Christmas at Lock Keeper's Cottage

By: Lucy Coleman

Narrated by: Lucy Scott, David Thorpe

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Join us for Christmas in the Cotswolds in this perfect festive escape, from the best-selling Lucy Coleman.

Imogen Tolliman never knew her mother. And when an accident robs Immi of her father too, she goes to live with her grandfather Tollie in his picturesque lock-keeper’s cottage by the Aysbury marina. 

Tollie is the star of the Santa Ahoy Special each Christmas - a festive boat ride along the canal that enthralls both children and adults alike. And as Immi grows up, she starts to appreciate the magical community she is lucky enough to live in. 

When Immi meets Gray Adams, she instantly realises he’s someone special. And as their relationship gets serious, they start to plan for the Christmas to beat all Christmases. 

But as the day approaches, and the romantic snow showers turn into blizzards, their dream of a Christmas to remember looks set to be one they’ll never forget - for all the wrong reasons. Can they salvage the festivities, or will old secrets that are finally uncovered turn Immi’s life upside down forever?

Let Lucy Coleman transport you away to a dreamy Cotswolds Christmas full of snowflakes and secrets, log fires, mistletoe, friends and much-loved traditions. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley, Holly Martin and Sue Moorcroft. 

©2020 Lucy Coleman (P)2020 Boldwood Books

Where's the dramatic action and the conflict?

I don't mind slow moving novels. Just the opposite, in fact. I love long novels that focus on character development. The key is development. In this novel there are endless red herrings leading to.....absolutely nothing. There is no drama, no real conflict. Nothing. If one of my students turned this in, I wouldn't accept it. It's unfortunate because there's a great set up here for a great story, a wonderful setting and interesting characters.

Update: I tried, but I simply couldn't finish it. Everyone is wonderful, everything is wonderful. "We're a friendly bunch." "Even in a terrible snowstorm, we always know how to have fun!" Etc. Etc. Etc.

Kind of odd

It is a pleasant enough book wherein nothing of interest happens. There are a host of very nice people who do pleasant things and are congenial to one another and to strangers. There is a big Christmas meal where the turkey is apparently shockingly cut up before it is roasted. There is a rather uninteresting and random secret revealed at the very end, which is given fairly short shrift. Then out of the blue a completely different narrator reads for literally only a few minutes and for no discernable reason. Odd. Not unpleasant. It's a nicely enough written story about next to nothing.

heartwarming

Ms Coleman has painted in words a place and a community that makes me wish were real so that I could go and live there.

Sweet

Such a sweet story with Christmas as the backdrop. It describes the journey finding strength in the midst of life's storms. There is always hope & possibility. You just have to believe...

Boring

I listen to all types of books and as long as the narration is good can usually get into them, but this was a waste of time. I kept listening hoping a story would develop, but it was just rambling and boring. Don't waste your time.

one of my new Christmas stories

This is my first time reading this author.
I will definitely look for more books by her.
She really makes her characters come to life.
I felt like I was right there in their community of family and friends.

slow moving story about nothing

there's no real point to this story. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did. The characters were good, the setting was good but there was no plot. At the end, I thought some great climax was going to happen with the secret that was revealed but, again, nothing. The "big secret" was just stated as a fact and then they moved on. And why was there a new narrator for the last 5 minutes...it was very odd and felt out of place.

Could have been so much more

Slow, build way too long. Really struggled to stay focused. Took forever to finish

Great Story

Great story for a long trip or just a quiet read. Enjoyed very much.

An Easy Pleasant Listen

Lovely performance, easy to love characters, and a heart warming ending. Quite enjoyable as the Christmas and New Year approach!

So disappointed

I was so looking forward to this but was really disappointed. The story could have been told in one chapter, it was tooth achingly soppy and the storyline was more than predictable
and cliched. I feel this was a waste of a credit.

Christmas & Community

Lovely festive tale filled with love friendship & community spirit, Set in a village along the canal with plenty of snowfall and winter wonders your in for a treat if your wanting a Christmas fix this book is heartwarming. So snuggle up with a hot chocolate and give it a go.

A lovely story

Far too flowery for me . The story would have been great. If the author, hadn’t overcooked the sentiment. Halfway through, I had had enough. But needed to see it through to the end. But really….. it got mushier. Yuck.

So boring.

I wanted something undemanding to listen to at bedtime. This was definitely undemanding. Extremely repetitive. Gave up after a while.

what a complete waste of time

I can't believe that I stuck to the end of this book. I kept thinking...Something interesting is going to happen in a minute...
Did it??
Absolutely not. It was a few months in the life if this person...ooops saintly soul... who couldn't love her??? Well me for one! Annoying as hell.
As for her boyfriend!! Jeez patronising or what? patting her on the head and her simpering away. yukh!
The "big" unveiling...well damp squib.. was sooooo predictable you could laugh..
Deary me, was a sloppy tedious story..
One good point...
Really?? I hear you cry...
IT WAS A FREEBIE.. just as well as it would have gone back

excellent story

wonderful story let the imagination run riot and well narrated look forward to hearing move .

Zzzzz

Found this very hard going, didn’t even get through the whole book.
Narration wasn’t great either

Christmas at Lock Keepers Cottage

A heartwaming story of how a community comes together in a time of crisis. The narrators were easy to listen to, bringing the characters to life.

Lovely

Such a lovely heartwarming story! It made me feel very cosy! I know it is early but it also made me feel festive!

Disappointing

Slow and quite tedious for most of the book. Picked up slightly towards the end. Could have had a better ending