Friday 31 July 2015

Reviewed: A Christmas Feast by Katie Fforde.







A Christmas Feast was published by Arrow on December 4, 2014.


Thanks to the publisher for approving me for a copy on Netgalley.



A Christmas Feast: and other stories is a gorgeous collection of Katie Fforde’s short stories, along with one completely new one in A Christmas Feast. I’d only read a couple of these before and so I was looking forward to catching up with the rest which are of course written in Katie’s typical delightful way. I absolutely loved the clever format to this book, splitting it into sections that make up the perfect Christmas feast. There’s Champagne and Canapés, Starter, Main Course, Cheeseboard, Dessert and Coffee and Chocolate Truffles, all wonderfully named and so fitting with the content. A Christmas Feast is the best kind of read for the festive season, where you might get chance to sneak in a story or two amongst the madness, or maybe even make your escape for a few hours and devour it in one go. Either way, it’s a satisfying, feel-good read.

Each story was well drawn and developed well enough to make the reader care for the characters they’ll only know over the space of a few pages. Most of the stories are bitesize though we do get a longer one in A Christmas Feast. Each of them have such character that made them so enjoyable. Christmas Shopping was a sweet start to the collection, with a warm feel to the story that was actually my favourite of the whole collection. Run for Cover was quite witty and put an easy smile on my face. Love in the Afternoon had me craving food, badly and You’re the One was just really cute. The Undercover Cook was probably the only one I struggled to connect with instantly but throughout its longer length, I soon discovered the interesting characters and storyline which were developed well. In From Scotland with Love, I was completely charmed by Griselda, the dog, who was the star of the show and had the cutest story. Staying Away at Christmas was the short story that made me feel really festive with all its delightful little Christmassy touches and this was followed up by A Christmas Feast, which built up my festive spirit even more. A Christmas Feast was my close second favourite story. I loved the message it portrayed and it was an uplifting tale of reconnecting with family and making new friends. Pink Fizz and Macaroons had my mouth watering – full of cakes and cupcakes, mmm! The Holiday of a Marriage seemed to be about compromise and the need to inject some life into a marriage. Breakfast with Mr Gillyflower was another one of my favourites, featuring a garden so beautifully described by Katie I could see it grow right in front of my eyes. The final story, A Magazine Christmas, highlighted the importance of putting yourself first and feeling good about yourself.

There wasn’t a story I didn’t like in A Christmas Feast and I think this book is the best kind of relaxing read, one to sit back with and enjoy, chocolates and wine beside you maybe. Each story brings something a little different and though they are romantic, we see relationships between family and friends too which are all touchingly wrote by Katie. Sparkly and cheerful, A Christmas Feast is a book for everyone to enjoy and one that could be read year after year to bring a smile to your face.


A heart-warming collection of short stories - beautifully written and incredibly uplifting







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