So excited to be taking part in yet another blog blitz for one of my most favourite authors of all time, Tilly Tennant! Big thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on the tour as well as an ARC of the book. Here is my review:
All singleton Isla wants for Christmas is to be left in peace, but a surprise trip to the Alps means there’s a chance for romance in every snowflake that falls…
It’s the week before Christmas and Isla McCoy has just received an unexpected gift: a letter announcing she is due a life-changing inheritance, but only if she’s willing to make amends with the father who abandoned her.
She has absolutely no intention of forgiving him, but who could resist an all-expenses-paid trip to the French resort of St Martin-de-Belleville?
There she meets smooth-talking Justin and nerdy glaciologist Sebastian; two very different men, with two very different agendas. Torn between her head and her heart, Isla finds herself utterly lost in a winter wonderland of her own feelings.
Surrounded by twinkling candles and roaring log-fires, Isla’s resolve finally begins to melt. But will she learn how to reconnect, not only with a whole new family, but with herself and her heart?
A gorgeously heart-warming festive read to help spark a little romance in those long winter nights. Perfect for fans of Jane Linfoot, Debbie Johnson and Jenny Colgan.
What does TWG think?
You know what would be easier? Me copying and pasting* all the compliments I write for Tilly Tennant in each review, into this one! It’s as though I am a worn out record by saying the same sort of stuff!
(*Please note that I would never do that. It would be easier, but I wouldn’t. Just to clarify!)
I had the pleasure of ignoring everybody by indulging in yet another Tilly Tennant novel. A Tilly Tennant novel to me is like chocolate chip cookies to Cookie Monster, although I wouldn’t say no to several of those whilst reading Tilly’s novel, that’s for sure!
I’m just going to come straight out and say it. I feel I owe it to the author to be open and honest…
OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH I LOVEEEEEEED IT! I have absolutely NO idea how this author does it, but she knocks it out of the park every.single.time! Just when I thought she had done good with a previous novel, the author then brings out a book which lands itself in the ‘Tilly Tennant’s Best Book Yet’ section. Seriously. It’s not even the odd book…it’s EVERY SINGLE BOOK which the author reduces me to a gabbling, stalkerish type reviewer who pining after the authors words once again!
Most of Isla’s life has been with her mother, that really is all she has even known. Until the day her estranged father makes contact that is. Personally, I thought Isla was incredibly brave for doing what she did despite knowing full well what the repercussions could have been not only for her, but everyone else involved. Just like Isla, my father abandoned us at a young age and I spent many years angry with someone who I hadn’t heard their side of the story from. A mother, just like Glory, who had their own version of events and refused to let anything else become an option. If I had the chance would I do what Isla did? Yes, I would. Unfortunately I won’t ever get that chance, but I am so glad that Isla listened with her own heart for once, instead of going along with what her mother wanted.
The way Isla comes across in a lot of the storyline is guarded and emotionally broken. Whether she would openly admit to that is a whole other ball game. Of course she is going to be guarded, so for that I appreciated how realistic the author made her character’s feelings come across throughout the storyline. I felt as though I wasn’t reading about a fictional character – I felt as though I was reading a book about a real life person and their true story. Hats off to Tilly Tennant for being able to dissect such a raw and emotional topic, in such a heart-felt and poignant manner. Fantastic.
As for Justin. Well. If I ever were to find myself in a snowball fight with him, I would ensure my snowball contained a surprise. What a pleb! As soon as he came on the scene I disliked him straight away. People say I am judgemental. I say that I am a good judge of character!
I fell in love with every single thing within ‘A Cosy Candlelit Christmas’ from the setting to the main characters, to the humour to the hotel, to the romance to the thought-provoking message. Everything. Because I could relate to Isla a lot, this novel did make me feel quite emotional and hit me in a completely different way to any of Tilly Tennant’s other novels. Daft eh? Don’t worry though, despite my emotional undertone, I did laugh a heck of a lot. That is another thing I love about this authors writing; she never fails to make me feel.
In my eyes, ‘A Cosy Candlelit Christmas’ is Tilly Tennant’s best book to date. She really has outdone herself with her character building, setting descriptions and overall plot. Once again I was able to let myself fall into Tilly’s ingenious and magical words (a bit like when Joey from Friends steps into the map…ish), knowing that I will forever be cushioned by such an enchanting and heart-warming novel. Hand on heart, I could read a Tilly Tennant novel every single day and not get bored with the magic which lies under every cover.
Spell-binding, beautifully written and 100% memorable – Tilly Tennant has blown me away. If I were given the chance to disappear into a fictional life for a day, I would pick one of Tilly Tennant’s novels, that’s for sure.
A hug in a book from start to finish, I could not recommend ‘A Cosy Candlelit Christmas’ more if I tried.
Thanks Bookouture.
Buy now from Amazon UK
Buy now from Amazon US
Author Bio:
Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.
Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her tenth Tilly Tennant novel. She also writes as Sharon Sant, where she explores the darker side of life, and Poppy Galbraith, where things get a little crazier. Find out more about Tilly and how to join her mailing list for news and exclusives at www.tillytennant.com
Author Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tillytennant6000/
Website: www.tillytennant.com
The Writing Garnet 
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