Escape for Christmas I did! When I started reading this I thought it was going to be predictable but there was a lot more depth to the story line. I absolutely adored the description of the area where the guesthouse was and could picture it so clearly,

An easy read to get you in the mood for the festive season!

"Escape for Christmas" is another feelgood romance from Phillipa Ashley. This time the setting is the Lake District, where guest house owner Sophie is offering a different type of Christmas getaway, a non-traditional one. Her neighbour Brody, the local vet, is not a big fan of Christmas either but has to humour his mother and girlfriend. There are numerous secrets and misunderstandings as Brody, Sophie and her guests get to know each other.

This is a book to curl up with and avoid Christmas! Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Festive read with everything thrown in, a guest house, a pregnant women etc, you know the drill. Nice setting with some good characters but felt long winded in parts. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

I can’t say how much I love this novel! It is fabulous, it’s got a great not Christmas story line in it a donkey even a baby is boring!!
But it all starts when Sophie buys Sunnyside guest house in the lakes after her relationship breaks down, she needs a fresh start and decides to host an Escape Fir Christmas the guest house is fully booked. Others in the village are scornful but quite a lot are lovely and pleased for her including the local vet Brody who is also very gorgeous and lives across the back of sunnyside
Phillipa Ashley’s novels are always superbly written this is know different she had me laughing, crying and laughing again it’s a book for this season especially so settle into your cozy chair and read away

The story of Sophie, who runs a guest house in the Lake District. Following a nasty break up with her cheating ex, Sophie sold her Christmas shop and headed to the Lakes. For her first Christmas following the break up, she decides to offer an alternative festive experience, with no Christmas baubles, carols or turkey. And she’s fully booked!

I did feel too much was made of people’s curiosity about Sophie’s alternative Christmas events. I can’t really imagine anyone taking that much offence (or interest) in someone cooking paella instead of turkey but her antipathy towards
Christmas is explained (often).

Sophie’s neighbour (and cats’ vet) Brody is keen to get to know Sophie better and romance blossoms between the two but something isn’t quite right. The course of true love never does run smooth so there are hiccups along the way.

The cast of characters is lovely and so is the little Lakeside town, I really enjoyed Sophie’s story, especially reading about the guests who share her alternative Christmas - stories within stories.

Enjoyable, not too taxing but very readable, this is another cracker from Phillipa.

A cosy Christmas read by Phillipa Ashley.

A will they, won't they story about Sophie, owner of a guest house, and Brody the handsome local vet.

Sophie has sworn off Christmas after catching her fiancé Ben cheating on her with her best friend, So she plans an alternative Christmas at her guest house for herself and her guests.

Throw in some drama, a complicated love storyline and some unruly pets and you have this cosy Christmas read.

Escape for Christmas by Phillipa Ashley

What a pleasure to return to the Lake District for Phillipa Ashley’s Christmas book this year. She never fails to present the reader with a fantastic festive treat of a story at this time of year. This book also comes with the bonus of a perfectly stunning cover that could hardly fail to attract readers.

This story concerns Sophie Cranford, who runs a guest house situated on the outskirts of the village of Bannerdale in the Lake District. She has not enjoyed Christmas since breaking up with her fiancé at this time of year, an experience which caused her to up sticks and move miles away to her current location. This year she has come up with the idea of advertising breaks suitable for people who would like an alternative to the conventional Christmas celebrations. Local residents think this a strange idea and regard her as a Scrooge type of figure, but her accommodation is soon booked to capacity. In the light of her history with her ex, Sophie has sworn off romance, but is finding herself more and more attracted to her nearest neighbour, vet Brody. He certainly seems interested in a relationship with her. In the midst of all the snow and Christmas festivities, can she relent and allow herself to consider that she might love again.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a romantic festive story in a stunning setting. I absolutely loved everything about it, even though, as a lover of all things Christmas, I found the idea of escaping the festivities a strange idea. Sophie had her reasons for avoiding the celebrations, but I was quite amused by her choices of alternative festive fare and activities. In addition to the central players, the book is populated with many other interesting characters each with their own individual stories covering a range of topics. Sophie was lucky to have the handsome and practical Brody as her neighbour; I hoped that she might consider forgetting her ban on men for him. The amazing scenery of the area is well described by the author; a fall of snow can add to the beauty of the vista but there is a reminder of the problems that it can cause at the same time.

