The Christmas Surprise - Jenny Colgan

I really enjoy Jenny Colgan's books. They're filled with sweet lead characters, a quirky supporting cast and always a lovely little village setting. Colgan writes a number of series. The Christmas Surprise is part of the Rosie Hopkins series. Note that this was released as Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop in Britain in 2013. This latest edition has a new cover and has been released as an e-book.

I happily settled in for the night with a pot of tea and a warm throw and lost myself in the village of Lipton. (For those not familiar with the series or characters, Colgan provides a lovely prologue, full of descriptions of players, relationships and what's gone on before. She's quite funny!)

Rosie and her fiance Stephen have the best of news - and the worst of news around Christmastime. The Christmas Surprise takes us through a year of life with this village and its inhabitants ending with the next Christmas. And in between, there are hopes, dreams, desires, missteps, miscommunications - and lots and lots of love.

Yes, some of the characters are cliched - but I enjoyed them all. And I would be quite happy, living in Lipton. I wish there were truly communities such as this that cared about each other. I love reading this type of tale - knowing there's a 'happy ever after' at the end. Warm, witty and oh so perfect for this time of the year. Read an excerpt of The Christmas Surprise.

I received this book from Harper Collins for review.