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Christmas at Lilac Cottage

(White Cliff Bay #1)

Holly Martin (Goodreads Author)

3.96 · Rating details · 3,381 ratings · 436 reviews

Welcome to the charming seaside town of White Cliff Bay, where Christmas is magical and love is in the air…

Penny Meadows loves her home – a cosy 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 ...more

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Kindle Edition, 350 pages

Published September 25th 2015 by Bookouture

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Lists with This Book

Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin

Snowflakes on Silver Cove by Holly Martin

Every Time a Bell Rings by Carmel Harrington

Christmas Chick Lit 2015 (UK)

25 books — 34 voters

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The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

Christmas at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 3.96 ·

Rating details

· 3,381 ratings · 436 reviews

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Start your review of Christmas at Lilac Cottage (White Cliff Bay #1)

Aug 04, 2016 Eve (Between The Bookends) rated it liked it

Penny Meadows loves her home in White Cliff Bay. She loves her job as an ice carver. She loves her little lilac cottage, but she finds herself stuck in life. All her friends are getting married and starting families. When she rents out her annex she hopes to make the married couple feel welcome and maybe make some friends in return.

Imagine her surprise when that married couple turns out to be a smokin hot single dad with a teenage daughter.

description

This is a confusing review for me to write to be honest. ...more

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Sep 01, 2015 Claire Robinson rated it liked it

Shelves: christmas

3 - Everyone had someone. Stars.

This is a hard review to write in a way. Mainly because I absolutely adore all of the previous books I have read by this author. They are always well written, quirky, massively entertaining and just a little bit different. And although this book offered most of the above it was missing that little spark that I associate with Holly's writing, storytelling and characterization.

Another small niggle for me was the mad rush of emotions Henry and Penny seemed to go ...more

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Dec 12, 2017 Nicola rated it really liked it

3.5 Stars.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly fa la la la la la la la la.
Single dads they make me jolly fa la la la la la la la laaaaaaaaa

All very insta on the lovin’ and was a tad on the predictable side, but with an endearing bunch of characters and plenty of humour and festive flirting, it was an enjoyable visit to White Cliff Bay.

I didn’t realise cake was the international sign language for I want to get you into bed.”

description

...more

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Sep 05, 2015 Norah Una Sumner rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, family-theme, great-male-characters, arc-net-galley, chick-lit, adult, great-female-characters, humor, romance, 4-star-read

"She remembered the wish she had made on the shooting star the year before and smiled knowing that every wish she'd ever made had finally come true."

Summary:

"Penny Meadows loves her home – a cosy 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 ...more

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Oct 14, 2015 sue rated it it was amazing

Shelves: xmas, net-galley, part-of-series

You just have to make time for at least one Christmas book don't you? I made room for 3 this year and this book is one of a series.

This kicks off very well.

We meet Penny, all is well in her world, she lives in a lovely little cottage, all christmassy with fairy lights around the door. A smashing view of White Cliff Bay.
Her job is sculpturing lovely things from ice. She loves what she does and has a great talent for it.

Next to her cottage is an annex which she rents out. She has rented it to ...more

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Oct 14, 2016 Louise Wilson rated it really liked it

Penny Meadows loves her cosy cottage that she's decorated with fairy lights and the stunning views over White Cliff Bay. She is an ice-carver making breathtaking sculptures.

When Henry and his daughter Daisy arrive at her cottage to rent her annex Penny does all she can do to make them feel welcome. As she gets to know Henry she realises they have a strong connection that's hard to ignore. Will this be the perfect Christmas Penny has always dreamed off.

A heartwarming Christmas love story. An ...more

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Aug 25, 2015 Elaine rated it really liked it

4 Curl Up In Front Of A Log Fire Stars

photo 6aff1ba1be155d267253a93e326fc79a_zpsakml8ass.gif

What a perfect story to curl up in front of a log fire to read and just before Christmas

Penny Meadows lives alone in her pretty cottage in White Cliff Bay, although she loves her job as an ice sculpture her life is quite a lonely one.
When she decides to rent out her annexe, for company, Henry and Daisy arrive. After a misunderstanding Penny is thrilled with her new guests.

