Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC.

Sophie is a commitment phobe. She grew up in the foster care system and doesn't trust easily. She gives herself a year in each place, then she moves on. Right now she is in Mistingham, a gorgeous coastal village in Norfolk with a thriving community. She has a little shop selling notebooks and friends Fiona and Ermin. It's October and she starts thinking about where to go next year with her little rescue dog Clifton (Cornwall looks nice) but then events overtake her.

She gets roped in to organise the annual Christmas Oak Fete together with Harry, the Dark Demon Lord of Mistingham Manor, a moniker that doesn't fill her with confidence. Harry is an enigmatic, reclusive character, fresh back from London to renovate the manor house, has a pygmy goat called Felix who wears knitted Christmas jumpers and two docile dogs called Darkness and Terror.

Then Sophie receives a beautifully bound old copy of Jane Eyre from The Secret Bookshop and tries to find out who is behind sending it to her. I've never read that novel but the author is at pains to explain how Sophie's story is similar to the one in the book.

Earlier this year I read Ms McLaughlin's book Happy Hour, set in Greenwich Market, and I wasn't convinced. Happily, she is back to her old form, giving us a slew of great, quirky characters and pets, plus lots of festive and romantic going ons. Mistingham is a great cosy setting that will keep you spellbound in this easy to read escapist small town romance of forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine and second chances.

I’ve never wanted to step inside a book more than to walk the cosy streets of Mistingham. It was the most perfect setting for such a spell binding Christmas romance. And when you meet the brooding, enigmatic and handsome manor owner, I think you’ll want to stick around Mistingham too…!

The Secret Christmas Bookshop was a perfect portal to escapism and I loved my brief stint in Mistingham so much (I absolutely annihilated this book and couldn’t stop reading it so my time there was fairly short. I had intended to slow the book down but alas. I could not. I shall return for a reread at Christmas I think. I absolutely fell in love with this town!).

The Demon Dark Lord of Mistingham, in all his grumpy glory, makes a great contrast to bounce off Sophie who both end up planning the four day Mistingham Christmas extravaganza.

I was completely taken by all the residents of the town and grew to love them so much in such a short space of time. I so instantly connected to the book and I’m so happy to have spent some in lovely Mistingham.

Oh and also there’s a Christmas jumper wearing goat so if that doesn’t get you reading, I don’t know what will!