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kariniwonderland's review against another edition
3.0
It's never too early to read a Christmas story, and I really enjoyed this one. The cozy, Christmassy atmosphere, the (dating) drama, the quest for love, but most of all, the intergenerational (is that a word?) friendships. A very entertaining, magical read, and I wish I could see the gingerbread Christmas village for real.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
amicarlton's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance where the protagonist was a 60-something-year-old lady. And even more sure I haven’t read such a wide age gap in this direction. But this was so sweet and adorable. I enjoyed the story and think it would be a fantastic addition to your holiday reading! I’m always excited when I get new experiences in a book, and this was that. Even better when I enjoy it!! Though realizing 65 doesn’t seem as old as it once did is a little disconcerting.
If you love cozying up with those Hallmark movies where the little guy is fighting to win, this is the book for you. I always love small-town stories because the cast of characters is so lovely. I usually end up loving everyone with a few standouts. Fern is an absolute delight, as is Patrick! I really love how Fern brings the world of social media into focus for the older folks.
The story was a little slow in parts, but that mirrored the atmospheric small-town winter scenery. Life is slow in these places, not like the big city. And the author seamlessly weaved gentle humor into the dialogue and narrative in an absolutely beautiful way.
Who’s It For
This is for Hallmark, GAC, and all other Christmas movie lovers. It’s especially good if you love all the small-town David and Goliath-type stories.
If you love cozying up with those Hallmark movies where the little guy is fighting to win, this is the book for you. I always love small-town stories because the cast of characters is so lovely. I usually end up loving everyone with a few standouts. Fern is an absolute delight, as is Patrick! I really love how Fern brings the world of social media into focus for the older folks.
The story was a little slow in parts, but that mirrored the atmospheric small-town winter scenery. Life is slow in these places, not like the big city. And the author seamlessly weaved gentle humor into the dialogue and narrative in an absolutely beautiful way.
Who’s It For
This is for Hallmark, GAC, and all other Christmas movie lovers. It’s especially good if you love all the small-town David and Goliath-type stories.
darkfantasyreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I would like to thank Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. I really love the cover photo of this book. It is so cute and attractive.
The Gingerbread Christmas Village is a heartwarming and festive story that follows Margi, a sixty-four-year-old woman who has devoted her life to creating a magical gingerbread exhibit and grotto every Christmas in her small Cotswold village. But when the event faces closure and Margi decides to move away, she wonders if she has missed her chance at love and happiness. With the help of her friends, family, and a handsome school caretaker, Margi embarks on a journey of rediscovering her spark and her Christmas spirit.
I loved this book for its charming and cozy setting, its lovable and relatable characters, and its uplifting and romantic message. The author has a wonderful way of describing the gingerbread village and the grotto, making me feel like I was there with Margi and her team. The gingerbread creations were so imaginative and detailed, I could almost smell the spicy aroma and taste the sweet icing. The book also captured the essence of Christmas, with its themes of hope, joy, generosity, and community.
The characters were very realistic and engaging, each with their own personality and backstory. Margi was a delightful heroine, who showed that age is just a number and that it's never too late to follow your dreams and find your soulmate. I admired her passion, creativity, and resilience, as well as her vulnerability and self-doubt. Patrick was a perfect match for Margi, with his kindness, patience, and humor. He was supportive of Margi's goals and respectful of her boundaries. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Lucy, Fern, Izzy, and the adorable puppies.
The romance was sweet and slow-burning, with plenty of chemistry and banter between Margi and Patrick. I liked how they developed a friendship first, before realizing their deeper feelings for each other. They faced some challenges along the way, such as Margi's online dating disasters and Patrick's past heartbreak, but they overcame them with honesty and trust. The ending was satisfying and heart-melting, with a lovely surprise for Margi and a happy ever after for everyone.
The Gingerbread Christmas Village is a delightful and cozy read that will make you smile and warm your heart. It's perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Trisha Ashley, and Sarah Morgan. If you're looking for a book that will transport you to a festive wonderland and inspire you to embrace the magic of Christmas, then this is the book for you!
#TheGingerbreadChristmasVillage #NetGalley
The Gingerbread Christmas Village is a heartwarming and festive story that follows Margi, a sixty-four-year-old woman who has devoted her life to creating a magical gingerbread exhibit and grotto every Christmas in her small Cotswold village. But when the event faces closure and Margi decides to move away, she wonders if she has missed her chance at love and happiness. With the help of her friends, family, and a handsome school caretaker, Margi embarks on a journey of rediscovering her spark and her Christmas spirit.
I loved this book for its charming and cozy setting, its lovable and relatable characters, and its uplifting and romantic message. The author has a wonderful way of describing the gingerbread village and the grotto, making me feel like I was there with Margi and her team. The gingerbread creations were so imaginative and detailed, I could almost smell the spicy aroma and taste the sweet icing. The book also captured the essence of Christmas, with its themes of hope, joy, generosity, and community.
The characters were very realistic and engaging, each with their own personality and backstory. Margi was a delightful heroine, who showed that age is just a number and that it's never too late to follow your dreams and find your soulmate. I admired her passion, creativity, and resilience, as well as her vulnerability and self-doubt. Patrick was a perfect match for Margi, with his kindness, patience, and humor. He was supportive of Margi's goals and respectful of her boundaries. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Lucy, Fern, Izzy, and the adorable puppies.
The romance was sweet and slow-burning, with plenty of chemistry and banter between Margi and Patrick. I liked how they developed a friendship first, before realizing their deeper feelings for each other. They faced some challenges along the way, such as Margi's online dating disasters and Patrick's past heartbreak, but they overcame them with honesty and trust. The ending was satisfying and heart-melting, with a lovely surprise for Margi and a happy ever after for everyone.
