What a wonderful ending to the Swallowtail Bay series. This book had everything you would want in a Christmas story, a lovely setting, characters that seem like your friends and a wonderful heartwarming theme running throughout the story. Although there are a few problems at the hotel and and definitely more than a few misunderstandings between Tom and Nell and Cat and Kieran ,things work out perfectly for them and with the magic of the season makes this a perfect read even if I did shed a few tears, but mostly tears or happiness. I loved it

DNF@25%
This is my first time reading Katie Ginger. Her language was good, but sadly I was not able to identify with the dreamy main character. The plot was not as engaging as I thought.

Nell runs a hotel in the small town of Swallowtail Bay, with a new, fancy hotel in town business has been on a serious decline. With the help of her friends Cat and Kieran holding their winter wedding at Nell's hotel and her other friend Tom who is always there for Nell despite his own issues can she turn business around and see whats been staring her in the face for years? 
Despite the fact that I haven’t read the first 2 books in this trilogy I didn't feel like I had missed anything. I didn't actually realise it was book 3 of a series until after I had finished it. So you can definitely read this as a standalone.
The setting was stunning, you could just picture the beautiful little town and the gorgeous shops and markets in detail. Tom was just lovely, I think we all want a Tom. Nell, who spends so much time wrapped up in her romcom imagination is so relatable, sometimes I think I see the world in romcoms (I blame all the books I read) so I really loved her. Cat and Kieran as supporting characters were really well written and were perfect additions to the cast.
For me a romance should be sweet and light but have passion and the only thing stopping me rating this a 5 was a lack of passion. All the love happened in the last 15minutes of the book so we didn't get that passionate love from Nell and Tom, it was just sweet. I'm still glad I read it though!

Nell runs Holly Lodge Hotel which has been in her family for years. Due to the opening of a chain hotel, Holly Lodge is suffering so she decided to try and increase revenue by hosting weddings. Her first booking is her best friend Cat and her fiance Kieran.

Nell is a hopeless romantic and gets lost in daydreams of love. Her other best friend Tom is secretly in love with her and has been since the day they met at uni and refuses to let Nell know.

Nell's heart is all a flutter when a pretty American checks in for three weeks and she then has problems with the chain hotel trying to play nasty games.

It is a beautifully written book with friendship and love at the heart. This is my first visit to Swallowtail Bay and it didn't disappoint.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay is the third book in the Swallowtail Bay series, and it is such a wonderfully festive read. Although the third in the series, it is a definite standalone, so don’t worry if you haven’t read the other two books in the series. Locations and people are mentioned from the other two books, but not in any depth that would affect your enjoyment of this perfectly Christmassy book. I have really enjoyed the location of the three books, so I was thrilled to be able to return to it.

Nell is such a beautiful character, with a love of RomComs that I really identified with. Her best friend Tom was so adorable, I must admit I felt wound up to start with that Nell couldn’t see what was right in front of her. Cat and Kieran their friends (and soon to be the stars of the first wedding held at Holly Lodge) were also really lovely additions to the story. I loved the stray cat Mr Scrooge, who found his home at the hotel, and I have to say my heart was in my mouth at the possibility that Mr Scrooge may have a home somewhere else, because he clearly belonged with Nell at the hotel.

I really enjoyed the time that Tom and Nell spent with Tom’s Grandad Nigel at the care home in Swallowtail Bay, and found the relationship between Tom and Nigel so heart-warming. The events held at Holly Lodge, and the trouble caused by the Langdon Mansion Hotel added depth to this story of yearned for love that is sometimes right where you least expect it.

I must confess I shed a tear or two at the perfect ending to this series of books, and I really will be sad to move on from Swallowtail Bay. Katie Ginger has effortlessly created a story of love out of the strongest of friendships, in the middle of a coastal Christmassy setting that has a beautiful wedding too. This will tick a lot of Christmas and romance vibes, scented by mulled wine, mince pies and open fires.

A comfy cozy heartwarming Christmas read. Katie Ginger once again stole my heart with her sweet festive storytelling. Tom is in love with Nel but does not want to ruin their friendship. Nel is waiting for a romance like those in her beloved romcoms. She is also trying to keep her beloved family Inn afloat after a new fancier hotel comes to town. Kat is getting married at Nel’s Inn. She is stressed out excited to marry the love of her life, but her overbearing mother is driving her crazy. Will Tom finally confess his true feelings to Nel? Will Nel be able to save her family Inn? Will Kat’s wedding happened?

   This book had all the festive vibes. I could just picture what the Inn looked like with the gorgeous tree and lovely holiday arrangements. Nel was such a great character even though she had her head in the clouds. Loved the friends to lovers romance in the book, couldn’t believe these two had not figured out they belong together before now. Tom was such a great guy, such a wonderful support for Nel. The sense of community throughout the story was lovely.

