My second post of the day – and it’s a real pleasure to share my review of Coming Home to Mistletoe Cottage by Celia Anderson. Published by Harper Collins on 27th October, it’s now available as an ebook on all major platforms (and just 99p…), in paperback, and as an audiobook. The e-copy I read was my own, purchased via Amazon – in fact, I pre-ordered it, and my review is far later than I ever planned it to be (if everyone else could just stop writing for a while when Celia issues her next book please…!).
When I read the quite wonderful 59 Memory Lane, I knew I’d found an author I loved – the wonderful characters, the relationships between them and the supportive friendships, the trail of memories and things lost, and the most wonderful writing that completely captured my heart (you’ll find my full review here). And I finished by saying how much I was looking forward to another visit to Pengelly – and although Celia did return there, with The Cottage of Curiosities, I just couldn’t manage to fit the book into my reading list, no matter how hard I tried. And The Secret Gift of Lucia Lemon followed, again at a time when I was up to my eyes in other commitments – it’s tough being a well-organised blogger at times! But Celia’s own life hasn’t exactly been a bowl of cherries recently either, and I’m so delighted to see her back – and this was one book I was determined not to miss out on…
Could a sprinkling of magic save Christmas this year?
Amid the salt marshes and rolling fields of Periwinkle Bay, Magda Conway is enjoying her retirement in ivy-clad Mistletoe Cottage.
Yet with three weeks to go until Christmas, as the fairy lights twinkle and the trees go up around the village, her peace is disrupted when she’s left in sole charge of her two mischievous grandchildren.
Before long, she’s at her wit’s end – but high on a kitchen shelf lies her mother’s handwritten recipe book. And as she turns to it for advice, she finds more than just recipes between its tattered covers: there’s a pinch of magic too, and maybe even a sprinkling of love…
Being a midwife was always more than just a job for Magda – it was also her refuge and escape from the challenges of life as a single parent, the place where she was really felt valued. Looking back at Christmases past – nicely woven into the story – it meant that she missed out on so many things, especially the family moments, cooking with her mother (a gene that she certainly didn’t inherit), spending quality time with her son. But retirement now beckons – the loss of her mother has left her with grief and regrets, made worse by the approach of Christmas, but she’s cautiously looking forward to a different life with her now adult son and his young family. And perhaps to pick up the threads of her friendship with Fliss, who was always there for her in the difficult times – another relationship she’s been neglecting.
But things don’t go quite as she expects. Fliss resist her attempts to rebuild their friendship – and her son and his wife leave the country for Christmas, an opportunity they just can’t refuse, leaving her caring for her two young grandchildren, Will and Desi. At first, things are really difficult – Will misbehaves (spectacularly badly), Desi decides to take a vow of silence, and she wonders how they’re going to survive the festive season. But then she remembers her mother’s cookery book and the joy everyone (other than her…) felt while baking together – and with the help of the local headteacher and his dog Blondie, decides to do what she can to turn things around. And that special book provides a lovely touch of Christmas magic – the aromas she remembers rise from its pages, and her mother’s annotations support her along the way. And that touch of magic begins to help repair her friendship with Fliss, now the one in need of her support – and brings a little romance her way too, although with a few real barriers along the way.
This book really was gorgeous. I found Magda particularly sympathetic and easy to identify with – she’s made mistakes, but is willing to face up to them and make the changes she needs to. The children are wonderful (and you don’t see me saying that very often!) – lots of angst, but plenty of laughs, and so many special moments that really brought a tear to my eye. The characters and their relationships are beautifully handled, as is the emotional content – and the whole book is infused with the tastes and smells of the season, along with the heightened emotions that surround it. And I just loved the characters’ (especially Magda’s) journey, the focus on the family and its many complications, the warmth of friendship – with the romance a really lovely added extra – along with that rather wonderful touch of magic. And if, like Magda, you’re not much of a domestic goddess and haven’t got round to making your Christmas puddings or a suitable cake, it’s not too late to get started – the book even ends with some lovely (and easy) last-minute recipes!
This was one of those perfect festive reads, and I really loved it. Highly recommended by me – and another book I’d definitely urge you to add to your Christmas reading list!
About the author
Previously a teacher and assistant head, Celia Anderson now writes full time and is an enthusiastic member of the Romantic Novelists Association, having graduated from their wonderful New Writers’ Scheme. She writes stories with a strong flavour of magical realism and her fourth such novel with Harper Collins, Coming Home to Mistletoe Cottage, will be published in October 2022.
Celia loves flower arranging but tries to avoid gardening, plays the piano very badly and is a jigsaw addict. She is a doting grandma to Ida and Levi and has tried several times to learn to knit them jumpers without much success (or joy). Some hobbies are probably best left alone.
Currently living as far away from any beaches as you can possibly get in mainland UK, Celia has always dreamt of living by the sea, and that dream will hopefully soon become a reality. She loves walking, reading, having large bubbly baths, eating, and drinking wine. Over the years, she has found that all of these activities bar the first may be done simultaneously, although this can be messy…
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I haven’t read anything from this author but really think I’d enjoy her books. Will watch out for the next one!