Guest Review: Christmas Under A Starlit Sky by Holly Martin

(This is Book 2 in the A Town Called Christmas series)
Step inside a beautiful winter wonderland where love, laughter and cosy nights by the fire will make this Christmas one to remember. 

Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season? 

It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself. 

But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith? 

Get swept away by this deliciously sweet and heartwarming tale, and spend an unforgettable Christmas on Juniper Island. 

Review: This book, the second Christmas-themed story from Holly Martin for 2016, follows on from Christmas Under A Cranberry Sky. I absolutely loved the first book, and was itching to read this one as well. Again, it was a lovely, easy to read story that had me engaged from the word go and was finished in quick time, leaving me wishing that there was another book to follow. 

Like the first book in the series, this story is set at the Stardust Lake Hotel, a new holiday resort located on a northerly Scottish Island. All of the action takes place in just a few days from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. The main characters in this story are hotel manager Neve Whitaker, sister of the resort's owner, Gabe, and her American actor boyfriend, Oakley Rey. The rest of the Whitaker family are also there, all celebrating the festive season together. The whole resort is full of guests enjoying their Christmas holidays in this fabulous-sounding place, where every last detail seems to have been covered. There is snow and lots of Christmas decorations everywhere, all so well described that you could almost smell the mince pies and mulled wine spices. Of course, the Northern Lights (or Merry Dancers as they are know locally) make an appearance as well, adding to the magic of the setting.

The story is absolutely full of romance, not just between the main characters, but others as well. There is plenty of drama as well, though. There was a great deal of tension between some of the characters at times, making me want to knock their heads together, but also some lovely scenes of reconciliation. I can honestly say that I loved all of the people in the story, with the exception of the press who were sticking their noses in where not wanted. The setting for the hotel again had me envying anyone able spend their Christmas holiday there - it sounds truly magical.

I would heartily recommend lovers of Christmas stories to add this book, and its predecessor, to their reading list. Once again, Holly Martin has come up with a winner!

You can download this right now and experience all the feels for yourself!