Book Review: Married by Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

All she wants is a perfect Christmas Eve wedding...
It's been on Anna's wish list since she was a little girl, dreaming of a far happier family life than she'd ever experienced.
Only now-two weeks before the big day- her perfect husband-to-be drops a  bombshell...
But nothing's going to stop Anna's plans- not even the pesky inconvenience of discovering her groom already has a wife!

Scarlett Bailey's last book The Night Before Christmas was fantastic so I was particularly excited when her new book arrived.
The cover is gorgeous and extremely festive so it would make a fab Christmas present.
Anna had a really tough childhood which resulted in her being taken into care. She does not want to make the same mistakes as her mother so she has a plan. This includes marriage, a house, children and so on. The marriage in particular means that Anna will have the perfect Christmas eve wedding. However, her fiance Tom throws a huge spanner in the works when he reveals that he is actually already married and can't find his wife in order to get a divorce. Anna cannot believe this is happening but she is not going to have her plan ruined. She sets off to New York to hunt down this mystery wife but what if she fails and what if her life plan isn't actually the right one?
Married by Christmas is a really festive adventure. I loved the New York setting as it is exactly the time of year when I would like to visit. Anna is a very determined young woman and it is very interesting to watch how she works. She gradually begins to question her plan for life, has she created a life simply to fit the plan? Does she actually love Tom or has he chosen him because he fits into her idealistic future?
I think that Scarlett Bailey is a very entertaining writer. Married by Christmas is the perfect feel good read for this time of year. Once you have read about Anna's adventures in New York, you will be reaching for the milled wine and mince pies.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4/5

Many thanks to Ebury for sending me a copy of the book to review, Married by Christmas is out now!

Book Review: The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

All Lydia's ever wanted is a perfect Christmas...
So when her oldest friends invite her to spend the holidays with them, it seems like a dream come true. She's been promised log fires, roasted chestnuts, her own weight in mince pies- all in a setting that looks like a Christmas card.
But her winter wonderland is ruined with she finds herself snowed in with her current boyfriend, her old flame and a hunky stranger. Well, three (wise) men is traditional at this time of year...

I knew that this book was going to be good when it arrived in a pink box with chocolate and a bottle of Baileys! Scarlett Bailey has written a really lovely book that is perfect for curling up with at this time of year.
The Night Before Christmas revolves around the character of Lydia. She finds an engagement ring in her boyfriend Stephen's sock drawer so she knows about one of her Christmas surprises already. They are spending Christmas with Lydia's oldest friends and Lydia can't wait, she has always wanted a perfect Christmas with all the trimmings and this is exactly what she has been promised. But things do not get off to a good start; they become snowed in within hours of arriving, so Lydia is trapped with an ex-boyfriend, a rather gorgeous looking stranger and a boyfriend she perhaps doesn't want to marry.
This is Scarlett Bailey's debut novel but the writing just seems effortless, the story flows really well and she is not afraid to throw in the odd surprise along the way. Christmas is a great time of year to set a book, we are often thrown into situations with people who we don't spend a massive amount of time with and everyone makes the most of it as they don't want to be the one that spoils Christmas.Lydia is in a really difficult position; she does not want to hurt Stephen or ruin his Christmas but surely she can't accept a proposal from a man she no longer loves. Throw into that the ex-boyfriend with whom she had one of the most intense relationships of her life. Plus the gorgeous stranger snowed in with them, there is something about him that Lydia can't ignore so she is stuck with three men and no escape route in sight.
The Night Before Christmas will definitely get you in the festive mood and I can't wait to see what Scarlett Bailey has to offer in 2012.

Dot Scribbles Rating 4/5

Many thanks to Ebury Press for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out now!