The Christmas Surprise By Jenny Colgan

[amazon_link id=”0751553956″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’The Christmas Surprise’ is Jenny’s new Christmas story.

Rosie Hopkins, newly engaged, is looking forward to an exciting year in the little sweetshop she owns and runs. But when fate strikes Rosie and her boyfriend, Stephen, a terrible blow, threatening everything they hold dear, it’s going to take all their strength and the support of their families and their Lipton friends to hold them together. After all, don’t they say it takes a village to raise a child?

‘The Christmas Surprise’ is Jenny’s third book in the Rosie Hopkins’ series where we return to our favourite sweet shop in Lipton just in time for the Christmas season.

In this book, we once again meet all our favourite characters, from the kindhearted Rosie, her fiancé Stephen, a quick-witted but occasionally grumpy teacher, Rosie’s aunt Lillian and Edison, Rosie’s friend who is still as serious and wise beyond his young years.

This time, we see Rosie and Stephen get used to their newly engaged life and are looking forward to their lives together when they are struck with a horrible blow. Suddenly terrified of what the future holds for them, they begin to move forward tentatively. But then one day, they decide to return to Africa to the scene of Stephen’s accident and it’s in Africa that their lives change forever.

I’d love to tell you more about the story, but feel that in doing so, I will get carried away and you won’t need to read the story. But you do need to read this book as it’s filled with Jenny’s trademark warmhearted writing, eccentric characters and a beautiful setting that makes the story, gripping reading. There is also the inclusion of Christmas recipes for the reader to experiment with leading up to Christmas.

As part of the story is set in Africa, it highlights the poverty and sickness that the country endues and there are some scenes that are quite emotional reading.

Even though this book is the third in the series, Jenny has thoughtfully included the background of the characters so this book can be read as a standalone book without getting lost in.

A lovely Christmas story that makes for perfect Christmas reading, ‘The Christmas Surprise’ is a deliciously entertaining and poignant story about the season of goodwill.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0751553956″ target=”_blank” ]The Christmas Surprise from Amazon [/amazon_link]and is available to buy from good bookshops.