I’m really thrilled today to be joining the blog tour for the latest book from Jaimie Admans, Christmas Ever After, the fourth in her Ever After Street series, and sharing my review. Published by Boldwood on 2nd September, it’s now available as an e-book (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback and as an audiobook. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading ecopy (provided via netgalley).
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Jaimie’s summer books – The Beekeeper at Elderflower Grove (a perfect summer read…) deservedly made it onto my 2022 Books of the Year list (you’ll find my review here). But she really does have a particularly special touch when it comes to Christmas – The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens (review here) was quite wonderful, and one of my Books of the Year in 2023. And this time, her latest book is a combination of my favourite series setting – the gorgeous Ever After Street – AND Christmas, so my excitement about it was already approaching fever pitch. I’ve totally adored this series so far: A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street with the Cinderella story given a modern twist, and a romance at its centre that was absolute perfection (you can read my review again here); “a tale as old as time” and the Beauty and the Beast story of An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street (review here); and the Alice in Wonderland theme of A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street, with its world of very real fairytale magic that I really didn’t want to leave behind (review here). Who cares if it’s only September – I was so looking forward to this one…!
A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but Franca Andrews has never felt more miserable. With business far from bustling, she needs a Christmas miracle to keep her beloved nutcracker shop open… But there’s one man standing in her way – expert snow globe maker Raff Dardenne.
Dardenne Snow Globes have a magical reputation for bringing lovers together, a myth that Raff continues to exploit, much to Franca’s annoyance! But this Christmas their shops are pitted against each other and only one gets to stay on Ever After Street. Franca doesn’t know how her handmade nutcrackers are ever going to compete with Raff’s magical snow globes, especially at the most magical time of the year!
Franca’s determined to prove Raff’s business is built on lies. But when disaster strikes, and she’s left unable to make anything, she needs help. It’s just very frustrating that the only person offering is her gorgeous, annoying, nemesis himself!
As these two enemies get to know each other, Franca discovers another side to Raff – kind, caring and funny. . But unless she can prove that his magical snow globes can’t really match true lovers together, she’s going to lose everything…
But maybe it’s not too late for them to put aside their differences and find some Christmas magic of their own?
Not only does Franca have rather a crush on Jorge the baker – and what a horrible bloke he turns out to be – but she’s rather partial to the baked goods he sells too, to the detriment of her formerly trim waistline. She discovers what he’s really like in the most desperately embarrassing way – but snow globe maker Raff, the man she’s always thought of as her nemesis, also plays a major part in the sequence of events that leaves her unable to make the custom made nutcrackers she sells in her shop. And it couldn’t have happened at a worse time – Christmas is coming, and there are so many orders to fulfil. And there’s the small matter of needing to prove how successful her business is – in a contest of her own making, she’s in direct competition with Raff to keep her place on Ever After Street.
Her dislike for him is deep-seated – her parents were brought together by one of his father’s supposedly magic Dardenne snow globes, now being made by Raff, but their marriage ended in a bitter divorce and Franca is determined to prove that there’s nothing magical about them at all. But when the chips are down, it’s Raff who unexpectedly comes to the rescue – becoming an unlikely friend, offering his support, learning how to make the nutcrackers, helping her complete her orders, although it might mean the end of his time on Ever After Street. And as they grow closer, she realises she might have seriously misjudged him – he’s definitely one of the good guys, and his family is rather lovely too. And if the snow globes really aren’t magical, and she has the means to prove it, does she really want to destroy his business, disappoint his family, and drive him away?
The slow burn romance that runs through the story is absolutely gorgeous – both Franca and Raff are such sympathetic characters, both complex in their different ways, with their past lives playing a part in their developing relationship. I was entirely invested in the possibility of them having their unlikely happy ending, but it’s certainly quite a journey for them both before things start to work out. The whole story is just so beautifully told, and with the most perfect Christmassy touches – emotional at times, filled with uncertainties and difficult decisions, but with plenty of humour and lightness too.
And I just love spending time on Ever After Street – it’s the perfect place to be at the most magical time of the year, wrapped in the warmth of the community who pull together to bring the dream to life for everyone who visits. This really is a book that needs to be on everyone’s Christmas list, and perhaps my favourite in the series so far – completely engaging, very moving, and as beautifully written as always.
About the author
Jaimie Admans is the bestselling author of several romantic comedies – including The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane and The Chateau of Happily-Ever-Afters. She lives in South Wales and was previously published by HQ Digital. Her new work for Boldwood, The Ever After Street Series, is based on the magical world of fairytales.
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