Christmas Wishes

Narrator 5 stars

Book 5 stars
This is my first time experiencing this author but certainly not my last. After writing this review I'll be heading over to Amazon and buying as many books as I can get my hands on.

This story got me good. It pulled on every emotion. The rage at the way Hannah's ex was treating her, the little chuckle the first time we hear Maria say "my dad" and the heartbreak over a mother not being able to care for their children. Oooh this book had me laughing, tearing and cheering.
Absolutely what I needed today!

*Sigh*

I absolutely adored this audio book. It made such a refreshing change to have the man as 'single parent' and to have the dual setting of the UK and Sweden (although I did keep expecting the narrator to break into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because of the accent!).

This story sums up that all families look different and that ultimately it is love that makes a family - not blood.

I was kindly provided with the audio book to listen to by #netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a romantic, heartwarming, Christmassy read, look no further. I would definitely recommend this story. I am grateful to Netgalley for the free audio book.

Christmas Wishes - Sue Moorcroft

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to HarperCollins Audio UK and Netgalley.

Hannah and Nico are meant to be together.

But fate is keeping them apart…

As soon as Hannah bumps into her brother Rob’s best friend Nico in Stockholm, the two rekindle a fast friendship. But Hannah has a boyfriend – and Nico has two children to look after.

When Hannah loses her beloved shop in Stockholm, though, she is forced to move back to the little village of Middledip – only to find Nico has just moved in too. Under the same snowy sky, can the childhood friends make a romance work – or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. This is such a fabulous read filled with family festivities and provides such a warm, cosy feeling. There are some difficult topics covered in this book such as depression, eating disorders and alcohol/drug abuse but all of these are handled in such a delicate manner.

As the book swaps between the perspectives of both Hannah and Nico, there are many twists and turns that will keep the reader intrigued.

Rating: 5/5

Hannah is a shopkeeper in Stockholm and lives with her boyfriend. She takes pride in the shop although it hasn’t been doing as well as she has hoped. When her brother Rob’s friend Nico stops by her shop, the two become reacquainted quickly. Nico is now a single father of eight year old Josie from his former marriage. Hannah enjoys Nico’s company and looks forward to seeing him again at Rob’s upcoming wedding in her hometown of Middledip.

Nico thoroughly enjoys his life as a single father, but between work and Josie he hasn’t much time for anything else. When he brings Josie to see her mother for an overnight stay, it’s very evident that he cannot leave her here. In fact, he cannot leave Josie’s two year old half-sister Maria there either. Suddenly his life has become much more complicated.

At the wedding, Hannah and Nico spend some time together dancing and talking and Hannah realizes that the relationship with her boyfriend has lost its magic. When Hannah returns from the wedding, she is surprised to learn that she has lost her shop, her home and her boyfriend. She returns to Middledip to care for her Nana and to start repairing her life. Hannah and Nico develop a strong friendship and romance, but will it be strong enough to overcome so many obstacles?

This is a beautiful story perfect for the Christmas season. I really appreciated how this book felt as though I was observing a real story. I loved these children and the sweet element they bring to the story. I appreciated the therapeutic relationship between Hannah and Nico and the spirit of giving and helping others. There was a key message in this enchanting story - one that speaks of keeping yourself healthy first and understanding the limitations when helping others. The author provides great character development of the protagonists and I felt I really knew and liked the characters. The story is engaging, and a joy to read.

I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated by Julia Woodwind. I really enjoyed her performance and found her voice to be crisp and articulate. I particularly enjoyed her portrayal of Maria and her charming “My Dad”! I listened to this book at 1.5x speed which is slightly faster than my normal speed of 1.25x. I would definitely recommend the audiobook version of the book to those that enjoy this format.

This was the first book by the author that I have ever read, or rather listened to. It's also the first book that I have listened to that gets 4 stars!

I really enjoyed listening, both the story and the narrator were great.

Hannah randomly bumps into Nico, an old school friend of her brother's in Sweden. Their friendship from when they were teenagers is still there and they enjoy seeing each other. A turn of events then leads to Hannah going back to England to help her Nan en there she meets Nico again and their friendship develops.

There were certain aspects to this story that I really enjoyed, other than the fact that it's a cute Christmassy love story. I enjoyed hearing about small Swedish traditions etc. that remind me of my home country (Denmark) and then the fact that Nico had issues, that we more often read women having; suffering from an eating disorder and being a single parent made this story more interesting as well.

