Breakfast at Darcy's by Ali McNamara

I really loved this book and couldn't put it down. I loved the whole idea behind the plot: of moving to a remote island and starting a community there. Darcy was a great leading character, even though I wasn't sure I liked her at the start. I could see how she changed throughout the book for the better and developed as a character. I also enjoyed hearing about all of the different characters, from Dermot to Megan to Niall, who differ greatly but go together so well to make the plot work. Although some parts were predictable (not that I ever see this as a problem!) there were some surprises along the way. For example, I knew that Conor wasn't right for Darcy, but couldn't quite put my finger on it until certain facts were revealed about him. The only strange thing is the title and the cover of the book do not seem to match the story line at all. However, I still give this book 10/10!

It's a Vet's Life by Cathy Woodman

I really enjoyed the latest book in this series. It was great to go back and visit some of the well-loved characters from before. The thing I love about this series is the stories of all of the different animals that visit Otter House. It wasn't all happy-ever-afters, however, with some very dramatic and serious story lines going on. I thought this added a more realistic side to the story and kept me gripped wanting to know what would happen next. The only thing I could complain about was the fact that sometimes when I was reading the book, I wasn't sure how much time had passed. It seemed as if hardly any time had passed at all, but then it would turn out it had been weeks since the previous chapter. However, overall this is a great read and I give it 9/10!

Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley

This Christmas Trisha Ashley book is much better than The Magic of Christmas. I felt like I really connected with the main character, Holly, and loved finding out about her Gran's life as she did through reading her journals. I also really liked all of the other characters which Holly got to know throughout the book: particularly Becca, Jess, and of course all of the animals. There was a really festive feel to the book, which was added to by the descriptions of the snow, the cooking, the decorations, etc. The main love interest, Jude, was a slight disappointment for me. I can't put my finger on why, but I never really warmed to him as a romantic figure, and even after Holly admitted she had feelings for him, I was still not convinced. However, overall the book was excellent, and I give it 9/10. A really nice Christmas read!