By: Anita Hughes
ISBN: 9781250145796
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Publication Date: 10/3/2017
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC) Set during London's most festive time of year and filled with delicious food Anita Hughes' Christmas in London is about love and friendship, and the season's most important lesson: learning how to ask for and give forgiveness. It’s a week before Christmas and Louisa Graham is working twelve hour shifts at a bakery on Manhattan's Lower East Side. When a young cooking show assistant comes in from the rain and begs to buy all the cinnamon rolls on her tray, she doesn’t know what to do. Louisa is just the baker, and they aren't hers to sell. But the show burned the rolls they were supposed to film that day; so she agrees.
The next morning, Louisa finds out that her cinnamon rolls were a hit, but the star of the show was allergic, and the whole crew is supposed to leave for London that afternoon. They want Louisa to step in for their annual Christmas Eve Dinner TV special at Claridge's. It’s a great opportunity, and Digby Bunting, Louisa’s famous baking idol, will be there. Even if he does seem more interested in her than her food.
And then there’s Kate, the show's beautiful producer. On their first day in London she runs into the skinny boy she jilted at St. Andrew's in Scotland ten years ago. Now he’s a handsome, brilliant mathematician, and newly divorced. Their familiar spark is still there, but so is the scar of how they left things. Kate and Louisa are busy preparing for the show, but old and new flames are complicating their work.
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. Review to follow.
Praise
"Hughes has romance readers’ mouths watering and hearts melting with this food-and holiday-themed novel. A quick read with a friendly, familiar tone, Hughes’ latest brings her characters to life with real-life heartbreak and the charm of London during the most magical time of year." ―Booklist
"Anita Hughes' charming characters and sweet romance transported me to London during the most festive time of year. Enjoy!" ―Brenda Novak, NewYork Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Heart of Christmas
"What's better than being home for the holidays? Christmas in London! In this romantic novel, Anita Hughes gifts readers with London landmarks, fabulous food, British history, Christmas shopping at Harrods, star-crossed characters and the best holiday present of all ― love." ―Viola Shipman, author of The Charm Bracelet and The Hope Chest
About the Author
Photo by Sheri Geoffreys
Anita Hughes was born in Sydney, Australia and had a charmed childhood that included petting koala bears, riding the waves on Bondi Beach, and putting an occasional shrimp on the barbie. Her writing career began at the age of eight, when she won a national writing contest in THE AUSTRALIAN newspaper, and was named "One of Australia's Next Best Writers." (She still has the newspaper clipping.)
She received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bard College, and attended UC Berkeley's Masters in Creative Writing program.
Her debut novel MONARCH BEACH was released in June 2012, followed by MARKET STREET and LAKE COMO in 2013. FRENCH COAST and ROME IN LOVE were released in 2015.
ISLAND IN THE SEA: A MAJORCA LOVE STORY and SANTORINI SUNSETS and her first holiday novel, CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, were released in 2016.
WHITE SAND, BLUE SEA: A ST BARTS LOVE STORY is coming on April 11th, 2017, followed by EMERALD COAST on August 1st, 2017 and CHRISTMAS IN LONDON on October 3rd, 2017.
She lives in Dana Point, CA with her family, where she interrupts her writing to watch the glorious sunsets. Read More
