With its focus on one winter event and hints about future couples, this book feels like an inviting gateway into the wider Havenbrook Christmas Romance series. Readers meet artists, tech wizards, bakers and investors who plainly have their own stories coming. Lila and Jake’s arc feels complete, yet leaves the town still buzzing. A great starting point for anyone wanting an ongoing festive small-town universe.

Screens matter here: WhatsApp threads, emergency posts, and disastrous sponsor cross-posts all shape the plot. Yet the story never forgets that real change happens in cold meeting rooms and on windy streets. Lila and Jake learn to use both worlds – online and offline – to protect Havenbrook’s walk. A smart, modern Christmas romance for readers who live half their lives in group chats.

The book nails that odd blend of glamour and sheer hard graft behind any big event. Readers get gaffer tape, broken heaters and stress snacks right alongside fairy lights and gingerbread. Lila’s team feel like real volunteers muddling through, not decorative extras. Against this, her romance with Jake shines all the more brightly. A charming pick for festive readers who appreciate honest backstage chaos.

Pier Lights and Hope

Overall, this Havenbrook instalment reads like a wintery, emotionally intelligent sports romance set on a well-loved local rink. Expect early-morning solitude shattered by a spectacular collision, cones marking out very literal boundaries, and a slow drift toward partnership on and off the ice. Readers who enjoy British small-town romance, figure skating versus hockey tension, and carefully built chemistry are likely to find a lot to enjoy.

The “Night of Lights” event on the pier captures that particular British seaside-in-winter mood: cold air, hot drinks, and neighbours pretending not to cry. Keller’s speech to the town and Winter’s behind-the-scenes nerves intertwine beautifully. The scene shows how community support and personal vulnerability feed into the romance. It’s the kind of standout festive set piece that lingers long after finishing, perfect for readers who enjoy cinematic Christmas moments.

Anyone who loves cookery shows and chef documentaries will recognise the language of this kitchen—service, tickets, brigade dynamics, supplier loyalty. What sets the book apart is how it pairs that with a Christmas-town heart and a sharp, self-aware heroine from the branding world. It feels like a softer, romantic spin on a high-pressure food series, with more hope and better biscuits.

Melody and Kayan’s relationship slides between reluctant colleagues, rivals, and something softer. Professional jealousy, board meddling, and a charismatic celebrity chef keep tension high without overshadowing their connection. A stormy rosemary-toast scene in a powerless flat perfectly captures how shared disasters turn into romance. Readers who like love stories where work, pride and desire collide will find this hugely satisfying.

Havenbrook comes alive through its food: fish market banter, goat dairy graft, experimental canapés, and dodgy hotel biscuits. Each side character—from terrifying veg suppliers to “tea witch” mentors—adds a new flavour to the town. The sense of place is so strong that every walk along the harbour or collapse in the staff room feels like a return to familiar ground.

Dialogue is a standout. Melody’s dry corporate one-liners bounce perfectly off Kayan’s kitchen sarcasm and Ray’s chaotic commentary. Their conversations about “Hygge but make it real”, microgreens, and whether a consultant can survive a service shift keep the tone bright even when stakes rise. Readers who love razor-sharp banter that slowly turns into genuine intimacy will be very happy here.

The contrast between Melody’s glass-walled London office and Havenbrook’s rain-slicked lanes works beautifully. Early chapters capture corporate absurdity—performance spreadsheets for spontaneity, terrifying mentors—then drop that same drive into a world of dodgy WiFi and stubborn locals. Watching her swap heels for wellies (badly) and learn the rhythms of markets and prep kitchens is a delight. Ideal for readers who enjoy city-to-small-town arcs with teeth.

Weather and work mirror each other here: coastal storms pound Havenbrook just as media pressure, board politics, and personal history hit boiling point. Through it all, the writing keeps a thread of humour—bin lorries as alarm clocks, goats attacking footwear, playlists veering from R&B to Gregorian chant. The contrast makes the emotional moments land harder. A brilliant choice for readers who like a bit of chaos with their comfort.

Once the initial stand-off passes, Melody and Kayan become brilliant co-conspirators. Contract negotiations, supplier consortium meetings, and board showdowns turn into strangely intimate battles fought side by side. The moment they start editing clauses together and planning how to protect their local partners is where the romance really takes off. Perfect for readers who love partners-in-crime dynamics with equal parts banter and shared purpose.

The romance is a true slow-burn: lots of banter, stolen glances over the pass, and shared crises before anything turns openly romantic. Intimacy is implied rather than explicit, keeping the focus on trust, boundaries, and learning to stay when things get hard. It feels like watching two guarded people let their walls down one service at a time. Ideal for readers who prefer closed-door chemistry with high emotional stakes.

This isn’t just hotel lounges and spreadsheets. The story visits rain-lashed harbourside markets, a chaotic goat farm at dawn, and after-hours tasting sessions that balance laughter with genuine vulnerability. Each “taste” of winter ties to a moment between Melody and Kayan as they build something bigger than one event. Readers who enjoy immersive settings and seasonal farm-to-table detail will feel completely transported.