A winter/Christmas nobody will forget, for one reason or another

Synopsis

It’s almost Christmas in Heritage Cove – the village tree is all lit-up, the bakery is full of festive treats, the tea rooms and waffle shack are welcoming locals inside out of the cold, and for some of the residents of the Cove, snow might not be the only thing they’re wishing for this year…

Tilly is overjoyed when an estranged relative comes to Heritage Cove wanting to make amends. But as she lets him in to her life and Tilly’s Bits ‘n’ Pieces – the shop she owns and loves – her friends aren’t so sure whether everything is quite as it seems.

Benjamin’s parents run Mistletoe Gate Farm, selling Christmas trees, wreaths and mistletoe. Benjamin has always thought his family was as firmly rooted in the ground as the rows of Norway Spruce and Fraser Firs. But when he finds a letter that rocks his world he realises he may not be able to do anything to prevent the changes coming their way.

Benjamin and Tilly have been falling for one another since the summer but will family complications put an abrupt stop to what is looking like a burgeoning romance?

With festive cheer weaving its way through the Cove as two local favourites plan their wedding, there’s more than one relationship that could receive a little Christmas magic…

My review

Tilly is the proud owner of ‘Tilly’s Bits ‘n’ Pieces’, a shop that sells, like the name says, a little bit of everything.
Even if her father isn’t all that happy for the career she choose, she couldn’t be happier!
Although, beside her wish to expand her shop, there would be one thing that would make her even happier… and that would be Benjamin.
Since he has returned in the summer, both Tilly and Benjamin have been falling for each other but except the obvious flirting, nothing more has happened between them.
However this winter, Tilly and Benjamin have both to cope with changes that are happening in their normal lives.
Tilly is faced with an estranged relative and is happy that she can now expand her family. But even if Tilly gives everyone a chance, not everyone is so sure about the latest arrival to be full of good intentions.
And Benjamin finds a letter concerning his parents that could turn his whole world around, and what will that mean for Mistletoe Gate Farm, and their selling of Christmas trees, wreaths and mistletoes?

Returning to Heritage Cove truly feels for me as returning home. the previous books made me fall in love with the place and its habitants, so being back, made me truly happy.

And then I fell totally and utterly in love with Tilly and Benjamin!
Being an only child, made Tilly always long for a bigger family. And when someone appears out of the blue, she is ready to give him the chance to redeem himself and make up for his mistakes in the past.
And that is something I admired in Tilly… no matter what happened in the past, everyone deserves a second chance in her eyes.
She also is very protective… you touch someone of her family, you touch her! And even if it’s Benjamin trying to protect her, even he can get in her bad book!
But that doesn’t make her naïve, she just sees the best in everyone. She isn’t that gullible, and she even dares to stand her ground, how much it’s breaking her heart!

Talking about Benjamin… can I have him too? Please???? He would look great under the Christmas tree as a gift from Santa!
He is a great person, as a son, as a brother, as a friend. He is also a true romantic. And that shows not only the way he helps out with preparing the wedding for his friends, but also because he keeps his discovery a secret, not wanting to ruin Christmas.
I found him a gentle soul, keeping true to himself, even if that caused him a heart – break in the past.
He looks after his loved ones, even if that means he will get burned…

Tilly and Benjamin are perfect new examples of how the community of Heritage Cove works. Everyone looks after each other, helping hands are offered when needed and nothing is too much. And the wedding is a prefect example of how when everyone works together, you may not have the wedding you planned, but an even more magical one!

And what made me like this story even more was the fact that yes, Tilly and Benjamin have feelings for each other, but though the whole story, the focus is on their friendship and showing us as a reader, and making the characters open their eyes to see what a perfect match they could be.

This is not only the story of two persons that have been falling in love, but about a whole community that love each other!