A wonderful Christmas read.

Rose wants an escape from Dublin for Christmas to spend it alone with her dog, she contacts an old acquaintance who might just be able to help her out.

Charlie, with his Daughter in another country, decides this is the year he wants to spend Christmas alone. When his friend suggests Seaview cottage, it seems like the idyllic escape, until there may have been mistake with the bookings, leaving them double booked, on a Christmas where alone time was the goal.

This book was a lovely, warm Christmas read, it had everything and went a little deeper than the usual seasonal books. It covered some tough topics, and perhaps should come with a small grief trigger warning as it is sad at times.
You grow to love the characters and even Seaview cottage, who wouldn't want to stay there!

A fab Christmas read, would definitely recommend.

Advance reader copy from Netgalley, thank you!.

A wonderful Christmas read. Perfect for curling up with this winter. A heartwarming festive love story

This was a really lovely read about two people grappling with having to be happy at Christmas and deciding to spend it alone in a little cottage in Donegal - but unfortunately there was a double booking and so they ended up sharing the cottage.

Rose had a tragedy in her life a few years ago and feels she can't enjoy Christmas any more, so has been hiding herself away for the last few years, spending Christmas on her own. Charlie's young daughter has recently moved abroad with her mother, and so he's feeling very alone and miserable and also wants to spend Christmas by himself this year.

But because of the double booking they learn to share the house, initially in completely separate rooms, and only interacting via text messages! Of course slowly they bump into each other in person more and more, and both their barriers start to come down.

The slow burning relationship between Rose and Charlie worked really well, nothing was rushed, and both slowly learnt to enjoy Christmas again. There was lots of snow, roaring fires and snowy walks, along with family issues that were slowly worked out. Lovely warm, Christmassy feeling read, with a wonderful ending.

Trying to avoid the festive season, a double booking and broken down car. Not a inspiring start but the two dogs make friends.
A heartbreaking death at Christmas and a daughter who lives abroad with her mum.. Can they help heal each other and forgive themselves for past mistakes?
Enjoy the story I did

What a story! Great roller coaster of emotion, frustrating, heart warming, and beautiful. I cried tears of joy at the beautiful ending. Well done Emma and thank you!

This great book is an easy Christmas read following 2 people, in the run up to Christmas, who have been trying to avoid the festive season at all costs. It is a bit reminiscent of the film 'The Holiday'. It is a really enjoyable read but it had a bit of an abrupt ending.

A cosy story to put you well into the mood for Christmas. A well described setting in a truly rural location where two individuals battling unhappy times are thrown together in a cottage due to a double booking then seasonal weather .

A lovely book to read curled up in a cosy armchair in front of a fire. Great characters and an unfolding love story. Super read.

This was a DNF for me sadly.

I got to 50% and our MC's had said maybe 10 sentences to each other and are trying to avoid each other still.

I did enjoy the writing and think the author has so much more to offer but way too slow for me!

The premise of a double booking and each party agreeing to share a small cottage was a difficult concept at the start, but this was a charming novel. It ticked all of the boxes of how a Christmas romance should pan out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance copy of this book.

Warm and charming. This book is perfect to start off your Christmas reading and get you in the mood for your Christmas decorations! Get your hot chocolate and settle down.

A perfect winter read! All wrapped up sat by the fire with a hot chocolate and marshmallows! That's how I would describe this book.

Essentially this is a cosy, warming Christmas story set in Ireland, but, be ready to be charmed, spell-bound and amused by the misfortunes and miscommunications of Rose and Charlie. This is a romantic story filled with all the accoutrements of Christmas and yet it’s not overtly formulaic, but rather the opposite. There are tragic circumstances to this story but rest assured love breathes life into the log fire.

Hints of reality are woven into the prose which are engaging and easy to read. Such a lovely book for an Autumnal Sunday with a pot of tea, blankets and a log fire. I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas story, it was definitely hard to put down.

I highly recommend This Christmas by Emma Heatherington.

