A Christmas Celebration: the cosiest, most joyful novel you'll read this Christmas

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If you haven’t read any of the stories in this setting you will still enjoy The Summer Fair. I highly recommend you do though as you will get added depth from the actions of the characters on the periphery. What a gorgeous new setting from Heidi Swain, in this delightful story, filled with secrets, misunderstandings, great events and the possibility that summer could change lives. I have no words that can do this book justice!!! It is absolutely beautiful!! I don’t like to have favourites, but I think The Summer Fair is it!

I raced as fast as possible to NetGalley when Heidi Swain posted on social media that review copies were up for grabs. I kept my cool and held off reading for a good few weeks to try and wait for some brighter weather to help transport me to the seaside, however I don't think I needed to bother waiting as Heidi's beautiful writing took me right there. Nightingale Square provides plenty of opportunities for Beth to step out of her comfort zone. One of the reasons I love this community is their willingness to nurture and care without even knowing what the issues are. It’s so non-judgemental. Beth holds her secrets close but in this environment, her conscience won’t let her for long. Tess works for Tyler PR and she needs to take a break or her health is going to suffer. She really is non-stop work, work, work, and her latest client is being a bit of a nuisance. As Tess discovers something which needs her attention, she decides that she is going away regardless of the consequences! Tess sets off for Wynmouth - a place that she holds dear and which fills her with fond childhood memories. But why does that matter if the charity is closed?’ I asked, unable to fathom why their absence would be a problem.

Allison Hay

Eli is the perfect leading man and he is so sooooo lovely (I picture Tom Holland when I read about him 😍) and I fell in love with him instantly. I did have a bit of a hard time with the romance, there were times when it left a bad taste in my mouth. There was a lot of drama surrounding it that wasn't my favourite so be very wary if you don't like cheating.

I didn’t like the way that Tess jumped to so many conclusions in the story and ended up being made to look stupid... Because,’ he then said, his voice louder again, ‘I was going to suggest you headed to somewhere other than the house. Somewhere that you’d find a bit of company, but if you’d really rather be alone . . .’ She also has memories of the most spectacular first kiss of her life behind the beach huts when she was a teen there, and a small part of her is hoping to see if that man is still there or generally see if there are any familiar faces still to her. It was so lovely to see Beth rediscover her love for music and truly realise how much it meant to her. Music means so much to so many of us, it’s a universal language, and it was really nice to read a book that really showcased the importance of music.Whilst there Tess meets an array of characters, all ridiculously lovely - young and old - and forges many friendships whilst she keeps extending her stay. I like the fact that she doesn't sit idle and feel sorry for herself and throws herself into the community spirit and assisting friends with their own woes and businesses. The setting of Wynmouth was beautiful and the community was adorable. I could visualise Tess walking along the beach and heading to the local shops, being stopped countless times to catch up on local gossip. Heidi Swain created the perfect picturesque seaside town complete with its colourful characters.

I am very much hoping that we will get to meet this lovely assortment of characters again and to hear what they have been up to; they are so very entertaining and full of life. This is a book that has everything: the perfect-setting, characters, storyline and it really empathizes the importance of friendship, priorities, communicating with each other better, and in ‘taking that chance in life!’ It also has plenty of drama and surprises, too. It made me feel all warm inside, like I’d eaten a delicious pudding, and yes, I wanted more! We return to nightingale square for the summer and meet the lovely Beth. At the start Beth is working at a care home looking after elderly residents but she is unhappy living in a cramped and dirty house share. So when given the opportunity to move to nightingale square to share with the lovely Eli she jumps at the chance. It’s no surprise that the community welcomes in Beth and help her organise a funfair for the care home. When she discovers that The Arches which is a local creative arts centre has had to close the venture to re open it opens old wounds and past secrets for Beth. In Swain's 'The Secret Seaside Escape', readers are introduced to Tess Tyler, a bonafide workaholic, with the most abysmal work and life balance known to man. Since the sudden death of her mother, Tess has found that the only way to cope is to work, work, work, and then some. Her boss is no other than her very own father, a man who, Tess feels, has changed immeasurably in the years since their shared loss. Following by her father's example, Tess knows of no other way of life besides the Tyler way, which is to work tirelessly until the job is done, and then repeat once more.

About the Author

It had taken me a while to come to terms with it, but deep down I had known my time working in Jordan was coming to an end. I knew even before the loss of corporate funding made the number of aid workers unsustainable. As this is book 4 (but could easily be read as a standalone), it was so nice to be reunited with some of the previous characters. I'm sure I have said it before but the Square and the Grow Well garden really does sound idyllic with all the wonderful residents and a proper sense of community.