Advent Street by Carol Ann Duffy
In this enchantingly illustrated Christmas poem, Carol Ann Duffy invites readers to open the windows on Advent Street.
In each one is a gift. You may find yourself back-straight watching a ballerina, poised to begin, or catch your lips moving in time with a festive song that drifts out into the night.
Whatever the surprise, when the curtains draw back and the lights sharpen, Duffy's beguiling words, paired with captivating illustrations from Yelena Bryksenkova, call you inside to feel the warmth.
The ideal heart-warming read, snuggled under a faux fur throw.
The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan
The right words can change everything . . .
It had been a make-or-break holiday for their marriage, but Natasha and Rob's rekindled romance is short-lived when their daughter's beloved soft toy disappears on the journey home.
As Natasha comforts her distraught child, she turns to social media for help. Miraculously, the toy is found, but it has become the lucky mascot of a man named Duffy, who is thousands of miles away trekking in Nepal.
When Duffy promises to keep Natasha updated with pictures, a correspondence begins that soon becomes more meaningful. Sometimes, Natasha feels this stranger half way across the world understands her more than the man lying next to her.
But as the weeks pass and Duffy heads deeper into the mountains, Natasha notices a change in him. Then one day, the messages stop. Too late, Natasha wonders why he had ever needed a lucky mascot at all.
A nail-biting 'will they, won't they' to be enjoyed from the comfort of a super soft velvet French bed.
The Ballroom Blitz by Anton Du Beke
September 1940. As the skies split apart and bombs rain down on London, it's all the staff at the famed Buckingham Hotel can do to keep their guests in the luxury they're accustomed to, and evoke the magic of the Grand ballroom for them each night.
Home on leave and still reeling from the tragic events at Dunkirk, the dashing Raymond de Guise struggles to define his role in this new world, and to do his duty both to his country, and his beloved wife Nancy- who needs him now more than ever.
With profiteers skulking the London streets, and devious rivals plotting the Buckingham's downfall, the hotel staff must all hold onto what matters most- and decide where their loyalties truly lie.
As the bombing intensifies and Christmas fast approaches, somehow the show must go on…
A show-stopping romantic thriller. Pile up the luxury cushions, hunker down, and binge-read it.
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
Carmen has always worked in her local department store. So, when the gorgeous old building closes its doors for good, she is more than a little lost.
When her sister, Sofia, mentions an opportunity in Edinburgh - a cute little bookshop, the spare room in her house - Carmen is reluctant, she was never very good at accepting help. But, short on options, she soon finds herself pulling into the snowy city just a month before Christmas.
What Sofia didn't say is that the shop is on its last legs and that if Carmen can't help turn things around before Christmas, the owner will be forced to sell. Privately, Sofia is sure it will take more than a miracle to save the store, but maybe this Christmas, Carmen might surprise them all...
An emotional tale to be enjoyed by candle light. Or why not, chandelier light...