   On a personal note I was thrilled to see the inclusion of a character who is dealing with a visual impairment in the book. As someone who has a degenerative eye disease, you don’t often see characters dealing with this in contemporary romance. I don’t have RP myself but I have something fairly similar my retina is deteriorating, unlike this character however I’ve lost my center vision but I have my peripheral vision. I just thought it was nice to see this character struggling with this in  a realistic yet hopeful way. Recognizing this does not mean their life is over just altered a little. I know authors and publishers are adding diversity to their stories, I just hope they do not forget the disabled community. Thank you Katie Ginger for being so thoughtful in your approach to this part of the story. It was very much appreciated.❤️

This book in emojis  🏨 🎄 💐 🐱 👰🏼 

*** Big thank you to HQ Digital for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

A feel-good romantic comedy choc-full of Christmas charm and characters to fall in love with.

Nell and Tom are a delight and I couldn't wait to see them get their HEA. Their journey is sweet and charming. A thoroughly cosy read perfect for that day when you have the house to yourself, a glass of wine and a roaring fire.

I absolutely adore this series. Katie Ginger delivers a heartwarming story with a perfect blend of romance and comedy.

This is book three in the Swallowtail series. I haven't read any of the others, but despite that the book was super easy to get into and the relationships between the characters easy to figure out. I didn't feel like I'd missed anything by not starting at the beginning.
The main character is Nell and she runs the Holly Lodge after her parents emigrated. Then we have Tom, Cat and Kieran. All best friends from University. Kieran and Cat are about to get married. Nell is battling to save the Lodge from it's ultra modern competitors, and Tom has a secret or two to hide.
Ginger's writing is so brilliant that you instantly transported into the book. You start to care about the characters and what happens to them from the moment their introduced. I'm also not ashamed to admit that I was in floods of tears at the end - it helps that my partner is called Tom too.
It's got everything you could want in a heart-warming Christmas read. Love, good food, log fires and a cat called Mr Scrooge!

Well, I think I’ve found another author to add to my “favourites” list – I’m really kicking myself that I didn’t discover Katie Ginger’s lovely writing rather sooner. I immediately felt at home in Swallowtail Bay – it’s somewhere I’d love to live too, with its gorgeous little shops and the sound of the waves breaking on the pebble seafront. And if I couldn’t live there and needed to pay a visit, there couldn’t be a lovelier place to stay than Holly Lodge – and no, the glitzy Langdon Mansion Hotel wouldn’t attract me at all, although its presence has certainly seen a downturn in business for Nell, who cares for every guest who comes through her doors as if they’re friends or part of her family. She’s having a really hard time, can see everything slipping away, and needs to come up with some ideas to help her business survive – or this Christmas might just be the end of her hopes and dreams.

It’s a good thing she has friends to help her out – Cat and Kieran will be holding their wedding at Holly Lodge, and she hopes it’ll be the first of many. But that’s only if they manage to make it as far as the ceremony – Brenda, Cat’s mother (what a great character!) is trying to take things over, riding roughshod over all Cat’s ideas for a perfect day, and the resulting stress is causing real problems. And then there’s lovely Tom – Nell’s rock, always there in support, one of the best friends anyone could hope for, and the only one who can’t see how much he loves her is Nell herself.

I really loved Nell, with her romantic dreams and penchant for Christmas romcoms – she wears her heart on her sleeve, and you share the joy of all her little triumphs and hurt for her when things don’t go quite how she wants them to. And when the villainous pair at the posh hotel decide they’d like to get rid of the competition, things begin to get very difficult for her, and she really can’t see what she can do to put things right. And it turns out that Tom’s life isn’t a bowl of cherries either – he’s such a lovely man, supporting Nell at every turn, running his florist shop, visiting his grandfather at the care home – and the issues he’s facing give the story a darker edge (so well handled) that adds real emotional depth to the story.

But all the characters are wonderful – Kieran with his shaved head and brash exterior but a marshmallow centre, Cat getting increasingly manic and behaving quite out of character as her big day slips out of her control, and every single more minor character who plays a part in the wonderful story. Goodness, even Mr Scrooge the cat is perfectly drawn – he’s a stray who wins Nell’s heart and decides he’d rather like to make Holly Lodge his home too.

This book is gloriously Christmassy, with all those lovely little touches as the friends prepare the Lodge for the various events – with floral displays from Tom, Nell’s favourite wooden ornaments on the tree along with the tinsel and sparkling lights, and Niall’s wonderful food creations that you can smell and taste. But it’s never cloying – this is how Nell’s going to save her business, every detail has to be absolutely right (and it most certainly was for me).

