Sophie loves Christmas a resident in her care home Bea is lovely and she corresponds either friend in Vienna all the time. But then life hits and Bea passes before Sophie has the chance to post her latest letter, she finds a note and Bea wants her to visit Vienna.
She embarks in her journey to meet Beas best friend, but will thus Christmas be different for her..
Enjoyed this festive read by an accomplished author.

So This Is Christmas is a heartwarming look at Christmas through the eyes of two firm friends living far apart who have continued their Christmas tradition of sending each other a letter every year for the past fifty years.
Greta and Bea have been friends for most of their adult lives, meeting in Vienna as young women and then through their married lives living close to each other in Britain, before Walter and Greta returned home to her beloved Vienna.
Now both elderly ladies, Sophie, a care assistant at Tapestry Lodge writes and posts Bea’s letters and reads Greta’s to her. They have all become firm friends over the past four years.
Sadly, Bea passes just before Christmas and Sophie discovers she has been left a bequest by Bea, with the instructions to visit Vienna at Christmas. After a series of disastrous events Sophie decides to go and spend the Christmas season in Vienna and explore all the many wonderful things she has been told about by Bea and Greta.
As Sophie relaxes into enjoying Vienna, meets up with the delightful Walter, Greta’s husband, their son Nick and adopted daughter Jennie she begins to feel that finally she has found a family who understand family; something she has always wanted but never had.
But things do not go according to plan as Sophie’s past is on a direct collision with Jennies and when it is revelled to them both in the most horrific manner, she is devastated, fleeing back England heartbroken and shattered.
Can life ever change for her is the question she asks herself as she mourns the loss of a new love, a budding family and faces a bleak future. She realises she has to decide as to how she wants to lead her life and once this is done, she feels considerably better.
But the season of good will and glad tidings is not finished with her as she finally has to accept that understanding is healing and the future is bright with the man you love and who loves you.

Sophie has helped Bea write Christmas letters to her friend Greta in Vienna for many years. This Christmas holds many surprises for everyone.
This was a quick book. It has wonderful characters and some unexpected surprises. You won’t be able to put it down.

This feel good story touched on friendship that survives decides, a reminder that everyone has a past, happiness and forgiveness are choices, and Family doesn’t have to be blood. But add in the charm of Vienna at Christmas, blossoming friendships and budding romance. This book was so touching!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This book was created to be devoured in a few sittings as possible. All of the characters were so beautifully written, you feel as if you really know them through Rolfe’s words. The twists and turns had me hooked and the character of Amber was so despicable that I felt angry for Sophie and the Wynter’s. Vienna is now on my list of places to visit, it was depicted so beautifully. I could have carried on reading about these lovely characters so much longer. Thanks netgalley for a lovely read.

4.5★s

Bea and Greta had been best friends for a lifetime; both originally from Vienna, now Bea's home was in London while Greta's was in Vienna. The two friends sent letters to one another all the time, but the tradition of their Christmas letters never stopped. Bea, now in her eighties, resided in a care home with kind, compassionate and caring Sophie doing all she could for Bea. With her eyesight failing, Sophie wrote the latest Christmas letter with Bea dictating. The letter was finished, ready for Sophie to post, when Bea quietly passed away overnight. Sophie was shattered.

Greta & Walter lived their lives in Vienna, with their son Nick managing the Wynter hotel and Jennie working there as housekeeping manager. Jennie had a traumatic past which she told no one but her adopted family - Greta, Walter & Nick. With Christmas almost upon them, the decorations around Vienna lit up everyone's lives; the snow flurries making it cold but authentic. When a stranger knocked on Walter's door, and he recognised Sophie, he was shocked but delighted. What happened in the next few days changed lives in a big way...

So This is Christmas is my first read of Helen Rolfe's and I enjoyed it very much. Greta and Bea's close friendship was heartwarming; Sophie and Jennie's connection with the families pretty special. Set in both London and Vienna, I found it a beautiful read, moving, poignant and uplifting. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for my digital ARC to read and review.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautiful story.

