With Christy and Seb needing a few days alone, Alix and Zac proceed with the holiday trip to Lapland with Holly. They can’t stand each other, but are determined to do right by Holly… It’s hard to avoid the festive hubbub entirely, but a silent retreat in tranquil surroundings at least means you won’t have to talk about it. Christmas Day is spent in complete silence at Sharpham House, a Grade I-listed Georgian house, accommodating up to 32 guests, located on the banks of the river Dart in Devon. A short break here allows time for optional yoga sessions, meditation and relaxing strolls through the 550-acre estate, with formal terraced gardens and Capability Brown landscapes. Alix and Zac have a history. They met at Christy's wedding but have long since gone their separate ways. Will their time together in a veritable winter wonderland give the two a chance to revive feelings that did not get a chance to take off before? And, what of Christy. Will her marriage survive, as well as her friendship with Alex?

I hate rating books low, but this just did not work for me. It was a sweet enough story and I liked the fun, snowy Arctic setting, but, oh, this book could have been so much shorter and enjoyable. The repetition is intense, to the point I found myself skimming sections. We are constantly bombarded by everyone's thoughts and issues. Did you know Alix has commitment issues? Oh you will. Christy struggles with perfection? The overwhelming focus on the characters' tropes and the rehashing and pontificating on thoughts and feelings was incredibly frustrating. It was very slow moving with far more telling than showing. I was not that invested in Alix and Zac's relationship. As long-held secrets unravel, and unexpected romance shines under the Northern Lights, can Christy and Alix find the courage to fight for the relationships they really want? And could this Christmas escape save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

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Sarah Morgan is one of my very favorite contemporary fiction writers, these days, but I missed out on her holiday offerings in 2020, so I wanted to be sure to add her latest Christmas book to my list this year. How about swapping the after-dinner party games and booking an escape room challenge for the whole family? From aunts and uncles to grandparents and teenagers – a Fox in the Box challenge will appeal to all. Celebrate being a team, and discover skills you never knew your family had. Make up for lost family time and start a new tradition that will last! Break the ice….and ditch the small talk Not only do Christy and Alix have romance issues, but friendship is clearly being tested. Despite being friends since they were children, both women have noticed that things are not what they used to be: with-holding personal details and not indulging in secrets, both Alix and Christy feel increasingly detached from one another. The Lapland trip promises magic for Christy’s daughter, but when her husband, Seb, cannot make it from day one, Christy asks her best friend to babysit for a few days. This leads Christy discovering important home-truths about herself and her marriage, whilst Alix also experiences the ‘Lapland effect’ and realises that her current way of life is not as satisfying as she portrays. Challenge your family and friends’ creative thinking with Christmas scattergories. In this game, players are presented with a list of holiday-themed categories. And they must come up with words that start with a specific letter and fit into those categories.

Share your Christmas with elephants on a tour of northern Thailand, where a visit to the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai includes feeding and bathing sessions. Itineraries combine the park with time exploring Bangkok before escaping to the remote hills for hiking through jungle and paddy fields, cycling tours and river rafting. Instead of turkey and Christmas pudding, feast on noodle soups, spicy curries and grilled meat skewers. An uplifting novel of friendship, the festive season, and risking everything for the biggest gift of all... Dive into the holiday spirit with a collection of engaging and entertaining free printable games for Christmas. These games are designed to bring joy and laughter to your festive gatherings. And they cover a wide range of activities that cater to different interests and age groups. It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas escape – a dream trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband, Seb. Her solution? Alix, along with Seb’s oldest friend, Zac, can take Christy’s daughter on the planned Lapland trip, and they will all reunite there for Christmas Day. After all, what are friends for?

Latest reviews of escape rooms for Christmas in Birmingham

If the whole family wants to escape Christmas, the festivities will feel a world away in Nepal – where most of the population is Hindu (with some Buddhists and Muslims). Leave the carols and celebrations far behind by taking a low-altitude trek from Kathmandu through the Annapurna foothills of the Himalayas, with time to visit local schools and encounter villagers en route. An itinerary highlight is a trip to Chitwan National Park to spot rhinos and Bengal tigers. Christy and Seb married after she learned of her pregnancy. They hadn’t been seeing each other very long, but they were ready to give marriage a try. Now things aren’t going so well. Seb has been ‘working late’, their cottage needs costly repairs, and Christy is second guessing her choice to leave the city. From dog sledding to the Northern Lights, from estranged long lost aunts to a fractured friendship, this book has it all and more and is well worth reading if you enjoy a fabulous story.