Twelve Days of Christmas

Mar 22, 2012 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, really-good, chick-lit, realistic-fiction, adult-fiction, christmas-books, lasting-impression, favourites

I was a bit dubious about this book before I read it because I disliked 'Chocolate Wishes', the book I had previously read by the same author but as it's Christmas, I had to give it a read and I'm very glad that I did - I didn't even mind the mention of Chocolate wishes themselves! I adored this book from start to finish. The book was certainly festive and I really enjoyed the plot. I found the writing style a bit hard to get used to at first as I kept forgetting it was written in first person,...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Raquel Leite rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: segredo-dos-livros

Este livro conquistou-me mais pela capa do que outra coisa, visto que nem me tinha apercebido que era da Trisha Ashley e que não tinha gostado do seu livro anterior. E de facto foi um pouco aborrecido em algumas partes ler este livro.
A história é em volta de Holly, de 35 anos, incrivelmente chata, e tudo o que ela quer fazer, cozinhas, ajudar animais e tudo mais, tem de ser contado com todos os pormenores possíveis e com detalhes excessivos. Eu adoro cozinhar, mas isto chega a ser penoso, pois m...more Este livro conquistou-me mais pela capa do que outra coisa, visto que nem me tinha apercebido que era da Trisha Ashley e que não tinha gostado do seu livro anterior. E de facto foi um pouco aborrecido em algumas partes ler este livro.
A história é em volta de Holly, de 35 anos, incrivelmente chata, e tudo o que ela quer fazer, cozinhas, ajudar animais e tudo mais, tem de ser contado com todos os pormenores possíveis e com detalhes excessivos. Eu adoro cozinhar, mas isto chega a ser penoso, pois mais de metade do livro é sobre ela a cozinhar.
Holly é uma chefe conceituada que durante o Inverno cuida da casa dos outros quando estes estão ausentes. E é assim desde que o seu marido morreu,há oito anos atrás. Pensando que iria para casa de Jude Martland, o escultor, e que teria oportunidade de ler os diários da recém falecida avó, os seus planos são sabotados quando se vê a tomar conta da família de Jude que vive nos arredores, e que andam a preparar as coisas para o Natal. Mas devido a sua educação e ao falecimento do marido, Holly não festeja o Natal. O que até é uma boa parte da história saber como ela lida com isto.
Gostava de saber um pouco mais dos diários da Avó de Holly, penso que foi das partes mais interessantes.

Leva algumas páginas, cerca de 120 mais ou menos, para a história começar, ou seja quando a Holly decide ficar para o Natal. Penso que só se tornou mais interessante quando finalmente aparece Jude Martland. Isto porque ele pareceu-me ser uma personagem mais forte, tornando a história um pouco mais agradável. Toda a família estava já junta para a reunião de Natal.
Depois havia Coco, que era super estranha para mim só lá estava para convencer as pessoas que Holly era boa pessoa e que fazia tudo a 5 estrelas.
Gostei das descrições de Natal e das suas tradições, e do espírito da família. Nota-se que Trisha sentiu-se mais empolgada por escrever esta parte, e que descreveu a atmosfera muito bem.

O fim é despejado literalmente em 3 páginas, Holly está apaixonada, e parece que decide isto porque o livro tem de acabar. Não havendo muito envolvimento romântico, que não pareceu tão importante, mas cuidar da casa, como cuidar dos cavalos ou como por uma mesa festiva é algo super importante e com descrições exageradas, que tem de ser contadas ao mais misero pormenor.