Greta and Bea, both have known each other and been friends for a long time. They write to each, and every year they exchange Christmas letters.

As Bea doesn’t have family, she lives in a residential home and Sophie, a care assistant Sophie is someone who is like family to her.

Greta, with her Walter, her husband lives a long way away in Vienna. They both used to own hotels during their lives until now.

Bea and Greta have been trying to get Sophie over to Vienna for a long time. When Bea passes away, Sophie eventually goes to Vienna to deliver Bea’s last letter and the sad news to Greta and Walter.

But, what she didn’t expect to find was the way this visit would change her life and the surprises in store.

I loved how the stories of all the characters are linked throughout the story.

The story was about family, friendships and the connections that are made that can’t be broken.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a fairly slow-paced, but heartwarming Christmas story, set in England and Vienna. The author swaps the points of view of the main characters, which makes the storytelling more interesting. There are some unexpected twists in the story that surprised me. This book also made me reflect upon how childhood traumas can inflict lifelong wounds on people. I can recommend this novel to anyone who likes warm Christmas stories with great characters and a beautiful setting.

This is a tender, multi-generational tale that celebrates the enduring power of friendship, the lost art of letter-writing, and the quiet magic of human connection.

The story begins decades ago with Greta and Bea, two friends who left Vienna for England and began exchanging heartfelt letters — a tradition that grew into yearly “Christmas newsletter” updates. More than fifty years later, Greta is back in Vienna with her husband Walter, and Bea is in an English care home, yet their correspondence remains a lifeline for them both.

As age and failing eyesight make writing harder, others step in to help — Sophie, Bea’s devoted care home assistant who feels more like family, and in Vienna, Walter, their son Nick, and Jennie, a woman as close as an adopted daughter. When circumstances send Sophie to Vienna on Bea’s behalf, she discovers truths and connections that are both heartwarming and bittersweet. Greta and Bea’s lifelong friendship is portrayed with warmth and authenticity, and the relationships that branch from it — spanning generations and crossing countries — remind us how kindness can ripple outward, touching unexpected lives.

This is more than just a festive read; it’s a love letter to enduring bonds, old-fashioned correspondence, and the ways people can become each other’s chosen family.

So This Is Christmas is a touching festive read about lifelong friends, heartfelt letters, and the magic of Vienna at Christmastime. When Sophie sets out to deliver Bea’s final letter to her best friend Greta, she discovers friendship, hope, and a city full of wonder. Warm characters, a beautiful setting, and a message that lingers—perfect for fans of heartfelt holiday stories.

Such a quick and heartwarming read that is perfect for Christmas time! Told from 2 POVs Sophie and Jennie are connected by grief and loss and reading about their journeys that brought them together, was so sweet and good. This is going to be released towards the end of August and will be the perfect winter read! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

If you were to look up cosy Christmas fiction in the dictionary I'm almost certain you would find a copy of this book - delightful writing with gorgeous characters, I adored it!

At the start, we are introduced to Bea and Greta, two long-time friends who continue to correspond over decades via letters, despite being separated by distance. Bea is assisted by Sophie who is the care assistant who bonds with her beyond the workplace norm.

One day, Sophie decides to visit Vienna where Greta is. The trip truly makes me wish I could visit Austria someday. I could envision how beautiful and lovely it was especially with the Christmas atmosphere .

