Meet Me Under The Mistletoe by Abby Clements

“Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” is Abby Clement’s first book and is most definitely a warm, festive treat.

Childhood friends Laurie and Rachel used to be inseparable but now their lives are have taken very different paths since they picked up their A-Levels results together. Now aged 35, they have fallen out of touch; glamorous single girl Laurie is based in London and dedicated to her career while Rachel is living the family dream in Yorkshire.

But when Rachel’s mother-in-law suddenly becomes ill and needs urgent treatment in London and disaster at work means that Laurie needs a break. Suddenly a house swap is organised and gentle Rachel is far from the village bakes whilst trying to keep her marriage together and Laurie escapes to the Yorkshire Dales hoping to forget about the man who broke her heart. Both women wonder if their relationships will survive the test and will they make it home for Christmas?

For me, it feels much too early to be reading about Christmas, but it was hard not to get into the Christmas spirit when this story is packed with love, mistletoe and snow.

Written as a dual narrative, Rachel and Laurie are two wonderful leading ladies, as they struggle with the new problems in life that they are suddenly faced with.

Laurie as a fashion designer, is suddenly on a break from a work when a major project she was in charge off goes wrong. Now, she finds herself at a loose end and wondering what to do with herself. With a creative flair and a strong independence, I found myself instantly warming to her. I admired her ambition and kind soul. Rachel is also faced with a problem of her own, with a sick mother-in-law and a teenage daughter who is filled with teenage angst and no matter what Rachel does for her, it’s always wrong. Life is filled with problems for her, but still she manages smile, I loved her optimism. Both characters were so lovely, that I almost envied their friendship and wish I was as fortunate to have such good friends.

As a debut, “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” is wonderfully written and presented delightfully for the season. This story had me captivated, I was so enthralled by it, that I read it in one day. An enchanting and warm hearted read with a gentle storyline, “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” will definitely warm the cockles of your heart.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1780876629″ target=”_blank” ] Meet Me Under the Mistletoe on Amazon [/amazon_link] and other good bookshops.