Acho que o problema foi que os personagens secundários se tornaram mais interessantes do que propriamente a trama principal. Em geral a história é boa e interessante, mas não foi bem aproveitada.
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May 06, 2013 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Aviso que inclui um pequeno spoiler (quem não gosta, não leia)*

É um livro muito bem escrito, e como já o disseram nalgumas reviews (nas badanas do próprio livro) é um bom livro para ler num dia de inverno... É reconfortante e diverte.
Não apreciei muito a forma como Trisha Ashley escreveu certas cenas no estranho romance de Holly Brown e Jude Martland, como o seu primeiro beijo. Embora entenda que a mesma quisesse que este fosse inesperado e, de facto, foi mas demasiado. Num momento falam de alg...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: quinta-essência, cláudia

O Natal chegou mais cedo e eu não poderia estar mais feliz! Quem me conhece, sabe que sou uma apaixonada por esta altura do ano e abraço o espírito natalício, doa a quem doer (ou isto não entra bem na quadra?). Noite de Reis, de Trisha Ashley inaugurou a abertura oficial da época para mim! E para quem diz que é demasiado cedo, então não queiram saber o que é que estou a ouvir no exacto momento em que escrevo esta opinião. Ou queiram. É uma boa banda sonora enquanto lêem este livro: "Christmas",...more O Natal chegou mais cedo e eu não poderia estar mais feliz! Quem me conhece, sabe que sou uma apaixonada por esta altura do ano e abraço o espírito natalício, doa a quem doer (ou isto não entra bem na quadra?). Noite de Reis, de Trisha Ashley inaugurou a abertura oficial da época para mim! E para quem diz que é demasiado cedo, então não queiram saber o que é que estou a ouvir no exacto momento em que escrevo esta opinião. Ou queiram. É uma boa banda sonora enquanto lêem este livro: "Christmas", de Michael Bublé, editado em 2011.

E porque é falo em apetite? Primeiro, porque estou com fome, e depois, porque é impossível não o ficar através deste livro. Holly, como é apresentado no resumo, é cozinheira, e por isso mesmo não sabe não falar sobre comida página sim-página sim (todas apetitosas e de nos pôr a salivar). Todos sabemos o quanto o Natal é propício a alguns deslizes gastronómicos e a autora faz questão de nos deixar o tempo todo a pensar no que estamos a perder por antecipação.
E se a comida e as tentações gulosas fazem parte da caracterização do período de Festas, as famílias excêntricas, os tempos passados a jogar ou a cantar, as crises existenciais, os pânicos de convidados de última hora e a expectativa de um Natal diferente (do qual sentimos muita falta mas ao mesmo tempo já não suportamos mais) são sem dúvida parte integrante deste puzzle enorme e cobrem todos os momentos deliciosos de a Noite de Reis. E aqui até temos direito a neve...

A capa é linda. E se na imagem não parece tão interessante, corram para procurar a vossa numa livraria: tem brilhos a imitar neve e não há nada mais invernoso e simultaneamente aconchegante! Tudo chama pelo Natal, e quem o nega, explique-me porquê porque nem assim fico convencida!
Holly não é uma personagem muito aprazível ao início. Se vive dentro de um bloco de gelo, como a sua grande amiga lhe diz, também o passa para o leitor. É dotada de simpatia e agradável mas não cria empatia e deixa em evidência uma barreira algo intransponível. Mais do que isso, é algo insípida e apenas bidimensional quando se espera alguma profundidade (especialmente atendendo a que acaba de lhe morrer a avó que a criou). Ainda assim, quem sou eu para críticar como cada qual lida com a dor?
Acima de tudo, o livro começa por ser linear e com abordagens pouco exploratórias, o que me fez ficar algo reticente já que tinha algumas expectativas. Acho que de alguma forma, o mesmo se deu com outras perspectivas do enredo: a reprodução de conversas telefónicas com a amiga, por exemplo, ao principio eram algo forçadas. De qualquer forma, pude confirmar em diante não estar enganada quanto ao inicialmente expectado.

Claro que não seria uma estória de quadra se não se desse uma mudança repentina para o melhor, e uma redescoberta de si mesma. Little Mumming irá surtir um efeito especialmente avassalador sobre Holly e sobre as suas crenças, e torná-la adepta de receber o que a vida lhe traz. Isto deve-se à vila mas também a todas as pessoas fantásticas e acolhedoras que vivem por lá. Desde os habitantes locais que vê esporadicamente nas excursões à vila, aos que rodeiam e privam com Holly mais constantemente, especialmente os tios e a sobrinha de Jude que habitam na casa do guarda da propriedade. Mas há que não esquecer toda uma série de personagens, como a proprietária do Pub, a antiga ama de família que insistentemente a confunde como um membro da família, o antigo vigário, uma família de agricultores locais e uma série de convidados inesperados....

