An enjoyable Christmas romance set in a suitably snowy Irish landscape, with a good supporting cast of village characters and the protagonists' families. The outcome was predictable from page 1, but there were some twists and turns along the way that made this a thoroughly interesting read.

Rose and Charlie are complete strangers but due to events in their lives, have ended up booking the same cottage at the same time over the Christmas period.

Charlie arrived first, so Rose gracefully bows out only to have her car break down in the small village. Its Christmas time so the part needed is going to take longer than usual to arrive. This means Rose must find somewhere to stay, so she reluctantly turns back to the cottage and Charlie. They agree to make it work for the few days needed for Rose's car to be repaired.

Charlie creates a list of ridiculous rules to ensure they keep their distance from each other, including only communicating by text or the whiteboard he has attached to the fridge.

Of course this lasts a matter of days before each starts to let down their walls and realise that the other person can help them heal the hurt they are both trying to cope with alone.

This is a really nice little Christmas story where the Christmas miracle really does happen. Charlie and Rose find each and together they begin to heal, allowing them to start to be the people they were before their trauma.

Told in dual point of view, it's a fairly slow burn but it's worth it. I felt like Charlie and Rose both grew quite a bit in the few short days they were together, both individually and as a couple. It would have been nice to have seen how things played out with Charlie's daughter.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Really enjoyed how this story unfolded. Was lovely to get to the inevitable happy ending. Would definitely recommend.

I really liked the vibes of this book - it seems like a mature versio of like a 2000 chick-flick.

I loved Charlie's reference to Scrooge in the beginning few chapters because I feel like he kind of has those vibes about him (being isolated from his family and not enjoying christmas and then like transforming to not being isolated and enjoying christmas).

i loved the comedic relief in this book with marion and rusty and how there was a resolution to rose and marion's family drama.

i thought that both charlie and rose definitely had an impact on each other which was nice to see. i felt really glad, on behalf of charlie, because he got to see his daughter for christmas and like be in australia with her. i also feel happy because he stoo dup to his ex-wife and like enforced boundaries with her.

i also thought that it was really good that rose's previus trauma with michael got kinda resolves becuase trauma doesn''t really ever resolve itself. i felt rlly happy that evelyn also got included because she was really isolated. and it was good to see that ttwo of the people impacted by mike's death were able to find happiness with each other.

Every now and then I really love to get into an emotional story that also has a feel good factor. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me find Emma Heatherington.From the first page the characters enveloped me and although you could guess what would happen it didn't take anything away. A thoroughly heart warming 5 star read

Christmas used to be a special time for Rose but not now. Desperate to escape she books a cottage in rural Donegal, Christmas is the last thing she wants or needs. But when she finds out her cottage had been booked out she suddenly finds herself having to share with Charlie.

Can this Christmas and fate bring these two together and maybe, just maybe, bring the magic of Christmas back into their lives with love too?

This is a cute little book set in beautiful Ireland. Snuggle in front of fire and escape with that Irish.

Such a feel good festive cute fest! The characters are so easy to become invested in & the festive back drop got me so excited it’s never too early for Christmas in my eyes & this book got me so excited for the festive season! It’s like a warm cosy winters hug in a book !

This book was lovely! Made me wish it was Christmas in may! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book.

A really lovely book of two people thrown together by chance - or bad luck and inclement weather. What unfolds is a warm and engaging tale of recovering from hurt, pain and loneliness… added and abetted by two funny dogs and a broken down car. Highly recommended

What more can you want in a book Christmas, romance and dogs .Throughly enjoyed this book it is a real feel good story.About the ups and downs of life and the unexpected happening .

This is a five-star read that makes you feel like you are wrapped in a warm hug by a lovely fire. This is such a fun and comforting read, you really get swept up in Rose and Charlies stories, they both have struggles and it’s a comfort how they face them together and complement each other. There are so many great characters in this story, each one will make you smile in a different way. Even the cottage plays a major part in this story, it feels like a character all of its own, there are some real comic moments, and some real heart wrenching ones as well. This will make you want to curl up with a warm blanket and a roaring fire, to lose yourself in this story. This author has a way of really pulling you into the story as they have such a powerful way with their words.

A charming feel-good story about love and friendship, but with a touching insight into grief and finding both the strength and courage to move on.

Rose has decided to escape to a secluded village away from her family and friends this Christmas. What was once a joyous time of year only brings back painful memories of what she has lost now and she’s determined not to dampen others’ spirits. Charlie is also struggling with being alone for Christmas this year and has also chosen to find some solitude in the countryside.

But what will happen when these two strangers discover that their holiday rental cottage has been double-booked?

While at first glance they may appear to be polar opposites, a friendship soon starts to grow and before long it seems that both may get more than they bargained for this Christmas. A touching love story set at Christmas time, it would make a great holiday read!

When you don't want to have anything to do with Christmas but the universe has other plans...that is the premise of this sweet romance. I liked the idea behind the story, it was fun and had some good twists and great characters too. The idea of getting away from it all and be all alone, only to find your retreat is double booked is a classic trope but it still read with a fresh take. I did find it a little hard to get into but once it got going I really did enjoy this Christmas tale.

The characters are great, I loved Charlie and Rosie, I enjoyed watching their characters slowly change and open up to possibilities. I liked Rosie's cousin Rusty too, he and the two dogs gave the story lots of warmth.

If you are looking for a good Christmas story to curl up with, one that makes you feel that Christmas spirit, then this book is for you.

A double booking of Seaview Cottage (which I would love to stay in- it sounds so cosy!!) has Rose and Charlie ending up having to share the cottage with their dogs Max and George. What follows is a lovely heartwarming festive read of learning to trust and to love again. I really recommend.
Thank you to the publishers Cornerstone, and Netgalley for the e-Arc.

I enjoyed reading this book and will be reading other s by Emma Heatherington.

It’s a very gentle, no overt angst story of two lost souls finding happiness again.

Rose and Charlie (plus their adorable canine pals) book the same cottage and are shocked to find the other there. Circumstances mean they make an arrangement to remain but agree not to have any communication. This leads to some hilarious moments.

A true feel-good story that reminds us that miracles can happen at Christmas.

A beautiful story full of love and sorrow. There will be tears and laughter whilst reading this book but it is very hard to put down once you have started.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Frothy, sweet and Christmassy. I really enjoyed.

The perfect festive read! A gentle heartwarming plot with characters you'll love and root for. I didn't want this book to end; I will recommend this book on my podcast during the Christmas season.

A perfect Christmas read, with great character's with their dogs in an overbooked cottage and the romance starts.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

This book is definitely worth the read, I flew through it, and wished that it lasted longer, I can’t wait to reread this at Christmas (though it was so good that I’ll definitely be rereading it not just when the season matches the title), but yeah definitely recommending it to everyone in search of a new read.