Henry isn't looking for a serious relationship but there's something about Penny he ...more

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Oct 20, 2016 Bookread2day rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Order your copy now from Bonnier Zaffre . This is a very pretty silver sparkling cover with a one of the best romantic stories that I have ever read. It really is a page turner with lines that made me smile, laugh and had me in tears. I just never knew what a fantastic author Holly Martin was until I read Christmas at Lilac Cottage. I am now following Holly on Goodreads. I would one hundred percent read another paperback book by Holly Martin.
The story is about Penny Meadows who's parents ...more

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Dec 17, 2015 Maxine (Booklover Catlady) rated it liked it

Shelves: net-galley-reviewed, 2015-reading-challenge, chick-lit-choc-lit-read, women-s-fiction, relationships-romance

This was a cutesy Christmas read. I found elements of it really fun yet on the other hand found somethings a bit drab. The insta-attraction between the two main characters very early in the book is ridiculously quick and I think the book would have been better with a bit more build up. Just my thoughts.

I don't mind a good light read but this one for me just fell a bit flat, it was a tad slow and drawn out in places and it took me a while to get into the whole story. The characters did grow on ...more

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Sep 22, 2015 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it liked it

5 Words: Christmas, love, loss, family, community.

This story takes a well used trope and adds in some extra sweet treats in a lovely festive setting.

I found the story itself just a bit too predictable, but I did like the community spirit and the artisan workers and the cast of characters.

When I first started, the main character felt about 10 years older than what she was. It took a while for me to settle in to the story, it seemed to ramble on a little before the plot was established. But once I ...more

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Oct 17, 2018 Carla Johnson-Hicks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, adult-fiction, christmas, netgalley, holiday

I love books by Holly Martin, and this one did not disappoint. Penny is a damaged woman, one who has been holed up for eight years in Lilac Cottage after a devastating experience. She is not looking for a man, she is looking for friends and is hoping that Henry and his wife Daisy will fit the bill. When Penny is your friend, she goes out of her way to help and care about you. When we first meet Henry, I thought he was a miserable, uptight snob, but when we got to know him, how wrong I was. ...more

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Sep 02, 2015 Ana rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit-womens-fiction, christmas, part-of-a-series, bookouture, read-in-2015, 2015-releases, netgalley, books-i-own

Originally posted on This Chick Reads

* Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *

In a short time span of just couple of years, Holly Martin has managed to write so many novels, successfully switching from fantasy, to contemporary romance then to chick lit. In just two months, she's releasing two Christmas novels which are parts of the White Cliff Bay Series.

'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' is the first one in the series and is such a charming, cute read. It
Originally posted on This Chick Reads

* Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *

In a short time span of just couple of years, Holly Martin has managed to write so many novels, successfully switching from fantasy, to contemporary romance then to chick lit. In just two months, she's releasing two Christmas novels which are parts of the White Cliff Bay Series.

'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' is the first one in the series and is such a charming, cute read. It follows the story of Penny who's an ice carver and is living alone in a cosy cottage in the picturesque White Cliff Bay. She's single by choice, as she hasn't had much luck in love. Her previous relationship ended up bad and got her so hurt, she's very afraid of committing again. Henry and Daisy are arriving at White Cliff Bay, renting the annex of Penny's cottage. There are immediate sparkles between Henry and Penny, but it's not just Penny who's been hurt terribly in the past. Henry was too, and really really bad. Is there a chance the magic of Christmas will touch them both? As always in fiction, everything is possible at Christmas time.

'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' was a very fast read for me. It is bit more than 200 pages and Ms Martin's writing is so easy to understand you'll be flying through it. I liked Penny from the very beginning, she seems as someone fragile, but also as someone who'd do anything for a loved one or a friend. She's such a nice girl, the one everyone would like to hang out with. I loved the fact she's an ice carver, creating these beautiful ice sculptures and showing Daisy how to make one herself. Henry seemed very uptight at the beginning, but very soon I got totally in love with him. He's one of these protective, but not too protective or obsessive men who'd be an ideal partner for Penny.

