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isabell_'s review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book I have read by this author. Even though it is the second book in a series, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything and it read very well as a stand alone.
This was a lovely book to lose myself into. A lovely village with lots of countryside and scenic views and to top it all an animal rescue centre, if you are an animal lover then this is certainly one to add to your list.
Mandy I really liked. A vet who is also trying to keep her head above the water with the animal sanctuary. She takes in the waif and strays of animals, giving them a second chance to find a forever loving home. I fell in love with so many of the animals that I would have wanted to take them all home.
Sadly someone seems to have it in for Mandy and the animal sanctuary and everyone in the village tries to rally round and get to the bottom of it all.
This is a book that can easily be read and enjoyed by young adults and older. It is a lovely and Christmassy read that is perfect for this time of year. My only niggle is that I found it slightly confusing that Mandy’s parents were referred to as Adam and Emily as there were parts that would mention dad and Emily, or mum or mother would be used in the same sentence as Emily and it kept throwing me as thought another character had come into it somewhere. Otherwise it’s a heartwarming and lovely read.
Christmas At Mistletoe Cottage is a delightful and festive read that will definitely leave you wanting to visit the village again sometime soon.
My thanks to Bookbridgr and Hodder for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
This was a lovely book to lose myself into. A lovely village with lots of countryside and scenic views and to top it all an animal rescue centre, if you are an animal lover then this is certainly one to add to your list.
Mandy I really liked. A vet who is also trying to keep her head above the water with the animal sanctuary. She takes in the waif and strays of animals, giving them a second chance to find a forever loving home. I fell in love with so many of the animals that I would have wanted to take them all home.
Sadly someone seems to have it in for Mandy and the animal sanctuary and everyone in the village tries to rally round and get to the bottom of it all.
This is a book that can easily be read and enjoyed by young adults and older. It is a lovely and Christmassy read that is perfect for this time of year. My only niggle is that I found it slightly confusing that Mandy’s parents were referred to as Adam and Emily as there were parts that would mention dad and Emily, or mum or mother would be used in the same sentence as Emily and it kept throwing me as thought another character had come into it somewhere. Otherwise it’s a heartwarming and lovely read.
Christmas At Mistletoe Cottage is a delightful and festive read that will definitely leave you wanting to visit the village again sometime soon.
My thanks to Bookbridgr and Hodder for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
racheleanne06's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
These books are a hit of pure nostalgia, but they are missing some of the magic that I got from the original Animal Ark books as a child.
The plot’s a little all over the place, and I don’t feel as connected to Mandy and James. But this book still has a good sprinkle of Christmas magic, and some exciting veterinary escapades.
I also love Mandy’s relationship with her parents, and was interested to find out about what happened with the main conflict in this book.
But the romance in this is a little bland though, and the misunderstanding between them was very frustrating. Plus there’s quite a few characters mentioned and I struggled to remember who was who at points.
I think I will read the next book, just for the nostalgia, but I am not sure if I will read the others as it’s seems like they have retired Mandy as the main character.
The plot’s a little all over the place, and I don’t feel as connected to Mandy and James. But this book still has a good sprinkle of Christmas magic, and some exciting veterinary escapades.
I also love Mandy’s relationship with her parents, and was interested to find out about what happened with the main conflict in this book.
But the romance in this is a little bland though, and the misunderstanding between them was very frustrating. Plus there’s quite a few characters mentioned and I struggled to remember who was who at points.
I think I will read the next book, just for the nostalgia, but I am not sure if I will read the others as it’s seems like they have retired Mandy as the main character.
evefaith's review against another edition
3.0
This was a lovely, light, warm-hearted read that I needed after a run of thrillers! My review for the first one in this series wasn’t too great and I did say then I probably wouldn’t read any more but this one sucked me in with the Christmas title! At first I was frustrated with the lack of Christmas but this was made up for near the end!
Like I said in my review of the first book, I only really read this because I grew up reading the Animal Ark series so this was really nostalgic for me, however if I didn’t have that connection I really don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much. The main issue for me is from the writing style it is like the authors don’t know whether it should be a child’s book, young adult, or adult it just seems like a weird mix of the three which is hard to grasp. One of my problems with the first book was it was too ‘Vetty’. With the authors being a group of vets I suppose this is to be expected although another sign that they don’t really know their audience as readers aren’t really going to be reading this as part of a veterinary degree. I was pleased that they had obviously listened to my comments as this book wasn’t like that at all and any vet procedures were explained using simple terminology.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found the whole incident with the ‘bully’ contrasted nicely with all the cutesy stuff to add depth and make it more interesting.
