Guest Review: Christmas at The Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn

A perfect Christmas novella for all fans of Cathy Bramley and Scarlett Bailey and the final part of the Star and Sixpence series.

Curl up with Christmas at the Star and Sixpence - the perfect Christmas novella for those winter nights.



Review: In this final book in the e-serialisation of the story about the Star and Sixpence pub, almost a complete year has passed since we first met its owners and the inhabitants of Little Monkham, the country hamlet where the pub sits on the edge of the village green. I love a Christmas story, and have been looking forward to finding out how the villagers celebrate. 

Nessie and Sam, the young women who inherited the pub from their father and who upped sticks and moved to Little Monkham, knowing nothing about running such an establishment, are now well and truly settled into the community. As the title of this part suggests, they are busy preparing for their first Christmas as landlords. There is lots to do and traditions to uphold. As always, Franny, the postmistress and self appointed guardian of the village, has her beady eye on events, making sure that everything runs as it should. Sam's and Nessie's love lives are progressing nicely, but Sam has been left with a major decision to make about her future with boyfriend Nick.  Nessie's relationship with local blacksmith, Owen, is progressing much more slowly, and suddenly hits a great big rock. All this amidst celebrations and surprises, and, of course, the big question - will it be a white Christmas? 

I have loved reading about the Star and Sixpence. This instalment has all the elements that should be contained in Christmas festivities. Through Holly's writing, you can feel the atmosphere in the village as it prepares for the big day. It has been lovely watching the as Sam and Nessie have taken on the various rolls involved in running the pub and fitted into the small community over the year. To anyone who has not read the earlier instalments of the story, I would definitely recommend reading the others. Alternatively, all four novellas in the series are being published as an ebook and paperback (A Year at the Star and Sixpence) at the end of the year, so that the entire novel can be read at once.