I loved this book! Everything you can think of to put you in the Christmas spirit is in here from festive films, to delicious Christmas baking, carol singers, decorations, Christmas jumpers, gingerbread houses, hot chocolate, Christmas songs and of course, nutcrackers. There was one particular part of the story about nutcrackers which reminded me of our local mysterious robot maker. For some time now, a mystery person has been leaving handmade wooden robots around the Portobello area which as you can imagine brings great joy to anyone who finds one. I was lucky enough to find one on Christmas Eve and was delighted!

I really enjoyed reading about the growing friendship and attraction between Nia and James. It was so funny how completely opposite they were in regards to Christmas and Nia's attempts to get James to see the magic were quite often very funny. There was also the mystery of just who James was, appearing so suddenly just after Nia made her Christmas wish. He couldn't really be the nutcracker come to life could he? James was such a intriguing character, particularly as Nia began to learn more about him and his family and why Christmas wasn't quite the same for him. I was willing her to work some Christmas magic on him and so hoping that they would find a happy-ever-after but also had some suspicions about him...

The dedication at the beginning of the book says it is for 'anyone who still believes in the magic of Christmas'. Well, if you didn't before you started reading, you just might by the time you've finished! I think you'll be hard pushed to find a more Christmassy book and if this gorgeous romance doesn't fill you with the Christmas spirit then Bah, Humbug - I think you might be Scrooge himself!

Cute story! Perfect for the holidays. Would give it 3.5 stars. I absolutely loved "The Little Bookshop of Love Stories" so I was looking forward to reading this one. I enjoyed it but didn't love it as much as the previous book. I blame it on the characters. I liked them, but didn't love them. At times I found them both annoying. I didn't really buy James's reasons for hating Christmas. Not sure how Nia made any money. She was never actually in her store working and was always running around Nutcracker Lane with James. She left everything to Stacy. At time the story felt a little slow. I LOVED Nutcracker Lane. I want to check out each of the shops and make a wish on the magical nutcracker.

Definitely recommend the book. It's full of Christmas magic. Loved the about the author portion in the beginning of the book. Made me love Jaimie Admans even more. How can you not love someone who admits having the voice of a dying hyena??? I'm with her about not having enough time to read all the books I want to read. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HQ Digital through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of the book and what a lovely little find.
This book is a wonderful feel good story about what the real meaning of Christmas is and should be, for get the expensivd presents and perfect day it is snot giving, sharing community anticipation and acceptance that the day itself is not what Christmas is, it is the build up. We'll written, great believable characters with genuine normal flaws. To read something so heart warming in a world gone a bit mad. Was just a joy. Clichés abundant, but helps to make it a brilliant read. 5stars

My top festive read of 2020. In a year that's made people feel miserable, this brings a little bit of joy into our lives.
Was it predictable, yes. Did I see the "big twist" coming, yes.
But were the characters loveable, absolutely. Did I care about Nutcracker Lane, my goodness so much so you would think I lived just down the road. Am I praying for a sequel, more than you could imagine.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nia gets the opportunity to run her own Christmas shop on Nutcracker Lane. On the way home one night she passes the supposedly magical nutcracker and half-joking she makes a wish to find Prince Charming. The next day she discovers another shop has opened directly across from her so she goes in to look around.. She soon discovers James the shop owner who looks exactly like Prince Charming. His was a fun Christmas romance.

This book definitely got me in the festive spirit, I feel they can be little hit or miss with Christmas themed books depending on how my December is going, but this one was just what We all needed this year joy in 2020. A magical fun book that captures all the great things about Christmas with a bit of romance and community spirit added into the mix. I felt this.

I wish Nutcracker Lane was a real place, it sounds fantastic, even though when starting out you know it wasn’t what it once was just hearing them speak about it makes it feel even more magical as the book progresses. Everyone wants a giant nutcracker that grants wishes. I really liked that Nia made it her aim to try and make Nutcracker Lane alive, back to what it used to be and bring back the wonderful sense of community that she felt when she was a visitor. The ideas that she had to give it a little more magic were great and I loved seeing the small differences as the story goes along.