Holly é sem dúvida uma boa samaritana, mas também muito confusa. A determinada altura apetecia-me abaná-la, dado que se oferecia para fazer as coisas com boa vontade, mas posteriormente barafustava por estar atulhada com trabalhos que não lhe interessavam assumir. E sendo uma questão de boa vontade, ser comandada por terceiros parecia-me já uma certa falta de personalidade. Felizmente, quando já me preparava para desesperar, esta rapariga complicada respondeu-me e passou a agir de acordo com a postura que eu esperava desde início. Era algo esperado, mas não deixa de ser incrivelmente divertido ver o quanto uma pessoa anti-natal acaba por ser o ponto de união entre uma família um tanto ou quanto dispersa, e proporcionar-lhes o melhor Natal de sempre.

Quando ao casal mágico, a relação de desprezo/ódio foi algo despropositada e forçada numa primeira fase, que felizmente a autora decidiu superar. Cada um deles ganhou um dinamismo ao longo da narrativa e a sua aproximação não surgiu forçada. Jude, apesar da sua resmunguice, é sem dúvida um coração mole e bem intencionado, que até sabe perdoar rapidamente, mesmo que ninguém espere que ele o faça (eu não esperava). Adora a família e faria tudo por ela, até participar nas festividades locais, que são tão secretas que terão de ler o livro para as descobrir!

As dinâmicas da família foram sem dúvida os meus pontos preferidos. Gosto de pessoas e de como a complexidade ou simplicidade das suas vidas compõem um puzzle colorido. E todos eles fazem falta, desde os animais de estimação, à noiva mimada de alguém, ao bondoso e óptimo contador de estórias Noel, à resmunguice de Henry, à amabilidade e pragmatismo da tia de Jude, à veia casamenteira de Jess, ao desejo guloso de todos pelos petiscos de Holly que cozinha sem parar...

Este livro é sem dúvida uma história de famílias, para famílias, temperada com a dose certa de humor e ternura. É impossível não sorrir, rir nos momentos certos e sentimos-nos aconchegados o tempo todo. Nada mais adequado para a época, não acham? Provavelmente irei relê-lo para o ano nesta altura. Quem sabe e não se torna numa tradição?

Noite de Reis é sem dúvida um miminho de fim de noite, para ler ao som de uma boa banda sonora, e ficar a sonhar acordada, com uma perspectiva de estação invernosa quente, feliz e completa. - Cláudia
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Nov 23, 2012 Suad Shamma rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 2011

I just finished reading Twelve Days of Christmas an hour ago, and immediately went back to Amazon to look through ALL the comments, as I was sure someone must share my opinion! I bought this book after seeing so many good and positive reviews, but I was very disappointed as it left me feeling very very bored and frustrated. It seems that I am categorized with the minority.

1. there are WAY too many details in this book for the reader to fully be able to enjoy him/herself and get lost in the story...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Sheleen Addison rated it 4 of 5 stars

A lovely sweet story about Holly Brown, who is a chef, but has times where she does house sitting to relax and have a break from house-party catering. She has hard quite a hard life losing her mother at birth and her father ran off and then her husband died just before Christmas. Holly was brought up by grandparents who are Strange Baptists - there are really such a thing? She never had Christmas growing up as her grandparents did not believe in it so when she got married she really fell in love...more

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Apr 18, 2011 AvonBooks added it

Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown, so when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible – the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities.

Sculptor, Jude Martland, is determined that this year there will be no Christmas after his brother runs off with his fiancée and he is keen to avoid the family home. However, he will have to return by the twelfth night of the festivities, when the hamlet...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Julie Goucher rated it 4 of 5 stars

The prologue to the book sets the scene. Holly Brown is a young widow whose husband was killed in a tragic accident just before Christmas. Holly's parents died when she was young and she was raised by her Grandparents. Holly's Grandmother had been ill and as she passed away she mentioned a name of Ned Marland. A name completely unfamiliar to Holly.....