Sophie broke up with her finance last Christmas, so she moved to the Lake District, bought a guest house and has arranged an alternative Christmas get away for those who want to avoid the traditional festivities.

I enjoyed the story but felt that Sophie’s reaction to one bad Christmas somewhat unrealistic. The Christmas break doesn’t go quite how she planned and whilst some off it was predictable (a heavily pregnant woman turns up unexpectedly on Christmas Eve - what did you expect to happen?), there were also some unexpected events.

This is an OK Christmas romance but not one that stands out from the crowd.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie used to love everything about Christmas but that was before she broke up with her fiance. Now she runs a guest house in Cumbria and has decided to offer an alternative Christmas get away.
Although she has sworn off Christmas and men she finds herself drawn to Brody, the local vet and her nearest neighbour.
Obviously although things don't go exactly according to Sophie's plans everything works out in the end both romantically and for her new business. A very enjoyable festive read.

A very enjoyable cosy read.

Sophie has left her life behind to run a guest house in the Lake District and she meets Brody who is the local vet and her next door neighbour, they get on very well. Sophie has decided to be different and run a no festive Christmas and she is fully booked. They certainly are a mixed bag of guests but who seem to get on well together.

This is a book of misunderstandings but also is a nice read and was an enjoyable book. There is romance and nice snowy scenes in the book makes you want to be out in it.

Such a lovely festive story with great characters and a lovely setting

This is the story of Sophie who opens a hotel after catching her ex cheating on her, because of this she dislikes everything Christmas and so at her hotel there is never Christmas, it's the perfect place for people wanting to get away from festivities! Of course she meets the lovely Brody and might just be thawing a teeny tiny bit lol. Will Sophie and Brody find solace in each other?

Loved this story Highly recommend!

Escape For Christmas (by Phillipa Ashley) is a lovely, warm and cosy Christmas read. Set in the snowy hills of the Lake District, Sophie lives in her little guesthouse along with her two cats, after becoming the new owner. Previously a Christmas shop owner, Sophie left her life in Stratford because of her cheating ex-boyfriend and best friend. She decides to host an alternative Christmas for those hoping to avoid the festivities, as she is. While hosting this getaway, the guests come across many unpredictable events, but luckily, the good-looking vet next door is there to save the day. The story follows Sophie as she gets to know her business and her new neighbours.
I would recommend this for anyone who wants to escape to snowy hills and delve into a little bit of romance.

You’d think someone who used to run a year-round Christmas shop and who has cats called Jingle and Belle would absolutely adore Christmas wouldn’t you? Well, Sophie used to until her relationship fell apart spectacularly at Christmas. She’s built a new life for herself running Sunnyside Guest House in the Lake District and decides to offer an alternative Christmas break – an escape from Christmas! Despite the fact that she keeps explaining it’s just an alternative, the locals will insist that it’s an anti-Christmas break! I thought it was a really good idea actually. I do like Christmas and all the traditions but can appreciate that other people find it a difficult time of year and it must be hard to be bombarded with Christmas music and advertising which seems to get earlier and earlier each year!

Sophie’s nearest neighbour is handsome vet Brody and over the time she’s owned Sunnyside they have been getting closer. They seemed to be perfect for each other and she was just starting to believe that perhaps she could trust someone again when all of a sudden, something happened to break that trust. As a reader we know what the reasons for that were but poor Sophie doesn’t. I was so hoping that somehow Brody could explain everything to her but also respected his reasons for not doing so. I loved his black lab Norman, a typical dog who is keen to eat everything in sight!

I really enjoyed meeting all the guests and finding out their reasons for not wanting to celebrate a traditional Christmas. They were certainly an eclectic bunch! I don’t want to tell you all about them as you’ll want to discover who they are and why they are there for yourself. However, it’s fair to say that they definitely had an alternative Christmas and, thanks to some unexpected arrivals and an unexpected snowfall, a very different experience to what they had expected!