As always when it comes to Ms Martin's romances, the romance was sweet but not cheesy, which I seriously respect. There's a lot of banter between Henry and Penny and sometimes they seemed like little kids, trying to decide what actually is going on between them and what do they want for their future. They are drawn to each other right from the very beginning, which is something I usually dislike in a book, but now I realize it's not the insta-love I have trouble with but with the author's writing style. Obviously, in this case as it was so sweet and beautifully described, the insta-love was not giving me that much trouble. At times though I wanted to give them both a good shake and make them smell the coffee, as there was a lot of cat-mouse chase. It's like everyone around them could see their chemistry but they were so insecure and afraid to make something more out of their relationship.

Anyway, one of the best things about reading a Christmassy book is feeling that Christmas cheerful spirit, which this book definitely brings. I adored the setting, could smell the sea and see Penny and Henry having fun at the rink.

Overall this was such a delightful read and one I certainly recommend to everyone in good of good Christmas story and sweet romance. Beautiful setting and characters you'll root for, 'Christmas at Lilac Cottage' is definitely a must read for the holiday season. Once again Ms Martin manages to deliver and create a beautiful, charming, modern love story with unique and lovable characters that will stay with you for a long time. ...more

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Sep 05, 2015 🔮⚡️Voracious rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, netgalley

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Holly Martin and the publisher, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Welcome to the charming seaside town of White Cliff Bay, where Christmas is magical and love is in the air…

Penny Meadows loves her home – a cosy 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 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Holly Martin and the publisher, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Welcome to the charming seaside town of White Cliff Bay, where Christmas is magical and love is in the air…

Penny Meadows loves her home – a cosy 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 realises 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 in her heart? And will this finally be the perfect Christmas she’s been dreaming of?

If anyone had told me that I'd be reading a Christmas themed book in August, I would have laughed them out of my life - with a few choice words no doubt. Who wants to be thinking about Christmas in August?!

However, the unthinkable happened, and when my Twitter feed started showing these wonderfully colourful and animated GIFs depicting a book by Holly Martin called 'Christmas At Lilac Cottage'. I was immediately drawn to them, scrambling to find out who this author was, and more importantly, where I could get a hold of this book.

I loved this book, I really did. I literally devoured it in one sitting; the story flowed so well. I got caught up in the blossoming romance between Penny and the devastatingly gorgeous Henry. I loved the character of Penny, who is so warm and kind, that it’s really quite difficult not to love her. The characters were a great mix all round, with just the right amount of humour thrown in to elicit a good few giggles along the way.

This book was very well written indeed. It’s the first time I’ve ever encountered Holly Martin, but it definitely won’t be the last. A book absolutely bulging at the seams with feel good factor, it’s actually gone a long way to preparing me for a season I normally face with dread and some amount of anguish. Romance is not usually a genre that I would choose to read, but this book seemed to have a little of everything else, which balanced it out very nicely.

A highly enjoyable and recommended read.
...more

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Jan 08, 2019 Nicola Clough rated it it was amazing

So loved this brilliant simply brilliant and so enjoyable from the first page. The characters are very good and the plot is brilliant and didn't want it to end. So engrossed and just didn't want to put the book down. Worth far more than five stars as so good. Full of romance and being happy in yourself.
Penny has always lived in lilac cottage with stunning views but her parents have moved abroad and she decides to rent out the small annex she has. She has had a very bad past relationship and ...more

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Oct 26, 2016 Karen rated it really liked it

Holly Martin is an author whose books I keep buying but never actually getting around to reading – until now. I know that the ebook of this was originally published by Bookoutre last year but when Bonnier Zaffre sent me an unexpected book parcel, this looked just too pretty to leave on the shelf for a later date. The cover picture really doesn’t do it justice – its sparkly and shiny – just what you would want for a Christmas read.

Penny Meadows works from home as an ice sculptor, rather an Holly Martin is an author whose books I keep buying but never actually getting around to reading – until now. I know that the ebook of this was originally published by Bookoutre last year but when Bonnier Zaffre sent me an unexpected book parcel, this looked just too pretty to leave on the shelf for a later date. The cover picture really doesn’t do it justice – its sparkly and shiny – just what you would want for a Christmas read.

