Book review of A Winter's Dream by Sophie Claire

A Winter's Dream by Sophie Claire

My review today is for A Winter’s Dream, the third book in Sophie Claire’s series centred around the English village of Willowbrook, but where the hillside villages of Provence also have their part to play. I fell in love with Sophie’s writing when I read her first novel and with each book the characters, locations and descriptions have just drawn me in even more. Natasha, Evie and Liberty now feel like friends and I feel at home in Willowbrook. 

A Winter's Dream Blog Tour

In A Winter’s Dream we meet Liberty, assistant to Evie at the Button Hole (who we met in last year’s winter treat The Christmas Holiday). Liberty has just turned thirty, has no idea who the mystery sender of a bouquet of flowers that arrives on her birthday every year is, and with friends Evie and Natasha both happily settled, fears her quiet life sewing quilts and walking her dog, has meant she is seen as dull. With December approaching she sets herself a challenge; for one month, she must say yes to anything new that comes her way and do something every day that takes her out of her comfort zone. I’m a great believer in doing things that push me outside of my comfort zone and I love to set myself challenges, so I knew I was going to enjoy this book, and I did. 

 

The first challenge Liberty sets herself is to get a lodger to help pay the bills, and as luck would have it, Natasha and Luc’s friend Alex Ricard is looking for somewhere to stay. Alex is everything Liberty isn’t. He takes risks, he prefers city living to village life and traveling rather than putting down roots. He is also moody and angry at the way his career has abruptly come to an end, but his inner turmoil about having no focus or direction anymore meant I couldn’t help but feel for him. Despite their rocky start, there is something about Liberty’s determination to face her fears that soon sees Alex helping her with her challenges. December is a long month, but as she meets new people and ticks off her challenges Liberty begins to see what she has been missing out on. When doing a good deed for a friend leaves her stranded in France over Christmas, her challenges become a little bit more magical until she discovers what it is she truly wants in life.

 

Now the nights are drawing in, treat yourself to one (or all three) of Sophie’s books and whatever the weather outside, you’ll feel so much better (and warmer inside) by the end of the book. This book might also inspire you to set yourself a challenge or two and who knows where that might take you.

 

A Winter’s Dream is published by Hodder and Stoughton and will be available in ebook and paperback from 1^st October. Links to Amazon for all three of Sophie’s books can be found below.