Nia is such a festive lady, I feel like she could inject anyone with some Christmas cheer, she was both whimsical and so determined and I liked that she made it her mission to try and un-Grinch James. I quite enjoyed her efforts and the fact that even though he put up a little fight that he was slowly coming around. I did enjoy their chemistry, It was cliche and predictable how it would end as all these books are.
But I enjoyed it’d the kind of book that would make a good Hallmark Movie.

I haven’t read this author before but heard all her books are nice cute reads.
I would read her others absolutely this was a winner for me.
A Christmas story at Christmas this year being what it is has been brought me fuzzy feels for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for the arc for an honest review.

This book definitely got me in the festive spirit, I can be a bit hit or miss with Christmas themed books depending on how my December is going, but this one was just what I needed this year. A fun and magical book that captures all the great things about Christmas with a bit of romance and community spirit added into the mix.

I kind of wish that Nutcracker Lane was a real place, it sounds fantastic, even though when starting out you know it wasn’t what it once was just hearing Nia speak about it makes it feel even more magical as the book progresses. Plus who doesn’t like a giant nutcracker that grants wishes. I really liked that Nia made it her goal to try and bring Nutcracker Lane back to what it used to be and bring back the wonderful sense of community that she felt when she was a visitor. The ideas that she had to give it a little more magic were great and I loved seeing the small differences as the story goes along.

Nia was such a festive person, I feel like she could inject anyone with some Christmas cheer, she was both whimsical and determined and I liked that she made it her mission to try and un-Grinch James. I quite enjoyed her efforts and the fact that even though he put up a little fight that he was slowly coming around. I did enjoy their chemistry, I maybe wasn’t quite as convinced in Nia’s protestations about being interested in someone who doesn’t like Christmas because I don’t believe you need to like all the same things, but overall it was very sweet.

As with most books that I have read by this author there is something about the setting that pulls you in and creates this cosy warm feeling, perfect for wintery nights, the characters were wonderful and I was keeping my fingers crossed for them from the get-go. I think if you are looking for some festive fun and magic then you have found the best book for it in this one.

What a magical book. This is the second book I have read by the author and I loved it just as much. There is something about her books that just make me smile the whole time I am reading. A charming Christmas time story but honestly I would have enjoyed it any time of year. Thank you HQ Stories for the ARC!

Hallmark should be calling this author. Such a sweet Christmas romance story that will warm your heart and bring the spirit of the holidays to your home!

This book really shone with Christmas moments...Christmas movie references, Christmas songs, Christmas baking and Christmas decorations. The two leads were endearing and fun to read about. I enjoyed seeing them gradually get together. But the plot was rather weak. A lot of the dialogue was repetitive and so was a lot of the action. The “twist” was obvious from the beginning so the whole time I was waiting for the big misunderstanding to come to light. The ending was still super sweet and satisfying but unfortunately I don’t think this was one of Jaimie Admans’ best books.

I went into this hoping to like it and I ended up loving it. This is a sweet, warm, whimsical Christmas story and it was the perfect way to end my Christmas reads for December. I’m hoping the author has other Christmas-themed work that I can add to my list for next December!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Really easy, cute Christmas read. It was a bit predicable, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

What a lovely holiday read! I am glad I got to spend Christmas 2020 with this beautiful story. I really thought James was going to be a wooden nutcracker who was only created as a person to help the main character follow her dreams and understand the truth about Christmas, but what James ended up being instead was so much more intriguing. A wonderful story that emphasizes the importance of helping the less fortunate and paying attention to those around you, as well as spreading kindness :)

I read this book beginning two days before Christmas, and there could be no better book to read at this time! If you enjoy Hallmark holiday movies, this book reads just like one but even better.

