Mistletoe and Mystery by Daisy James

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Welcome to the Cotswolds Festive Feast cookery course…

Fresh off the successful opening of the Paradise Cookery School in St Lucia, Millie Harper is headed to the Cotswolds for Christmas!

Co-presenting Claudia Croft’s famous Festive Feast cookery course at Stonelea Manor is a dream come true for Millie…as is reuniting with gorgeous estate manager Zach Barker.

But arriving in a winter wonderland Millie learns the manor is under a mysterious threat. It’ll take a holiday miracle, but Millie is determined to save the school and get Zach under the mistletoe to finally finish what they started in the Caribbean!

Cosy up with this fun, festive visit to the Cotswolds premier cookery school! Perfect for fans of Jenny Oliver and Sarah Morgan

If you loved Mistletoe & Mystery, why not read the first two stories in The Paradise Cookery School series? Sunshine & Secrets and Confetti & Confusions are both available now!Mistletoe and Mystery by Daisy James

The Review: So I’ll admit I had read a Daisy James book before and mainly because it hadn’t read the same as a number of books I was reading at the time, I hadn’t really got on with it (that and a protagonist I hadn’t warmed to). After said book I’d see book after book from this author with covers and blurbs to die for and I began to wonder if I’d made a mistake. If I read and just let the language flow over me as opposed to sitting their rigidly trying to take it in would it have been easier? I can tell you the answer is a resounding ‘yes!’

I read this at a time I needed something really easy-going, warm and lovely and found myself settled in straight away to a book that oozes beauty. It is centred around Millie, who is going to work alongside the famous Claudia Croft in an estate that is the stuff of dreams. When we were delivered into the snow in a fantastic setting I nodded and smiled along, really enjoying Millie’s protestations that her entirely inappropriate, chic daywear weren’t wrong for the snow they were lumped with. This book was ALL about the food and it was heavenly, with descriptions of desserts, baked goods and other courses that put you in the pristine cutting edge kitchen of Claudia Croft (or indeed in the other establishments in the area, where the more homely fare would do the job for me!), sniffing and making appreciative noises.

I’ll admit I was nervous for the mystery part, as it became clear some of it could be health related, and with some health stuff going on with people I know this year (that seemed to be similar at the start to that in the book) I wasn’t in the frame of mind to shed tears , but luckily Ms. James more than delivered and I breathed a sigh of relief. The saving of the school was hilarious and nicely over the top, just as I like it! This is part of a series but I read as a standalone and it by no leaned curbed any of the enjoyment I had for it. The language was of course all pretty, delicate and flowery but this time I warmed to it, maybe because of the lovely characters and actually general loveliness of the story. Extremely enjoyable and definitely recommended. Thanks so much to Canelo and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5