Penny Meadows works from home as an ice sculptor, rather an unusual occupation but a very interesting one – I was fascinated to learn how sculptures are made although I don’t think I will be taking up the art anytime soon. (I don’t like the cold and Penny often works in a walk in freezer!). She has canine company provided by the lumbering Bernard but she still seems rather a lonely figure and when the rental agency find her tenants to rent the annex to her house, she is delighted, expecting a married couple that she can have the odd meal with or just share a bottle of wine and some conversation. When Henry Travis, a rather grumpy man arrives on his own, she is just a little disappointed. They do get off on slightly the wrong foot when Penny mistakes Henry’s 16 year old daughter Daisy for his wife and lets him know EXACTLY what she thinks of him!

Despite his initial grumpiness, Henry soon reveals another side which Penny finds extremely attractive. The only problem is Daisy. Henry is a single dad, having brought up his baby daughter alone – both he and Daisy have been badly hurt in the past and as much as Henry fancies Penny, his main priority is Daisy and her happiness. Penny has also had her heart broken and is rather fragile emotionally but will Henry’s good looks and flirtatious manner mean more heartbreak for her?

I flew through this book in a couple of days. It is a really lovely story with light and shade. You have sizzling romance (very HOT romance at times by the way!) and humour mixed with the darker side of workplace bullying and heartbreak and the way that Holly brings her characters to life made this book a pleasure to read. 16 year old Daisy was a delight, not at all the spoilt child I was expecting and I rather fell a little in love with Henry myself!

The setting of White Cliff Bay is also rather lovely – the isolation of Penny’s House, overlooking the sea and the village itself, where everyone seems to know everything about each other’s lives – I would call them busybodies but they are people with a good heart and always ready to help out if needed. The telephone tree being a perfect example.

I always thought that Holly Martin wrote books that I would like to read and after enjoying this one, I will certainly be making more of an effort to read her others. She really is an excellent storyteller. This is definitely one to put on your Christmas reading list – it will bring a smile to your face and put you in the Christmas spirit.

I have just bought book 2 in the White Cliff series – ‘Snowflakes on Silver Cove’. I am very much looking forward to returning to White Cliff Bay again. ...more

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Sep 14, 2015 Trish at Between My Lines rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviews-done, contemporary, christmas

This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]Twitteresque reviews are for books where I don’t feel like writing a full review but I want to give you a flavour of how I felt during the book. All in 140 characters or less!

***************************************************************************************

Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin

Very cute, full of Christmas cheer and a whole village cast of zany, nosey but loveable characters! Perfect for you want a feel ...more

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Oct 14, 2015 Jessica (Jess Hearts Books) rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, e-book, review-copy

Christmas at Lilac Cottage was my first Christmas read of 2015 and was a great way to kick off my festive reading giving me everything I could want in a cute, cosy, Christmas story. This book made me laugh out loud and gave me the warm fuzzies when I was only a few chapters in which is always a good sign!

The book follows Penny, a lovely woman with a tragic past who is facing another Christmas alone in her lilac cottage in the seaside town of White Cliff Bay. Penny is lonely and looking for a bit ...more

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Sep 21, 2015 Kim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: net-galley, kindle, 2015

Penny is looking forward to getting new lodgers- hoping that they will be great company. Henry is a brooding, tall man that she is instantly attracted to- but she initially thinks he is married and quite aloof! He's not looking to spending time with his 'landlady'- but he also feels the pull between them.