Escape for Christmas is a fabulously festive read in a beautiful setting and with a heart-warming romance. With its themes of hope, love and new beginnings cosy up with a cup of hot chocolate and add this book your Christmas reading list.

This was a lovely cosy festive novel set in the gorgeous landscape of the Lake District.
Sophie is hosting a Christmas break with a difference at her guest house near Lake Windermere. There will be no festive decorations or turkey but instead her guests will have a few days filled with fiesta and flamenco dancing. The rooms quickly fill up with an interesting collection of guests who each have their own reasons for trying to escape the normal festivities.
I really loved Sophie and her determination to make a success of her new venture. Her guesthouse sounds like an idyllic place to spend a few days and I loved the idea of a non-Christmas break. The guests were an interesting group especially the unexpected arrivals on Christmas Eve and it was fun to see them come together as a group. As you might expect, things don’t go completely smoothly but everything gets sorted out in the end. The animals were a fun inclusion too especially Harold, a black labrador with a love of sausages.

I was less convinced by the romance aspect of the novel. Brody is gorgeous and probably everyone’s idea of the perfect vet. However, his willingness to go along with Tegan’s plans at the expense of his own happiness made him seem a bit weak and I wasn’t convinced by the situation in general.
Apart from that one aspect, this was a fun read perfect for a wintry evening in front of the fire.
Thank you as always to Net Galley and the publishers, Random House UK, for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a lovely christmas read, it starts with adultry and ends happy, it is in a lovely setting and the characters were likable, overall a nice start to christmas

I really enjoyed this book - I've read a few by Phillipa Ashley and she's reliable every time.
I wasn't feeling Christmassy - the problem with reading Christmas books in November, but actually it was lovely and festive (despite the "anti-Christmas" that everyone misjudged).

I loved the Christmas magic included - I don't want to include spoilers. This is more than your standard romance, miscommunication, happily ever after - and would still be an excellent Hallmark Christmas film (my favourite!).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Well written with a mixture of Christmas cheer. A group of people, who are seeking a no-fuss Christmas, marooned together with no electricity during a snow storm. Each person has arrived with a mixture of issues which are gradually resolved while another guest gives birth with a vet and retired nurse in attendance. Of course what could be better than a new baby born Christmas Day!

Escape For Christmas was a delightful and charming read with an inviting warmth. The characters were all relatable and well-drawn, though perhaps a bit too harmonious—I'm not sure real people would get along quite so perfectly! The story flowed effortlessly, and while some parts were predictable, I found myself genuinely drawn in. It was refreshing to enjoy a romance without over-the-top, cringeworthy scenes. Overall, a lovely, feel-good holiday escape that captures the spirit of the season.

Who doesn’t love a Christmas love story at this time of the year, and this one is up there with the best of them. It’s a lovely story with some good twists.

After an awful break up, Sophie leaves the Christmas shop she ran with her ex, and fulfils her lifelong ambition to run a guest house in Cumbria. She decides to fill her guesthouse, over the festive period, with others like her who want to get away from celebrating Christmas. Unfortunately, all doesn’t go to plan. Luckily their lovely neighbour, the vet, is on hand to help out. However, is he as nice as he seems?

This was a lovely, feel-good book, full of fabulous characters, beautiful scenic descriptions, and I’d love to book into her Cumbrian guest house myself!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6992578914
https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2024/11/escape-for-christmas-by-phillipa-ashley.html

This was a lovely, wintery novel that was an enjoyable read. It follows Sophie who, after having her heart broken has opened a guest house in the Lake District. This Christmas she's offering people an escape from the festivities as that is what she feels she needs. She soon gets to know her next door neighbour Brody and the novel follows from there. I did enjoy this one, it was easy to read and it felt fairly cozy. I didn't love it as much as other books by this author as it felt a bit disjointed and long winded in some parts but then other parts seemed skimmed over very quickly. It was a cute read though and I am keen to read more by the author in the future.