Lizzie’s Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow #BookReview #MondayBlogs @ChristieJBarlow @Bookouture

About the book…

A gorgeous country house hotel, a liberal dusting of snow, a cosy weekend away…what more could Lizzie ask for at Christmas?

Every Christmas Lizzie promises herself that things will change and she will leap into the new year a new woman. And yet here she is again, at the beginning of December and nothing is different. Her girls have grown up and left home, her husband Henry is slumped in front of the TV and she is alone in the kitchen, seeking refuge in the cooking sherry and talking to her Gary Barlow calendar. She’s also been very diverted by handsome new neighbour Marcusand she knows she shouldn’t be …

So when best friend Ann suggests a weekend away in the country, Lizzie jumps at the chance. Will this Christmas escape give Lizzie some much needed perspective and allow her to mend her marriage? Or will Marcus prove to be too much of a distraction?

A funny feel good festive read about rediscovering the magic of Christmas – just the thing to curl up with on a cold winters night.

My review…

Christie Barlow has had the most gorgeous covers for her books this year and this one is no exception with a beautiful Christmas tree all decked out ready for the festive season. It put a huge smile on my face before I even ventured inside to discover where Lizzies Christmas Escape would take her.

Lizzie is a character that many of us will be able to relate to and I loved her from the moment I met her. Stuck in a relationship routine with a husband who no longer seems to notice her, she only feels happy and complete when her girls are home from university or when she with her best friend Ann. Lizzie and Ann have the most wonderful friendship and both characters have been so well written that it makes their natural relationship flow beautifully whenever they are together on the page. I just adored them both. The storyline takes a while to get to the actual escape to the country house hotel, but it’s the dramatic and life changing journey leading up to it that makes it all worthwhile. And the author has a lovely humorous way of introducing the darker, jaw dropping moments so that you don’t really know what’s coming until you’re there, shocked!

There are so many Christmas books out there at the moment but this is definitely a stand out one for me. It’s a feelgood romp that makes you laugh on one page only to want to cry on the next. It has a way of slowly creeping up on you until it’s under your skin and you feel like you could actually be a part of this family. Strong women, strong friendships and a perfectly plotted storyline throughout make this a Christmas treat to remember! So make your Christmas preparations this year include sitting down with some fizz and a mince pie and read Lizzies Christmas Escape-its much more fun than prepping those sprouts!

Lizzie’s Christmas Escape: A sparkling feel good Christmas romance is published by Bookouture on 21st October and is available to buy here at Amazon UK

About the author…

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty’s Countryside Dream and Lizzie’s Christmas Escape. She lives in Staffordshire with her husband, four kids, horses, chickens and a mad cocker spaniel. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. She is a Mum who wrote a book to prove to her children whatever you want to do in life go for it. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK and USA.

Christie loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via her website http://www.christiebarlow.com Twitter @ChristieJBarlow and Facebook page Christie Barlow author

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Kitty’s Countryside Dream by Christie Barlow- a top contender for my favourite cover of 2016

About this book…

New home. New life. New beginning. Love affairs can blossom in the most unlikely places . . .

When Kitty inherits Bluebell Lodge from her grandmother, a farm in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it’s time for fresh air and a fresh start. Up to her elbows in chickens and ponies, Kitty soon realises there’s an awful lot to learn about farming. Still, at least the locals seem friendly, not least her handsome neighbour Tom…

But just as Kitty is beginning to find her feet, and the possibility of love, the discovery of a long-hidden diary, by a mysterious character called Violet changes everything. Who is Violet and what is her message for Kitty? As Kitty fills in the lost pieces of her family jigsaw and discovers some shocking revelations, will her countryside dream and blossoming relationship fall to pieces? When it comes to life in the country, nothing is ever quite as it seems …

My Review…

This is the first book I have read by this author but after finishing this, the first thing I did was to seek out her other books. Christie Barlow has written a warm, funny and heart wrenching book full of adorable characters, cute animals all living in the sort of village we would love to escape to.
When Kitty is left a flat and Bluebell Lodge by a relative she didn’t even know she had, she looks on it as a fresh start. She knows nothing about chickens or ponies so she is glad to she has her right hand man Tom to help her. But the discovery of an old diary brings heartbreak in the form of an old family secret and an attraction to Tom seems wrapped up in complications. Could Kittys countryside dream turn out to be her worst nightmare?
This was the perfect book for a lazy Sunday afternoon (and I actually read it on Valentine’s day!) and I read it within a couple of sittings. I was desperate to find out why Kitty had been left the farm and how she was going to cope with it all. The descriptions were so detailed that you felt you were there living alongside Kitty and she felt like an old friend. I have never read so much information about chickens before either!!! Not sure I could ever look after them!
This was a bittersweet love story combined with a soul searching for Kitty and I was really sad to say goodbye to her when the book ended. And that cover!!!!! Fabulously eye-catching and perfect for Spring, you can’t help but smile when you see it. In fact it’s my top cover for 2016 so far!
Many thanks to Bookouture and netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an unbiased review.

Available to buy now from Amazon