Just For Christmas: The most heart-warming festive romance of 2018

by Scarlett Bailey

Her best friend’s wedding...

When Alex Munro learns that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone – and as far away from Edinburgh as possible.

Moving to a Cornish cottage, which comes complete with the world’s scruffiest dog, Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities.

Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan – and somehow Alex doesn’t want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost one fiancée, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again...

• ISBN10: 0091953545
• ISBN13: 9780091953546
• Publish Date: 7 November 2013
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 16 June 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Ebury Publishing
• Imprint: Ebury Press
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I was wondering through Asda last Christmas time and I saw this book and instantly knew I had to have it. The cover drew me in instantly with its snowy christmassy feel and after reading the blurb I put it in my trolley without a second thought.

Alex Munro has been in love with her best friend for as long as she can remember but when he tells her he's marrying his current girlfriend she decides to flee the country. Moving from Edinburgh to Cornwall is exactly what Alex needs, to move to a place where no one knows her and she can wallow all alone.

However when she moves in Alex finds she has the company of the scruffiest but most adorable dog who has decided her bed is in fact his bed.

Not long after she gets settled she meets the gorgeous Ruan. Ruan however is closed off. He lost someone long ago and vowed never to open his heart to that kind of pain ever again. However fate has a way of pushing these two together.

I adored this story and Scarlett is an excellent writer who is known for her christmas filled books. I can't wait to read another one or two this christmas.

[Leah]

I really love Scarlett Bailey’s novels. Every Christmas out comes a new Scarlett Bailey book and I’m always so excited to read it as she’s an excellent writer – and so she should be, since she’s Rowan Coleman! I was so excited to receive a copy of her newest novel Just For Christmas and the lure of the pretty cover, and promise of a dog sold me on the novel and I really enjoyed it.

Just For Christmas introduces us to Alex Munro, who in the opening chapters of the novel, has just rocked up in the Cornish town of Poldore, after two different events caused her to leave her home town in Scotland. In Poldore, she finds that she’s the first ever woman harbour master, much to the consternation of some of the villagers. She finds herself with a new dog companion, and a very sexy but filled-with-attitude neighbour in the shape of Ruan. She’s also invited to participate in the Christmas pageant and there’s only one thing Alex knows for sure – this is going to be a Christmas to remember, one way or another.

I really enjoyed Just For Christmas. The warmth that everyone in the town (or village? I don’t know…) shows Alex even though she’s a newbie is amazing! Also possibly overwhelming if you don’t like that sorta stuff, but it’s really sweet. I like towns like that where they’re friendly no matter what (well, unless you’re mean, obviously). Poldore sounded like a fantastic place to live, I’m not even joking, I just want to pack up and leave Tenerife for Cornwall. All the characters were so lovely and warm, I loved Alex immediately; she’s a tomboy after my own heart – it makes such a change to meet a character who doesn’t care how she looks. Ruan, despite his gruffness, was wonderful, too, I knew there was a soft centre in there somewhere and I wanted to go and live in his lighthouse. How cool would that be? To LIVE in a LIGHTHOUSE?!? Amazing.

Just For Christmas is the perfect Christmas read, and Scarlett Bailey has knocked it out of the park again. She’s such a talented storyteller, she manages to inject such warmth into her novels that you feel like you’re part of the book and I fell head over heels for Buoy. Any dog in any novel will always take my heart, but Buoy was super special, always looking out for Alex and coming to her rescue on more than one occasion. That’s a pretty darn special dog. Just For Christmas is wonderful, Scarlett/Rowan has done it again and it’s made me want to move to Cornwall and be part of life there because it just sounds like the most idyllic town ever, and I REALLY want to live in a lighthouse. That is my new dream.