Sally page

Oh Sally! I think I’ve just left my heart inside this book.

Firstly let’s just appreciate the beautiful cover, so so festive.

I was incredibly excited to read this as we catch up with friends we made during The Book of Beginnings.

As I’ve come to expect from this author, the story is beautifully written with great detail and depth. The three main characters are back and this story is set a few years later. While Jo is busy sorting her own Christmas, with Eric the Viking, Rev. Ruth is incredibly busy working, helping everyone and not saying no to anything or anyone, Malcolm wants her to slow down and enjoy a quiet Christmas Day, but can she stop and look out for herself, just this once?

Be prepared for a wonderful festive read, lots of talk of delicious dishes, snow and coming together. If you have read Sally’s other books, you will know she has a deep knowledge of flowers and I loved all the references to these throughout.

This is such a wholesome, uplifting read. It’s hard to quite put in words how this one makes you feel.

The story is beautiful and poignant and you will fall in love all over again with the characters you met before, but also with all the new ones too. I don’t want to give anything away but there are some fabulous characters to meet within these pages!

The chapter on Christmas Day, that is just so clever. Again, I don’t want to give anything away but how Sally came up with the ideas here is amazing. I literally couldn’t put this one down and I read the end with a massive smile and maybe a tear or two.

So think Christmas, community, love, friends, family, food, great book references, it really does have it all!

Sally Page’s New Beginnings for Christmas is a quietly luminous festive tale—tender, funny, and threaded with the kind of hope that feels earned. In just a few pages, she captures the bittersweet beauty of the season: its chaos, its kindness, and its quiet power to transform.

Malcolm wants nothing more than to thank his dear friend Rev Ruth with a simple Christmas lunch. But Ruth’s generosity has a way of multiplying, and soon their quiet meal becomes a community feast—complete with unexpected guests, rising tensions, and the kind of emotional messiness that only the holidays can stir. As snow begins to fall, so too do the walls around Malcolm’s heart.

Page’s prose is gentle and observant, with a warmth that never tips into sentimentality. Her characters feel lived-in and familiar, like neighbours you’ve known for years. The story is a celebration of second chances, found family, and the quiet courage it takes to open your heart—especially when it’s easier to stay closed.

Perfect for fans of The Book of Beginnings, this short story is a festive balm for anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the season, yet still believes in its magic. A lovely fireside read, best paired with a mince pie and a moment of stillness.

Thank you to Sally Page, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I adored The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page so much that after finishing it I missed Jo, Ruth and Malcolm and really wanted to know what happened to them next. I was delighted to hear that New Beginnings at Christmas is a continuation of their story.
Malcolm, Jo and Ruth are all living in Richmond, Yorkshire. Malcolm has published his book and also found a part-time job in a bookshop run by Padam. Coming up to Christmas he is concerned that Ruth, the vicar is doing far too much and he wishes to invite her to his home on Christmas Day and spoil her. Jo is in nesting mode as she, Eric and young son, Eliot are expecting an addition to the family.
As Malcolm makes his plans it appears that his idea of a quiet Christmas Day is not going to happen as Ruth has gathered together others who also need solace this Christmas. As this beautiful story unfolds Malcolm will find a sign that the traditions of Christmases past spent with his Mother are there to bring him the comfort he needs and the bravery to step out into the future.
I loved this heart warming Christmas story with characters who feel like old friends. Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review, I was thrilled to read it in advance of publication and give it 5 stars.