The characters Hannah and Nico are really well round characters and I loved the kids Josie and Maria, although I must say certain aspects were a bit strange regarding Maria if she was supposed to only be two, but maybe it's just been a while since the author was around kids that age. The supporting characters like Hannah's nan were also great and I truly going to miss her.

I found this to be a wonderfully cosy, engaging read - just perfect for the festive season. The narrator is brilliant and handled the different accents with aplomb. The story is heart warming abc beautifully written. I loved the descriptions of the the settings, which really put me in the mood for Christmas. What a treat!

Christmas Wishes was a wonderful Christmas treat.
The story follows Hannah from Stockholm to England on a journey to find her place in life. Dealing with an awful ex and arrogant new employer, the appearance of the spectacular Nico is a breath of fresh air for her. Nico, who is trying to juggle single parent hood and a demanding full time job needs a fresh start too.
When they rekindle their old friendship sparks begin to fly and life seems to fall into place.
I thought the story lines and characters were really strong and engaging, I particularly liked Nico. The pitch of the story was perfect as it had me laughing at times and brought a tear to my eye at several others.
I listened to the audio book version of Christmas wishes: the narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Christmas Wishes is a wonderful romance story, a light, uplifting read that many people look for at Christmas time. The main characters are extremely likeable and Hannah Goodbody's passion for her quaint little shop of luxury items located in Stockholm contrasts nicely with Nico's position as a man juggling family commitments without help. He quits his job and with two young children, Maria and Josie to care for and no job, he moves back to his hometown of Middledip, Cambridgeshire to start life afresh. Hannah also moves back to Middledip when she splits with her no-good boyfriend, Albin, and loses her beloved shop in Stockholm.

Set in both Stockholm and Cambridgeshire, I loved reading about the Christmas traditions of Sweden which made a perfect festive backdrop for part of the story. Even though the Yuletide tale included some pretty hard-hitting themes including bulimia and alcohol misuse it was still a soothing and uplifting read with its comforting demeanor. It was wonderful to see a great friendship emerge between Hannah and Nico along with a growing sense of love. Bobbing between the perspectives of Hannah and Nico, the story had its twists and turns resulting in a thoroughly engrossing, charming novel.

My first book by Sue Moorcroft I thought the author's writing style was a good fit for me. The audiobook was narrated by Julia Winwood and listening to the story was a terrific decision. I thought it was narrated really well and she brought the perfect amount of festive oomph to the proceedings, infusing the right emotions and character distinctions. All in all, Christmas Wishes is a fantastic, feel-good, Christmassy romance, that I can highly recommend. 😊 🎅🏻 ❄🎄

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books and HarperCollins Audio UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A cozy and charming Christmas read. This is my first book by Sue Moorcroft but absolutely not my last! The story had everything I love in a cozy Romance: delightful relatable main characters, lovable colorful secondary characters, a cozy gorgeous setting, whimsy and charm. Hannah is working in Stockholm when she runs into her childhood friend Nico. It’s Nice to catch up and even though there is and attraction Hannah is in a relationship and Nico has loads of baggage. Fast forward a few months, Hannah has been dumped Nico has made some major life changes. Their has cross again after they both have moved back to Middledip, A small village in the UK. Will there past challenges allow them to find a future together?

The story bounces between the perspectives of Hannah and Nico. Hannah‘s ex-boyfriend is a complete ass, but Nico has a lot going on. not only is Nico dealing with an eating disorder he is also dealing with his ex-wife’s addiction. which would be hard enough if it was just Nico, but there are also kids involved Nico‘s own daughter Josie and his ex-wife‘s daughter by another man Marie. Niko was such a sympathetic relatable character. my ex-husband is an addict and I know the impact that has on the family. I thought the subject matter was handled very well in the story. I also found a male having an eating disorder interesting it is not often talked about. Nico’s adorable kids Josie and Marie balanced the heavier subject matter out well. Hannah was a wonderful character who fit seamlessly into Nico‘s family. loved traveling back to Sweden for the Swedish Christmas festivities. Julia Winwood narrates the audiobook and brought the perfect amount of festive energy to the story. I particularly appreciated the sweet voices she gave Josie and Marie. A sweet snowy Romance.

this book in emojis 🧣 🏒 ⛸ ☃️ 🛫 👨‍👧‍👧 🛠 🎅🏻

*** Big thank you to Avon UK for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This is a super cosy, festive read - perfect to get you in the Christmas spirit!
Hannah runs a boutique in Stockholm and one day bumps into her brother's best friend, Nico, who is also working in the city.
Each of them are battling issues - Hannah has an idiot of a boyfriend and Nico is trying to manage his ex-wife and her substance abuse as well as his own eating disorder, of top of looking after 2 children.
The book is set between Middledip, which reads as a friendly, cosy village in the UK, alongside Stockholm. Perfect for a bit of armchair travel.
If you're looking for a warm, feel good book, that tugs on your heart strings and has a happy ending, you can't go wrong by picking this up.