Holly housesits for a living during the winter and works as a chef during the rest of the year. Due to her upbringing and her deepset grief at Chr...more

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Dec 29, 2010 Jenni rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was my second seasonal read, and I really liked it. The plot is fairly simple and it plods along quite contentedly. I've seen other reviewers criticise this book because not a lot happens, I found myself enjoying the book for this very reason. The book is set in a tiny sleepy village full of mildly eccentric characters, I think this is the reason I got so drawn into the book - as a country girl I could really identify with the book.

I enjoyed Holly as a character though I couldn't always und...more

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Nov 30, 2010 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not the normal genre of book I’d read; blame it on jetlag or the cold weather. Yet if a book hits The Sunday Times Bestseller list, there must be a reason...

The style of writing appeared to change the further through the book I got. The first few chapters were stuffed with great words like Avarice, Grinch, Miasma, Sepulchrally, and Stoical; their meaning I needed to find. Also Trisha Ashley, the author attempted to crack a joke at every opportunity; which soon became a little tiresome.

Once the...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am quite disappointed to have finished this book as I was enjoying it so much.

Holly the central character is a house sitter and chef who wanted to escape Christmas but instead gets 'snowed in' with her clients family. To fill in her time Holly is exploring her late Gran's diaries and soon realises that there is a reason why so many of the villagers 'think she is part of the family'.

There are a few comedy parts as well, with some sarcastic swipes thrown in by the little girl Jess, who along wi...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Wai rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I will have to admit that for an impulse buy, I was very pleasantly surprised with this. I saw Twelve Days of Christmas listed on Amazon for 99p and with it being the season and all that, I felt like reading something festive and so bought it. And am glad I did.

It tells the tale of Holly Brown, a woman who doesn't celebrate Christmas due to her upbringing as a Strange Baptist and the fact that her husband died in the season as well. So to avoid this, she works as a professional house sitter in v...more

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Nov 27, 2011 localfreak rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: light, ebook

When I picked this up I was looking for something light, frothy and cosy. After too many textbooks, and with Advent beginning, I always feel the need to curl up with something safe and unthreateningly happy to read and this book really fit the bill.

There are a couple of things I found confusing- like the tense of the main character, or most of the baby talk, but the characters were all well-written and enjoyable to read about. Holly is an excellent protagonist, developing more as the story unfol...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love, love loved this book!

Holly hates Christmas, her husband died at that time of year and to top it off her grandmother who raised her after her Mother's death has also passed away. During the summer season she works as a top chef catering for house parties and in the winter months house sits to keep the income up and take a well deserved rest from all that cooking.
So when she is offered a job house sitting an old manor deep in the countryside over Christmas and New Year she jumps at the chanc...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel i only happened to read by chance because a family member decided that it was not for them and i was pleased that i had done so, as it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I love good stories at Christmas and usually with this main time of year being the theme or backdrop for the book, it turns out to be a great read and Trisha's novel 'the tweleve days of Christmas' was just that. The book is beautifully written with a great storyline and charicters that as a reader you can relate to and...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Nikki Bywater rated it 5 of 5 stars

After tragic family circumstances happened in her past at Christmas, Holly Brown is now more than happy to spend Christmas alone, and working for a company called Homebodies, a company that provides a house sitting service for people, gives Holly the perfect opportunity to do just this, when a job comes in to house sit a house in a remote location, where nobody knows her, over Christmas this is perfect for Holly and she takes it, thinking she will be isolated and alone and that she can just forg...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Christmas is not a happy time for widower Holly Brown. When she gets the chance to look after a remote house on the Lancashire Moors, she jumps at the chance to escape the festivities and be alone. However, as the family of the owner descends, the blizzards set in and the owner himself returns, Holly finds that the escape she planned is not going to go to plan.
Christmas and romance; what else do I need. This book has a nice gentle start. The characters are introduced well, are likeable and humo...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Maureen Vincent-Northam rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Trisha Ashley’s Twelve Days of Christmas for its wonderfully portrayed characters and the festive heart-warming storyline. This isn’t a short book and I’ve read some of the reviews where readers felt that not enough was happening, but for me, Holly Brown’s daily – and often very funny – routines of preparing meals and dealing with the family thrust upon her kept me turning the pages.

