Today, I’m sharing mini reviews of two Christmas romances: Could it be Magic and Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop

Mini Reviews

Thanks #NetGalley @Boldwoodbooks for complimentary eARCs of #CouldItBeMagic and #WinterNightsAtTheBaywoodBookshop upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Could it be Magic? by Fay Keenan

(Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Slow-burn Romance, Christmas, Small Town Farm)

Thea is a single mom facing Christmas on a limited budget. To make some extra money, she starts working a few hours at Nick’s farm shop. Thea has known Nick since high school, and Nick has secretly liked Thea and has been “friend-zoned” since they were teenagers.

Will a magical and popular small-town Christmas market, twinkling Christmas lights, and the scent of cinnamon spark romance?

We cheer for hardworking Thea as she strives to create special Christmas memories for her children, and we love kind and thoughtful Nick, who is an all-around good guy. Thea begins to see Nick in a new light, and a slow-burn romance ensues.

Fans of gently told, sweet romance will enjoy this festive, UpLit story.

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

More Information Here

Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland

(Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Books About Books, Books Set in Bookshops, Family Drama, Romance, Christmas)

Lily loves her bookshop, and she needs to find some seasonal help. Lars needs time to figure out what he want to do next, so he applies to Bay Books. He has a past history with Lily, so he expects that she will reject his application. However, Lily is desperate for help and Lars is certainly qualified. She decides to put her personal feelings aside and offer him the job.

After the first few tentative days, they gradually renew their friendship, and Lily is charmed by his Icelandic Christmas traditions, including Jólabókaflóðið (Book Flood). An abundance of family drama adds substantial content.

Fans of cozy and festive bookshops, second-chance romance, and likable characters will want to add this heartfelt story to their winter reading list.

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

More Information Here

My Recommendation:

Fans of festive reads and romance will enjoy these two new releases. Page-turning, engaging, and poignant, these stories are perfect for cozy winter reading by a crackling fire and a lighted Christmas tree.

Meet the Authors, Fay Keenan and Jessica Redland

Fay Keenan: I’m so delighted to share my stories with you, which are all set in the beautiful county of Somerset, in the UK, where I’m lucky enough to live. All of my novels have heart-thumpingly romantic settings (some based in reality!) and characters you just want to see gain their happily ever after!

I’ve been working with Boldwood Books to bring you feelgood stories of romance and family life, set against the stunning backdrop of the Somerset countryside. When I’m not writing fiction, I’m a secondary school English teacher, a wife, and a mother of two beautiful daughters. I can often be found on the Strawberry Line and I’m only now coming to terms with the fact that some of my students, current and former, occasionally read my novels.

I’m proud to be a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. If you’d like to keep up to date and find out a little more about me and my writing, please subscribe to my newsletter.

Jessica Redland: I live in Scarborough on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast in the UK. My home inspired the creation of the fictional seaside town of Whitsborough Bay where I set many of my books. The Hedgehog Hollow series and Bumblebee Barn Collection take readers to a gorgeous countryside setting on the Yorkshire Wolds. In July 2023, I added the lakes and mountains to my settings with the start of my ‘Escape to the Lakes’ series. I absolutely love this part of the country and am loving writing a series in my happy place.

I live with my husband, our teenage daughter and sprocker spaniel, Ella. I’m a stationery addict with a notepad obsession who loves chocolate (although it doesn’t love me), hedgehogs, 80s music, collectible teddy bears and lighthouses.

My career has mainly been in HR as a trainer and recruiter. I had a brief detour into retail to set up and manage my own specialist teddy bear shop and started writing my debut novel on quiet days in the shop.

In June 2020, I became a full-time author. I’m so very grateful to anyone who has bought or borrowed my books in whatever format, helping me fulfil a long-held dream of writing full-time. I still can’t believe I get to spend every day chatting to my fictional friends and making stuff up.

---

---

QOTD:

Do you love festive romance?

---

---

Let’s Get Social!

Find me at:
Twitter/X
Blue Sky
Instagram (Threads link in bio)
Goodreads and StoryGraph
Pinterest
SubStack: @carolreadingladies
Reading Ladies Book Club on Facebook

---

---

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for reading bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, teaching, and connection. Books take us to places we’ve never been, teach us about our world, and help us understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley

---

---

***Blog posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.

All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website receives all credit for book covers and author photos.

© ReadingLadies.com