After years of applications, Nia is accepted to open an artisan Christmas shop with her best friend. However, the budget is cut and the shops are not what they usually are just trying to survive. The story involves a heart-warming tarnsformation of both the grinch-like (but hansome) James and the Shops on Nutcracker. This is a. must-read!

The writing - ⭐⭐⭐
The story - ⭐⭐⭐
Overall - ⭐⭐⭐

I smashed through this in a couple of hours, and it was... Ok. It was easy to read, engaging and it did make me feel really christmassy! But I saw the 'twist' coming a mile off so working through it started to feel like a bit of a slog waiting for Nia to twig, and honestly, I kind of found it ridiculous it took SO LONG for her to find out.

But, especially since this year doesn't feel Christmassy at all with COVID and the fact we can't spend the holiday with family, this was kind of exactly what I needed. A bit of Christmas kindness, festive joy and all the delicious tasty treats wrapped up in a romance.

If you're looking for a quick and easy Christmas filler read this is perfect, it will most certainly make you feel festive!

Fave quote - 'It's not about the "Big Day" itself everyone knows that. It's about the build-up. This is the fun part of Christmas. It's nothing to do with the day itself. That's always full of stress and a total let-down. It's about this - this exact time of year when everything's bright and twinkly and people are just a little bit kinder than usual.'

Fave moment - The little boy who wishes for a friend at the nutcracker - ALL THE FEELS.

I was drawn to this one by the gorgeous, artistic, crisp cover and the author’s name, as she is one that has been recommended to me many times by friends and Bookstagrammers! I have a few waiting on my Kindle but I was eagerly anticipating reading this one…

This definitely did not disappoint. I knew from the first few pages and the festive atmosphere and community spirit shown that this would be one I would love. I was immediately transported from the rather bleak reality of a tier 4 lockdown Christmas to the beautiful, nostalgic Nutcracker Lane…

I really struggled to put it down and eventually finished it at 3am having read 34% in one sitting (this is highly unusual for me!)

The writer’s skill shines through in this book. The romance is delicately balanced and developed as the narrative is also peppered with tension- the romantic and sexual tension that exists between the two main love interests, and the tension that exists within the community as they wonder whether this Christmas on Nutcracker Lane will be the last one as they know it…

I have been totally invested in this story and I was rooting for the main characters, Nia and James throughout. Nia especially, I could identify with as someone who is hard working, determined, a romantic at heart but also realistic and quite guarded at times… Jaimie creates such realistic characters you could imagine them becoming your friends or living next door to you!

This has undoubtedly been a 5 star read due to its originality and creativity, and one I would highly recommend to fans of festive reads or romantic fiction! I am really looking forward to reading more by this author in the New Year!

This was a fun light hearted Christmas read, but it felt slow at times. It doesn’t read as hallmark as I expected, but was still light hearted. I just struggled to fully embrace the story, but I can’t put my finger on why.

There’s something to be said for magical realism – especially at Christmas time, the most magical time of year, when that line between reality and magic seems thinner as is.

Nutcracker Lane certainly has its own brand of Christmas magic going on – and out of all of the holiday books I’ve read this year, this might’ve been the one that made me feel like Christmas the most. There’s a veritable Scrooge, nostalgia, trying to save part of Nia’s childhood… Some perceived (kinda real) betrayal, supportive friendships, and the type of romance that made me tingle. Honestly – I felt the butterflies when that first kiss happened.

Combined with enough Christmas sweetness to give you a toothache, people banding together and, of course: that perfect happy ending? This is exactly the type of read you need to get exactly in the Christmas spirit!

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ and Jaimie Admans for my arc of The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane in exchange for an honest review.

I am all about Hallmark Christmas movies and Christmas books but I just could not get into this book. I really wanted to love it but at about 40% I gave up.

I liked this book, for the sheer fact of the story roping me in. The characters were just okay. I felt like the friend who owned the shop and her daughter weren't needed to move the story along. I called the twist rather early on into the story, so when it finally happened I wasn't surprised. This was my first time reading a book by this author and I would read one be her again. Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this book!