Bluebell’s Christmas Magic
by Marie Laval
A gorgeous new Christmas story from the author of best selling novel Little Pink Taxi
A flick of a feather duster and a sprinkle of Christmas magic …
Cassie Bell is used to mess. Her cleaning business, Bluebell Cleaning, is well known in the Cumbrian village of Red Moss. However, now it’s almost Christmas and Cassie has a slightly messier situation to deal with than she’s used to.
She’s been hired to help Stefan Lambert, an injured army helicopter pilot who’s staying at the local Belthorn Manor whilst he recovers. Stefan resents Cassie’s interference and is definitely not looking for Christmas cheer. But Cassie prides herself on sparkling surfaces – so, can she bring some festive sparkle to Stefan’s life too?
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
Before she could move out of the way, Piers bent down, slid his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, dangerously close to her mouth. His lips were warm and moist, and she tried to repress a gasp as she caught the whiff of beer, musky aftershave and sweaty socks that always seemed to cling to him.
‘We’re getting too old for dealing with overexcited children all day,’ her granddad replied. ‘Last time I dressed up as Santa… and I’m not even mentioning the fake beard that gave me a rash for days afterwards.’ ‘I fell asleep in the grotto and my snoring scared the children away,’ David Fern added, laughing.
‘Do you know what charms my husband gave me to thank me for the hard time I had giving birth to his three sons?’ Tim’s cheekbones flushed bright red. ‘It was a joke, Rachel…and I’m a farmer after all.’ Oblivious, Rachel carried on, ‘He bought me a sheep, a tractor and a cow! If he thinks that’s an incentive for me to produce baby number four, he is seriously mistaken.’
The shop and restaurant were boarded up, and padlocks and chains hung from the doors to the shower blocks and launderette. There was no sign of life in the office either. All that was needed to complete the desolate décor was tumbleweed blowing about and whining harmonica of a Spaghetti Western soundtrack.
My Review:
I was again enamored with Marie Laval’s breezy yet absorbing writing style and creative and amusingly descriptive storytelling. Her latest delightful tale kept me well entertained and had a bit of everything; an injured helicopter pilot with PTSD nightmares staying in the manor of the absent yet wealthiest family, a comedy competition, elder abuse, holiday festivities, a sudden rash of crime in the previously safe village, family issues, a blossoming romance, sexual harassment in the workplace, ghost sightings, and a century-old mystery to solve. I adored the main characters, especially the sweet and naïve Bluebell house cleaner Cassie, who took excellent care of her clients well beyond their cleaning needs and may well have used a bit of fairy magic during her dusting. The fairy riding a feather duster painted on the side of her van brought a smile to my face every time it was mentioned, and her clever grandfather was a treasure.
About The Author
Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire with her family. She works full-time as a modern language teacher and in her spare time, she loves writing romance and dreaming about romantic heroes. She writes both historical and contemporary romance and best-selling Little Pink Taxi was her debut romantic comedy novel with Choc Lit. She belongs to Authors on the Edge and writes short stories for the best selling Miss Moonshine’s anthologies. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her native France, as well as her passion for history and research, very much influences her writing, and all her novels have what she likes to call ‘a French twist’!
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/marielavalauthor/
https://twitter.com/marielaval1
Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.
Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire with her family. She works full-time as a modern language teacher and in her spare time, she loves writing romance and dreaming about romantic heroes. She writes both historical and contemporary romance and best-selling Little Pink Taxi was her debut romantic comedy novel with Choc Lit. She belongs to Authors on the Edge and writes short stories for the best selling Miss Moonshine’s anthologies. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her native France, as well as her passion for history and research, very much influences her writing, and all her novels have what she likes to call ‘a French twist’!
Social Media Links –
https://www.facebook.com/marielavalauthor/
https://twitter.com/marielaval1
GIVEAWAY
Win a small canvas purse and a thick notebook
(Open to UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions
Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.
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