Being a big fan of Susan Stokes-Chapman's other novels, I was slightly thrown when starting to read this very different series of tales on the theme of love and family. The more I read however, the more I became engrossed in the village of Merrywake and the life of the Pepins and their staff below stairs at Wakely Hall. All the stories are separate but have a common theme and characters, which are almost all very likable and realte to each other well. I think it would be perfect to read one story each night in the days between Christmas and Twelfth night.

A gentle, cosy read.

I really like the premise of this book, with twelve short stories for each day of the Twelve Days of Christmas. At first I was worried they were all going to be quite twee but the stories gained more depth as they went on, and I really enjoyed how all the different narratives were woven together. The characters were quite well developed despite short interactions with each of them, and the references to the Napoleonic wars and their aftermath was really well done. The writing style was nice and very fitting for the time period.

Some of the Twelve Days references were a bit on the nose (the French hens especially) but I think anyone would struggle to include that many birds subtly! By the end, the references felt more secondary and I was more invested in the characters and the plot of each story.

This would be a really lovely, cosy book to read by the light of the Christmas tree.

This is delightful! Set in the nineteenth century at the end of the Napoleonic wars, it consists of 12 connected short stories through which we follow the inhabitants of a grand country house in the period from Christmas Day to Twelfth Night. Each chapter roughly recalls one of the verses from the 12 days of Christmas carol.

The writing feels authentic to the time period, and is intensely Christmassy - I could practically smell the cinnamon and pine trees. But it’s also touching, funny, sad, and ultimately heartwarming. It doesn’t ignore the harsh realities of life during that time, and I appreciated that it covered all social classes and stations, rather than simply focusing on the nobility. A lovely Christmas treat!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

~~thanks to NetGalley & Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to review early~~

super wholesome stories that are standalones, but end up connecting towards the end. i loved the historical aspect.

i think it will be a must-read towards the christmas season!