Review by Veronica

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“There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of fun. See it as a Christmas romance.”

“See what as a Christmas romance?”

“Your date.”

Sometimes there was no talking to the woman. 

“I can just picture it.” Jules’s expression turned dreamy. “The two of you, frolicking in the snow, sharing a mug of hot chocolate, chinking glasses of mulled wine… It’ll be like starring in your own festive Hallmark movie.”

Get ready to be delighted by this fun and adorable Christmas book! 

Antonia prefers a quiet Christmas. She’s happy to spend it on her own, watching Hallmark holiday movies in her pyjamas, eating what she wants, when she wants.

Antonia’s friend Jules, on the other hand, loves a big Christmas celebration and plans on travelling to the Yorkshire Dales for a festive break. But when Jules breaks her leg, she persuades Antonia to make the trip on her behalf. Arriving at the little cottage, Antonia meets the handsome property agent Oliver. But she can’t escape the weird locals–or avoid embarrassing situations like mistaking a cow for a burglar.

As Christmas approaches, the attraction between Oliver and Antonia grows. She could choose to return to the bustling city and spend it alone. Or she could choose love and have a not so quiet Christmas.

Yes, yes, yes, I know what you will say, not another Christmas book set in the UK! Ronny, don’t you read anything else! I have a tiny confession: I have no willpower when it comes to these books; usually, I don’t get to read too many of them because they often don’t get printed here in Canada. But because I bought myself a lovely e-reader this year, I now can read all the British romances I want, and that is what I have been doing. Life is great… my house is a mess, and nothing else gets done, but life is great.

Now on to my review of A Not So Quite Christmas. This book is just so much fun to read. It had me giggling and smiling the whole way through. It is that perfect fun Christmas read that you can sit down and enjoy on a snowy afternoon, sitting by your Christmas tree, eating treats and drinking mulled wine.

This novel doesn’t break out of that traditional Christmas romance mold. As a reader, you know how this book will progress and end, but I kind of like that I knew what to expect from it. There is a sense of comfort knowing that a book will have a happy ending. It allowed me just to read and enjoy the characters and the story without having to worry about how it will all end. Suzie did a fabulous job at bringing the magic and fun of Christmas alive. The characters are so endearing and quirky that you find yourself falling in love with them. The secondary characters in this book add a lot of depth to this story, and as a reader, I felt just as invested in their side stories as I did in the main plot. Suzie did a fantastic job creating this Christmas small town country feel that oozes that Christmas spirit. It’s a place that I would love to spend my Christmas holidays at.

I loved Antonia as the main female lead. Antonia is a loner; she has one friend, is quite happy not being noticed, and is not a huge fan of Christmas. She doesn’t get why people go all out for this festive holiday. I have to say it was hilarious watching this city girl adjust to country life. The situations that she often got herself into had me laughing. The scene with the cow burglar was priceless. It was wonderful watching Antonia start to open up to people in this small town. Those friendships she began to create were heartfelt and filled with so much joy. I loved those moments of quiet reflection where Antonia realized that living life alone might be safer but not necessarily better.

This wouldn’t be a romance review if I didn’t talk about the relationship between Antonia and Oliver. Their relationship is sweet and has that friends-to-lovers trope feel to it. However, it was pretty obvious that Oliver was quite smitten with Antonia right when he first saw her. There are many cute moments between these two, and much to Antonia’s dismay, Oliver is usually around when she gets herself into those embarrassing situations. Their relationship does have that Hallmark-y feel to it, and I loved it.

If you are looking for a Christmas book full of romance, heart, and lots of laughter, you should read A Not So Quiet Christmas.

Thank you ‎ Bloodhound Books and Rachel Random Resources for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.