The perfect cozy christmas read! I love a book that is not just feel good, but has the perfect balance of heartache and grit. This book is absolute perfection! The relationships between the characters are complicated and beautiful. I love diving into history and seeing it woven into the present, an excellent read!

f you’re looking for a Hallmark Christmas romance, look no further!
I loved this story. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it!
The ending felt a bit rushed (but aren’t all of these Hallmark Christmas style stories?), and I could have done without the epilogue, but it checked all the holiday romance boxes and I recommend it to anyone that’s looking for a heartwarming holiday romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this eARC.

Heart warming and at times heart wrenching, but so, so good!

I really loved this book, as I do with every one of Sue Moorcroft's stories. She has earned her title 'Queen of Christmas feelgood novels'!

The characters were great and the situations they were in gave plenty of opportunities to tug at the heart strings. I found myself needing tissues quite a few times throughout this story.

Maddy is a strong woman, she's had to be after her husband disappeared and left her in debt. She's caring and always puts others above her own happiness, but with Raff there seems a chance for her to find love and happiness.

I loved Raff as the hero of the story, and I especially loved that he's an author. A fantasy author at that!

The setting really came alive and the vivid depictions of winter in Nelson's Bar transported me there. The supporting cast were excellent, Great Auntie Ruthie especially. It's her backstory woven through the book that leads to so many of the emotional moments.

I love an epilogue and this one rounded off the wonderful tale perfectly.

Another excellent Christmassy 5 star read.

Loved this warm hug of a book. Sue Moorcroft never disappoints and I always await her new book with eagerness!
Loved the characters and the warmth and sincerity of the novel. Highly recommend

What a fantastic book. Loved going back in time with the letters a lovely story. Characters were amazing and I loved how the story progressed.

Sue Moorcroft is an author whose annual Christmas book is one I always look forward to. She writes with heart, about relationships and holiday magic. The Christmas Love Letters is set in the small village of Nelson's Bar on the Norfolk Coast. Six years earlier, Maddy Cracey's husband left the house in anger and frustration and has not been seen or heard from since. In the meantime, Maddy had a daughter (she was pregnant when Adey disappeared) and has moved in with her Great Aunt Ruthie. She rents out her cottage to make ends meet and is Aunt Ruthie's care giver. A handsome man named Raff shows up at Aunt Ruthie's with a packet of Love Letters from Ruthie to his father. There are secrets shared in those letters that change their lives, for the better?

I really enjoyed this story of family, friendship, survival, romance, forbidden love, new beginnings and more. The Christmas Love Letters is a well-written and plotted story with heartbreak and more. My emotions were all over ranging from anger, sadness, joy, and more. The romance was an important part of the story, but not the whole story. I loved Aunt Ruth and Lyla, Maddy's daughter. They were the important ones in her life and they had wonderful relationships. Aunt Ruth or Granty Ruth as Lyla called her was more like a mother and grandmother to them. Maddy is a strong woman, one who figured out how to stand on her own two feet, survive and provide a stable environment for her daughter. She still doesn't know what happened to Adey, although she still wonders, she has moved on with her life. There is a mystery, secrets, family drama and more in this one and it was a wonderful story with an uplifting and heartwarming Christmas message.

This is a really gorgeous Christmas story, which I really enjoyed! The story is about Maddy, Lyla, Aunty Ruthie and Raff, and some love letters which lead to different stories being revealed. It's all about family, love, romance and passion, with a beautiful setting and Christmas delights. This is a heartwarming book which is perfect to read on a cold winter's day. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Really charming story, gorgeous setting, very well written, flowed well, great characters that i could really connect too, and it was a lovely read.

Another great story by Sue Moorcroft.

In a Norfolk village Maddy lives with her daughter and her great Aunt Ruth. Her husband disappeared 7 years ago and she thinks he’s dead.

Raff turns up with love letters from Ruth’s fling, but Ruth had a secret life when she was younger.

Maddy starts getting messages on her phone and she’s very confused.

This is a lovely story of love, friendship and companionship. The characters are great and make the story. Maddy is a strong woman figure and has learnt to live being a carer and a single mother.

A fantastic read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

a hug in a book is how i would describe this book, it has everything you want and you could read it laid on a beach or smuggled up for christmas.
i adored the characters and hope there is a sequel as i would love to know what happens next
a great read

Well I just finished this book!! It was my first Sue Moorcroft read, and certainly won’t be my last! What a beautiful book to read, and a real festive treat.

Thankyou NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!! My full review will be posted on goodreads when I have managed to compile my thoughts a little more ♥️

A touching & poignant storyline that spans decades for one couple and ignites the start of something for another.
I enjoyed reading this book filled with interesting characters with a storyline that held my interest from beginning to end. A lovely cosy Christmas read, perfect for over the festive period.

It's been almost seven years since Maddie Cracey's husband Adey disappeared and with no trace of him Maddie has made a home for herself and her daughter living with Maddie's great aunt Ruthie. This close bonded trio live a peaceful life in the pretty village of Nelson's Bar on the Norfolk coast but when a handsome stranger turns up with some devastating news for Ruthie, Maddie must do all she can to protect the woman who has been such a comfort to her. What then follows is a story about a long hidden secret which Ruthie has carried with her for forty years and when revealed it will change all of their lives forever.

