Book Review: A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas.

Best friends falling in love with each other is one of my favourite plot lines so I knew I had to read Darcie Boleyn’s latest book, A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas, which is about just that.

For Lucie Quigley Christmas is not a time of “good tidings” or “good cheer”, with good reason as it turns out, but she knows there is only one person who can make a festive wedding in New York bearable, her best friend Dale Treharne.

Lucie is good at getting into trouble without any effort and Dale is very good at rescuing her.

Here’s what it’s about:

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?

I didn’t immediately warm to Lucie’s personality but there was something about her that kept me reading – and I’m glad I did because it becomes clear that there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. I’m sure there is a life lesson there.

Dale on the other hand was a hit from the start. Darcie Boleyn, a new author to me, has clearly mastered the fine art of creating a believable, loveable hero, not to mention a good supporting cast, including the beautifully named Arianwen.

And then there is New York. According to one bio “Darcie fell in love in New York” and “got married in the snow”. That special connection she clearly has shines through in her writing.

Add in a massive mix-up that keeps snowballing (see what I did there?) and you have a fun, enjoyable festive read.

Format: Kindle (out today).

Price: £1.99.

My Rating: Four stars.

Thank you to Canelo for the ARC (via NetGalley) in return for my honest opinion.