sweep you off your feet, then look no further!! Heart-warming and uplifting this book will tug at your heartstrings and melt your heart!! Highly recommended!

This was the first time I had read somthing from this author and I found it to be a such a wonderfully magical read. Absolutely loved it.

Every part of this story is like a warm hug, but the best bits are the descriptions of the food being prepared and cooked. I was hoping to find the recipes at the back of the book, but I had to trawl back through the book to find them. With no hint as to quantities the outcome of my own attempts should be interesting! I especially want to try the hot chocolate. Okay, back to the review - the plot, the characters, and the setting are all lovely, and the wrap up is very satisfying indeed. A perfect read to perk you up on a dismal day.

After being blindsided by both her employer and her boyfriend, food technologist Esme Kendrick makes her way back to her hometown to nurse her wounds and her pride and attempt to launch her dream career. This is a heartwarming yuletide romance, with characters you cannot help but love in a quaint Christmassy setting. Full of humour, delicious recipes and crisp descriptions, this is a cosy Christmas read. 5 stars

~ I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quotes:

It’s one thing to steal a recipe but another to steal a grandma. She probably doesn’t even have one anymore. I bet she devoured hers like a praying mantis.

I bet I’m still in shock. At some point I’ll come out of it, realise what’s happened and walk to London to destroy Leo’s flat and put raw fish behind his radiators.

‘What exactly are you doing there?’ asked Helena pointing at the screen. ‘I’m creaming the butter and sugar together till it’s light and fluffy.’ ‘Your boobs look like they’re having some kind of fight. You need a better bra before you go doing that again.’

It is quite dark. We can see down your top, but not much else. They look like whoppers by the way so you’d probably get some followers but maybe not the type you want.

‘What a callous idiot. If I lived near him I’d key his car and—’ ‘He doesn’t own a car, Mum. No one does in London.’ ‘Well then, I’d put itching powder in his underpants and cut the arms and legs off all his suits.’ Esme suppressed a smile.‘ Has Dad only stayed married to you all these years because he’s too scared to leave?’ ‘Probably.’


My Review:

This was a fun and highly amusing read with storylines shot through with clever levity and delicious food taunts. I should be highly annoyed that Ms. Ginger has completely derailed my dieting efforts with her mouthwatering descriptions that I could almost smell and taste, what a brutal tease for a weak and starving woman trying to shed some excess tonnage. I said I should be annoyed, but I’m not as it was more than worth a few, oh all right… a lot of extra calorie consumption.

The storylines were engaging, the characters were vibrant and quirky, and the writing was delightfully clever as well as giggle-snort and smirk-worthy. This was my maiden voyage with the lovely Ms. Ginger and I hope to sail with her every time she leaves the shore from now on.

Don’t hate me but I don’t watch much reality television and required the services of Mr. Google to look up Bear Grylls, and he looks worthy of a bit more exploration… I also gleaned an addition to my Brit Word List with saddo – which is British slang for a socially inadequate or pathetic person; something the intrepid and adventurous Mr. Grylls certainly is not.

I have a little confesssion to make. Okay yes yet another one. Although I have all three of Katie's books, I have only read two of them. The other one is on my 'to be read' mountain. Now I have reminded myself just how great an author Katie is, that remaining book will not be on that 'to be read' mountain for very much longer. I totally, utterly and absolutely ADORED reading 'Snowflakes At Mistletoe Cottage' but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but take to the character off Esme from the first moment I met her. When the story starts she is employed on a cookery show as a food technologist. In other words she does all the prep work and actually cooks the food whilst the host of the show flutters her eyelashes and pretends to be the one doing all the work, which means that she gets all the credit. I couldn't help but feel irritated at the injustice of the whole thing. Esme does all the hard work and somebody else takes all the credit. Then to add insult into injury the host then 'pitches' a new dish which is a blatant rip off of a recipe that was handed down to Esme from her grandmother. There's a bit of argy bargy and Esme ends up resigning from her job. I was mentally cheering her on at that point. Reality sets in and Esme does worry about what she is going to do to bring the pennies in. Then just to add to the day from hell her boyfriend decides that that is the day when he is going to dump her and tells her to move out. It was at this point that I wanted to jump inside the pages of the book to give Esme a hug and supply her with medicinal chocolate whilst at the same time I wanted to slap the cookery show host with a wet fish a few dozen times and I definitely wanted to kick Esme's former boyfriend in a rather rude part of his anatomy two or three or four or even better five times. I think I had taken to Esme so well that I just wanted to protect her, reassure her and to try to cheer her up. Esme ends up going back to where she used to live and it's then that she comes into contact with the mysterious sounding Joe. Joe is handsome and charming but it's clear that he has suffered some trauma in his past although it isn't immediately clear as to what that trauma is. The trauma still deeply affects him and it isn't clear whether or not he will be able to overcome the past trauma. There's a definite spark between Esme and Joe and I was keeping everything crossed that they would get together, have a kiss under the mistletoe and go off skipping into the sunset together. Do they do exactly that? Well guess what I am not going to tell you so you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out.
It didn't take me long to get into this book at all. In fact by the time I got to the bottom of the first page, I knew that this was going to be one of those reads that would prove impossible to put down. I must be psychic because that is exactly what happened. I was so taken by the story, the lovely Esme and the author's writing style that I just couldn't bear to be parted from the book. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. The book had definitely developed a hold over me and it was a hold I wasn't going to break. I did try to ration how much I read in one go so I could prolong my enjoyment of the book but I was loving the book so much that my attempt at rationing was soon thrown out of the window. I binge read the book over the course of a day.
'Snowflakes At Mistletoe Cottage' is brilliantly written but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Katie Ginger. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into the story. Once she has your attention she will not let it go. Katie has created a brilliant character in Esme, who is a girl next door type and an all round good egg. Katie writes so realistically and uses such great descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself. In fact I ended up wishing that I had friends like Esme has. They put me in mind of the sorts of friends that Bridget Jones has.
In short, 'Snowflakes At Mistletoe Cottage' is an adorable story with an equally adorable lead character. Reading this book gave me a similar fuzzy warm feeling inside that felt like a hug from a mug and I was left with a smile on my face long after I finished the book and closed the back cover. I have only two complaints about the book. Firstly, that the book had to end and secondly all that talk of food made me feel hungry which isn't good when you are trying to lose weight. I would definitely recommend this delightful book to other readers. I can't wait to read more from Katie Ginger. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.