'TIS THE SEASON

It seems like many chick lit authors decided 2011 was the year to release their Christmas novel. Here's our guide to the books that will get you into the festive spirit this season. We'll be updating it all the way up to the big day.




Monica McInerney has set her upcoming novel Lola's Secret in her Australian hometown and revisits a character from The Alphabet Sisters. The summary says: "At the Valley View Motel in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley, 84-year-old Lola Quinlan is up to her usual mischief. She's sent her family away for Christmas and invited a number of mystery guests to come and stay. But who are all these people, and why aren't they spending the festive season with their own loved ones? As the big day draws closer and Lola's personal family dramas threaten to unravel her plans, she discovers that at a special time of year, magic can happen in every family - especially your own." To read an extract of chapter one, head to her publisher's website or check out Steph's review here.




Christmas at Tiffany's by Karen Swan is about a woman who sets off an a year-long odyssey. The summary says: "Cassie settled down too young, marrying her first serious boyfriend. Now, 10 years later, she is betrayed and broken. With her marriage in tatters and no career or home of her own, she needs to work out where she belongs in the world and who she really is. So begins a year-long trial as Cassie leaves her sheltered life in rural Scotland to stay with each of her best friends in the most glamorous cities in the world: New York, Paris and London. Exchanging grouse moor and mousy hair for low-carb diets and high-end highlights, Cassie tries on each city for size as she attempts to track down the life she was supposed to have been leading, and with it, the man who was supposed to love her all along." Check out Angela's review here.




Carole Matthews has penned a festive-inspired tale for her latest release Wrapped Up in You. The summary says: "A Christmas fling, or has Janie found the real thing? Thirty-something hairdresser Janie Johnson's single status is a constant source of gossip for her friends and clients. So after too many nights in with her cat, a blind date disaster and news that her ex is getting married, Janie realises it's time to do something dramatic with her life. It's time for an adventure! Leaving winter behind, Janie takes the plunge and books an exotic trip to Africa. Her friends think she's mad and Janie thinks they may very well be right ...but then she falls head over heels for her tour guide - and fully fledged Maasai warrior - Dominic. But can Janie now face spending a snowy Christmas back home without him?" Check out Angela's review here.




Wish Upon a Star, by romance author Sarah Morgan, is another of the Mills & Boon special releases targeted also at the chick lit crowd. The summary says: "Christy was hoping to skip Christmas this year. Her kids have other ideas - they've put their dad's name at number one on their Christmas list. So it looks as if Christy will be hightailing it up to the Lake District to play happy families with her ex! Snow-capped mountains and roaring log fires - Alessandro's home is like walking into a Christmas card. Is it really safe for her to spend Christmas with her dreamy, funny - no! - entirely infuriating ex-hubby? Miranda has completely the opposite problem. Being single and pregnant at Christmas was certainly not her wish come true. She doesn't believe in miracles, but then resident hunk Jake sweeps her off her snow-covered shoes. Come Boxing Day dare she dream that Mr Sex-on-Legs might be for more than just Christmas?" This combines two previously released stories The Christmas Marriage Rescue and The Midwife's Christmas Miracle.




Trisha Ashley has reworked her novel Sweet Nothings and as re-released it as The Magic of Christmas. The summary says: "In the pretty Lancashire village of Middlemoss, Lizzy is on the verge of leaving her cheating husband, Tom, when tragedy strikes. Luckily she has welcome distraction in the Christmas Pudding Circle, a group of friends swapping seasonal recipes - as well as a rivalry with local cookery writer Nick over who will win Best Mince Pie at the village show... Meanwhile, the whole village is gearing up for the annual Boxing Day Mystery Play. But who will play Adam to Lizzy's Eve? Could it be the handsome and charismatic soap actor Ritch, or could someone closer to home win her heart? Whatever happens, it promises to be a Christmas to remember!"




The Christmas Wedding, a love story by thriller author James Patterson and former ad man Richard DiLallo, is about the unstoppable power of family at Christmas. The summary says: "The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died five years ago, Gaby's children have drifted apart, each one preoccupied by the turbulence in their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married - and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day - she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays. But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise - she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever." Check out Paula's review here.