Penny is an ice sculptor- which is a fascinating part to the story. You can just imagine the events that her sculpture's are delivered to- and the whole magic around it. There is an 'ice ...more

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Sep 28, 2015 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-for-fresh-fiction, netgalley

Holly Martin is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She has a way of warming you up inside and will have you falling in love with all the characters from the very beginning of CHRISTMAS AT LILAC COTTAGE. You can't help but care for Penny. She is damaged where love is concerned, and very fragile, but she goes out of her way to help those she cares about. Henry is my new book boyfriend who I thought was an uptight snob in the beginning but the way he protects Penny and looks out for her ...more

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Oct 27, 2015 Jess rated it did not like it

Shelves: books-on-my-kindle, netgalley, read-in-2015, didn-t-finish, contemporary

I received an eARC of Christmas at Lilac Cottage from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly I only got about 10% of the way through this before I had to DNF it. It's far too instalovey and, though I hate to say it, I don't think it's been written very well; I was hoping for something that would fill me with the warm fuzzies in the way Love Actually and The Holiday do, but this book is a bit of a hot mess.

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Oct 04, 2015 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, first-in-series, kindle

What a divine love story for this time of year! I have to admit it took me a couple of days to get through, but I enjoyed every minute. I felt like Henry and Penny were perfect for each other and the story built around them was wonderful! This is a perfect read for an early Christmas present to yourself.

I received this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Aug 06, 2015 Rebecca rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christmas-reads-2015

Originally reviewed on http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/2...

First of all, I'd like to say a massive, huge, flappy-happy excited THANK YOU to the wonderful Holly Martin and her fabulous publishers Bookouture for inviting me along to be a part of the blog tour for Christmas at Lilac Cottage.

I've been a major fan of Holly Martin's novels for so long now, I feel like she writes her books only for me (which is ridiculous I know, seeing as she has hundreds of other fans out there, understandably), Originally reviewed on http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/2...

First of all, I'd like to say a massive, huge, flappy-happy excited THANK YOU to the wonderful Holly Martin and her fabulous publishers Bookouture for inviting me along to be a part of the blog tour for Christmas at Lilac Cottage.

I've been a major fan of Holly Martin's novels for so long now, I feel like she writes her books only for me (which is ridiculous I know, seeing as she has hundreds of other fans out there, understandably), but Holly delivers each and every time, singing straight to the centre of my old, romantic heart, leaving me satisfied when I reach 'the end'. I'm sure I've said this before, but I really do try not to heap my expectations upon an author. After all, just because you enjoyed one novel by said author, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll enjoy their next, does it? But at this point, I've read countless novels by Holly Martin and fallen in love with each and every one of them, so it's kind of impossible for me not to eye Holly's books while thinking to myself, "Yep. I know I'm going to love that. I just know it." The funny thing is, with Holly Martin, I always end up being right.

Christmas at Lilac Cottage is Holly Martin's second novel with Bookouture, Fairytale Beginnings being her first. I don't know what it is but Holly has such a whimsical way of storytelling, without taking it too far over the top. Sort of like modern fairytale-esque. And that's one of the reasons why I love her novels so much. I'm a tad whimsical myself, loving nothing more than a dreamy setting, a swoon-worthy hero, and a grin-inducing love story. In Christmas at Lilac Cottage, each of those aspects come into play and they completely stole my heart away.

I understand that not everybody enjoys having Christmas forced upon them in September, but I've always been a Christmas fanatic and couldn't wait to begin reading this book. So, when I was contacted about the blog tour, and given access to the title itself, I almost burst at the seams with my impatience to reach it. For me, Christmas is never too early, and that goes for Christmas books too. It's beginning to grow chillier outside, so curling up with Christmas at Lilac Cottage was perfect.

Holly's charmingly classic imagery and descriptions brought the setting of White Cliff Bay beautifully to life, and it didn't take long for me to build up the image of this adorable seaside town in my mind. I loved it even more when the snow began to fall, covering everything in a blanket of smooth white, making Holly's characters, Penny and Henry, seem even more secluded up in Penny's cottage. Throughout the unravelling of this novel, Holly introduced me to the residents of White Cliff Bay, while at the same time Penny and Henry's story began to take shape. There was a real sense of community and support in White Cliff Bay, leaving me feeling cosy and snug as I carried on reading.

