Book review: Christmas under a starlit sky

6/10 for Christmas Under a Starlit Sky by Holly Martin

Step inside a beautiful winter wonderland where love, laughter and cosy nights by the fire will make this Christmas one to remember.  
Neve Whitaker loves managing the Stardust Lake hotel. She gets to work alongside her wonderful family and she’s spending Christmas on the most enchanting, snow-covered island in Scotland. So why is her heart so heavy this festive season?  
It might have something to do with the gorgeous actor Oakley Rey, the man she finished with before he left for California and the man she loves more than anything. With Oakley’s career in Hollywood soaring, Neve is convinced she’d only hold him back. She had to end it with him – at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.  
But now she has a secret she’s struggling to keep, and when Oakley arrives on Juniper Island determined to win her back, Neve is thrown off balance. Will Neve’s fear of having her heart broken again push Oakley away for good, or is it time for her to take a leap of faith?  
Get swept away by this deliciously sweet and heartwarming tale, and spend an unforgettable Christmas on Juniper Island. 
Source: Goodreads 
 
 

Waheeey! Second part of the Juniper Island tour! Welcome back everyone!


Christmas under a starlit sky is the 2nd book in the series of A Town Called Christmas.
In book 1 we followed Pip and Gabe as they tried to rekindle their friendship and relationship (review here) and got a little glimpse of what was to come.

This time around we follow Gabe's sister, Neve, as she gets a surprise visit from her (ex-)boyfriend. The man she is utterly in love with. Oakley Rey, an American superstar, who flew to a tiny English island to fight for the woman he loves.
Neve and Oakley struggle when past, present and future don't seem to line up for them and their differences threaten to tear them apart rather than get them back together. They start to wonder if loving someone can truly be enough.

Next to Oakley and Neve, there's another blooming love affair in the village (seriously, maybe I should move there!). I'm pleased to introduce you to my favourites from the second book: Adam and Ivy. They are both lost and hiding their hearts. Pretending they are fine while burying themselves in their work.
Their passionate love story steams up any window in the village but can that be enough?
It seems that the men are all in way over their heads down there.

*

Love, passion, lust and relationships are some of Holly's greatest strenghts and this one is no exception. Reading about the blooming love, intense heat and cute fluff was an absolute pleasure as usual. And yet, this story failed to enchant me.
Humour is another one of Holly's best writing skills and one I enjoy thoroughly. It is what I missed a lot in this one. I missed giggling girlishly or bursting out in laughter at the unexpected twist.

Instead I was given a truck load of drama. Don't get me wrong, I love myself a bit of drama. But not so much so that it becomes predictable. I got frustrated at Oakley for always wanting to talk but never letting Neve speak. I got annoyed when the gazillionth thing went wrong and everyone overreacted. Everyone was talking and jumping to conclusions, but no one really listened (almost like real life!)
It had turned a little too much into a soap opera rather than a novel.
And I'd be able to forgive it if in the end all that tension got lifted with some laughs. But every time something got resolved, the next thing to go wrong was already lining up to happen. ARGH!

I absolutely love Holly and her stories but this didn't do it for me.
It was cute and a lot of things were 'awe worthy'. I adored spending more time in the quaint village of Christmas but this time there was too much going wrong. Having said that, my bags are still packed and ready to go live there!

I can't wait for what else Holly has up her sleeve and am eagerly anticipating her next story. They're always a little bundle of joy!




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