I found it a bit hard to get into this book at first, maybe because I was reading this during a heatwave! Once I got into it though I really enjoyed it. I could almost picture myself in the cosy cottage sat by the fire. Both main characters grew on me as I progressed through the book. Would definitely recommend for a cosy Christmas read

#ThisChristmas #NetGalley

What a lovely heartwarming Christmas story about finding yourself, finding acceptance & finding love.

Although it seemed a little weird reading a Christmas book in September it was so worth it. I felt transported into lives of Charlie & Rose from the very first word.

Both the main characters wanted to be alone for Christmas but fate had other ideas when Seaview Cottage was double booked. What followed was a wonderful journey into some Christmas magic.

This was a story that gave me a different perspective about a few things. As I was reading and enjoying this book, I read a paragraph, that says, "You have created a narrative that may not exist. You need to find out if that is what your Dad really believes, or if it what you think he believes. We choose how we speak to ourselves in our mind. Thoughts are just thoughts. Once you learn to control your thoughts, they no longer control you." That was definitely meant for me to see, and take to heart. ,
The story continues to be amazing, and I came to, doesn't the universe work in wondrous ways, and I had to say, yes. This is the first book I have read by Emma Heatherington, and I am convinced that the universe brought this book into my path for a reason.
I received an ARC from Penguin through NetGalley.

"This Christmas" by Emma Heatherington is a heartwarming holiday tale that warms you like a cozy blanket. Rose, once a lover of Christmas, now steers clear of family gatherings during the festive season. On the other hand, Charlie is facing his first lonely Christmas. Seeking solace, Rose retreats to a remote cottage in Donegal, only to discover it's double-booked with Charlie. What follows is a delightful journey of two kindred spirits finding unexpected companionship during the holiday season. The story is a blend of sweetness and relatable moments, making it a perfect read for a snug evening. Emma Heatherington weaves a compelling and immersive narrative that's easy to sink into, embracing you like the holiday spirit itself. If you're looking for a tale that feels like a warm hug during chilly weather, "This Christmas" is your go-to read.

After reading many heavy, fantasy world building books, I was happy to receive an invitation to read This Christmas by Emma Heatherington. This Christmas was a delight! I was pulled in by Rose and her heartbreak of losing her signficant other at Christmas time a few years before. Rose sought out her grandmother's old cottage to spend the holidays, but as the cottage is not supposed to be rented during that time through the website, an accidental double booking is made by the cottage owners. Charlie is a father navigating his first holidays with his daughter in another country. Two sad, single people, at Christmas, with their dogs in an adorable cottage...this is the stuff cozy romances are made of. Cozy romances are not normally a genre I seek out, but I found myself looking forward to each time I opened my Kindle to This Christmas. Emma Heatherington did a fantastic job creating these lovable characters and story. I look forward to reading more of her work and highly recommend This Christmas.

Oh I love Christmas!
My first Christmas book of the season! And I hope they are all as good.
A couple of singletons needing to get away for Christmas, a double booking, someone to listen.
But more than that the highs and lows of family, the wonder and love of pets, the guilt that we can suffer and that can paralise us, the gift of friendship but most importantly the magic of Christmas!

Brilliant holiday read .Rose used to love Christmas….then she didn’t and hasn’t been back to visit family since.Charlie? Well he’s facing his first Christmas on his own, he seeks seclusion and comfort in Seaview Cottage Donegal. Rose heads off to a holiday rental to spend it alone ( well her and the dog) ….. But, there’s one Secluded Cottage and two bookings . It has to be the hand of fate for these two lonely souls to meet and if they agree to share this holiday season who knows what the future has in store? It’s cute, it’s cosy , it’s heartwarming and heartbreaking but it’s realistic and relatable and a jolly ( excuse the hohoho pun) good honest to goodness cosy read. A compelling, immersive experience, wrote with empathy and understanding and avfluent writing style that’s a pleasure to read.
I read a free copy from net galley and my review is voluntary and my own words