Synopsis
A Christmas to remember
Lori France and her four-year-old niece Misty are settling in to spend the holidays in Wales after unexpected events leave them without a place to stay.
Best-selling author Andrew Vitruvius knows that any publicity is good publicity. His agent tells him that often, so it must be true. In the run-up to Christmas, she excels herself – talking him into the craziest scheme yet: getting himself kidnapped, live on TV.
Little do they know they’re about to make a discovery and experience a Christmas they’re not likely to forget …
Evonne Wareham
Evonne Wareham was born in South Wales and spent her childhood there. After university she migrated to London, where she worked in local government, scribbled novels in her spare time and went to the theatre a lot. Now she’s back in Wales, living by the sea, writing and studying a PHD in history. She still loves the theatre, likes staying in hotels and enjoys the company of other authors through her membership of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Evonne’s debut novel, Never Coming Home won the 2012 Joan Hessayon New Writers’ Award, the 2013 Colorado Romance Writers’ Award for Romantic Suspense, the Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award for Romantic Suspense plus was a nominee for a Reviewers’ Choice Award from RT Book Reviews.
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Well what can I say thoroughly enjoyed this book in so much that I read it in 5 hrs in the bath with a bottle of wine, I got the book from a little pop up Library in outwood in Wakefield West Yorkshire , will be getting the rest of evonne wareham’s books has I want to see how kaz & Devlin met , but I totally fell in love with drew & Lori , I wouldn’t normally read this type of book has I read Patricia Cromwell but I’m gonna say it totally loved this book think I’m Converted do that note I will be ordering the other books by evonne hareham anyone that gets this book it is awesome xx
Boekenfans panel
Written by Kim Wymeersch
What happens at Christmas is a beautiful, romantic story. Together with Drew and Lori you discover what love can be like. Evonne creates a perfect recognisable setting, you immediately feel a connection with the main characters. The fact that Drew is an author makes it even easier for me to connect. Lori’s thoughts are so similar to mine that it becomes creepy at some moments. While reading ‘What happens at Christmas’ you are constantly thinking. Is this a romantic story or is it drama or even thriller. It’s obvious that I really like Lori and Drew but another lovely character is Misty. I really adore her. I really enjoyed reading this book. Evonne really did an amazing job in creating a beautiful story. I’m definitely going to follow her to be able to read other things from her. This might seem like a short review. That’s not because I’m not convinced. No, it’s because I really love every aspect of the story and don’t want to spoil too much. This is a book that you should read to understand the feeling that I just experienced.
Written by Just Jessica
It’s going to be a Christmas to remember Lori France and her four-year-old niece Misty are settling in to spend the holidays away after unexpected events leave them without a place to stay. Best-selling author Andrew Vitruvius knows that any publicity is good publicity. His agent tells him that often, so it must be true. In the run-up to Christmas, she excels herself – talking him into the craziest scheme yet: getting himself kidnapped, live on TV. Little do they know they’re about to make a discovery and experience a Christmas they’re not likely to forget … Truly a nice story! Easy to read, lovely, and with a little bit of ‘tension’ in it. Not so romantic as I usually read from choc lite. Although the whole Christmas part in it was romance all over. First I felt sorry for Lori, what her sister did to her and her own little girl… brrr, it gave me the shivers. I’m glad everything worked out for Misty and Lori in the end. They both deserved it! Misty found herself a warm home with her dad and Lori found Andrew. I loved (An)Drew, a good and successful writer with a sad history. Getting himself kidnapped was maybe the best thing that could happen in his life…
By Tiziana Langone
More than just a lovestory… When I received the opportunity to read this book, I thought that only the first few chapters would be about the kidnapping and the rest of the book would be about Drew falling in love with Lori and visa versa, coping with the necessary struggles. So I started, ready for some good portion of love, and got myself dragged in suspence. Writer Drew Vitruvius agrees to be ‘kidnapped’ for a show, but little does he realise that his kidnapping will end up by being a real one… Being held captive with no chances to escape, he can barely believe it when Lori and her little niece Misty pass by the hut and come to the rescue. I really like the way the story was written and drags you into it. You never want to stop reading, because there are so many questions: who was behind the real kidnapping of Drew? Will Lori and Misty will be in danger after helping Drew? Will Lori and Drew find each other again, even if all hope seems to be lost? So many questions, and only half a book to find out, as the first half is all about how Drew is left to survive alone in the hut and after his rescue being snowed in with Lori and Misty at the place Lori is staying. The good thing about this book is that after Drew is save again, we don’t get a quickly written happily ever after ending. But the writer took her time to leave us hanging a little bit more, as both main characters try to go on with their lives, but (lucky for us!) fail at forgetting each other. And even the kidnapping-story gets a twist you didn’t expect! So a big ‘well done’ from me for the writer for keeping me attached to the story!
