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I enjoyed reading the book. I love the sense of community it evokes. To be honest Blythe frustrated me a little with her competitive nature, naivety and determination to prove herself to her Dad but her honesty and kindness won me out in the end. Set in the idyllic village of Holly Cross with Estate Agent Blythe leading the story we are introduced to an array of colourful characters who all hold a special place within the village. As we learn of the community spirit to come together and celebrate the years celebrations along with the desire to create the best Christmas display yet newcomer Sam doesn't seem as taken with Christmas as the rest of the village and as such a battle of wills begins. A great Christmas read full of decorations galore! The final switch on for Holly Cross sounded amazing and reminded me of the wonderful scenes you see in December. A novel filled with community-spirit and Blythe’s best laid plans that don’t always go her way… Overall, this was a mixed read for me and I don't feel this should be in the romance category, more like holiday fiction. It's perfectly titled too because they did indeed need everything to be perfect.
When Christmas-hating Sam moves to Holly Cross, he thinks he's found the perfect home, until he discovers that, each year, Holly Cross transforms into the most Christmassy village in the whole country... Blythe is a real estate agent and competing for the top spot and she needs one more sale to grab the title. So she kind of sells Sam a house in her neighborhood under false pretenses. Sam hates everything Christmas and he just bought a house across the street from the epicenter of the most Christina’s village in England. Now Blythe has to work hard to make things right with Sam, while trying to persuade him not to be the Grinch. I always enjoy a Bella Osborne story, they are some of my favourite reads. As I’m a big fan of Christmas as well as Bella’s books this is the best pre-Christmas present I could get and I can you you that when I opened my present there was nothing disappointing inside at all. It was a magical festive read, with some grumpy/sunshine energy and someone who dislikes Christmas (how ?!) being won over by the most Christmassy village and a bit of romance, yeah he was never going to stay a non-fan!
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With the house being the center of the village’s Christmas activity (which they take very, very seriously), things get difficult for Sam and Blythe. Holly Cross Village has a chance to win the title of Britain's Most Perfect Christmas Village if not for Sam. The responsibility falls on Blythe to fix things. Maybe a Christmas Miracle can help her. botox physician - to the point that her appearance distracted big time from what was going on. To Hallmark's credit, though, they gave Marlo a lot to do in this movie. Bella Osborne has a great way of bringing to life the wide range of likeable & fun characters. This is a well-written story about a community coming together to raise money for charities, and Holly Cross village feels like the perfect place to live. The author definitely brought the story alive with her vivid descriptions, and I would love to be part of this community. The author skillfully weaves together a cast of endearing characters, each with their own quirks and secrets. Sam's disdain for Christmas is juxtaposed against the villagers' infectious enthusiasm, creating an engaging conflict that keeps the reader invested. The interactions between Sam and Blythe add a touch of romance and tension, as Blythe finds herself torn between her job and her growing feelings for Sam.
The Perfect Christmas Village" by Bella Osborne is a delightful holiday romance that captures the spirit of Christmas in a charming and heartwarming way. Set in the idyllic village of Holly Cross, the story revolves around Sam, a Christmas-hating city boy, who unwittingly finds himself in the midst of the most Christmassy village in the country. Of course, this is only a romcom, so I can’t really expect much on character development and festive accuracy. So let me gauge it as a romcom. The sale works itself out – with a bit of a mystery attached – but Sam, who hates Christmas with a passion, is horrified to find that he’s moved somewhere that’s in contention for the title of the UK’s Most Perfect Christmas Village, with a community for whom success means so much and whose efforts are managed with military precision by the redoubtable Leonora, with firm plans for his house to be the centrepiece of their display that it’s always been. When he absolutely refuses to engage, Blythe doggedly sets about trying to change his mind – with an adopted semi-feral cat (the wonderful Turpin) who needs feeding, she’s a regular visitor, chipping away at his reluctance to join in, their friendship growing as she begins to find that he’s not quite the miserable so-and-so he at first appears to be. I have read a number of Bella Osborne books now and when I saw her latest, The Perfect Christmas Village, I couldn’t resist. Blythe is an estate agent who lives in Holly Cross, a small little village that wants to be known as the most amazing Christmas village ever. When Blythe sells Sam, who unbeknownst to everyone, is kind of a Grinch, the house at the center of the village’s display, Blythe takes it upon herself to befriend Sam and turn him into a Christmas loving villager filled with holiday spirit like the rest of them. How the village and Sam learn to understand each other as they go through the course of the year and the holidays approach was really heartwarming.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really got into the storyline almost immediately! I liked Blythe’s character, and whilst you might think her competitive nature is a little too much, it’s always good to have an aim in life!! Her relationship with Sam was fun, initially being very businesslike (despite there being a spark between them), with them then becoming friends. There are some obvious issues that both of them need to deal with in their lives, with the main one being Sam’s hate for Christmas and the reason why. The storyline flowed well between, not only them, but the other villagers as well. I loved the side storyline of Blythe’s late friend, Murray and really enjoyed the twist to his story at the end. The Perfect Christmas Village is a seasonal heartwarmer. Full of interesting characters, stalwarts of the village that am sure anyone living in smaller communities might recognise. Thank you, NetGalley and Aria & Aries, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. The village of Holly Cross was charming, and I would love to visit. It reminded me of a town where we stayed in Colorado. Maybe not to the extent of the Christmas decorations, but certainly the strong sense of community. The characters were all perfectly drawn to the point that I could almost feel some of the wonderful hugs that were passed around. However, I’m not going to discuss how delicious Norman’s sausage was! As a matter of fact, she has a "show down" scene with Sweeney that is quite excellent and her second meeting with Macfarlane at a market is moving and sweet. Throughout, her scenes with Maesa Nicholson, playing her granddaughter are very well done and, at times, nicely humorous. Nicholson is an impressive young actress.
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