Cover Image: Someday at Christmas

Someday at Christmas

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Someday at Christmas
An Adorable Cosy Festive Romance
by Lizzie Byron

Shell has worked at Duke & Sons department store for years starting out as a Saturday girl in this leading department store now all grown up and In charge of the main make up stand which is doing extremely well but other parts of the store are not fairing so well . Callum Duke the owners son is brought in to revive the story and in doing so there is building chemistry between Shell and him.

Lovely characters in this journey to save the store which is full of friendships built between all the characters and a generally feel good store full of festive cheer. Thoroughly enjoyable book. 4.5/5

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This is such a perfect Christmas book full of Christmas atmosphere and cozy vibes. All I want now is to cuddle my cats and drink a cup of hot chocolate in front of a fireplace.
I really enjoyed the characters and the whole plot. It was such a easy book to lose yourself to it. They are the perfect books.

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A beautifully written, warm hearted festive treat and a standout read of this genre. Lovely cast of characters and this is definitely one I will be re reading again in the winter months.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

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This novel was a delicious treat. Lizzie Byron reminds me of the absolutely fabulous Alex Brown, her descriptions, the setting, were all so gorgeous. Shell Smith is one of the most intriguing, interesting heroines I've read about in a while and she completely and utterly captured my heart.

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A really enjoyable festive romance.
Set in the bustling beauty department of a not-so-bustling department store this story is full of great characters and wonderful descriptions to the point where I could imagine myself there in amongst the shoppers.
A slow-burning romance keeps the reader’s interest piqued throughout.
A great festive read.

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This was a really lovely Christmas read, with the most gorgeous of settings and with Lizzie's descriptive writing, I felt like I was amongst the crowds and leading characters. The main characters were so likeable and who doesn't love a slow burn romance?! I love them!

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A really, really wonderful Christmas story that has the most gloriously perfect Christmas setting of a shopping department store! It felt like a real life hallmark movie. Loved the main characters and the love story although a slow burn was just delightful.

I posted a review on my Instagram stories and sold the book in my bookshop.

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This was a beautiful read and would make a cosy Christmas film. The opening chapters had the feel of the department store from are you being served. I absolutely loved the characters and how they felt real and relatable with real life issues and problems. It was not only a fabulous romantic read but a story of families and friendships to and how important some things are in life like the department store being important to shell. The characters and the setting came to life in my imagination and I could picture the department store and how it looked in my head. This was an all round perfect cosy Christmas read.

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I adored this beauty of a book, and clever, inventive, funny Shell! She was such a warm and loveable main character, and her stumbles towards a romance as she realises what she really wants were a joy to read. And on top of that, there was the gorgeous festive setting of Duke & Sons, with all the delight of a sumptuous family store at Christmas, where the decorations are a marvel and the atmosphere is buzzing. I loved Shell's friends, her family, her outlook on life, and her love interest. Christmas present perfection.

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Duke and Sons department store has been around for decades, always beautiful but nowadays looking a bit old-fashioned. Shell Smith has been working at Duke and Sons ever since she was a teenager, working her way up to head of her own beauty counter. She feels like life hasn't changed since she was 17, especially not now her old crush Nick is back in town looking to rekindle their relationship. But times have changed, and while Shell's counter is still attracting a lot of customers, the rest of the store is lagging behind. When Old Mr Duke announces his grandson Callum will be taking over the store and bringing in a lot of changes, the employees of Duke and Sons are dismayed. But Shell can see Callum is just desperately trying to hold onto the store, terrified of disappointing his grandfather. In the run-up to Christmas, Shell will have to go deep to save her job, the store and her heart.

This felt very much like one of those Hallmark movies, which seems apt since Callum rents out the store to a production company shooting a Christmas movie. There seems to be an almost-instant solution to every problem, so it never feels like there are any real high stakes. While that isn't so surprising in the Christmas romance genre, it somehow all fell a little flat in this story. But the characters were so alive and wonderful, they very much made up for the plot's shortcomings.