Holly, a widow who lost her husband at Christmas time, and more recently the grandmother who rais...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Holly doesn't celebrate Christmas. She was brought up by her Strange Baptist grandparents, who disapproved of the Xmas trimmings,, and her beloved husband Alan died just before Xmas several years earlier , so she doesn't do seasonal stuff. Instead she house sits, and enjoys the peace and quiet.

Except this year's house sitting assignment is destined not to be so quiet. The home owner is abroad and when bad weather looms, Holly feels responsible for his elderly family and decides to cook for them...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, owned-kindle

Unfortunately, the style of writing employed by the author really didn't suit my taste. It was virtually all tell, rather than show - including the dialogue which felt extremely stilted and unrealistic. I couldn't Understand why Holly would need to explain the reasons why she wanted to house-sit over Christmas to her best friend of many years and the spiky, rude exchanges between her and Jude just didn't seem to make sense, resulting in making holly a less sympathetic character to me.

There was l...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Lia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-estrelas, borrowed

Fiquei completamente encantada com a capa do livro mal o vi, quando uma colega do trabalho o recebeu. Escusado será dizer que lho pedi logo emprestado quando ela acabasse. Na verdade, ela acabou de o ler em pouco mais de dois dias e quando mo entregou disse que adorou a história e tudo no livro.
Na verdade, eu nem por isso.
De início, ao ler as primeiras páginas achei que seria realmente uma história interessante, misteriosa e divertida. Gostei das descrições e dos pormenores que a autora fazia da...more Fiquei completamente encantada com a capa do livro mal o vi, quando uma colega do trabalho o recebeu. Escusado será dizer que lho pedi logo emprestado quando ela acabasse. Na verdade, ela acabou de o ler em pouco mais de dois dias e quando mo entregou disse que adorou a história e tudo no livro.
Na verdade, eu nem por isso.
De início, ao ler as primeiras páginas achei que seria realmente uma história interessante, misteriosa e divertida. Gostei das descrições e dos pormenores que a autora fazia da vida da personagem principal e de tudo o que conduzia ao seu isolamento numa aldeia calma e pacata.
Contudo, de repente a história tornou-se demasiado repetitiva, com páginas e páginas de diálogos iguais, sempre em volta do mesmo tema e da luta da personagem contra os festejos do Natal e da comida toda que tem que preparar, e da sua pouca auto-estima.
Na realidade, fiquei com a sensação que durante todo o meio do livro andei sempre a ler o mesmo...
Os diários misteriosos da avó poderiam ter sido muito melhor explorados e consegue-se desvendar logo ao início o suposto "mistério".
Mais para o final do livro as coisas começam a desenrolar-se de uma forma mais engraçada, mas são apenas passagens rápidas, voltando tudo novamente ao mesmo, à repetição.
Antes de ler o livro, li uma opinião que dizia que o romance final parecia ter sido forçado, o que discordo neste ponto. O romance existe praticamente desde o início, levando-nos a acreditar no "amor à primeira vista", mas na minha opinião é mal conduzido e demasiado vago para a história que se quer.
Em suma, penso que a ideia da história é muito interessante, mas contada de uma forma muito fraca.
Mas é um livro muito fácil de ler, com bastantes descrições e diálogos e passado num sítio realmente fantástico.
Na minha opinião, acho que também deveria ser feita uma revisão de escrita do livro traduzido em português, pois mais para o final haviam muitas gralhas e frases mal construídas (o que eu detesto :/).
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Dec 09, 2010 Rachel Powell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not the sort of book I would usually choose, but I'm going through a phase of reading the "fastback" books at the local library (recently published, 2 week loan period, not renewable) and when I went in on November 30th I'd just dropped my daughter off to sings carols at an old people's home, the library staff were putting up decorations and it was actually snowing outside, so I was feeling cosy and festive. It leapt off the shelf at me.

