Review: Lizzie’s Christmas Escape @Bookouture @ChristieBarlow

Title: Lizzie’s Christmas Escape
Author: Christie Barlow
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub. Date: 9/14/2016

Series: None
Genre: Romance; Holiday

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A gorgeous country house hotel, a liberal dusting of snow, a cosy weekend away…what more could Lizzie ask for at Christmas?

Every Christmas Lizzie promises herself that things will change and she will leap into the new year a new woman. And yet here she is again, at the beginning of December and nothing is different. Her girls have grown up and left home, her husband Henry is slumped in front of the TV and she is alone in the kitchen, seeking refuge in the cooking sherry and talking to her Gary Barlow calendar. She’s also been very diverted by handsome new neighbour Marcus and she knows she shouldn’t be …

So when best friend Ann suggests a weekend away in the country, Lizzie jumps at the chance. Will this Christmas escape give Lizzie some much needed perspective and allow her to mend her marriage? Or will Marcus prove to be too much of a distraction?

A funny feel good festive read about rediscovering the magic of Christmas – just the thing to curl up with on a cold winters night.

My Review:  4.5/5

It seems like I have been reading nothing but suspense and thrillers, which I love, but as I browsed through my TBR list, I realized I needed something light.  Since Christmas is right around the corner, and I’ve had this book waiting for me on my Netgalley shelf, I thought it would be the perfect book to read.  I was right!  What a great book to get me in the holiday spirit!

First of all, I have to say how much I loved the characters in this book.  Lizzie, the main character, is a little older than me (mid-40s) and is going through a little bit of empty nest syndrome.  Her daughters are grown and are attending college.  She is married to Harry (another character that grew on me) and they have hit a slump.

Then there’s Ann, Lizzie’s best friend since college.  I absolutely love Ann!  She is the type of character that I can picture being friends with in real life.  Her friendship to Lizzie is pure.  She’s fun and loyal, but most of all honest.  Even though the book focuses on Lizzie, there are times when the focus turns to Ann as she deals with tragedy of her own.  My heart just broke for her.

OK, now to the story.  We meet Lizzie as she is struggling with her marriage.  She and Harry have been married for over 20 years and everything has become routine.  It made me laugh and almost cry at the same time when Lizzie could predict exactly what Harry would do when he walked through the door from work.  Soon we are introduced to Marcus, the 30-something extremely attractive and charming new neighbor.  Lizzie instantly feels an attraction to him and struggles with the feelings that are starting to form.

When I first started reading this book I was torn.  Did I like the way Lizzie was coming on to Marcus, or the way she was reciprocating his advances?  No, I didn’t.  In fact, I was becoming very angry with Lizzie and wished she would just open her mouth and discuss her issues and how she felt with her husband, Harry!  However, here is where my admiration for Ann comes in.  She was a true friend to Lizzie and stood by her, but she was also brutally honest with her opinions.

I don’t want to give anything else away.  However, I was very pleased with the way it all came together.  All in all, this book warmed my heart and was the absolute PERFECT holiday read for me!  I have found another author that I love and will definitely check out all of Christie’s books.

***Thank you very much to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.