By Lie Frooninckx
No ordinary Christmas story but an exciting one with a kidnapping and romance between the two main characters Drew and Lori. Andrew – Drew – a writer of action-stories is kidnapped a few days before Christmas. It was meant as a joke, but it soon turns out to be deadly serious. He is locked up in a barn, stuck to the wall with an iron chain and has only a thin blanket as protection against the cold. Having nothing better to do, he wonders who wants him dead because no one comes to rescue him. Meanwhile Lori has other problems. During the Christmas holidays her house will be renovated and so she rents a house for a week, a kind of B&B. Unexpectedly her sister comes by, drops her 4-year-old daughter Misty and leaves for a vacation with her friend on the Seychelles. Because Lori can’t go, with a cat and a child, to the B&B, she is as good as homeless. One of the workers, however, owns a chalet, belonging to his demented grandmother, suggests that Lori moves in there for a week. On one of their walks Lori and Misty find Drew in the deserted barn, free him and take him to their chalet. Drew wants to return home as soon as possible, but a snowstorm decides otherwise . …… Excitement and Romance….ideal combination in a Christmas story. Loved it !!
by Melody Weemaels
With the holidays coming I always go in search of some light and fluffy lecture, when I came across “What happens at Christmas” I tought I found it. I mean, look at that cover! Gorgeous isn’t it? Well I can tell you that this is not a light and fluffy story. The main characters meet in quite a dire situation and the story trends to get a little dark from time to time. Christmas and the whole christmassy atmosphere that i was expecting, based on the title and cover got a bit sidetracked. It’s not really a part of the tale as much as i would have liked it to be. That being said, i did enjoy the story. It was well written and it kept me reading when i should have been sleeping instead. It tells the stories of the main characters side by side in short chapters, so you go trough it really fast because it’s an “i’ll auickly read one more chapter” kinda book. It has some suspense and mysterie going on and i might dare say even a little plot twist! I did find the last chapters to be quite sappy as i got the feeling the author wanted to quickly add some romance to the mix before the story ended. But it did’nt bother me as much. So all in all this really was an enjoyable read. It’s like the author herself wrote in the acknolegements , a book you read with your feet up while Enjoying a Nice cup of tea.
A delightfully fun read for Christmas! This was a very engaging story with great characters. I loved Lori and Drew and spent a good portion of the book hoping they would find each other again! Highly recommend!
I loved this story! The characters were unusual, especially the leading character who was an action man famous author. What could he possibly have in common with an ordinary woman who had to spend Christmas looking after her niece? As it turns out – plenty! The story was totally engaging and kept you interested with some unexpected twists and turns. Wonderful characters who you wanted to learn more about and see what would happen to them. A perfect read for a cold winter evening.
This was a cracker – I really enjoyed it. The story is about Lori who is an aspiring author, and is bamboozled into caring for her small niece over Christmas. Drew is already an author, writing dare devil type stories for which he does his own physically demanding research. However, his latest escapade goes dramatically adrift – someone intends a fake kidnapping to actually be very real, with the hopeful outcome being Drew’s demise.
I liked all the people I was supposed to like, and thoroughly disliked Lori’s sister as I was intended. I did have my own ideas as to who had rigged Drew’s kidnap, but thought I was wrong for a while. It was gratifying to be right in the end! I have no hesitation in recommending this novel to anybody, it took no reading at all – I had to keep going till it was very satisfactorily finished – another late night/early morning then!
If you are going to buy just one Christmas book, I thoroughly recommend What Happens at Christmas is the one to choose. A mystery and a love story, Evonne Wareham’s latest book is a delightfully absorbing read. No need to limit this just for Christmas as the plot occurs over twelve months. A tremendous read whether summer or winter.
A very fluently written book that keeps your attention from the beginning until the end. A story full of emotions : tears, smiles, love, jalousy, hate and to give it some extra pizzazz, a touch of suspense. Curl up in your favourite chair with your favourite drink and something to nibble on and enjoy it or if you are looking for a good gift to put under the christmas tree, you have now found it.
Drew Vitruvius is a best-selling writer of action novels. To make his writing as authentic as possible he turns himself into a Bear Grylls type character, acting out the hero’s part during dangerous scenes. When his agent asks him to join a selection of celebrities who are willing to ‘kidnapped’ and ransomed back for charity he has misgivings but eventually accepts. But the fictitious kidnap goes wrong and he finds himself chained in a shed in the middle of a wood.
Wannabe author Lori France’s house is a building site after recent flood damage. Plans to work her way around spending Christmas in the upheaval are thrown into chaos, when her selfish movie star sister Skylark dumps small daughter Misti on her in order to jet of with her latest boyfriend. Luckily she’s thrown a lifeline by one of the builders: a stay in his grandmother’s empty barn conversion in the Brecon Beacons. It’s on a walk in the woods one afternoon that Lori and Misti come across a shed containing a dishevelled stranger.
I absolutely loved this story. The romance between Drew and Lori developed at a good pace through the book. There were a lot of teasing moments but it was great when they eventually got together. Then there was drama. Drew’s celebrity kidnap had gone wrong. Who wanted him dead? Christmas at the barn conversion was quite magical. Misti was really cute. She didn’t annoy as some child characters often do – as Drew commented ‘4 going on 40’! After the highs of course there had to be lows, when Drew left Lori determined to find out who wanted him killed. Do they eventually find each other again? Well you need to read the book to find out. I really enjoyed the whole journey Evonne Wareham took me on – it’s worth every one of the five stars I’ve given it.