“Tis the season…. for a Christmas cynic to have his frozen heart melted by festive magic”
- Book: The Perfect Christmas Village
- Location: Warwickshire
- Author: Bella Osborne
I only tend to choose a couple of Christmas books to read and review each year, as like Sam in this particular story, Christmas is not my favourite time of year, plus I often find the rom-com storylines a little too banal and ‘cheesy’. Having spent almost thirty subsequent Christmas and New Year periods in Disney World, Florida, you might wonder why my non-committal attitude towards the season; which I can only really explain as the difference between the ready-made festivities laid on by Disney, versus the unimaginative British tradition of too many people crowded around too small a dining table, over-eating on what is usually, by the time it is all served up, a mildly lukewarm, full English roast dinner, followed by the fight for a semi-comfortable easy chair and an afternoon with the television on, playing to itself, while everyone talks over it. Call me ‘Bah! Humbug’ and I’ll willing put my hands up to it!!
Anyway, let’s see if the villagers of Holly Cross have more luck persuading Sam that he really does want to do Christmas after all…
…
It is late spring in the fictional, ‘chocolate box’ village of Holly Cross, Warwickshire. Amir and Blythe are competitors for top-dog sales position in the Happy Homes Estate Agency, which is owned and manged by Ludo. With only a weekend and Bank Holiday Monday to go before the end of the month, Blythe looks set to be knocked off pole position by a very smug Amir and it isn’t sitting too well with her! Unusually for the profession, Ludo maintains a very strict code of ethics in his business, which puts the customer front and centre of every interaction and transaction, so when Blythe has the temerity to sell a property which isn’t even on the market, Ludo is not best pleased when he finds out about it and removes all of Blythe’s long service privileges and salesperson accolades, as punishment.
Blythe’s potential client Sam Ashton, who is relocating from London and has very specific ideas of what he expects from a property, is also unaware of her deception, when he falls in love with the cottage she shows him, around the village green of Holly Cross, unaware that this is her last ditch attempt to bag that all important end-of-month sale. He is even more annoyed when he discovers too late, that despite him making it clear to Blythe just how much he dislikes the festive season, the cottage is located in one of the most Christmassy villages in the country, which regularly participates in a national Christmas competition, with each and every inhabitant being expected to take part in proceedings. Even more unfortunately for Sam, the previous owner of the property, an elderly gentleman called Murray, was one of the most staunch supporters of the HCCC (Holly Cross Christmas Committee), putting his own cottage up as a front and centre exhibit. So Sam is up against it almost from the very moment in September, when the sale finally completes and he moves in.
Following the recent break-up of her relationship, Blythe is now living back in Holly Cross herself, with her mother and stepfather. Her relationship with her birth father, who left the marital home when she was very young, is very stilted and never spontaneous, always a diarised event organised by his secretary and only happens once or twice a year. That he is a property guru in London, causes Blythe to feel she has something to prove, working as they do in arguably the same profession. She and Murray had been close friends, although he had been a very private person, so the mystery surrounding his life, continued unabated following his demise, made even more confusing when his daughter Denise arrives on the scene and evidence of the double life Murray was living becomes obvious.
Murray had also almost befriended a stray and very feral cat called Turpin, which Blythe had carried on feeding after his death, so she and Sam agree that the arrangement should continue, although things blow hot and cold between the two of them every time they meet, as everything about the village seems set to wind Sam up, making him wish he had never set eyes on either the place or the over-eager estate agent he finds himself falling for. When Sam does finally open up to Blythe about the reasons for his complete aversion to Christmas, she decides that this is going to be the year all that changes and Sam becomes a fully paid up member of the season of goodwill. However, we all know what happens to those best laid and well intentioned plans, don’t we? So when everything contrives against the village celebrations this year, even Sam finds himself willingly playing his part to make the event the best it can possibly be for everyone.
And his reward?…
…
Author Bella Osborne’s writing style was warm, fluent, and inviting, and whilst I couldn’t escape the obvious fact that this engaging, multi-layered storyline was essentially about the ups and downs of an evolving and flourishing romance, with all the ‘happy ever afters’ that engendered, she cleverly managed to weave a couple of mysteries into the mix, which were such a good fit that they never threatened to overwhelm the heart and humour of the main event, but certainly added that much needed depth of interest for me personally. The chapters were also well-signposted, short and punchy, which meant that I was able to dip in and out of the storyline, as ‘real life’ dictated, without needing to backtrack for a recap; although as I became so engrossed by life and love in Holly Cross that I finished reading the book in less than forty-eight hours anyway, there was no chance of me being too side-tracked.
The colourful cast of quirky characters, while maybe appearing a little larger than life, I felt were probably truthfully drawn and an honest representation of the diverse mix of residents you would find in any such small and insular community in the UK. From Blythe’s childhood friend, the garrulous, slightly scatty and straight-talking Vicky; to Norman the baker, who believes that all the ills of the world can be solved by feasting on one of his homemade delicious cakes or pastries. From the two mouse-like, elderly sisters who sit and knit for charity all day long; to the inimitable, larger than life Leonora, chair of the HCCC, a force to be reckoned with and someone who definitely takes no prisoners. There were inevitably some well-kept secrets, as you would expect, however each character was compelling, relatable, authentic and genuinely believable. Their addictive verve and the vibrant synergy between them, caused a few amusing moments, although I was always laughing with them and never at them! If the numerous events and the wonderful location are the threads which hold this community together, then the characters are definitely the very fabric and glue which gives it its strength and resilience.
Whilst Holly Cross in Warwickshire is a fictional location, the picturesque village of Eathorpe, which the author took as inspiration for this story, is very real. The physical footprint of the story is confined to this single, quite niche location, so for anyone looking for travel to far flung places, there may be slight disappointment. However, my journey as an ‘armchair traveller’ has never felt more cosy and comfortable, as Bella used the full palette of words at her disposal to capture the essence and heart-warming charm of village life through the seasons of the year, whilst bringing the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas magic to life, lifting the images off the pages and into my reading space, thus affording me an excellent visual depth and a profoundly perceptive and immersive sense of time and place, that I could almost step into.
This book has as its message, the importance of family, friends, and community spirit. Or as Blythe was heard to say “Holly Cross isn’t about Christmas.. What it’s really about is community. It’s the people. Christmas is just an excuse. It gives them a purpose to get together, to support each other and create something special that benefits others. It’s the people who make Holly Cross, not Christmas”
Please wait...
