Review of Christmas At Carrington's by Alexandra Brown

A deliciously indulgent read and the follow up to Cupcakes at Carrington’s. Set in Carrington’s Department Store this is perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan.

Georgie Hart loves Christmas time at Carrington’s Department store. Running the luxury handbag department, Georgie adores helping customers in the hunt for the perfect gift for the perfect someone. And this year is no exception – now she has the hunky Tom, Mr Carrington himself, to spend the special day with.

But when Tom springs a surprise, Georgie’s plans are thrown into chaos. Carrington’s is getting a fresh lease of life in a hot new reality TV show, featuring formidable retail guru, Kelly Cooper.

As the first show airs, Georgie is shown in a far from flattering light. Worse is to come when Kelly’s vile daughter appears to get her claws into Tom. Georgie fears this will be the worst Christmas ever, but Santa still has a little surprise for her stocking this year – she’ll just have to wait until Christmas to find out…

 

I was drawn in by the first book by Alexandra Brown, Cupcakes at Carrington's mainly because I love cupcakes but also for the story as well. The front cover of this book is amazing and so colourful, that it stands out and draws your attention to this great and loveable story.

 

 Having not read the first book in the series 'Cupcakes At Carrington's' I wondered if I had missed anything important but as soon as you start read the book, you can easily catch up with this amazing story.

Christmas At Carrington's revolves around Georgie Hart and her friends and family surround the department store she work at. Working in the women's department of Carrington's is a dream come true for Georgie, but having the handsome director Tom as your boyfriend is even better.

The story starts with eight weeks to go until Christmas and everything that happens leading up the Christmas Day, and what a lot can happen in the space of eight weeks. The first chapter starts with Georgie getting a stray cat that her boyfriend Tom found, after naming her Mr Cheeks I could help but fall in love with the cat. Though that maybe because I have two of my own already, but this story isn't  about Mr Cheeks but about Georgie.

As the story progresses on you meet two of Georgie's best friends Eddie and Sam. Eddie a living and breathing drama queen, who is there to make her feel better when she needs it and Sam who she has know for over fifteen years and works in the shop 'Cupcakes At Carrington's' in the Carrington's department store.

Georgie's has the perfect life until the day that Kelly Cooper Come Instore decides to film her new series in Carrington's and that is when everything starts to fall apart. Zara an old flame of Georgie's boyfriend Tom, comes back on the scene and pushes her way back into his life, all the while throwing Georgie to the side.

Though even with all the changes that is being made, maybe some of the changes are good. Having more opportunities to make something for herself, Georgie wonders whether maybe this is good for her. Though when things start to get even more complicated, Georgie cant help but wonder what is happening to her friends but also the her beloved department store.

So, it comes as no surprise when Georgie set out to find out the truth once and for all, but will she like the answers she gets. Can Georgie get her happily ever after and have the perfect Christmas after all. This book will put you in the Christmas mood, with it Christmas theme, happiness spreading and a lovely story about a department store with a difference, it will put a smile on your face.

If I had to sum this book up in three words, they would be Christmassy, Amazing and Joyful.

If you love Lindsay Kelk and Miranda Dickinson, then you will love this second book from Alexandra Brown.

      Format - E-book      

Source - Netgalley

Release Date - 5th December 2013

Publisher - Harper Collins

 

The rating I would give this book is:-

 

Alexandra grew up in Brighton and left school at sixteen to run away to London with dreams of being a writer. On realising that she needed a proper job too, she went to work in an office.

Throughout her twenty-year corporate career, she survived many dull meetings by writing a scene or two, until she could bear it no longer and collapsed in a heap and begged her husband to support her while she lounged on a chaise and waited for the muse to arrive. He's now living in hope that she'll become rich and famous so he can retire to sun himself by an infinity pool somewhere exotic.

After escaping office life, Alexandra won a competition run by The London Paper to write the weekly City Girl column, an expose of working life in the City of London. She wrote the column for two years before giving it up to concentrate on her first novel.

Alexandra lives near Brighton with her husband, daughter and two very shiny black Labradors.

 

Another day, another book,