Synopsis
Any wish can be granted with a little bit of Christmas magic …
As a wedding planner at Carrick Park Hotel Ailsa McCormack has devoted herself to making sure couples get their perfect day, but just occasionally that comes at a price – in this case, organising a Christmas Day wedding at the expense of her own Christmas.
Not that Ailsa minds. There’s something very special about Carrick Park during the festive season and she’s always been fascinated by the past occupants of the place; particularly the beautiful and tragic Ella Carrick, whose striking portrait still hangs at the top of the stairs.
And then an encounter with a tall, handsome and strangely familiar man in the drawing room on Christmas Eve sets off a chain of events that transforms Ailsa’s lonely Christmas into a far more magical occasion than she could have ever imagined …
Book 4 in The Rossetti Mysteries, Book 1 – Some Veil Did Fall. Book 2 – The Girl in the Painting Book 3 – The Girl in the Photograph
Kirsty Ferry
Kirsty Ferry is from the North East of England and lives there with her husband and son. She won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 and has had articles and short stories published in Peoples Friend, The Weekly News, It’s Fate, Vintage Script, Ghost Voices and First Edition. Her work also appears in several anthologies, incorporating such diverse themes as vampires, crime, angels and more.
Kirsty loves writing ghostly mysteries and interweaving fact and fiction. The research is almost as much fun as writing the book itself, and if she can add a wonderful setting and a dollop of history, that’s even better.
Her day job involves sharing a building with an eclectic collection of ghosts, which can often prove rather interesting.
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See all of Kirsty’s novels here …
Boekenfans reading panel
By Kim Wymeersch
Ailsa works as a weddingplanner and helps other couples to have their dreamday. This year she has a wedding on Christmas. The evening before the wedding she gives herself some time to dream. Carrick Park Hotel, where the wedding will happen, has a magical sphere for her. Out of nowhere, Ned appears. They have an amazing evening together. Ailsa tells him about her dream to meet Ella Carrick. When her dream comes true she lives a magical adventure. The way Kirsty Ferry writes is wonderful. I also read ‘Watch for me by moonlight’ which I really liked but I even love this one more. The magic in this story blows you away completely. It’s such a lovely story. Normally I’m not a big fan of open endings but I really loved this one. This open ending isn’t really open. It’s open enough to let you dream but not too much. I can’t wait to read more from Kirsty Ferry.
By Just Jessica
As a wedding planner at Carrick Park Hotel Ailsa McCormack has devoted herself to making sure couples get their perfect day, but just occasionally that comes at a price – in this case, organising a Christmas Day wedding at the expense of her own Christmas. Not that Ailsa minds. There’s something very special about Carrick Park during the festive season and she’s always been fascinated by the past occupants of the place; particularly the beautiful and tragic Ella Carrick, whose striking portrait still hangs at the top of the stairs. And then an encounter with a tall, handsome and strangely familiar man in the drawing room on Christmas Eve sets off a chain of events that transforms Ailsa’s lonely Christmas into a far more magical occasion than she could have ever imagined …’ A beautiful short story about love, soulmates, friendship, a touch of magic and some tragedy. After some research I found out that this story was the 4th of a serie. (The Rossetti Mysteries) I haven’t read the first three, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Beautiful setting, perfect timescene, after all it’s Christmas and truly lovely characters. I love the mysterious Ned, still thinking he’s some kind of angel but you’ll have to find out yourself off course. If you love christmas, lovestories, romance, timetravelling, costumes and novella’s, then this is the right story for you. I’m planning to read the three other stories as well. Thank you Choc lit and Boekenfans for this opportunity
By Tiziana Langone
What a better period to read a Christmas story? I was looking forward to read this story, but sometimes my thoughts were ‘ a little bit more magic would have been better’.
It’s not that I didn’t like the story, because I did. But I missed a connection with the main characters. You get to know them, but in my opinion only superficially. Ailsa and Ned meet each other and immediately there is a mutual interest. And how Ned is described, who wouldn’t be interested? But looks aren’t everything in the world and I really would have liked to know him better. Out of the blue he seems to be a time traveller and he takes Ailsa with him to meet the past owners of the Carrick Park Hotel, who died in tragic circumstances.
And only after the time travelling part, I was able to enjoy the story. Here did the writer a great job in dragging you back in the years and make you imagine how wonderful it would be to actual be there. After that I was intrigued into the story and kept reading it until the story was over.
It was a rough start to begin with, but after hanging on a little while, the story gets better and better. Even if I missed the initial connection with Ailsa and Ned, it was an enjoyable story to read and in the end I was hoping to read more adventures about their time travelling together.
by Patsi Dermarsin
I have read this one. Another special story. Do not expect a synopsis because I refuse to write one. Just let me say this… It started a little slow and I wondered where it would go… But… Oh wow… I loved it! It was beautiful. The fact again that past and present becoming together in a most peculiar way… Marvelous! And the ending…. I seen it coming but stil… I cried… Anyway… I am a fan of Kirsty
by Lie Frooninckx
Ailsa McCormack, wedding coordinator, has a job planned in the Carrick Park Hotel on Christmas Day. To make sure everything is fine, she’s working late this evening and she’ll have an early start in the morning. So she’ll stay overnight at the Hotel. To relax before bedtime, she wanders into the Drawing Room, where the wedding will be held and bumps into Ned, a handsome stranger. They share a glass of wine and talk about the history of Carrick Park Hotel. Ailsa tells Ned that she would love to meet Ella, the Lady of the house, and her husband Adam, who diappeared in 1865 and was never heard of again. Next morning, Ailsa wakes up in a different era, seems to be married to Ned and it’s Christmas Eve 1865……
Beautiful Christmas Story !!
Ailsa McCormack, the wedding co-ordinator for the Carrick Park Hotel has always had a fascination with the history of the old house. In particular, the mystery of Adam and Ella Carrick’s sudden disappearance in 1865, documented in a book by journalist Becky Nelson. This year a couple have booked to tie the knot on Christmas Day and night before the wedding, Ailsa encounters Ed Cavendish in the drawing room of the hotel. He’s strangely familiar and soon they’re talking about ghosts and Adam and Ella. Ailsa realises he must be one of the wedding guests. Or is he? It’s nearly Christmas and there’s certainly magic in the air…
This is a lovely Christmas story which includes characters from her Rosetti Mysteries. If you are looking for a read which will definitely give you a festive feel good factor then A Little Bit of Christmas Magic ticks all the boxes.
Ailsa is stuck working a wedding on Christmas Day at Carrick Park. Ailsa loves home turned hotel and wonders what Christmas would have been like for a Christmas past. Little does she know that is she is about to meet the love of her life who might be able to make that a reality and more.
I enjoyed this novel very much – it had romance, mystery, and a bit of mystical in it.
I wasn’t supposed to enjoy this, I don’t read time slip stories but I am so glad I didn’t miss this one!
Despite it being a short story, it dosen’t miss anything out. Ailsa is a wedding planner in a beautiful stately home with history that she has totally embraced. Having to stay over for a Christmas wedding, exciting times are about to happen for her …
I very soon became caught up in the story and could totally envisage the scene that was set. I was also in suspense at times as Ailsa so wanted to put things right for everyone but should she meddle in history …
A really enjoyable, very clever read which has certainly opened up a new genre and author for me.