The Gingerbread Christmas Village is a delightful and cozy read that will make you smile and warm your heart. It's perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Trisha Ashley, and Sarah Morgan. If you're looking for a book that will transport you to a festive wonderland and inspire you to embrace the magic of Christmas, then this is the book for you!
#TheGingerbreadChristmasVillage #NetGalley
kirstyreviewsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
The annual Wheaton gingerbread exhibit (a model village made of gingerbread) and grotto has been an important part of the sleepy Cotswold hamlet’s Christmas celebrations for decades. For years the gingerbread exhibition drew visitors from across the region and each year the model town grew more elaborate and ambitious but recently, interest has been dwindling. The gingerbread grotto needs to be rehomed or close forever. Sixty-four-year-old Margi, the event’s founder, has had enough of village life (and its total lack of eligible men) and is planning to sell up and head to Birmingham to live closer to her niece. She has lost her spark and her Christmas spirit and decides this will be her last gingerbread village, but despairs when she finds her only support is her old friend, Izzy, her niece Lucy from Birmingham, and Fern, the shy young farmer’s daughter. Oh, and Patrick, the gorgeous, reliable school caretaker. As if this wasn’t enough, Lucy is determined to get her out dating again and persuades her to try some online dating apps but Margi’s had her heart broken too many times and wonders if she has just missed her chance. Can they save the Gingerbread Grotto and can Margi get her old spark and her Christmas spirit back?
My Opinion
A new Christmas book from Kiley Dunbar? This was a must read for me, you can't go wrong with a Kiley Dunbar book. This is such a lovely festive book, a real hug in a book. This is going to be a great book to read over the upcoming festive season, ideally with a hot chocolate and gingerbread nearby.
With this book, Kiley has written a feel-good Christmas novel that shows how community can come together when it is most needed. Kiley has created some great characters and I really enjoyed the thought of the Gingerbread Village. If you are looking for something to get you into the festive spirit, then look no further.
Rating: 4/5
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
The annual Wheaton gingerbread exhibit (a model village made of gingerbread) and grotto has been an important part of the sleepy Cotswold hamlet’s Christmas celebrations for decades. For years the gingerbread exhibition drew visitors from across the region and each year the model town grew more elaborate and ambitious but recently, interest has been dwindling. The gingerbread grotto needs to be rehomed or close forever. Sixty-four-year-old Margi, the event’s founder, has had enough of village life (and its total lack of eligible men) and is planning to sell up and head to Birmingham to live closer to her niece. She has lost her spark and her Christmas spirit and decides this will be her last gingerbread village, but despairs when she finds her only support is her old friend, Izzy, her niece Lucy from Birmingham, and Fern, the shy young farmer’s daughter. Oh, and Patrick, the gorgeous, reliable school caretaker. As if this wasn’t enough, Lucy is determined to get her out dating again and persuades her to try some online dating apps but Margi’s had her heart broken too many times and wonders if she has just missed her chance. Can they save the Gingerbread Grotto and can Margi get her old spark and her Christmas spirit back?
My Opinion
A new Christmas book from Kiley Dunbar? This was a must read for me, you can't go wrong with a Kiley Dunbar book. This is such a lovely festive book, a real hug in a book. This is going to be a great book to read over the upcoming festive season, ideally with a hot chocolate and gingerbread nearby.
With this book, Kiley has written a feel-good Christmas novel that shows how community can come together when it is most needed. Kiley has created some great characters and I really enjoyed the thought of the Gingerbread Village. If you are looking for something to get you into the festive spirit, then look no further.
Rating: 4/5
kirst_y22's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jillottaway's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alexandriavwilliams's review against another edition
5.0
Who doesn’t love a book that gives you those warm, cozy, Christmas vibes?
melycp's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read so many festive romances now, and I can’t begin to tell you how refreshing it is to read one from an older woman’s perspective. These types of books are always about young or middle-aged characters, but The Gingerbread Christmas Village is about Margi, who is 65. Love and happiness aren’t just for younger people, and this book proves it.
I adore books set in small towns, especially festive ones, and what could possibly be more small town than the Cotswolds? The village sounded stunning, and the fact that Margi’s family has been creating a gingerbread version of the town for over 60 years is just too cute.
The concept of this book was wonderful. I really enjoyed all of the gingerbread talk, and the different types of relationships displayed were very interesting. It was quite a slow-moving story, and I did find myself checking how much time was left a few times, but once the ball got rolling, it was moving at a decent pace.
This isn’t really part of the review, but I loved how much Birmingham was mentioned. I haven’t lived there for quite some time now, but it’s still home in a way.
I liked that the stereotype of an age-gap relationship being between a younger woman and an older man was flipped. To be honest, Margi didn’t even come across as over 60; her narrative sounded quite young (don’t ask me to explain this; I’m not sure I could). Even though she went through quite a few hardships during the story, she stayed spirited and passionate. Well, mostly. I’m not going into detail here, though, as it’s a huge spoiler.
The cast of characters in The Gingerbread Christmas Village were an absolute delight. It was very funny to me that teenager Fern dressed and acted more like an old woman than Margi did; she was definitely my favourite. I also liked that certain pairings really brought some characters out of their shells. The characters were definitely the best part.
Overall, I enjoyed The Gingerbread Christmas Village. The story was a little all over the place, but the endearing characters more than made up for it. If you are looking for a festive romance with older main characters, I’d definitely recommend it.