Review: The Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 400
Published: October 27, 2011
Publisher: Ebury Publishing
Genre: Romance, Fiction, Christmas

My Rating: 4.5/5

Summary (from amazon.co.uk):

All Lydia's ever wanted is a perfect Christmas...

So when her oldest friends invite her to spend the holidays with them, it seems like the answer to her dreams. She's been promised log fires, roasted chestnuts, her own weight in mince pies; all in a setting that looks like something out of a Christmas card.

However, her winter wonderland is about to be ruined by the ghosts of boyfriends past, present and potential future. She's snowed in with her current boyfriend, her old flame and a hunky stranger. Well, three (wise) men is traditional at this time of year...

Review:

Sigh... I need to find myself a friend with a B&B that is located somewhere close to the one in The Night Before Christmas... it was utterly breath-taking (and that is based on the image in my head).

As far as adult Christmas books go, this had been one of my favourite to date. Who doesn't dream of being whisked away with friends and snowed in over the holidays? The fun that you would have... ah, it really is blissful just thinking about it.

The characters in The Night Before Christmas were so fun. I loved that the four main women has been friends throughout their school years and have remained close even though their lives are all at completely different stages. The men that they bring along on the adventure seem to be a perfect mix of comedy and romance as well. Scarlett Bailey really did well when she developed these people because to me, they really were that... people.

Having a romantic undertone along with the suspence of 'who will she pick' really made this a fun read and I found that I didn't want to stop until I was done.

Overall, this is a smashing success for this debut author. A book that I will pick up again and again over the holidays!