Guest Review: A Very Vintage Christmas by Tilly Tennant

The fairy lights are up and shoppers are flooding the snowy seaside promenade. It’s going to be a busy month at Forget-Me-Not Vintage, a magical shop with a warm heart where every item has a story to be told.

With bright red hair and an infectious smile, Dodie is a hopeless romantic and absolutely one of a kind, just like the pieces in her shop. 

When Dodie finds a love letter in the pocket of an old woollen coat, she makes it her mission to deliver it to its rightful owner. Following the address, she manages to persuade the handsome but reluctant new tenant, Edward, to help her with her search.

As the story of the letter unfolds, Dodie is there, as always, to pick up the pieces and make things right. But who will be there for her when her own love story needs a helping hand? 

Is it too much to dream of a happy ending like the ones in the black and white movies she adores? 

Review: Anyone who knows me will be aware that I love Christmas; Christmas films, Christmas stories, decorations, the lot. So I was thrilled to see this year's Christmas books beginning to emerge. It is fitting that this first one I have read this year is by one of my favourite authors too. What was even more exciting was to find as I finished this book that there is a sequel on the way. Can't wait!

This story is set in the lead up to Christmas in Bournemouth, where the main female character, Dodie, lover of all things vintage, runs a vintage store. She loves the thrill of sorting through new deliveries of articles she has bought from various sources. However, what she discovers in the pocket of a lovely old coat leads her into an adventure as she tries to trace the owner and uncover their story. 

In the book, we meet a selection of interesting and sometimes surprising characters. Principal amongst these are Dodie's wacky gran, who never ceases to amaze Dodie or the reader with her choice of activities. She was a great source of amusement, in contrast to Dodie's boyfriend, Ryan, who just made me cringe. But then there's Ed, who Dodie meets by chance in her quest, and finds a friendship developing. He's a much nicer man, although obviously troubled by his past. Dodie's best friend Isla is also in the story, but relatively briefly. There is more of her to come it seems in the sequel. 

I very much enjoyed this book; I was hooked from the start. It is a little more than the run of the mill Christmas romance, with an air of mystery running through its pages. There are some really strong characters dealing with serious issues of their own. Bournemouth itself comes out well, sounding like a fun place to be at that time of year. Altogether a charming and heartwarming tale; just what I expect from Tilly Tennant. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US