Notting Hill in the Snow by Jules Wake
Viola Smith plays the viola in an orchestra
(yes really!), but this year she's been asked to stretch her musical
talents to organising Notting Hill's local nativity.
Nate Williams isn't looking forward to Christmas but as his small daughter, Grace, has the starring role in the show, he's forced to stop being a Grinch and volunteer with Viola.
Nate Williams isn't looking forward to Christmas but as his small daughter, Grace, has the starring role in the show, he's forced to stop being a Grinch and volunteer with Viola.
With the sparks between them hotter than the
chestnuts roasting in Portobello market, Nate and Viola can't deny
their feelings. And as the snow starts to fall over London, they find
themselves trapped together in more ways than one…
First
off, this book made me cry...there, I've said it. Have tissues ready
and you're fully prepared for when your emotions are toiled
with!
Viola playing Viola Smith is commuting to her job at The London Metropolitan Opera Company when a stranger asks if she is okay, after an incident on the Tube. Coincidentally this rather good looking guy is also heading in the same direction. After going their separate ways, they meet again, triggering an attraction neither can ignore despite his complicated personal circumstances.
I liked both Viola and Nate. Viola has an abundance of enthusiasm and a general love of life. Additionally, she empathetic to those she's close to. Nate is an estranged husband trying his best to juggle a demanding career and care for his daughter. With familial pressure, he's pulled into voluntary work he has little time for. He's not perfect and he knows it, which made him more attractive and relatable. Together, they complement each other but it's arguable whether the pair should have got involved romantically. However, I believe Viola's presence in Grace's life helped Nate to face up to his marital crisis and finally put his and his daughter's well-being back on track, even though it's heartbreaking for everyone involved.
I've mentioned before about not liking children in romance novels but I admit, the little people really stole the show, not only in the nativity play they performed in but throughout the narrative. Grace is the stand-out child as Nate's daughter but some of her school friends equally tugged at my heartstrings even though their contribution is small.
This is a Christmas story which will stay long beyond the festive season. Wonderful warm fuzzy moments within the story are interlaced with difficulties many are living with daily. Such as dealing with family disputes and finding solutions as a compromise. Viola and Nate's story highlights how this time of year accentuates issues and problems in the same way kind gestures and seasonal activities are amplified. Yet the overall effect is one of hope, compassion and sacrifice.
Snuggle up with cocoa and a warm blanket and be prepared to sample a charming insight into a Notting Hill Christmas in the snow. You won't regret it.
***arc generously received courtesy of One More Chapter via NetGalley***
Viola playing Viola Smith is commuting to her job at The London Metropolitan Opera Company when a stranger asks if she is okay, after an incident on the Tube. Coincidentally this rather good looking guy is also heading in the same direction. After going their separate ways, they meet again, triggering an attraction neither can ignore despite his complicated personal circumstances.
I liked both Viola and Nate. Viola has an abundance of enthusiasm and a general love of life. Additionally, she empathetic to those she's close to. Nate is an estranged husband trying his best to juggle a demanding career and care for his daughter. With familial pressure, he's pulled into voluntary work he has little time for. He's not perfect and he knows it, which made him more attractive and relatable. Together, they complement each other but it's arguable whether the pair should have got involved romantically. However, I believe Viola's presence in Grace's life helped Nate to face up to his marital crisis and finally put his and his daughter's well-being back on track, even though it's heartbreaking for everyone involved.
I've mentioned before about not liking children in romance novels but I admit, the little people really stole the show, not only in the nativity play they performed in but throughout the narrative. Grace is the stand-out child as Nate's daughter but some of her school friends equally tugged at my heartstrings even though their contribution is small.
This is a Christmas story which will stay long beyond the festive season. Wonderful warm fuzzy moments within the story are interlaced with difficulties many are living with daily. Such as dealing with family disputes and finding solutions as a compromise. Viola and Nate's story highlights how this time of year accentuates issues and problems in the same way kind gestures and seasonal activities are amplified. Yet the overall effect is one of hope, compassion and sacrifice.
Snuggle up with cocoa and a warm blanket and be prepared to sample a charming insight into a Notting Hill Christmas in the snow. You won't regret it.
***arc generously received courtesy of One More Chapter via NetGalley***
She writes
best-selling warm-hearted contemporary fiction for One More Chapter
as Jules Wake and under her pen name Julie Caplin, she writes the
Romantic Escapes series.
Between them, the
two Js have written twelve novels, Notting Hill in the Snow
being the latest.
Twitter: @Juleswake
Instagram:
juleswakeauthor
