Title: A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas
Author: Darcie Boleyn
Release Date: 7th November 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Canelo
Format: ebook
Rating: 4/5
Lucie Quigley hates Christmas. It’s the time of year when everything goes wrong in her life. So this year, when she’s asked to be a bridesmaid at her friend Petra’s Manhattan wedding, she jumps at the invitation to escape the festivities.
Dale Treharne has been best friends with Lucie for as long as he can remember. He’s used to looking out for his oldest friend and when she asks him to be her plus one, he can’t seem to find a reason to refuse. Instead, he sees it as a way to help Lucie get through what is, for her, the most miserable time of the year.
In New York, as the snow starts to fall, Lucie and Dale start to realise that their feelings run deeper than just friendship. But can they overcome their pasts, and make it a very merry Manhattan Christmas?
Dale Treharne has been best friends with Lucie for as long as he can remember. He’s used to looking out for his oldest friend and when she asks him to be her plus one, he can’t seem to find a reason to refuse. Instead, he sees it as a way to help Lucie get through what is, for her, the most miserable time of the year.
In New York, as the snow starts to fall, Lucie and Dale start to realise that their feelings run deeper than just friendship. But can they overcome their pasts, and make it a very merry Manhattan Christmas?
Today I'm delighted to be kicking off the blog tour for the lovely Darcie Boleyn and her new novel, A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas.
I'm a huge fan of Darcie's, especially last years festive book, Wish Upon A Christmas Cake, so couldn't wait to get stuck into this one as for me, Darcie's writing is at it's absolute best when she writes seasonally.
A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas tells the story of Lucie and Dale - life long best friends whom are hiding their true feelings from each other.
Dale has always been there for Lucie, she comes across as a bit of a scatter brain but has had quite a few troubled times in her past and Dale is her rock.
So when she is invited to Manhattan for an old university friends wedding, she ask's Dale to be her plus one, and knowing that Lucie would probably miss her flight if he didn't go, he accepts.
Can I just say right here... Dale.. oh Dale. Everyone needs a Dale this Christmas, I think he could be the book boyfriend of the year...
Anyway, back to it...
In the build up to the pair leaving for Petra's wedding, they have to confront Dale's parents - a force to be reckoned with by all accounts, however the blow is softened when Mrs Trehearne assumes that Dale is accompanying Lucie as they have finally got together.
Deciding to go along with the lie until after Christmas, both Lucie and Dale struggle to suppress their true feelings, but one lie turns to another and the pair not only end up having to share a very swanky Manhattan hotel room together, it is also presumed that they have gotten engaged too.
A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas has all the makings of a lovely dovey story, however the further you read, the deeper Lucie's history goes - I won't obviously tell you all the book's secrets as you really should read for yourself, but I really felt for Lucie with everything she had gone through and kept quite about.
On the other hand, I really wanted to bash her head together with Dale's as it was clear they were besotted with each other, and despite having a teenage fling and remaining friends, they didn't want to risk their friendship again.
Manhattan seems to be the hot spot location for many books this winter, and Darcie's is no exception. With her warm and witty writing style, teamed with some sensitive sub plots, made A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas a delight to read. It was a real page turner in the sense that one minute Lucie and Dale seem to give in to their feelings, the next they seem to back off.
The sub plots I mentioned, worked alongside nicely and I love the symbolic heart balloon on the cover which will all become clear as you read on.
Snow, horse and carriage rides, champagne adding to the Christmas cheer from Dale, makes this Christmas one for Lucie to enjoy and remember.
With thanks to Darcie, Canelo and Faye for providing a review copy and allowing me to participate in the tour.
About the Author
Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether the ending is happy or not. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. Her childhood dream was to become a Jedi but she hasn’t yet found suitable transport to take her to a galaxy far, far away. She also has reservations about how she’d look in a gold bikini, as she rather enjoys red wine, cheese and loves anything with ginger or cherries in it – especially chocolate. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.