This is a cozy Christmas romance that I enjoyed. Hannah is dealing with a few things in her life. She has lost her business to her nasty ex-boyfriend. Her gran has broken her wrist and needs help and she keeps bumping into her brother's best friend Nico who she has feelings for. Nico has problems of his own. Can these two move from friendship into a romantic relationship and should they even try?

The main characters Nico and Hannah are well written and extremely likeable. They both have baggage they are dealing with and both develop some skills in dealing with difficult situations. Nico’s kids Josie and Marie are such a delight. I love when children are in a story to add to it, not just to make a character attractive to others. It was so sweet seeing the two of them together and how Nico took Marie into his home because it was best for both her and Sophie. There were a lot of unlikeable characters in this story. These were the ones that helped Hannah to finally stand up for herself and develop a backbone. Nico's ex-wife and ex-mother in law, were both pieces of work, but when dealing with addiction, it is hard to predict how one will act. The book covers so many different issues such as eating disorders, addiction, family, friendship, betrayal, parenting, standing up yourself and new beginnings. This was a well-plotted story, that does start a bit slow, so make sure you stick with it. All the issues and situations blend very well together into an entertaining and heartwarming Christmas story. I enjoyed reading Nico's and Hannah’s journey as they faced the different challenges and emerged stronger than before. I definitely recommend this on. I did a read/listen with this book. The audiobook was narrated by Julia Winwood. She used expression and tone as she read the story. It was an enjoyable listen.

A fabulous Christmas read that I.loved listening to. This book really got me in the Christmas spirit. A wonderful story with a great narrator.

What a lovely book to listen to, I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish. The narrator was great and really got me in the Christmas mood, at one point I looked out of the window expecting to see snow. Some of this story is set in Sweden and I found it very refreshing to hear about how they celebrate the festive time.

Hannah is great, even though I felt like giving her dressing down once or twice for jumping to conclusions, but I did understand why. Nico is brilliant, he's a single parent and he has a good heart. They both have their own problems - Hannah's; soon to be ex boyfriend and Nico's ex wife also the mother of his daughter. This story also covers real life problems and issues that many people go through every day which made this feel more realistic.

I'm so glad I listened to this, I definitely recommend this to lovers of Christmas stories and audio book listening.

A brilliantly rounded Christmas story with a relationship that actually develops and is not forced at all. Characters with depth, and a lovely wintry setting, I have to say this really gave me something to get my teeth into. Protagonists with empirical problems not issues that are conjured up as convenient stumbling blocks to the central love story. Yes I wholehearted recommend this one.... pop some glogg in a saucepan, fire up the oven for the meatballs and enjoy this delightful festive love story.

I really enjoyed this book about Hannah and Nico and the children. It was a lovely Christmas story and I enjoyed the settings in England and Sweden. I loved the audiobook narrator, especially when she was narrating the children's voices. She did a very good job. I loved when she had Maria saying "my Dad". That was so cute and it made my heart melt. I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful listen, narrated by Julia Winwood who does a great job bringing the characters to life.

The prose is nicely written and Moorcroft knows how to do a steamy but tasteful love scene.
Nico is a great male lead character, I was rooting for him the whole time. Hannah comes off a bit flat at times but I enjoyed the way she dealt with conflict in her professional life. The kids managed to be cute and not annoying. I was pleasantly surprised to see a fluffy book like this deal with interesting issues like male eating disorders and single dads taking on more responsibility. It also deals with addiction issues sensitively but fairly.

I'll be seeking out more from Moorcroft.

To start with I found this audiobook irritating to listen to. Not because of the narrator per se but when she pronounced the Swedish words they were slow and drawn out. I loved the characters especially Nico and Hannah and the girls. The story gave a good insight to family lives and romance. Loved it

This book is everything a christmas book should be. From the beautiful cover to the amazingly loveable characters. That give you that warm feeling inside.

Hannah a Middledip native is living in Stockholm with her boyfriend running a shop. One day she bumps into her brothers friend Nico and the two strike up a friendship. The meet up again at her brother Robs wedding and it is very obviously there is chemistry between them. Hannah and her boyfriend are on the rocks and Nico has his own issues going on. He is a single father, battling an earring disorder and trying to look after his daughter, keep a steady job in the corporate world and help our his daughters Mother who is struggling with alcohol addiction and unable to look after her children.

