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A review by traceyroberts
Escape for Christmas by Philippa Ashley
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.0
With "Escape from Christmas" being my first Philipa Ashley book, I was expecting snow, cosy romance and a few laughs along the way. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to being the festive treat I was expecting.
Sophie used to be a Christmas loving gift shop owner. That is until the Christmas she discovered her fiancé cheating on her with her best friend. Devastated by the betrayal Sophie sells her shop and buys a guest house in the lake district. Determined to avoid the traditional festivities Sophie is hosting an "Escape" from Christmas for her guests, complete with tapas and flamenco dancers.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Lake District, this was an idyllic setting for a festive story. However that's really where my enjoyment ended. I didn't connect with the authors' writing style or any of the characters. The dialogue felt forced with characters constantly over explaining everything they spoke about. The exposition felt lengthly and repetitive which slowed down the pace of story making it feel like a slog to get through. The plot was fairly predictable which is OK for a cosy Christmas read. However it stretches credulity to the limit.
I think Phillipa Ashley fans will still enjoy this read but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and Netgalley for providing the ARC.
Sophie used to be a Christmas loving gift shop owner. That is until the Christmas she discovered her fiancé cheating on her with her best friend. Devastated by the betrayal Sophie sells her shop and buys a guest house in the lake district. Determined to avoid the traditional festivities Sophie is hosting an "Escape" from Christmas for her guests, complete with tapas and flamenco dancers.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Lake District, this was an idyllic setting for a festive story. However that's really where my enjoyment ended. I didn't connect with the authors' writing style or any of the characters. The dialogue felt forced with characters constantly over explaining everything they spoke about. The exposition felt lengthly and repetitive which slowed down the pace of story making it feel like a slog to get through. The plot was fairly predictable which is OK for a cosy Christmas read. However it stretches credulity to the limit.
I think Phillipa Ashley fans will still enjoy this read but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and Netgalley for providing the ARC.