Title: Bella's Countryside ChristmasAuthor: Claire Huston
Pages: 331
Publication Date: Sept. 18, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.
Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.
A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.
But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …
This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!
A sweet and charming holiday romance, Bella’s Countryside Christmas follows Bella who, after experiencing a magical day at a wedding, makes a life change and moves from London to Haileybrook, a small town with tons of heart.
After a broken engagement, Bella’s life is nothing like she expected, and, feeling lost, she leaves a work conference and ends up having a chance meeting with a man named Jack. After an awkward meet-cute, the pair spends one wonderfully sweet day together at a wedding. It’s so magical and fun, and though they don’t know each other well, the connection is there from the start. I quickly became invested in their story and love how Bella is the one to come to Jack’s rescue.
Bella makes some much-needed changes in her life, quitting her job and moving to a small and charming town to work at a local retirement community. It’s here where she unexpectedly runs into Jack, who she hasn’t seen in a year. Jack isn’t as thrilled as Bella when they meet again, but Bella is determined to make the best of an awkward situation since the pair now works together. There’s a lot of tension between them, and it’s clear that there are leftover feelings and some things they need to work out. But, between a community where everyone knows everybody’s business, a new move, some hostile colleagues, theft at work, and a surprise appearance by her impetuous younger sister, Bella starts to question her decision to move. It sure isn’t the peaceful life of tranquility she expected!
The whole story is so charming, and it has a wonderful cast of characters, especially Bella. She goes through a lot, and she’s such a strong woman. Independent, intelligent, and thoughtful, she’s also pretty courageous. Bella uproots her life and starts over in a new town surrounded by new people, and she always makes the best of her situation. And she’s super patient! There are several times in the story where I give her a lot of credit for not losing it, especially when dealing with her sister and father! Jack is a compelling character too, and the way he cares for Bella’s sister in one scene and his overall nature is so swoon-worthy. I love him almost as much as the women in the retirement community love him, and that’s saying a lot because those feisty women adore him. lol
Of course, my favorite part of the story is the romance. Bella and Jack have great chemistry, and they’re both good people. Kind, caring, and giving, the pair both go out of their way for others even to the detriment of themselves. They’re the kind of people who put themselves last, and they are sometimes treated unfairly because of it. They are such a good match, and they definitely bring out the best in each other. I loved learning about each of them and adored how their love story evolved.
The story also includes a mystery, as there is a thief in the retirement community. There’s also a bit of a power struggle between some of the elderly residents, which, combined with the issues between Bella and Jack and Bella’s adjustment to her new life and job, add a good amount of conflict to the story. Bella also deals with family issues, since her father doesn’t understand her and her sister is pretty selfish. It’s interesting to see how Bella juggles it all while still following her dreams. And for those of you who have read Houston’s other books, you’ll be excited to see the return of some beloved characters, too!
Special thanks to Claire Huston for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- The romance!
- The setting.
- The characters.
- enemies to lovers
- small town charm
- holiday setting
- fake dating
- second chance romance
Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire, UK. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but sometimes need help figuring that out.
A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in her first novel, Art and Soul, on her website along with over 150 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.
As well as her website, you can find her on various social media. Find your favourite here: linktr.ee/clairehuston_author.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you you enjoyed it 💗
Loved it!! 🙂 Thanks again for sending it!