The romance was simply wonderful – Nell’s waiting for the man of her dreams to cross the threshold (might it be Harry, the American staying for a while to visit his family – or maybe even the man who thinks Mr Scrooge might just be his cat?), and she really can’t see that the love of her life has been there beside her all along. The emotional content to the story (and there’s plenty!) is judged perfectly – it does put you through the wringer at times, and I’ll admit that by the end I’d had to wipe away quite a few tears, but the whole book (and its perfect ending) left me with a large smile on my face.

Heartwarming, uplifting, emotional, full of lovely comedy moments, such a wonderfully drawn location, a great story with characters I really loved – this book was quite wonderful. Go on, add it to your Christmas list – you’re going to love it too.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

What a gorgeous festive, wintery treat. Perfect reading for cold winter days, where you snuggle down, get cosy and get lost in the adventures from Swallowtail Bay. 
Nell is a sweetheart, a true romantic who I loved from the start. Her cosy, family run hotel is struggling following the arrival of a fancy, new, posh hotel. She needs go boost bookings fast to survive. She’s also a true romantic and is looking out for ‘The One,’ The answers are right in front of her but how long will it take her to realise. 
Events in the community help Nell’s business start to turn around, but the niggling negative reviews are a cause for concern. How will she solve this mysterious problem and save her hotel?
I adored the relationship between Nell and Tom. What a gorgeous friendship, and in my opinion a solid foundation for romance – not that Nell would even consider it. Tom is probably my favourite character overall, what a wonderful guy. His work ethic, the fact he would go to the ends of the earth to support his friends and the sweet connection he has with his Grandad. 
This is book three in the Swallowtail Bay series, I have loved each and every one and I must admit I feel a little bit sad that we won’t be back. Each can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend them all. Although I will miss this gorgeous, fictional community and its lovely inhabitants I cannot wait for more from Katie Ginger. 
A heartwarming, romance with wonderful characters, seasonal cheer and festive fun. A must this winter.

What I needed this week was a heart warming and uplifting romance – Katie Ginger’s book Winter at Swallowtail Bay satisfied all my book needs!

It is also a Christmas romance and has achieved the impossible – it got me feeling excited about Christmas! I know we are a few months away but with everything that’s happening in the world right now we need magical Christmas romances like this one. They help restore hope and give us that much needed warm tingling feeling.

The story is about Nell who runs her family hotel which is struggling. Profits are down as a new hotel competitor has moved into town. Nell finds herself in a precarious situation when bad reviews start appearing and you do wonder how she’s going to keep Holly Lodge afloat. I loved the difficult situation Katie Ginger had placed Nell into. This is exactly what us romance readers want from a good read; pile on a lot of pressure onto our heroine and watch her find new inner strength.

There was a strong friendship theme running throughout this book which I loved, It also helped set up the friends to lovers romance plot.

The romance was a slow burn but definitely worth the wait because – oh my goodness – the final few chapters are SO MOVING and intense! I was GLUED to this book. I didn’t want to go make a cup of tea and grab some more biscuits because I just wanted to keep reading. That’s how good the ending is!

I adored how Katie Ginger brought to life Christmas by the sea in this book and it’s now gone on my life’s bucket list. This is the kind of thing which happens with a good book.

A lovely Christmas romance – a perfect companion for cosy winter night reading sessions but do keep the Kleenex at hand as this book will tug on your heartstrings!

Thank you NetGalley, HQ Digital and Katie Ginger for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! 
	We still may be weeks away from Halloween but I’ve had Christmas on my mind since July! What better way to get cozy and enjoy the weather getting cooler than reading a sweet Christmaas romance?!
	Nell is Christmas obsessed. The lights, the music, the food, the movies... every bit of it. She owns the Holly Lodge, a small hotel in the cozy town of Swallowtail Bay. When a newer, fancier hotel comes to town Nell’s dream is suddenly being threatened. With the help of her best friend, Tom, Nell is determined to save her hotel and Christmas. What she doesn’t know is Tom has been in love with her for years and this is the perfect opportunity to get even closer than before. 
	This was such a sweet romance with a few laughs, a few cries and a HAE, this was the perfect palate cleanser between heavier books! This was a fairly clean story and I would consider this a very tame romance, so if you’re someone who loved a solid romance without too much drama, this one's for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Christmas is fast approaching Swallowtail Bay and Nell is trying to figure out ways to save her ailing boutique B&B.  This is the 3rd in the Swallowtail Bay books but can easily be read alone.  I've missed the first one but read the second one which I actually prefer to the Christmas one.

A good festive read.