As the story progresses, a twist is soon revealed and I definitely did not see this coming. Overall, it was a little too slow paced for me, with the pace picking up only after Sophie is in Vienna. There were too many different point of views too, and honestly, I don’t think we needed Amber’s.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Helen Rolfe for the E ARC of this book.
We meet Bea and Greta, two friends from Vienna who came to Britian. No matter where they were they would always wrote to each other especially at Christmas. This Christmas is no different to begin with, Bea writes her letter to Greta with the help of Sophie, the care assistant in the home in which she resides.
Sophie loves Christmas, especially helping Bea write her letter to Greta. Unfortunately a few days after they finish the letter Bea passes away and Sophie is devastated. She realises that she hasn’t posted the letter and when she receives a letter from Bea herself telling her to go to Vienna, she does just that and delivers the last letter in person.
We follow Sophie on her journey of discovery in Vienna, the people she meets, the places she sees and experiences Christmas like no other.
I loved this book, the characters were so well written. I loved both hearing about Bea and Greta, I liked that we got snippets of their letters to each other. Sophie was such a caring and lovely lady, you wanted the best for her. I could understand Jennie’s reaction to Sophie after all she had been through. The setting was delightful, Vienna is a beautiful city and seeing it through Sophies eyes was so good. Also the message of joy and hope was really delightful.
I think because I have always loved writing and receiving letters, this book was so for me. Vienna is also a city I would love to experience in the lead up to Christmas, this gave me a sense of the wonder and speciality of this city at this time.

It was such a beautiful and heartwarming story, filled with drama but in a good way.

The friendship between Bea and Greta is so lovely. They had been friends for so long, and even with distant, they make an effort to keep in contact by sending letters from time to time, specially at Christmas.

Sophie and Jennie’s lives had not been easy, with plenty of family struggles, but thanks to Bea and Greta they are able to overcome those hard times and give themselves chance to be happy and feel fulfilled again.

Helen Rolfe’s writing is simply beautiful. You can truly feel the magic of the Christmas scenes, cherished all those special moments and emotions that the season brings.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book ✨
I will definitely look forward to reading more of Helen Rolfe work.

Oh what an absolutely beautiful story. Bea and Greta have been friends for years and every year exchange Christmas letters. Bea now lives in a residential home in London and care assistant Sophie is the closet thing to family she now has. Greta lives in Vienna with husband Walter after being in the hotel business for their whole working life. Both ladies have been trying for years to get Sophie to visit Vienna and after Bea passes away Sophie finds herself in Vienna to deliver the news to Greta and Walter. What she couldn’t have predicted was how this visit would be so full of surprises or how it would change her life. The way the stories of each character is entwined throughout makes this easy to follow and understand why they act how they do. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure this focuses on friendship, family and unbreakable bonds. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

A heartwarming story once you pass the evil being that is Amber!!!

Bea and Greta's friendship was amazing. I loved how they wrote to each other year on year. Their Christmas newsletter to each other reminded me of my mum writing to her aunt and cousin each year. People don't tend to write letters anymore so it was nice to read about the two friends in this.

Sophie's job was a tough one for many reasons but I know it's carers like her that bring joy to people like Bea. Care worker aren't well trained or treated and the real gems should be. Unfortunately, people like Amber do exist and I've come across a few over the years. It's so desperately sad and the residents deserved better. It was a nice touch to add Jessica taking over although I was surprised Sophie didn't return.

Jennie and Sophie's story/relationship added a different dynamic to this and was interesting. Loss is hard enough but to experience it then way these have is hard. Their connection was a surprise but added more to the story.

This takes you on quite a journey but it was a lovely story. And it's set at Christmastime!!

Helen Rolfe is one of my favourite Christmas authors, and this book did not disappoint. I loved the relationship between Sophie and Bea, and enjoyed reading about their past histories.
It was a very heart warming story, and I could imagine myself in Vienna. A great book.

Get a glass of mulled wine, curl up in a chair in front of a fire and enjoy! This is a perfect book to distract you from Christmas stress!! I loved it. The story sucks you in from the start, characters and locations perfectly drawn, and enough mystery and Christmas magic to keep you hooked.Helen Rolfe is not an author I had read before but I will be looking out for her books in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for access to this ARC.

Such a wholesome and beautiful story to its core.

A tale of how two best friends start writing Christmas letters. Family, romance and true friendship ring true throughout the story.

I loved the characters for their warmth and affection. I loved the Vienna setting. And truly I loved the beautiful story Bea and Greta created. Walter is such a wonderful and mischievous character too!

Definitely did not love Amber!!!

Beautiful Christmas story will perhaps need to re read nearer Christmas too!