The writing was a little annoying, due to over-use of some...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Cameling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, mystery

A professional private chef and housesitter, brought up by a Strange Baptist grandmother, shuns Christmas because her husband died a few days before the holiday. She accepts a last minute housesitting job out in the country, and looks forward to the isolation.

Instead, she finds herself gradually and reluctantly getting involved in the home owner's elderly relatives and various villagers, all the while fending off irate calls from a very disgruntled homeowner currently in America.

Dealing with err...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Hayley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

This was a lovely, cosy book and I loved Jude Martland. But the protagonist annoyed me to no end and I became increasingly irritated with the constant repetition. Sometimes it seemed as though whole paragraphs were repeated, with just a couple of words different. And the protagonist talked too much; she was always explaining her every move. "Oh, hello, I was just putting some cake in the oven before defrosting a ham and then I was going to go and muck the horse out and then take Merlin for a wal...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Joana Silva rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't know if it's because it's almost Christmas but it felt so good coming home after work and just sit on the sofa with a blanket and a hot coffee while reading this book.
Holly Brown, the main character of the book, is a chef who also does house-sitting (and takes care of the animals). She was raised by her grandparents, mainly her grandma.
She lost some important people during the years and because of that and because of the education her grandma gave her,...more

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Dec 04, 2010 TheSecretWriter rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book not only has a great seasonally designed cover, it also contains a great story inside! Trisha Ashley has done it again by producing another five star read. I have recently become a fan of Trisha Ashely's writing and I think Katie Fforde has got it right when she states that Trisha Ashley is, 'one of the best writers around'.

'Twelve Days of Christmas' is a romantic comedy, full of the fun for the festive season and some delicious tales about cooking as well! The book tells the story of...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Jessica (Jess Hearts Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars

What first attracted me to Twelve Days of Christmas was that it sounded very much like one of my all-time favourite Christmas films “The Holiday” with it being about house sitting over Christmas time so I was very excited to start reading this when the snow started to fall and I was really getting into that Christmas Spirit, and well, I guess I’m just going to come out and say it. I didn’t like this book.

The story centres around 35 year old Holly Brown and the main problem I had with this book i...more What first attracted me to Twelve Days of Christmas was that it sounded very much like one of my all-time favourite Christmas films “The Holiday” with it being about house sitting over Christmas time so I was very excited to start reading this when the snow started to fall and I was really getting into that Christmas Spirit, and well, I guess I’m just going to come out and say it. I didn’t like this book.

The story centres around 35 year old Holly Brown and the main problem I had with this book is that I didn’t get on with Holly- not because she was annoying or nasty or anything like that she was nice enough but she was also incredibly boring and dull. I just didn’t have anything in common with her and couldn’t warm towards her. It was a bit like meeting somebody at a party who seems like a nice enough person but you’d never actually be friends with them because you don’t have anything in common. Holly spends 400 odd pages either cooking, looking after the animals or “thawing off” a HUGELY over used phrase in this book, which is all fine and well if that wasn’t all that she done in excessive detail. I like food and animals as much as the next person but I really don’t need a running commentary especially when it came to the cooking. Holly spends 80 per cent of her time cooking and not being a keen cook myself I found a huge chunk of this book very tiresome. Holly was for me a rather boring character who I just try as I might couldn’t connect with.

I also really didn’t enjoy Trisha Ashley’s writing style. It struck me as rather old fashioned and everyone was rather sensible and proper even nearly a teen Jess who really didn’t act like a modern day teenager and behaved more like her gran!