As always, Holly's characters were spot-on. When I first met Penny, her flurry of excitement at having guests renting the annexe of the cottage was almost overwhelming. It was endearing, to read of how excited she was to meet her new neighbours and I was just as excited for her. It became clear that she'd gone to a lot of effort to ensure that everything was perfect, so her bubble well and truly burst when she came face to face with Henry for the first time. Henry's demeanour was a stark contrast to Penny's almost childlike glee, and immediately I was aware of the sparks crackling between them both. Alongside Henry was Daisy, who Penny wasn't too sure about at first, but without saying too much on that matter, all becomes clear in the end.

Holly, as well as being brilliant with her settings and descriptions, is also fabulous when it comes to the leading couple in her novels, and that was the case with Henry and Penny too. Holly's heroines are never typical either, always ending up being someone who you'd love to get to know in real life. What Penny did as a job fascinated me, as its not everyday you come across an ice-carver, and I loved the moments where we were able to see Penny working. Holly had clearly done her research and the details she provided me with allowed me a clear-as-day image of Penny's work and the ice sculptures which she so lovingly created. It was fantastic, and such a breath of fresh air to find a character who was so unique in this way! When Henry arrives on the scene, I had a feeling sparks would fly. The differences between he and Penny were so blatantly obvious they were impossible to ignore, but those differences had me excited about the prospect of what the future could hold for them. Henry had that moody/sexy thing going on and worked it perfectly, whereas Penny was bouncy and excitable and just a gorgeous person inside and out. I loved these two so much and I couldn't wait to see what Holly had in store for them as the novel progressed.

As always, Holly's writing was indescribably magical, whisking me right away to the gorgeous location of White Cliff Bay, where the snow had begun to fall and the romance was building. Not only are we faced with romantic dilemmas and worries about the past on both characters' parts, but there was a real family-feel that added so much warmth and feeling to this book. I felt completely enveloped within the world of White Cliff Bay, snug and cosy and wrapped up within Penny and Henry's story. There was always something happening, or something to look forward to, and the development of the relationships were just spot on. Not only that, but it was beautiful to watch how Henry and Penny, compared to the beginning of the novel, developed throughout and were different in more ways than one by the end. It was everything that I could have hoped for from this author, and incredibly Christmassy (which I loved), with tree-shopping, Christmas decoration-hanging and the deep, rich scent of mince pies emanating from the pages.

Overall, Christmas at Lilac Cottage was the perfect way for me to be introduced to White Cliff Bay. Henry and Penny's story was gorgeous, as was the setting which it was placed in, and I'm already looking forward to revisiting White Cliff Bay in Holly's second book based here, Snowflakes on Silver Cove. I just can't wait to see what Holly has up her sleeve next for us, although I have a feeling it will be just as glitteringly pretty as this!

Becca's Books is awarding Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin with FIVE GORGEOUS CUPCAKES! An absolute sparkler of a novel, one that you'll definitely want to snuggle up with when the autumn/winter chills begin to settle in! ...more

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Dec 13, 2016 Rosemarie Short rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, 12daysofchristmas

This is the seventh in my #12DaysofChristmas read-a-thon! Each day I will post a review of a Christmas / Winter related book. Hopefully this will give you some Xmas-Inspo and give your holiday reading a boost!

I have always had a certain leaning towards romantic stories in small towns. I think because the reality of living in the same tiny place all your life, knowing absolutely everybody and making a living in a fascinating, eclectic and enjoyable way is virtually impossible; therefore these This is the seventh in my #12DaysofChristmas read-a-thon! Each day I will post a review of a Christmas / Winter related book. Hopefully this will give you some Xmas-Inspo and give your holiday reading a boost!

I have always had a certain leaning towards romantic stories in small towns. I think because the reality of living in the same tiny place all your life, knowing absolutely everybody and making a living in a fascinating, eclectic and enjoyable way is virtually impossible; therefore these books are a kind of fantasy - my favourite genre.

In Christmas at Lilac Cottage we are treated to a huge dose of this fantasy. Penny is an ice carver in a small town and had one horrid relationship eight years before ending in disaster. Since then she hasn't dated - until handsome Henry rents her annex and is living no further than a plywood door away.

