Countdown to Christmas with your new must-have author, as you step into the wonderful world of Ava Bliss. Perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Carole Matthews and Katie Fforde.
On a snowy December evening, Sam Jermyn steps into the life of bespoke hat maker Ava. Sparks fly, and not necessarily the good ones.
Times are tough for Ava – she’s struggling to make ends meet, her ex-boyfriend is a bully, and worst of all, it’s nearly Christmas.
So when Sam commissions Ava to make a hat for someone special, she makes a promise that will change her life. She just doesn’t know it yet…
Review: This lovely Christmassy tale kept me company in audiobook format on a transatlantic flight. I found it such a compelling story that I just kept on listening and the journey was over in no time. This is my first Sue Moorcroft novel, but I already have the next one lined up.
The main characters in The Christmas Promise are Ava Bliss, a struggling bespoke hat designer, and Sam Jermyn, owner of a PR agency handling some very famous clients. Ava lives with best friend Izzy, who works for Sam and has an enormous crush on him. Although currently being single, Ava has ex Harvey lurking in the background. He has some explicit pictures of Ava that he is holding over her, making her life a misery. Due to what has gone on is Ava's past, Christmas is not a good time of the year for her, adding to her overall feeling of despair. When Sam asks Ava to make a hat for his mother, Wendy, who is facing chemotherapy following her cancer operation, things begin to change.
This is definitely a different kind of Christmas story. Sure enough, all the usual festivity is going on throughout the book, and there is the promise of romance bubbling under the surface, but some very real issues are dealt with at the same time, and in a skilful and sensitive manner. We see the worry and heartache experienced by friends and family of a cancer sufferer. Then there is the modern day problem of images taken on a mobile phone that just won't go away, and how they may be used by a bully.
I would highly recommend this story to anybody, not just as a Christmas read, but at any time. I think it's one that I will be reading again.
Thank you so much for this awesome review! I’m thrilled with it. I did tackle the issue of revenge porn with a deep breath but, luckily, it was received well. Thanks again. 😊
ReplyDelete