Title: Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper
Author: Debbie Johnson
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Publication Date: 5 November 2015
Twitter: @debbiemjohnson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/debbiejohnsonauthor
Blog/website: www.debbiejohnsonauthor.com
Rating: 4 out of 5
But this year, with both Ellen and Paddy away for the holidays, Maggie’s facing a truly blue Christmas – alone with nothing but a bottle of Baileys and an M&S turkey dinner.
Thanks to Debbie Johnson and HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper for review. I was hugely excited to receive this book as I am already a big fan of Debbie’s books!
If you read Debbie’s 2014 Christmas release, Cold Feet at Christmas, then you’ll recognise the surname Cavelli. Last year we met Rob Cavelli and this year it’s his brother Marco who takes a starring role.
Single mother Maggie first notices American Marco Cavelli whilst sitting in a local park. Her next encounter comes at her bridal shop. Finally, Maggie quite literally bumps into Marco when their bicycles collide, resulting in Marco suffering a nasty broken leg. Fate certainly seems to be pushing them together!
After visiting Marco in the hospital and meeting his brother, Rob, and heavily pregnant sister-in-law, Leah, Maggie finds herself agreeing to let Marco live with her and her teenage daughter, Ellen, whilst recovering from his injuries.
As the days pass, Maggie and Marco’s friendship starts to take root and they realise that their feelings for each other are quickly growing. This scares Maggie who, despite having a teenage daughter, is fairly innocent where men are concerned. It has always been just her and Ellen. Is she ready to let someone else join their cosy little family when she has previously resigned herself to a life without romance? Maggie knows that any romance has little chance of a future and resolves to keep her distance….
The characters are a delight. I could not help but love Maggie and root for her to find some happiness in her own life whilst seeing her teenage daughter get ready to fly the nest. I thought Marco was a great love interest for Maggie, combining worldliness, charm and good looks with a fun personality and a hugely generous and loving spirit. Could they make the perfect couple? I also enjoyed reading the scenes involving Maggie’s daughter, Ellen. She adds a real sense of humour to the story, with her quippy comments and teenage outlook on things.
The book was well paced and I seemed to fly through the pages. The plot was interesting and captured my imagination.
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper is a delightful festive read. The fun title and colourful cover cannot help but catch your eye and the story inside lives up to expectations. It is romantic, funny, adorable, touching and completely entertaining!
If you plan on reading Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper, I would suggest that you may also like to read the earlier book Cold Feet at Christmas. Whilst both books are standalone novels, they are equally as good and it’s nice to read both brother’s tales.
About the Author
Her first humorous contemporary romance, Cold Feet At Christmas, a seasonal tale of snow-bound fun, was released by HarperImpulse last year, and became an Amazon top ten best-seller. Her latest, Never Kiss A Man In A Christmas Jumper, is out now.
You can also find her supernatural crime thriller, Fear No Evil, featuring Liverpool PI Jayne McCartney, on Amazon, published by Maze/Avon Books.
Debbie also writes urban fantasy, set in modern day Liverpool. Dark Vision and the follow-up Dark Touch are published by Del Rey UK, and earned her the title ‘a Liverpudlian Charlaine Harris’ from The Guardian.
The Curious Ginger Cat 