"A delightful feel-good Christmas story of warm romance, enticing mystery, new friendships, and the importance of believing in self."
What a lovely read this is, it is full of the magic of Christmas, which sits beautifully alongside a romance and a mystery element from the past. Ginny’s life is turned upside down when her beloved cat dies, her relationship ends, and she has to sell her home which has become her sanctuary. As she heads to a creative artists retreat in North Wales with her mother who is desperate to unpick the history of a relative who spent time there, she discovers new friendships and a potential romance. Author Trisha Ashley has developed two stories in two timeframes. The mysterious side-story sits just after the First World War, and from the beginning you know that you will be entering a sad tale. The emotional depth of the past (dark times do feature) however is balanced with Christmas warmth and cheer in the present. The sense of place brings the retreat and surroundings to vivid colourful life. The festivities, from traditions and decorations, to food and drink, all help to settle time of year into every page of the present. The characters feel authentic and vary in terms of likability which makes things interesting. While at its heart a romance, there is much more to this tale, it features relationships of every type, including the importance of believing in self. Chosen as a Liz Pick of the Month, The Christmas Retreat is a wonderful festive treat for those looking for romance and an enticing story.
| Primary Genre | Romance / Relationship Stories |
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Don't miss Trisha's brand new festive romance, perfect to curl up with this Christmas time!
Ginny Spain usually loves Christmas. Not this year, though. After witnessing a traumatic accident and breaking up with her ex, she plans to spend it alone. But her formidable art historian mother, Evie, has other ideas.
Determined to drag her daughter out of isolation, Evie persuades Ginny to spend Christmas with her at an artist and writer's retreat at Triskelion, a remote old house in the tiny coastal village of Little Star.
But Evie's plans aren't without an ulterior motive - having discovered that her grandmother was an artist and spent time at Triskelion house, she wants to unlock the secrets surrounding her and Ginny's ancestor.
Rugged Rhys Tarn lives at Triskelion with his ten year old daughter, having lost his wife in mysterious and distressing circumstances - and Ginny is in for a shock when she discovers she and Rhys share an unexpected connection.
Between Winter Solstice and Twelfth Night, and with the help of Rhys, can Ginny unlock her past and make this Christmas her happiest one yet?
The Christmas Retreat features in the following genres: Audiobooks of the Month, Liz Robinson's Picks of the Month, Recommendations, Family Drama, Historical Fiction, Romance / Relationship Stories, Romantic suspense, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Modern and Contemporary romance, Romance: ‘western’, rural or ‘outback’, Romance / Relationship Stories, Christmas, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Festive Fiction
The Christmas Retreat is available in Paperback, Hardback, Audiobook
The Christmas Retreat was written by Trisha Ashley and published by Transworld Digital
