Product Description

Meet two women with two totally different approaches to the festive season. First there's Beth - it's only September and already she has performance anxiety. Not surprising when she has agreed to lay on the annual Christmas Eve village bash - the piece de resistance of her husband's former wife - not to mention having to host Christmas for his difficult offspring. New to this frenzied build-up to the festivities, Beth begins to lose sight of what it all means. To her the Christmas lights are looking more like the headlamps of an oncoming train. Then there's Carol, glamorous magazine editor, who put her aspirational Christmas issue to bed sometime in July and is so involved in finding a scoop to save her ailing magazine that she fails to notice the impending festive rush. Panicked and wracked with guilt, she determines to make it a picture perfect time for her little boy and, opting for convenience, books a lovely-sounding cottage in a quaint village. But even the best laid plans have a habit of unravelling - and no plan at all is a recipe for disaster. So when these two Christmasses collide, it looks like it's going to be anything but goodwill toward men...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #218586 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

WOMAN'S WEEKLY
'... lighthearted, witty story about family life.'

Review
'... lighthearted, witty story about family life.' (WOMAN'S WEEKLY )

'A curl-up-and-read-in-front-of-the-fire tale that has it all - jealousy, heartache and humour.' (THE SUN )

'A book you'll enjoy long after the last Christmas cracker has been pulled.' (CHOICE )

'a heart-warming and sparkly comedy - ideal for the time of year' (WOMAN'S OWN )

'Beginning to dread the run-up to Christmas? Then laugh yourself out of it with Beth and Carol, the main characters in the hilarious new novel from Annie Sanders about two very busy mothers and how their Christmases collide.' (BELLA )

'A funny festive read.' (HEAT )

'an effervescent comedy' (WESTERN DAILY PRESS )

CHOICE
'A book you'll enjoy long after the last Christmas cracker has been pulled.'

Customer Reviews

A must for every feisty woman's Christmas Stocking!
This book combines sparkling humour with a sensitive and realistic look at the ups and downs of family life at Christmas. With many witty asides and clever observations it is very entertaining yet captures the stresses, conflicts, guilts and hopes assailing the characters trying to create a perfect Christmas for those they love. There are the ghosts of Christmas past,the pressures of Christmas Present and a promise of happy Christmasses yet to be. Skilfully written and engaging as ever this book is ideal for the dull days of January, when the rush is over!

JUST WHAT I NEEDED
I've been reading a lot of crime/thrillers recently and decided to a bit of chick flit was in order.
I stumbled across this book in the library. The Xmas cover caught my eye, and seeing as it'll be Xmas in a few months i thought i'd give it a go.
I read the book in 2 days, i got hooked after a few pages. I enjoyed reading about 2 completely different women and the lives that they lived.
Personally my favourite charactor is Carol's son Tim... i love the way the author writes in the the way a bright 7 year old thinks. He really made me chuckle.
The only thing i would say is i agree with the other reviewer. I should've kept this and read it nearer the festive season. I would have enjoyed it just that little bit more!!!
I thoroughly recommend to all ...

A heart-warming read.
This is an easy to read book, but not predictable chick lit. It's a story took from different characters viewpoints, which I liked. The main charcters are Beth, who has stepped into her husbands, dead 1st wifes shoes, and Carol who is a successful magazine editor and single parent of an eight year old son.
The book tells us of Beth's problems trying to be perfect wife and stepmother of two grown up children, one of whom, Holly is very hostile to her.
Carol has just been landed with the job of pulling an ailing 'fuddy duddy' magazine out of the mire, cajoled from a more successful magazine. The book tells of the pressures she is under to deliver the goods and try and bring up her son and spend quality time with him.
I am often a bit put off by books written by two authors but not in the case of Annie Sanders, as I have read their previous books and enjoyed them very much.