Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland * Heidi Swain

After calling off her engagement, Hayley, the Wynthorpe Hall housekeeper, wants nothing more than to return to her no-strings fun-loving self, avoiding any chance of future heartbreak. Little does she know, Wynbridge’s latest arrival is about to throw her plan entirely off course . . .

Moving into Wynthorpe Hall to escape the town’s gossip, Hayley finds herself immersed in the eccentric Connelly family’s festive activities as they plan to host their first ever Winter Wonderland.

Hayley hasn't had the best of luck going for her in her life, but when she manages to bag herself the hunkiest man in town; Gavin,  as her husband to be, things finally start to turn around for her. 

Until once again, everything is ruined for her when she finds Gavin with his trousers round his ankles and a woman between his legs in the pub toilets. 

Keen to make a fresh start and to hide her troubled past, Hayley moves into Wynbridge Hall with the lovely Connolly family and best friend Anna by her side. Though when Gabe, the guardian angel sent from above turns up, Hayley can't help her heart from beating as fast as Angus can get the lights up.

Though if there's one thing that Gabe hates more than anything in the world, its Christmas and he'll go out of his way to avoid it at all costs. 

Can secrets really be kept at this time of year? 

Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland by Heidi Sawin, is the seventh instalment in the Wybridge collection and I absolutely loved it so much. Its the first book that I have ever ready by Swain and it certainly won't be the last. I thought that I had read them in the wrong order but the author lovingly got in touch and said they're stand alone novels that just blend in with each other. 

I bought this as one of three Christmas reads in 2018 and let me tell you I picked up a good one! I loved Hayley and Gabe's characters so much, they started with a love-hate relationship that eventually blossomed into something more. 

It was truly a feel good Christmas read, filled with love, baking, humour and even a bit of mystery. I felt that Hayley's character was lovely as she finally got to do what made her happy in the end, after being told for many years to just push her dream to one side. I loved Gabe so much and my heart just broke at the end. It really put a smile on my face all the way throughout the book and I can't wait to read more books by this wonderful author! 

I will be giving this book 9 out of 10

Caraval * Stephanie Garber

Once a year the infamous Master Legend hosts Caraval - open only to those who have been invited. 

This year the week long game is on Legend's glittering Isla de los Soenos, where the winding streets are an elaborate snow-covered maze and the people are never who they seem to be. 

At midnight on the first day, the show beings and the visitors become players. Each of them vying for the coveted prize: a single wish. 

Scarlett has only one wish in life, to finally be able to visit the legendary Caraval with her younger sister Donatella. So when Tella suddenly goes missing Scarlett knows there's only one place and once place only where she will have fled to. 

Caraval is the greatest mystery this side of Trisda, where anything goes and anything can happen. If you win all your dreams will come true with just one wish from Legend, the grand carnival master - the man who everyone knows but has never been seen. 

Though Scarlett can't do this alone, so when Julian decides to tag along, she can't believe her luck and not in the good way. He's stubborn and sometimes rude but as they go deeper into the game, not everyone appears to be who they really are. 

Soon Scarlett is on a bigger, more dangerous mission than she planned. Lives are at stake, a wish needs to be granted and lies start to unfold. But only one man can make all of these things happen and there's only one rule you need to remember...

It's only a game, right?

Caraval by Stephanie Garber, is the first instalment in the Caraval series and I have a few mixed feelings on it. I borrowed this book a while back from the local library (which I'm sad to say I had to pay a fine for the late returns) Anyway, it was picked up as the blurb sounded quite good. 

The story follows two sisters and their somewhat abusive father, their obsession with a Carnival that only comes into their town once a blue moon. Now, there are many things with this book that I enjoyed, and there are some which in someways irked me a bit - personal preference. 

For one, the story took a long time to actually start, though it started getting good about mid way through the book, which was a total game changer for me. The characters were well written but I found Scarlett to be on the irritating side a bit. Whilst I understand that she was worried about her sister, everything she did, even stuff to benefit her own happiness - had to be questioned as to whether Tella would approve or like it. At the end of the day I found Tella to be quite childish and selfish - Again, just a personal preference. 

The author has a great way of explaining scenes within the book, however, there are some sections where she may just go into it a bit too much. We know that an 'apple can be as red as a rose' but we possibly don't need the 'the apple was as red as a rose, dipped in blood and covered in...' you get my drift. 

Whilst it sounds like I'm slamming the author, by no means I'm not! It's just preference. Once I got further into the book I really started to enjoy it, there was more action, more deceit happening and Julian's character is just perfect and in the end I really did enjoy it! Thats what I was waiting for and what I needed and it delivered in the end - The ending, oh my goodness. Whilst I still think and feel all of these feelings, I will still read the next instalment Legendary and possibly Finale. 

All in all, it is a great YA book and I feel that many young people will quite enjoy this book and the whole whimsical feel behind it. I look forward to reading the next book and hope that it will have more action in. 

Legendary will be released in paperback in the UK on 21/02/19 
Finale will be released in the UK soon

I will be giving this book 6 out of 10