Whilst I really liked Henry and Penny in essence, Christmas at Lilac Cottage has a couple of flaw for me; one is that it is far too long. Whilst there are genuinely tear jerking, heart racing, uplifting moments - there are many repeated actions and phrases which feel like they're diluting the whole and filling space unnecessarily. My other issue is more of a person one; they get together too quickly. I'm a big fan of the tension between two people and the crux of a romantic story being the couple finally coming together. Henry and Penny are essentially together by the 25% mark, but keep on bringing up the same issues again and again to suspend the happy ending we all know will be inevitable.

Saying that, there are some major pluses - Penny's ice carving career genuinely is interesting to read about and her bonding with Henry's daughter, Daisy, is sweet and genuine. I really liked Daisy as a character - not just an obstacle to the main event but a character in her own right; and a very fun one to read!

I would recommend this with mulled wine and a (hopefully delicious!) mince pie! I can't fault the festive nature of Christmas at Lilac Cottage; tree buying, mince pie making and Christmas balls are all in abundance! It definitely embodies a modern, small town Christmas romance!
...more

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Nov 21, 2018 ضحى الحداد rated it it was ok

Shelves: e-book, books-i-didn-t-enjoy-much, audio-book

2.5 stars
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

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Sep 23, 2015 Aven Ellis rated it it was amazing

GORGEOUS, FUN, SWOONY, LAUGH OUT LOUD HOLIDAY GOODNESS!

Grab a slice of Christmas cake or plate of sugar cookies, a cup of coffee, and your favorite blanket because it's time to get cozy and enjoy an utterly perfect Christmas novel from Holly Martin!

Ms. Martin never ceases to amaze me with her ability to tell a story you've never read before. In the picturesque town of White Cliff Bay ( beautifully described in rich detail), we meet Penny, a single woman who has had her share of heartbreak in the ...more

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Dec 04, 2016 ~Teresa rated it liked it

I liked Christmas at Lilac Cottage, but I didn't love it.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely look for more of her work. Reading a book from an author I have never read before is like going to a just opened restaurant ... you have to go more than once to really get the feel for the place before deciding if you like it or not! Books are the same you have to sample the author's work before forming opinions.

That being said, I had trouble with the two main ...more

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Dec 15, 2016 Anne rated it liked it · review of another edition

I've not read anything by this author before, Christmas at Lilac Cottage is the first book in the White Cliff Bay series, and it's an entertaining story. Easy to read with a really great setting. The author has created some delightful characters too, and I think it is her character development that is the strongest point in this book.
Penny lives alone, her friends seem to have moved on with life much faster than she has. Penny still bears the scars from previous relationships but she's had an ...more

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Jan 06, 2017 Anne rated it liked it

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Dec 18, 2016 Nadja rated it did not like it

Shelves: genre-chick-lit-romance, time-christmas, author-british, form-ebook, target-adult, time-2016, 2015-2019

What to say about this Christmas romance. It was okay? I'm not a fan of these super quick we-love-each-other-now romances, I prefer some building-up or at least let some time pass between the chapters. But well that's obviously not possible because everything must find its ending on Christmas because it's Christmas themed. *sigh* I liked Henry's direct and straightforward manner to the town shitting over Penny. But except from this characteristic he and everyone else is so childish. Henry's ...more

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Dec 22, 2015 Angie rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-finish, 1-star, dnf-2015

This was actually so bad that I returned it to Amazon to get my $3 back. Things you can expect: Generic repetitive writing. Insta-love. An MC so stupid she assumes that her new tenant is married to a 16 year old (who happens to be his daughter) because the agency who rented out her annex never specified whether the people moving in were a couple or not and freaks out on him causing some ridiculously contrived drama. A group of bleached blonde mean girls that the MC and her friends refer to as ...more

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Play Book Tag: Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin - 4 stars	4	15	Dec 07, 2018 11:19AM

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About Holly Martin

Holly Martin

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Holly lives in a little white cottage by the sea. She studied media at university which led to a very glitzy career as a hotel receptionist followed by a even more glamorous two years working in a bank. The moment that one of her colleagues received the much coveted carriage clock for fifteen years’ service was the moment when she knew she had to escape. She quit her job and returned to university ...more