Christmas In London by Anita Hughes | Book Review

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

“Reading Christmas in London you’ll feel magically transported!" — Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of A Lowcountry Christmas

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.

What Did I Think Of Christmas In London by Anita Hughes?

When I think of the books I’ve read by Anita Hughes (three this year, FYI) one word comes straight to mind: escapism. Christmas In London is another escapist romp from Hughes and really has me wishing I was in a different income bracket. The experiences described in this book are exquisite but also made me feel slightly broke. Still, sometimes it’s nice to read a book and just let your mind wander to the luxurious lives other people live.

Christmas In London is a story that follows two young women – Louisa and Kate. Louisa is a baker in New York City who dreams of opening her own dessert focused restaurant someday. When an emergency forces production assistant Noah into the bakery Louisa is working the closing shift in, fate happens. You see, Louisa sells Noah the last of her cinnamon rolls and they end up allowing for Louisa to be a substitute star for a cooking show called Christmas At Claridge’s while the actual star, Bianca is out on medical emergency. This is a massive opportunity for Louisa.

Meanwhile, the other star is Kate. Kate is the producer of the show and being back in London ends up reuniting her with an old school friend, Trevor. You see, Kate went to St. Andrews for college. She ends up reconnecting with Trevor and there are sparks. We also get the backstory of what happened between Kate and Trevor in the past.

I’ll be honest and say that I did not entirely connect with these characters. This isn’t about to make my top reads list. However, I loved all of the food descriptions. This book made me so hungry and made me want to skip working out and go straight to dessert. Plus, the descriptions of London shopping and the Claridge hotel came across as so elegant and completely out of my price range, but also, really fascinating.

On A Scale Of One To Buddy The Elf, How Much Christmas Spirit Does This Book Have?

I think that this book had much more spirit than the previous one I read by Hughes, Christmas At The Chalet. The descriptions of the setting and the sightseeing really put me in a holiday vacation mood while reading. There’s also parts where there is Christmas shopping too. So, on the whole, a somewhat spirited book. Good to read on your holiday cruise, or if you’re like me, during the commercials of whatever Hallmark movie you are watching.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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