The Christmas Love Letters is a lovely story with two romantic elements running through it both of which kept my attention as I was intrigued to discover more about Ruthie's secret but also fell completely for Maddie's relationship with the handsome Raff who I must say really steals the show with his kind hearted nature and genuine desire to make right the wrongs of the past. However, it's not all hearts and roses as there are some darker elements to the story with a definite sense of friction when the secret is discovered and both Maddie and Ruthie must learn to live with the consequences of their secrets being revealed.

Whilst the story has a definitely festive feel to it it is also one of those lovely stories which can be read at any time of year as this talented author always brings such warmth, love and empathy to her lovely stories that they are a delight to read all year round.

This was such a lovely book to read. Mandy is a fantastic character, her relationship with Ruthie is heartwarming, as much as she tries to shelter Ruthie from the things going on, Maddy is also aware that Ruthie is a tough cookie after what she has been through. Their lives become intertwined with Raff and Ffion and the letters.
I really enjoyed this book and although centred around Christmas time, it was a lovely cosy book, that can be read at any time of the year!

The Christmas Love Letters is a sweet book, just not particularly the most memorable book I've read. Ruthie and Nigel's story was quite heartbreaking. The injustice of it was just terrible. Some characters annoyed me. Heloise came across as a bit of a user at times and Raff behaved like a spoilt child. Maddy's love for Ruthie was just heartwarming and she was the sweetest character. A decent festive read.

4.5 stars, really liked this story. Epilogue felt a little too much too soon for me personally but overall had a great time with it.

Maddy Austen lives on the Norfolk coast in a place called Nelson’s Bar. Maddy has lived in this area all of her life, as had her husband Adey, until one-night years ago when he left and never returned. Maddy is biding her time until the seven-year mark arrives, when she can put her past behind her and continue to move forward.

Maddy lives a comfortable life with her daughter Lyla and her Great Aunt Ruthie, that is until Raff shows up at Ruthie’s door with a handful of love letters which unearth secrets from the past. Raff and Maddy start to get to know one another, and love starts to blossom. Then Maddy receives a message that is either a cruel joke or Adey has surfaced after all these years.

I really enjoyed this novel. Maddy reading the love letters to Ruthie, reminded me of reading portions of my grandmother’s diary to her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheChristmasLoveLetters

Love her books and this is no exception. She excels at character development and for a good festive read it really pulls it all in. Really recommend this read for a festive gift.

Publication - 26th October 2023. ❤️A beautiful Christmas hug of a book!!❤️. Funny, sad, surprising and a little bit of Xmas Magic …… 💖 ✨📝💌.
Just a gorgeous book. Definitely add this to your Xmas book list!!✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ #books #bookstagram #bookshelf #bookstagrammer #bookstore #booksofinstagram #bookstagramfeature #bookshop #bookshelves #bookslover #booksigning #booksandcoffee #booksale #booksbooksbooks #booksph #bookstagramfeatures #bookstack #bookstagramer #booksforkids #bookseries #booksarelife #booksandbeans #bookshelfie #bookstagrampl #bookstagramespa #BooksforSale #booksofIG #bookstagrammers #Booksy #bookslover #suemoorcroft

This was a great read and I really enjoyed it – the ending even gave me goosebumps! Not only are there dumpings of snow as Christmas Day draws nearer, but I loved reading about the characters and the mystery surrounding Maddy’s husband.

Maddy’s husband disappeared one night nearly seven years ago, leaving her pregnant, with lots of debt and barely a house over her head. The trail has gone cold and Maddy has since been forced to move on, although she can never forget about her husband and what was behind his disappearance. However, caring for her great aunt Ruthie and raising her daughter, Maddy has no time to dwell on what might have been and has moved on with her life.

However, the main focus of the story is Ruthie being reunited with her long-lost daughter. This was an emotional aspect to the plot and I loved how sensitively Moorcroft handles this topic. The path to being reunited is never easy and this was reflected by Ffion’s conflicting emotions and her natural protectiveness towards her own daughter, Chloe. Indeed, Maddy gets a sense of displacement as she becomes aware of Ruthie’s new, extended family.

Yet, this would not be a true Christmas story without a touch of romance and I loved watching the developing connection between Maddy and Raff. There are quite a few parallels between the two characters and I liked seeing how they are drawn to each other, especially when Maddy starts to receive mysterious text messages. They are both clearly meant to be together but with Ruthie’s changing circumstances and Maddy’s absent husband, it was never going to be straightforward. Yet, Raff is like a knight in shining armour with how respectful he is to Maddy and considerate to her circumstances.

But, the character that steals the limelight in this story is undoubtedly Maddy’s daughter. She is such a cannonball of energy and I loved her honesty: sometimes you just need a child’s unfiltered perspective to set the world straight! Her innocence and enthusiasm is loveable; I warmed to her and enjoyed her reaction to particular adults later in the story.

This was a great festive read about families coming together and new relationships being established. The warmth of Christmas shines through and all those snowy scenes had me reaching for a cosy blanket. A brilliant book to snuggle up to.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.