That being said this book wasn’t all bad. Some aspects of the plot kept me interested and I rather liked some of the secondary characters. Twelve days of Christmas is one of those books with a great story idea but it just isn’t executed well. I did wonder at some points if it would be better suited to older readers, with a lot of the main characters being either middle aged or elderly and with the Old fashioned style of writing, but for me as a 20 year old who likes her chick lit funny, fashionable and sexy this book was a bit of a let-down. Although I personally didn’t enjoy it I would recommend it to people fond of their cooking or maybe to a slightly older audience than myself. But as a warming fun read for Christmas? I’d give this one a miss. My first Trisha Ashley book and unfortunately I think this will also be my last. 2 stars.(less)

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Jan 10, 2013 Jakki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Holly Brown might not be the most festive person when it comes to celebrating Christmas, but who can blame her when her husband, who taught her the love of the season, passed away eight years ago, just days before Christmas? Adding to her seasonal funk is the loss of her gran mere weeks ago, and Holly is in anything but the Christmas spirit. When asked to housesit in the wilds of the Lancashire moors, Holly jumps at the opportunity, looking for an escape from the holiday cheer and painful memori...more Holly Brown might not be the most festive person when it comes to celebrating Christmas, but who can blame her when her husband, who taught her the love of the season, passed away eight years ago, just days before Christmas? Adding to her seasonal funk is the loss of her gran mere weeks ago, and Holly is in anything but the Christmas spirit. When asked to housesit in the wilds of the Lancashire moors, Holly jumps at the opportunity, looking for an escape from the holiday cheer and painful memories. However, we all know the best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry.

When Holly arrives at Jude Martland’s home, Old Place, in Little Mumming, she quickly discovers this will not be her typical housesitting job. The Martland family has always spent Christmas together at Old Place. They look forward to this as a child looks forward to presents on Christmas morning, but this year will be much different. With no regard for his family’s traditions and expectations, after reading the engagement announcement of his ex-fiancé to his brother in the newspaper, Jude Martland has selfishly taken off in a fit of pique, leaving his relatives to their own devices this Christmas.

When Jude unexpectedly arrives back home, his house is not at all as he has left it. Finding both welcomed guests and an unwelcomed ex-fiancé in his home, it appears the dark and broody Jude Martland is less than happy with how Holly has been taking care of his property. However, Holly has no qualms about putting this stubborn and selfish man in his place by making him aware of his neglected duties towards his relatives. With acerbic exchanges and masked glances, can these two make it through the twelve days of Christmas without acknowledging the undercurrent of something more?

Ashley begins each chapter with snippets from Holly’s gran’s journals. It is through these excerpts that Holly learns a shocking secret from her gran’s past that could change her future. Jude believes Holly is not at all who she appears to be, but what will happen to their love-hate relationship once he discovers her true identity?

My only complaint about this story is that the author tends to repeat herself. I quickly became annoyed that I was provided with the same facts, questions, and dialog multiple times. One example happens on page 230. While talking with the Martlands, Holly comments, “I hope they’re going to be all right and Coco doesn’t do anything stupid.” A mere 6 pages later the reader finds Holly saying the same thing, “I hope Coco doesn’t do anything silly.” It was repetition like this that frustrated me. Even though this was a point of contention for me, that is not to say that other readers might not notice or be bothered by it.

The familial banter that takes place between the Martlands, Holly and a few other guests, had me feeling as if I were there, as part of the family. Twelve Days of Christmas is a delightful read that has the feeling of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Snuggle up with an oversized mug of hot cocoa and a cozy blanket as Ashley’s writing will have you snowed in amongst the pastoral countryside of Lancaster.

Originally posted on www.leatherboundreviews.blogspot.com (less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I was completely enthralled by the location of the novel, charmed by the supporting cast, and amused by the adept Holly Brown, then add in a small WWII twist for a bit of flavor. In fact, I loved everything about this book until the inevitable end and then I was left with that "Holidays are over-sigh" letdown.
Trapped in a snowbound manor house in the English country side, having to create with wonderfully eatable food and surrounded by a delightful group of Christmas celebrants is not how Chef B...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Sandra Mackness rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: completed

Didn't want to put this one down! Such a lovable, wonky cast of characters (including the house)all of which came alive with a little TLC from the aptly-named Holly. I became quite exhausted just reading about the animal care and the sherry-swigging, indefatigable geriatrics but best of all was the hero, swooping from his red-eye flight and surprising Holly at the generator. Trisha Ashley must have a direct line to the Big Snowmaker in the Sky to have written in the kind of conditions the UK has...more

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