Christmastime Approaching.....
Christmastime is approaching in Swallowtail Bay. Nell is getting into the spirit of the season, Tom standing on the sidelines. With the hotel struggling, can the two friends unite to save the hotel and see what’s in front of them? Festive romcom and the third in the series.

This is the third installment in the Swallowtail bay series, but it can easily be read as a standalone novel. I had read and enjoyed the previous books in the series  so I was delighted to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher.
This is a very festive feeling book, a nice and cosy read. The book is very detailed and descriptive and I could easily I imagine some of the characters and places in the book.
 I enjoyed reading it, I thought it was an easy and entertaining book, but not my favourite in the series.  I found some of the characters to be a little annoying at times, although I don't want to give any spoilers.

Cute book concept. I just couldn’t get into it. If you love holiday novels, especially ones that involve self-owned businesses, you will like it. Average Christmas love story.

Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay follows Nell and Tom, local business owners and best friends living and working in Swallowtail Bay.  Nell is working to keep her family's boutique in afloat while dreaming a Romantic comedy-worthy love, while Tom works in his flower shop, trying to ignore his love for Nell and some increasing health issues.  Throw in a lot of Christmas cheer, some best friend wedding drama and some competition from the new chain hotel down the street and Katie Ginger has created a story one can get lost in for a few hours.  

First off, I loved how much the characters loved Christmas and how they weren't afraid to show it way before the arbitrary Thanksgiving deadline; these are my kind of people.  Katie spent a lot of time on world building and details, even though this wasn't the first book to take place in Swallowtail Bay. At times, I felt that too much time was spent on inner-dialogue and details, and not enough time advancing plot or making things happen.  For some people, this is likely a draw, but I had trouble staying engaged in the story.  There were sweet themes of strong friendships and love along with real issues of unexpected health problems and family stresses that were well done and portrayed.  Overall, I give this book 2.5 stars, mostly because it didn't draw me in and keep me interested, but as a sweet, Christmassy read, you may find you disagree with me!

Wow what a read.......

Meet Nell, manager of Holly Lodge in Swallowtale Bay. Along the way we meet Cat, Kieran and Tom, best friends along with Nell. Nell faces the challenge of turning round the Holly Lodge, she needs to drum up business and fast. Since a rival hotel set up in Swallowtale Bay, Nell's takings have been suffering. With a Christmas wedding looming and a sprinkle of Christmas Magic, can Nell get her head out of the clouds and find her happy ever after?

I genuinely couldn't put it down! from page one i was hooked! This book was gripping but so good! emotional but pretty happy too

You wont be disappointed :) Massive praise to Katie Ginger.

Tis the season! It's finally coming closer to Christmas, and this book had a very cosy holiday vibe to it, the whole build up of Swallowtail Bay was very cute.

I had trouble with the narrative, it was very confusing to me at first, there was a lot happening at the beginning, so to get settled was a bit difficult. The editing, specially on the dialogues, would get hard to understand at times. 

As for the plot, there wasn't much of, actually. The book is more about the town and that holiday feeling, the friendships and a little bit of a romance, though we do have two main characters. There is a fight between Nell's hotel, our main character, and the big new hotel in town, and I think it was just petty; it would have been a lot better without it.

The characters here, however, felt very underdeveloped, as we have so many of them we could get in depth with, except for Tom's part - which I feel like it was a very strong part of the book. I do wish I could've seen more of Nell's problems, dived into her more, or Cat's life. In fact, Nell annoyed me at first with her daydreams, not seeing Tom right in front of her, how she was so clueless, but eventually she just grew on me, I guess.

Plus, the romance took forever, and when it happened, it was so rushed. I feel like if Harry hadn't been there, the romance would've just flowed in a better way.

But as a holiday romance, it did fullfill its purpose, and for that I felt so joyful. Thanks to the author for bringing Christimas earlier!

Winter Wishes at Swallowtail Bay by Katie Ginger
Publisher: HQ Digital
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Romance
Release Date: October 7, 2020

Winter Wishes At Swallowtail Bay is the third book in the Swallowtail Bay series by Katie Ginger. This book follows Nell, the owner of a bed & breakfast/hotel, lover of romcoms, and overall incredible friend.

Even though this book is part of a series, it handles really well as a standalone novel.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters and storyline of this book. It wasn't until the end of the book that I felt that it flowed at a good pace and it became enjoyable. Even though I wasn't fully invested in the story, I also couldn't stop reading it because I wanted to see how things turned out.

There is a lot of detail included in the story and I felt it slowed the story down a little.

Overall, I thought the book was good, but it is not something I would typically seek out to read,

I'm so grateful to Katie Ginger, HQ Digital, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.