Christmas at Lilac Cottage

By: Holly Martin

Narrated by: Emma Newman

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

Penny Meadows loves her home - a cozy cottage decorated with pretty twinkling fairy lights and stunning views over the town of White Cliff Bay. She also loves her job as an ice-carver, creating breathtaking sculptures. Yet her personal life seems frozen.

When Henry and daughter Daisy arrive at the cottage to rent the annex, Penny is determined to make them feel welcome. But while Daisy is friendly, Henry seems guarded.

As Penny gets to know Henry, she realizes there is more to him than meets the eye. And the connection between them is too strong to ignore.

While the spirit of the season sprinkles its magic over the seaside town and preparations for the ice sculpting competition and Christmas Eve ball are in full swing, can Penny melt the ice and allow love into her heart? And will this finally be the perfect Christmas she's been dreaming of?

Like a creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows, you won't want to put this deliciously heartwarming novel down.

©2015 Holly Martin (P)2016 Bookouture

Unrealistic plot line

The narrator is really good. The characters are cute. But the whole book takes place within the span of a WEEK! first meet, then deep, life altering love within 7 days. Really?!

2 people found this helpful

Ice Sculptor, Single Dad in Small Town

This book sounded like it had all the elements for a sweet, cozy Christmas story, and in some ways it was. Many of the elements were right, but the author made the mistake of throwing in crude language, residents of a small town bent on seeing a young woman go to bed with a handsome single dad on her first date (which she did), and excuses for lies. The story still has redeeming qualities, a teenage boy who chooses to raise his daughter alone and puts her welfare above his own, and a young woman who loves, accepts and teaches this teenager to value herself and to use her artistic skills. I am a sucker for cozy Christmas stories, but this wasn’t one. This author is talented but as for me, the book would have been so much more enjoyable without resorting to sex talk and foul language.

Meh ..

Well, if you are looking for a book that has a ton of Christmas in it and nothing else I think you will like this book, the main reason I didn't like this book as much as I wanted is that it was unnecessarily long, I was bored from half of it when Penny already got together with Henry .. but the story kept dragging and so many things happened that I really didn't care for .. so yeah it was an ok book for Christmas

The narration was ok .. she could've been better but I had no major complaints about her

Not a Christmas story . . .

The only thing that makes CHRISTMAS AT LILAC COTTAGE a Christmas story is that it was set during the Christmas season. Otherwise it's a romance. I typically do not read this type of book, but was desperate for some Christmas spirit. I was sad it didn't help with my lack of festivity and excitement about the holiday. It was an okay story. I found that I have thought about the storyline a few times since I read it a few months ago, so maybe it was better than I first believed??? Anyhow-- the bottom line is:
-Romance
-Slow
-Performed better than written
-Edited very well
-NOT a Christmas story

A lovely Christmas romance

A story that is delightfully pure escapism into a small English village. Already bought the next book in the trilogy. The plot is simple enough(boy meets girl who is socially awkward and doesn't know how attractive she is), however it is the atmosphere of an English village around Christmas time that makes this a truly enjoyable read. Solid 4 stars.

Interesting

What did you love best about Christmas at Lilac Cottage?

Twists and turns

What was one of the most memorable moments of Christmas at Lilac Cottage?

There are a few

Have you listened to any of Emma Newman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Mixed

Any additional comments?

Lots of ups and downs. Never knew what was coming next.

Good narrator, weak story

I don't expect a deep, complicated story with chicklit - but I do expect a good, entertaining story that has ups, downs & struggles that get worked thru. This book had some character conflicts that were resolved way too quickly & the whole thing just left me feeling bored, not entertained at all. Some mildly funny parts, but it all could've been much more interesting with better writing.

Perfectly narrated

Wonderful story with great characters, I totally recommend this read. Perfect for winter vacation. Fun.

Disappointing

I was just looking for a nice cozy Christmas story and I got a dimestore romance.

Laugh until you cry

At first, I didn't think much of the story with the scene when they met. Then, spilling all the sordid bits of their life story within hours of meeting. It is as much a story of a nice, gossipy small town that pulls together when it needs to. there were a couple of howlingly funny scenes where I laughed until I nearly cried: penny explaining the sex noises from her room to 16 year old Daisy, trying to have sex in the car, and the crime report for the town. Penny also did a great job in telling Daisy why not to rush into sex, but also providing her with condoms.

1 person found this helpful

Delightful

A slow start but delicately funny. I liked the constant twists and guessing. Holly writes with great description that it plays wonderfully on the brain with my imagination. It's a story to relate to with messages so real. I loved it.

3 people found this helpful

Depends on what you wanted from this story as to it’s rating.

Some good human behaviour insights, but very girly & soppy, with implausibility playing a leading role. I feel Author’s writing style needs more development & maturity. Really I feel I’m being a bit generous giving it 4 stars. Narrator generally good, but some funny inflections here & there.

Good story, bland narrating

If you’re in the mood for a Christmas story that addresses some heavier topics with a bit of humour, this is it. The characters are relatable, and the artificial drama is only to be expected. For me the narrating was a bit bland however. The same tone and intensity was used to describe the most exciting action bits as well as the most mundane and boring chores the characters were described doing. You need to add your own excitement to the narrative - the narrator certainly won’t help you with that. But if you’re through with the Christmas books of the likes of Heidi Swain, this will be a nice story to occupy your time with.

Poor performance

The reader I feel did not convey the story in an interesting way with a monotone and uninspiring voice

Amazing

Omg, this book is amazing. Can’t recommend enough. Honestly, I laughed and loved this book so damn much.

Nice Romantic Novel

This is a lovely feel good story. It kept me gripped and excited to listen to it until it finished.

Lacked substance

I love a fluffy Christmas book but this one lacked substance for me. A bit boring unfortunately.

Terrible

Terrible, terrible narration, intonation and accents. Couldn't get past chapter 2, so don't even know if story is any good. Make sure you listen to trial before committing to purchase. BIG mistake!

Amazing Story

Loved This! Feeling all Festive Now! Highly recommend this book if you love a good bit of chick fiction

loved the book

enjoyed all of the book. amazing how someone can write a book with a few characters and make a story...the narrator was very good in adapting each moment of of the books character including the funny areas....a very enjoyable book from beginning to end

1 person found this helpful