I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts about That Festive Feeling by Heidi Swain.
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That Festive Feeling by Heidi Swain
- Category : Contemporary Romance
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster UK (12 Oct. 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1398519545
- ISBN-13 : 978-1398519541
- Simon & Schuster UK | Amazon | Waterstones | Goodreads
That Festive Feeling Summary
Holly has the place to herself this Christmas. It’s not her place, though – she is house-sitting for friends who live on Nightingale Square – just there to keep the place warm and cosy and only for long enough for her to sort her life out. Newly single and finding herself unsure about next steps for her career, she plans to hunker down and make some life decisions.
To clear her mind, she sets off on early morning walks around a nearby lake and bumps into May, an older lady who is also new to the area, and her dapper Dachshund Monty. Quickly, a firm friendship blossoms. Then when Holly meets Bear, a rather large and rather attractive man, at the local pub, and his rescue dog Queenie, her stay at Nightingale Square suddenly feels even more appealing.
As the community comes together for the season’s festivities, Holly must start thinking about where her life will take her next. Some big decisions need to be made, but distractions close to home make thinking about the future more tricky than ever…
Will she get that festive feeling this Christmas…?
That Festive Feeling Review
I love all of Heidi Swain’s books set in Nightingale Square. They have fabulous character development for the main female character but just as important to me, it’s always easy for me to identify with them (even when they’re not my age) and feel the emotional ups and downs that they do.
In that Festive Feeling, 30-year-old Holly has had no room for spontaneity in her life and with the breakup of her marriage, needs to find somewhere to live. In Nightingale Square, Neil and Mark need a house sitter for a while … the perfect opportunity for Holly to figure out where she’s going to live and what she’s going to do about her career. She’s hoping to keep her head down – if you’ve read any of these stories you’ll know just how impossible that is 🙂 Such a fab community who are honest and really care. You know she’s going to find it hard not to get drawn in … especially when there’s a performance at The Chapel that needs volunteers.
Loved the characters. Holly’s friendship with May is very nurturing and perfect for Holly to explore who she really is; Bear is gorgeous inside and out. It was great touching base with the characters we’ve known from before!
A few favourites:
- The pooch shoot – OMG how adorable (and a touch of humour too)
- Wynter’s Trees – I loved this setting in Underneath the Christmas Tree and was excited to be going back there (even if it was for a short time!)
- The creative theme throughout the story
Most of all though I loved Holly pushing past her limits and boundaries to find out important things about herself. Her attitude towards embracing change dusted off a little on me too.
This is a ‘will they, won’t they’ with a difference. I found it a refreshing change to have barriers different from the norm in a romance read.
That Festive Feeling is another Heidi Swain story that has made me feel as if I’ve been wrapped up in a big snuggly hug. It doesn’t get better than this!
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About the Author
Heidi lives in beautiful south Norfolk with her family and a mischievous cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading. Her TBR pile is always out of control! To find out more, follow Heidi on twitter @Heidi_Swain or visit her website: heidiswain.co.uk.