Ruth Saberton, aka Jessica Fox of The Hen Night Prophecies series, has acquired another pen name Georgie Carter to publish a romantic tale called The Perfect Christmas. The summary says: "If you're a wedding planner it's best not to have affairs with married men. This is one cardinal rule that Robyn always abides by. But then she meets Jonathan... After a delicious dalliance in the dance studio, Robyn and Jonathan fall truly, madly, deeply in love. Jonathan justifies his actions because his wife is a workaholic, while Robyn finds the glamour - free from any mundane concerns - thrilling. But then the pressure mounts up: the guilt; the lies; the strain of it all. With the festive season approaching, can Robyn make this the best holiday ever or will it be the nightmare before Christmas?"




Miracle on Regent Street is the debut novel by magazine journalist Ali Harris. The summary says: "Evie Taylor, a girl with a big heart, gets lost in the big city. For the past two years, Evie has lived an invisible life in London. Her neighbours think she's just moved in, her sister mistakes her for a live-in nanny, and even Evie's manager at work can't remember her name. But all that is about to change ... this Christmas has brought a flurry of snow and unimaginable possibilities into town. Evie works in the stockroom of an old-fashioned, family-run, London fashion department store. Hardy's is a beautiful, wood-panelled jewellery box of a building, but it's in dire need of a makeover. One day Evie overhears that if the entire store's takings don't turn round by December 26 - three weeks time - the family who own it will be forced to sell to one of the big chains. Hardy's is in need of a Christmas miracle. Determined to save her beloved store, Evie hatches a plan to secretly transform it into a magical place to shop again. But has the time come for her to be noticed too? When an accidental romantic encounter with handsome, enigmatic Joel gives her the chance of a whole new identity, she takes it." You can read the first chapter at the publisher's website or check out Angela's review here.




Cally Taylor is another author taking the festive route for her 2011 release, Home for Christmas. The summary says: "Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged 24, she feels like she's finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox - a charming but rundown independent cinema - and has a boyfriend who's so debonair and charming she can't believe her luck! There's just one problem - none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn't look like Aiden's going to say it any time soon. Desperate to hear 'I love you' for the first time Beth takes matters into her own hands - and instantly wishes she hadn't. Just when it seems like her luck can't get any worse, bad news arrives in the devilishly handsome shape of Matt Jones. Matt is the regional director of a multiplex cinema and he's determined to get his hands on the Picturebox by Christmas. Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is her romantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?"




It's all about the ghosts of boyfriends past, present and future for Lydia, the heroine of Scarlett Bailey's debut novel The Night Before Christmas. The summary says: "All Lydia's ever wanted is a perfect Christmas... So when her oldest friends invite her to spend the holidays with them, it seems like the answer to her dreams. She's been promised log fires, roasted chestnuts, her own weight in mince pies; all in a setting that looks like something out of a Christmas card. However, her winter wonderland is about to be ruined by the ghosts of boyfriends past, present and potential future. She's snowed in with her current boyfriend, her old flame and a hunky stranger. Well, three (wise) men are traditional at this time of year..." Check out Swati's review here.




Katie Price has released a Christmas themed follow-up to her series about glamour model turned WAG Angel. The summary of Santa Baby says: "'I thought Tiffany should know that she has a half sister. She's Angel Summer - the famous model.' With these few words from the mother who gave her away, aspiring stylist and pizza waitress Tiffany Taylor's life is turned upside down. As soon as they meet, Angel and Tiff feel as if they've known each other for years, and before she knows it, Tiffany is working as a stylist on Angel's TV makeover program, and going out with Raul, a Brazilian racing driver who has all the girls weak with lust. If only Angel's seriously sexy bodyguard Sean could be as welcoming. Obviously he has things on his mind, like the kidnap threat hanging over Angel and her daughter Honey, but would it kill him to loosen up a bit? As everyone gathers at Angel and Cal's mansion for a big Christmas celebration, Sean's defences finally drop. But as he relaxes, the danger moves closer, and Tiffany finds herself in terrible danger. " Santa Baby also feature all the names of those fans who tried to help her break the Guinness World Record for book signing in July. Check out Angela's review here.



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