Publication: 1st October 2020 – Hodder & Stoughton
Liberty has never been a risk-taker. She loves the routine of her quiet life in the charming village of Willowbrook, with her Labrador, Charlie. But the arrival of a mysterious gift prompts Liberty to make some changes: starting with a daily challenge to say yes to everything for the month of December…
Fearless and independent, Alex could hardly be a less obvious fit for peaceful village life. But after an accident cuts short his promising motorcycling career, he finds himself in Willowbrook in search of new direction.
When the pair become unlikely housemates, sparks fly at Damselfly Cottage. Will living together prove impossible – especially when the first snow falls? Or, cut off from the outside world, can they help each other find what it takes to be brave this Christmas?
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Delighted to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of A Winter’s Dream, the enjoyable new novel by Sophie Claire.
A Winter’s Dream is my first Christmas novel of the year and it cheered me up and put me in such a festive mood with its beautiful description and the joyous atmosphere that I may have already started looking at this year’s Christmas shopping.
The story is set in Willowbrook, the same setting as in the author’s previous novels, so, if you’ve read them, you will recognize old characters and see how their story developed. The protagonists of this new novel are Liberty and Alex. Liberty has a routine that she follows strictly and she’d rather stay home quilting and watching TV than go out on a date, but this year she feels particularly lonely so, on her thirtieth birthday, she sets herself the challenge to say yes to anything that it is presented to her. I really admired the character of Liberty for sticking to her challenge, even when she really didn’t want to or she had to do the things that scared her most. Liberty is likable and relatable and I found her very brave. I don’t think I would done the same in her place.
Then there is Alex. Broody, dark, handsome, motor bike world champion Alex. He is in Willowbrook for a personal family business and to take a break from decisions he has to take regarding his future. I enjoyed his clashing with Liberty and their witty exchanges and I liked how this character developed and grew throughout the story.
A Winter’s Dream is an entertaining, heartwarming, beautiful story of love, friendship, and a bit of family drama with an adorable dog and a short trip to beautiful Provence that will make you forget everything else, at least for a few hours.
A huge thank you to Myrto & Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy of the novel and for inviting me to join the blog tour.
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Lovely review Noemi! xx
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Thank you 😊
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