Hannah looses her shop and returns to the UK, and has another chance meeting with Nico as he is also back in the UK with the children. I have to say the characters are so loveable especially Josie and Maria. there relationship is adorable, and Hannah’s Nan is a card!

The book is so wonderfully written or narrated in this case. I will definitely look for books by the author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for giving me and advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Romance is not my usual genre of choice but I adore Christmas themed stories and Christmas Wishes, which I received via Netgalley is probably the best I have ever read. The narration was excellent although I have to admit that Hannah's voice was so like that of Caroline Quentin's that I found it difficult to picture her as anyone else.

The plot is compelling and as usual Sue Moorcroft paints her characters so well you feel that you know them. Maria was particularly true to life and so cute. I have to admit that, as usual with this author, I love the fact she gives the older characters a love life although I have never come across a ninety plus real life person with as much vim and vigour as Nan Heather.

The background of Sweden and rural Cambridge also came to life under Moorcroft's influence.

Yes it was a love story that you knew would end positively but it wasn't slushy or needlessly erotic, it was perfect. and I felt pretty sad to have come to the end of it.

I LOVED this book!! I wanted to listen to a cosy and Christmassy book and this story did not disappoint.
First time I have read/listened to from this author... I would definitely read more in the future.

Thank you to NetGallery for letting me read/listen to this book

This was my first ever audio book and im so happy I chose this one. I loved the story and really enjoyed listening to it. Would recommend

Oh my days! What a fabulous, beautiful, heart melting story! I absolutely loved this book so much! It is definitely a book I didn’t want to end because I didn’t want to leave Hannah, Nico and the girls behind.

This story is written so beautifully with so many very touching moments that really pull at the heart strings.

I adored Hannah and Nico in this and might have fallen in love with Nico a wee bit as his character developed around his daughters. Such a great character, and as I listened to this story I could sense the kind of person he was.

The narrator has done a really good job telling this story and uses her voice well to portray different characters and different emotions, at times she actually sounded a bit like Caroline Quentin.

I would definitely recommend this for a beautiful read, not just at Christmas, but anytime throughout the year.

This was such a wonderful book to listen to on my daily commute. Very well written and with a brilliant plot line. Perfect for the festive season and fans of this genre. Highly recommended

I have been gifted a copy of the audio book Christmas Wishes and I have enjoyed every minute of it!
This book is set in Sweden and in the village of Middledip where we meet Nico, who is struggling to take care of two children and with an ex who has alcohol addiction problems. He meets Hannah, who is his best friends sister and a romance develops.
This books tackles quite a few serious issues but they are addressed with care.
The narrator, Julia Winwood, is a clear narrator- flicking into Swedish accents with ease and I also loved her version of the children’s voices. She really made this audio book come alive for me.
This is a delightful Christmas book and I thought, rather special. It’s also my first Sue Moorcroft book and it won’t be my last!

Hannah and Nico seem destined to be two ships who pass in the night, no matter what their feeling for each other may be. But fate steps in when Hannah loses her Stockholm shop and moves back to Middledip, where she’s surprised and delighted to see that Nico has moved there as well. Everyone knows that best friends make the best lovers, can Nico and Hannah make a go of it? Winwood’s rendition of this holiday tale calls up visions of roaring fires, hot chocolate and mistletoe

Christmas Wishes - Sue Moorcroft

A whirlwind of a story - from Hannah deciding to leave her nasty boyfriend Albin, to having an instant spark with Nico, her losing her shop, her brother warning Nico off Hannah.....I just loved it all! The characters were great including little Josie and Marie (so funny) and I think I fell a little bit in love with Nico. He was the perfect romantic accompaniment for Hannah and I don't think I could of wanted more from a character. With the perfect setting of Middledip in UK and Wintery Stockholm this was such a perfect festive read and this has now become my new favourite Sue Moorcroft Book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Publishers for giving me the opportunity to listen to and review this book!

Festive Escapism....
A festive and relaxing listen from Sue Moorcroft. This author always succeeds in providing some guaranteed escapism and this is no exception. Is it simply fate that is keeping Hannah and Nico apart? Are they truly meant to be together? As the pair find themselves in Middledip for different reasons can they overcome the obstacles that seem to be in their path? A Christmas delight which is appropriately and nicely related here in audio format by Julia Winwood.