Hitting Back With A Holiday Read: TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

As some of who you've been around here for a while already know, I've been through a really bad time. And I'm still trying to deal with it. Which is why I've been M.I.A. for so long. I couldn't blog. I couldn't write. Heck, I even quit NaNoWriMo. It hasn't been easy, but I'm trying to get back to blogging. Blog posts have been sporadic lately, but I'm gonna try fixing that. So, for now, I welcome you back with a very Christmassy recommendation!

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Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown, so when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible – the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities.

Sculptor, Jude Martland, is determined that this year there will be no Christmas after his brother runs off with his fiancée and he is keen to avoid the family home. However, he will have to return by the twelfth night of the festivities, when the hamlet of Little Mumming hold their historic festivities and all of his family are required to attend.

Meanwhile, Holly is finding that if she wants to avoid Christmas, she has come to the wrong place. When Jude unexpectedly returns on Christmas Eve he is far from delighted to discover that Holly seems to be holding the very family party he had hoped to avoid.

Suddenly, the blizzards come out of nowhere and the whole village is snowed in. With no escape, Holly and Jude get much more than they bargained for – it looks like the twelve days of Christmas are going to be very interesting indeed!

Seven months after the release of Chocolate Wishes, Trisha Ashley emerges with the perfect read for this season. Twelve Days of Christmas is a heartwarming tale of letting go of the past and finding love in the least likely place.

Since the death of her husband, Holly has been engaging herself in house-sitting activities in winter in order to isolate herself from Christmas celebrations. Christmas is a sad time for her, and the farther away she is from merriment, the better. What she did not bargain for is being welcomed easily into the Martland family, whose family home she is meant to look after. Soon, or rather, out of nowhere, the large empty house, is suddenly populated by a motley group of people and a delightful romantic comedy ensues.

Once again, Trisha Ashley wins over the reader with her brand of humour and sparkling one-liners. The large cast of characters is oddly endearing, and even the snotty Coco makes you feel sympathetic towards her. Ashley shows a lot of kindness in her work, which is why even the less likable characters do not end up villainous.

Holly is different from Ashley's other heroines. She's a house-party chef by profession who doubles as a house-sitter in winters. And you know why reading this book is like having a sumptuous feast? The descriptions of food will kill you in its deliciousness. In fact, there are additional Christmas recipes at the back of the book that you can try out at home. I'm guessing Ms. Ashley herself, is a chef by her own rights, considering the importance (a welcome importance!) food gets in her novels. If Chocolate Wishes had chocolates and confectionery, this has some mouthwatering delicacies.

Make-You-Fall-In-Love-With-Them Characters + A Humourously Heartwarming Story You Can't Get Enough Of + The Christmassy Feel + All That Food = WIN. WIN. WIN.

Twelve Days Of Christmas is the kind of book you'd want to curl up with on the sofa. It's one of those feel-good, cosy reads with a lot of heart. I. It's one of the best Christmas books I've read. It's perfect for this time of the year. And equally good all year round.

Psst! See that cover? It's got sparkly bits all over it! It's adorable.

Author Elizabeth Gill wrote a lovely little tribute post for Trisha Ashley. Here's the link if you want to check it out.