That Festive Feeling

Heidi Swain

LIGHT the fire, cuddle up close and escape into the magic of Christmas with the queen of romance Heidi Swain. Anyone who has had their spirits lifted by Swain’s gorgeous novels, Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square, Poppy’s Recipe for Life and The Winter Garden, will already know the small community living in a cosy corner of the bustling city of Norwich.

Swain (pictured below), who lives with her family in picturesque south Norfolk, won thousands of hearts with her enchanting stories set in Wynbridge, the fictional Fenland town where love blossoms whatever the season.

And now she has found an idyllic city hideaway for heartwarming and entertaining stories which showcase her talent for blending escapist romance, domestic drama and a perfectly imagined cast of characters with real-life challenges in the modern world. So if you yearn to catch up with some familiar names – and a delightful bunch of new ones – then meet the adorable Holly who is struggling after the break-up of her marriage, and who might just find the new beginnings she yearns for in warm and welcoming Nightingale Square.

Holly has the place to herself this Christmas. It’s not her place, though... she is house-sitting for friends who live in Nightingale Square and she’s just there to keep the home warm and cosy, and only for long enough for her to sort out her life.

Newly single, heading towards thirty and finding herself unsure about next steps for her career, the children’s books illustrator plans to hunker down and make some life decisions. To clear her mind, she sets off on early morning walks around a nearby lake and bumps into May, an older lady who is also new to the area, and her dapper Dachshund Monty, and they are soon firm friends.

Then Holly meets Bear, a rather large and attractive man, and his rescue dog Queenie, and her stay at Nightingale Square suddenly feels even more appealing. As the friendly community comes together for the season’s festivities, Holly must start thinking about where her life will take her next. Some big decisions need to be made, but distractions close to home make thinking about the future trickier than ever. Will she get that festive feeling this Christmas? Enjoy emotion, drama, romance and friendship as Swain rolls out her magical tale of love, community, hope, and that trademark snow-sprinkled glow which wraps itself around you like a cosy blanket of love and laughter. 

And with its tasty festive concoction of real life, heart-fluttering romance, canine comedy and heartwarming happy-ever-after, this is the perfect Christmas book hug.
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £8.99)