Falling snow, sparkling champagne and an ex that Libby would rather forget…
Everything was in place for Libby’s own wedding day – the ancient church with roses around the door, the frothy white wedding dress of her dreams… That is until her Mr Right, Rufus, turned out to be Mr Wrong and dumped her out of the blue. For her cousin.
Six months later, Libby is the chief bridesmaid for her best friend Willow in a Christmas Eve wedding at stately home Lovage Hall. Despite having to wear an enormous fuchsia dress, Libby knows she has to look her best, as the wedding is the first time she will see Rufus again…
As the guests sip champagne at the beautiful reception, and Libby does her best to avoid her ex, the snow outside falls faster and faster, making it impossible for the guests to leave. Snowed in at Lovage Hall, Libby is charmed by American Noah with his dark cropped hair and dimpled cheeks, and the two of them share their dreams and a very passionate kiss.
But when the morning comes, and the snow melts, a shocking revelation about Noah comes to light and Rufus reveals a devastating secret. Can Libby trust her heart to make the right decision for her own happy ending?
Review: I always enjoy a story from talented author Tilly Tennant and couldn’t resist this, her latest book, which is described as a feel-good romantic comedy - just what many of us need right now. The bold, eye-catching cover is sure to attract any reader’s attention, but gives nothing away of the drama within. I was rapidly drawn into the story and found the book a quick and easy read.
The main female character in the story is Libby. She is badly let down by fiancé Rufus, who cheats on her with her cousin shortly before their planned wedding. Six months later sees Libby acting as chief bridesmaid to best friend Willow at her marriage to Tomas on Christmas Eve. The lavish reception is held in a grand country house hotel. Everything sounds absolutely idyllic, but the weather sets out to spoil things. While the wedding party and guests are enjoying the festivities, heavy snow blocks the roads and, at the same time, cuts off the electricity supply, leaving everybody stranded and in the dark. Fortunately, Libby has excellent organisational skills and, with the help of handsome guest Noah, sets out to ensure that her friend’s wedding does not turn out to be a disaster. As Libby gets closer to Noah, Rufus, who is trying to win Libby back, reveals a shocking secret that makes her wonder who she can trust.
This story is definitely as advertised, a romantic tale with its fair share of comedy and also drama. I greatly admired Libby; she has great strength of character and loyalty to her best friend. She took her chief bridesmaid duties very seriously, especially when dealing with a trio of younger bridesmaids who were skilled in finding trouble. I also liked the other main characters in the story, with the exception of Rufus naturally. The setting for the wedding reception sounded so luxurious that I would have loved to stay there for a few nights and enjoy the surroundings and of course the mouthwatering dishes. Although the majority of the narrative takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I wouldn’t really class this as a Christmas book, but I would recommend it simply as a lovely romantic tale.
