The Christmas Invitation – Trisha Ashley – Blog tour​ post

My thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to review The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley – a sheer delight to read as always. If anyones feeling a bit meh about Christmas, gift them a copy of this, it will soon get them back on track.

Praise for Trisha Ashley
‘One of the best writers around!’

Katie Fforde

‘Full of down-to-earth humour’

Sophie Kinsella

‘A warm-hearted and comforting read. Trisha at her best’

Carole Matthews

A new Christmas novel from the Top Ten Sunday Times bestselling author – the perfect festive read!

Recovering after an illness Meg is far from in the Christmas mood, in fact she’s hardly aware it’s approaching at all. They didn’t celebrate it where she grew up and she’s never gone in for the tinsel, baubles and mistletoe of it all. But when the opportunity arises to spend the run up to Christmas in the snowy countryside, rather than dreary London, she can’t say she isn’t curious… although she’ll definitely leave before they bring out the turkey.

Tasked with painting two portraits in not very much time, Meg sets to work. Although it doesn’t take long for the magic in the air to begin to make her wonder what a proper family Christmas might be like.

But just as she’s beginning to settle in she spots a familiar face. Lex… more like a missile than a blast from the past. Despite the wonderful festive cheer, Meg suddenly wants nothing more than to get as far away from Lex and their past secrets as she can. But she can’t leave until she’s finished the portraits and discovered what really is so magical about Christmas…

Fabulously funny, intelligent and heart-warming, Trisha’s brand-new novel is the feel-good Christmas novel of the year. It even contains recipes!

Our Author :

Trisha Ashley’s Sunday Times bestselling novels have twice been shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance, and Every Woman for Herself was nominated by readers as one of the top three romantic novels of the last fifty years. Trisha lives in North Wales.

Trisha has a great back catalogue to chose from

Sowing Secrets, A Christmas Cracker, The Little Tea Shop of Lost and Found, A Leap of Faith, Good Husband Material, Wish upon a Star plus others

My Review:

I’ve been reading Trisha’s book for years now, they are not only heart warming, but have a kind of comforting feel about them. I also love Christmas and she is sure to get you in the festive mood with all the talk of decorations, Nordic Pine trees and baubles in The Christmas Invitation.

Meg Harkness has been recuperating at her ‘Grandfather’ – River’s Farm in Wales – its actually a commune with a fair few guests, who come and go as they please, including her own mother. And so her real family being the mish-mash that it is, she’s happy to accept that despite River not being her paternal Grandfather, that’s how she sees him.

Meg has been commissioned to paint the portraits of a husband and wife team, a poet Henry Doome and novelist Clare Mayhem-Doome – who both grew up in Starstone Edge and moved back after many years, Clara simply won’t take no for an answer and Meg is secconded to their home – Red House, within hours of the request being made.

There she meets a delightful ream of characters including Tottie, Sybil, Den and one she wishes she didn’t bump into again, Lex a one-time ‘friend’ from Art college, who happens to be Clara and Henry’s nephew.

As with Trisha’s other books we also encounter characters and places from her previous books, such as Marwood and a trip to the cracker factory featured in A Christmas Cracker. With 8 year old Teddy – Lex’s newphew – his sister Zelda’s son, who also lives at Red House.

Of course, Trisha Ashely has the most fantastic way of describing scenery and settings and using colours to describe the sunrise and this all fits in nicely with mentions of the Winter Solstice that Meg and River always celebrate rather than Christmas. However Meg decides to stay on at Red House and experience a real Christmas – and its not just presents that are unwrapped as family secrets unravel too.

A truly joyous tale with some historical notes regarding Clara’s choice of career in epigraphy thrown in which must have taken some researching along with the Greek art of potting too. Trisha Ashley never fails to evoke a Christmassy feel and show the importance of family and how even the simplest of gifts, homemade or even just a card, can be gratefully received.

Also, I can’t not mention how a receipe or two is always included in the back of the book which adds a thoughtful twist.

Should you wish to order The Christmas Invitation – please click the link https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Trisha-Ashley/The-Christmas-Invitation/24005443

@trishaashley @annecater @TransworldBooks #RandomThingsTours

For more information about her please visit www.trishaashley.com, her Facebook page www.facebook.com/TrishaAshleyBooks or follow her on Twitter @trishaashley