What will the return of an old friend mean?

Synopsis

Ella Welford’s done with love. After having her fingers burnt, she’s been resolutely single for the last year and has sworn to stay that way.

Joss Campion’s still reeling from a messy divorce and has vowed never to open his heart to love again.

Growing up in the picturesque village of Lytell Stangdale, with the North Yorkshire Moors as their playground, Joss and Ella were best friends. The pair were inseparable.

Until the day something happened to ruin their friendship and Joss moved away.

An urgent telephone call summons Joss back to the village. His father’s been rushed to hospital and he’s needed to run the farm. When he returns, with his loyal canine companion, Sid, in tow, it isn’t long before he realises things aren’t as they seem. Why is his brother, Rich, being so evasive? And why does he get the impression the farm’s in trouble?

Teaching Assistant, Ella, has just broken up for the Christmas holidays and is looking forward to spending more time on her parents’ farm, tending her variety of rescue animals and recharging her batteries.

It isn’t long before the pair run into one another and sparks of attraction begin to fly – not that either of them will admit to it. But, just before Christmas, they find themselves thrown together in an unexpected turn of events as a fierce snow blizzard rages around them.

Could this be the moment that changes everything? Or is their past too big to ignore?

One thing’s for certain, life’s never dull in this little corner of the North Yorkshire Moors.

Join Ella and Joss – and all the usual Lytell Stangdalecharacters – for a heartwarming festive read.

My review

Teaching Assistant Ella Welford is happy that the Christmas Holidays means that she doesn’t have to go to school, and can put all her love into helping on her parents’ farm and tending the variety of rescue animals.
And even if everyone is asking her about her love life, she is a happy single, after her last relationship, and determined to stay single.
But then suddenly Joss Campion returns in town… Joss and Ella used to be best friends, and just did everything together, until one day something happened that changed everything and Joss moved away…
Now Joss is forced to return with his adorable dog Sid as his father has been rushed to the hospital and needs help. Not only his father needs help, but also the farm and his brother Rich isn’t a real help.
The only silver lining is that Joss and Ella quickly rekindle their friendship. And even if they both aren’t admitting it, sparks fly around…

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Lytell Stangdale and its inhabitants!!! So returning there, and for another Christmas story, made me very very happy!
Beside the love for this cute little village, I ADORED Ella and Joss!

Ella is just the perfect girl next door, with a kind heart and not only for her friends and family. The lengths she goes for the children at school, no matter how difficult they can be, and her readiness to help animals anyway she can, how can you not like Ella?
She is also a great friend, as will be clear how she behaves with Portia. Even when something happens that breaks her heart, but makes her friend happy, she puts her own feelings aside.
And when a certain feeling evolves, she cannot shake off that feeling of guilt towards her friend…

And Joss… even if most of the time I loved him, sometimes he made me also very very angry!
Initially we don’t know what happened in the past to make him move away, or what happened between Joss and Ella.
And first I thought that something really really really bad happened between the friends, but I was happy that my wicked mind was very wrong! Okay, it changed everything, but what Joss did, wasn’t as terrible as I thought.
But his tale about his move and the strained relationship with his father broke my heart. Especially when the truth comes out…
The angriness from my side came when Joss acted typical as a male, thinking with his lower regions and not with his heart and head. Because of course as a reader we want a certain ending and him doing the opposite made it difficult!

However, seeing these former best friends finding each other again, and reading how that companionship of the past was so easily back, truly warmed my heart.
And I laughed at the way they both try to resist the obvious!
Somehow, the community also made me a bit jealous, because no one hesitates when helping hands are needed, and everyone does whatever he/she can. Just a perfect place to live! And even when injustice is being uncovered, the kind hearts of those with the correct sense of right and wrong, beside the anger, it made me feel happy and proud as it didn’t become an act of ‘ an eye for an eye’.

This was a lovely story to read, bringing me back to a wonderful community, with new and old friends.
It shows us also that the past isn’t always in the past, and that mistakes can be redeemed. And forgiveness can be given, no matter how much time has passed.
But most important, feelings come also when you least expect it, even towards people you least expect it. However, how scary it may be to give in to these feelings, fear (and the past)  shouldn’t be holding you back, because what you gain instead, is so much more rewarding!

The author managed again to write a captivating story about lovely people with a shared past, and a past that changed them. And this all around the Christmas period. Is there truly something else you need to grab this book and enjoy every beautiful bit of it???