Dumped on Christmas Eve by her long-term boyfriend, it's been a rough year for Zoe Lumsley. But then she gets an invitation she can’t refuse: an all expenses paid skiing holiday with old university friends.
The bad news: her ex, Grant, will be there with his new girlfriend. But so will her former flatmate Billy, the organiser, and in the meantime he’s done rather well for himself. As Christmas in the Alps approaches, it'll be great to see the old gang. Some more than others...
This is the story of Zoe, it's been almost a year since her boyfriend broke her heart and left her for another woman, she thinks that she has got over him when she receives an interesting invitation to spend Christmas with her old friends, including her ex... So the main question will be, has she really got over him or love between them will flourish again? I have to say that her ex doesn't have my sympathy since the first page, he broke up with her because he was already seeing another woman... So I don't think in this case love is enough to repair the relation, trust is not something easy to repair, is something really difficult to ignore... so I would always say no to infidelity, but is Zoe who will have to decide!
The story not only turns around Zoe's love life, but all the characters she is sharing the amazing week in Austria, everything is planned and payed, but all of them had their own problems and secrets that we will discover as we enter to the story and start loving this nice group of friends.
This had been a quick read, it has not been difficult being transported to the beautiful hotel they stay in Austria and enjoy some warm wine, I wouldn't spend all day skying like Zoe, but it was a joyful read, heartwarming and sweet. It makes the reader believe that even in the worst cases, happiness is near you if you are ready for it!
I have the luck to have a Guest Post from the Author, enjoy! ;)
T.A. (Trevor) Williams talks about his latest book, Dreaming of Christmas, and the thinking behind all the books in the Dreaming of… series.
The first point I should make is that the Dreaming of… books (Venice, Florence, St-Tropez, Christmas and, early next year, Tuscany) don’t constitute the sort of series where the characters are the same or that there is a progression. These are all stand-alone books and the characters are unconnected. As such, the books can be read in any order. So why the repetitive titles?
All of the books in this “series” have a number of things in common. The reader can be confident of finding certain similarities between them. These are:
A happy ending. There are so many horrible things going on in the world today and I believe it’s good to get away from them from time to time. My books are designed to provide a bolt-hole away from harsh reality, with its problems of a political, financial or person nature. The reader should be able to curl up with one of my books and lose herself (or himself) in a magical world where, whatever the hiccups along the way, they can be assured that it will all end happily for the main protagonists.
Magical locations. What I am trying to offer through my books is escapism. Very few of us (myself most definitely included) have the good fortune to be able to spend an all-expenses-paid holiday in a luxury hotel in the Austrian Alps. I seriously doubt whether many (or any) of my readers are the lucky owners of a multi-million pound villa overlooking the Mediterranean, or an exquisite seventeenth century mansion in Fiesole, looking out over the splendours of Florence below. That’s why I try to set my books in the sorts of places we all dream about, but rarely experience in the flesh.
A smile. My books are billed as Romantic Comedies and, as such, they are designed to make the reader smile or laugh from time to time. Zoë in Dreaming of Christmas, for example, falls head-first into a pile of snow, she spills wine on herself and the dog, and she quite literally kicks the bucket – in this case containing a wet mop. I would like my readers to reach the end of any of my books with a smile on their faces. There are two reasons for this. First, so as to provide welcome relief from worries as mentioned above, but also so that, having enjoyed this book, they immediately download some of the others. They’re happy, I’m happy - everybody wins.
A big black dog. Those of you familiar with my work will know I always like to include a black Labrador in my books. Apart from being my homage to dear old Merlin, the finest dog who ever lived, this is because dogs are fun. They provide great companionship and they make people laugh when they get in the way, steal food or just lie under the table and fart.
Tough heroines. Well, not tough in the muscular sense, but my girls aren’t shrinking violets. They each have a good brain and they aren’t afraid to use it. I present them with a load of challenges, but they don’t just fall apart and sit in a corner sobbing. They pull themselves together and get on with it. Hopefully the reader will associate with this sort of behaviour. We all have our problems, but giving up isn’t the answer.
So, in conclusion, you can be sure of finding all of the above in my books, but the very different storylines mean that each retains its own distinct identity. I hope you enjoy my work.
About The Author
Firstly, my name isn't T A. It's Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, "Dirty Minds" one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn't possibly comment. Ask my wife...
I've written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I'm enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.
I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.
I've been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she's right.
It’s the dream Christmas: snow, mountains… and, er, an ex-boyfriend. But can Zoe still find love in the Alps?