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A truly beautiful story. I loved everything about this book.
The characters were fun, and not at all your typical rom com characters. They were all so unique, and the friendship between Shell, Ricky and Denise is so heartwarming.
And then there is Callum, the future CEO of the company they all work for, but again I was pleasantly surprised by his character too. He has such a caring, loyal heart, and as Callum and Shell get closer, you learn so much more about him, and I have to admit, by the end of the book I was a little bit in love with Callum myself!.
A fun, festive, heartwarming read. I loved it.

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Someday at Christmas by Lizzie Byron was a great read. This book focuses on a small town old fashioned department store and I loved reading about all the trials and tribulations of the staff. A fab read that left me wanting more.

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This is a charming festive read, with a touch of old-fashionedness about it, which is meant as a compliment. The nostalgic element comes from it being set in a department store, most of which are making their valiant last stand their days. Also, there's decency and loyalty, on the whole, which are good old fashioned values so sadly lacking in modern (political) life.
The characters are fascinating, especially our heroine, but eveyone has a slightly eccentric role to play in keeping us entertained.
There's lots to chuckle at, and it's certainly a seasonal tale, so a super read in the run-up to Christmas.

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Probably my favourite book of 2020. I loved Someday at Christmas completely. I loved Shell. I loved Duke and Sons. I loved Callum. He’s my newest book boyfriend and I’m not willing to share.

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A quintessential English romance set around a quintessential english department store, Someday at Christmas is a warm, funny and comforting rom-com of a book, full of the usual endearing characters, misunderstandings and a fight to save a beloved department store.
There aren't any great surprises in this book but then that's not what you look for when picking up this genre of book. I don't think there is a character in this book that I didn't like, I even felt for the characters who's purpose is to keep our leads apart. Just what you want from a Christmas read.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in return for an unbiased review.

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Shell is a successful make up artist at a department store, Duke & Sons. While her department is doing great, this can’t be said for the rest of the store. Mr. Duke Jr knows that unless their sales get better during Christmas time, there is no way of saving the business. For this reason he decides to rent the space as a set of a RomCom movie, and it’s in that moment that Shell realises that Mr Duke Jr is much more than black suits. But saving the business is not the only worry on Shell’s list, her ex boyfriend, Nick, is in town.

First Christmas book of the year, no wait actually first Christmas book ever, and it was perfect!
Cheesy enough, funny and with a message which got to me strong and clear about body positivity!
The real star of the book was for me the department store, Duke & Son, which clearly was a milestone for the village and the characters. It was amazing to see how everyone tried to pull together to save the business and how in doing this they built a new family.
Only thing I would have changed about this book, would have been substituting the external narrator with Shell’s point of view. I think it would have made the reader’s relationship with the characters more intimate.

A must for the lovers of cheesy romantic books 😍

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I liked the book although at times it seemed to lose its way. But a nice easy read and a happy ending! What more do you want from a Christmas book?,

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Someday at Christmas is a warm and fuzzy festive romance that ticks all the boxes for a relaxing read that'll leave you smiling. We have a relatable main character that we're really rooting for along with two love interests (because just one is too simple!), and the backdrop is a department store that isn't some faceless corporate entity, but feels alive and I'm invested in it's survival and growth. If you've ever gone shopping in a department store and loved walking through the Christmas decorations section, then there will be some scenes to delight you.

It's filled with tropes and very predictable, but that's okay. When it comes to Christmas romcoms you don't want twists and turns, you want characters you can get behind, comfort and happiness - which this book delivers in spades.

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Shell Smith works at a makeup counter in a department store in her hometown. When the owners grandson is tasked with making the store a success again, things start looking up in the romance department.

A very sweet christmasy romance. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon read.

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This was a cute, lovely, sweet and inclusive christmassy romcom, with a charming lead and a memorable cast of characters. It was a little schmaltzy for me, but that's just my personal taste, and it's a Christmas romance, so it suits! I loved it; I love this author and I can't wait to see what she does next under this name, if anything.

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