Overall if you enjoyed the animal ark series I would recommend this, if you haven’t I would politely say don’t bother as there are better Christmas romance books!
Like I said in my review of the first book, I only really read this because I grew up reading the Animal Ark series so this was really nostalgic for me, however if I didn’t have that connection I really don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much. The main issue for me is from the writing style it is like the authors don’t know whether it should be a child’s book, young adult, or adult it just seems like a weird mix of the three which is hard to grasp. One of my problems with the first book was it was too ‘Vetty’. With the authors being a group of vets I suppose this is to be expected although another sign that they don’t really know their audience as readers aren’t really going to be reading this as part of a veterinary degree. I was pleased that they had obviously listened to my comments as this book wasn’t like that at all and any vet procedures were explained using simple terminology.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found the whole incident with the ‘bully’ contrasted nicely with all the cutesy stuff to add depth and make it more interesting.
Overall if you enjoyed the animal ark series I would recommend this, if you haven’t I would politely say don’t bother as there are better Christmas romance books!
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
aprilparker97's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
sarahs_book_nook's review against another edition
4.0
I was originally drawn to this book for its whimsical cover art. When I read the synopsis and realised it was set at an animal shelter I was even more interested.
The story follows Mandy, the owner of an animal rescue center, Hope Meadows which adjoins her parents vet clinic, Animal Ark. The book is part of the Animal Ark series but this one can easily be read as a stand-a-lone as I had never read any of the other books in the series but never got lost in this one.
Through the story Mandy must fend off the threat of a mysterious person sabotaging her business, negotiate her way around a blossoming new romance with some undesired results, help rehome and rescue some animals, care for her existing rescues and help save a small local who has gone missing. Her days are filled with all sorts of animal antics. Sometimes I couldn't work out what time of day it was, she seemed to be so busy ALL of the time.
The Christmas setting just added to the charm of this book and had my mouth watering for some warm fruit mince pies. A fun, enjoyable and quick holiday read.
The story follows Mandy, the owner of an animal rescue center, Hope Meadows which adjoins her parents vet clinic, Animal Ark. The book is part of the Animal Ark series but this one can easily be read as a stand-a-lone as I had never read any of the other books in the series but never got lost in this one.
Through the story Mandy must fend off the threat of a mysterious person sabotaging her business, negotiate her way around a blossoming new romance with some undesired results, help rehome and rescue some animals, care for her existing rescues and help save a small local who has gone missing. Her days are filled with all sorts of animal antics. Sometimes I couldn't work out what time of day it was, she seemed to be so busy ALL of the time.
The Christmas setting just added to the charm of this book and had my mouth watering for some warm fruit mince pies. A fun, enjoyable and quick holiday read.
joareads's review against another edition
5.0
The rescue centre, Hope Meadows, is up and running and things are looking up for Mandy. But when a series of mysterious disturbances occur seemingly targeting the rescue centre, will there be a Merry Christmas for Hope Meadows?
This is a brilliant sequel to the Hope Meadows series and full of festive cheer! Though not blaringly Christmassy, it's still a lovely read full of vet adventures including the birth of a reindeer and the rehoming of some cute animals.
Easy to read and with great characters and quite an action-packed plot, it's a story definitely worth reading at Christmas!
This is a brilliant sequel to the Hope Meadows series and full of festive cheer! Though not blaringly Christmassy, it's still a lovely read full of vet adventures including the birth of a reindeer and the rehoming of some cute animals.
Easy to read and with great characters and quite an action-packed plot, it's a story definitely worth reading at Christmas!
tabbiecat's review against another edition
2.0
It's a feel good novel and I enjoyed it well enough, though largely for the nostalgia. However, the writing and plot are quite pedestrian and cliche. I guessed who the villain was as soon as they appeared, and the B conflict was one of those frustrating contrived misunderstandings which could have been easily solved if the characters just used their words. I was also annoyed at the continuity issues, considering the draw of the series is that it's a continuation of the Animal Ark books. For example at one point Mandy says that she's never seen reindeer in Welford, appearing to forget the events of Kitten in the Cold.
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