Book Review: A Christmas Wish on a Carousel by Lottie Cardew

Snuggle up under your favourite blanket and escape to the beautiful village of Pebblestow this winter, for one of the most heartwarming stories of the season…

When Cara Mia Shaw makes a desperate wish one night, while riding on a carousel at a Christmas market, little does she know her small, but safe world is about to spin off its axis.

Befriending a fascinating returnee to the village, an elderly woman called Perdita with a jaunty pink beret and the wisdom of a life well lived, might set Cara on a different, albeit harder, course, if she’s brave enough to listen. Art was always her passion, after all, even if fate seemed to have other ideas.

And then there’s the new man in her life, who her friends think is perfect for her because they set her up with decent, reliable Greg in the first place. Cara’s been hurt enough times to know the difference between a good man and a feckless one. Until Wilfred comes along – moody, sarcastic, and scattered – just to complicate matters and meddle with Cara’s resolve, to the horror of almost everyone around her. But is either man ultimately meant for her, anyway? And will she self-sabotage as usual, or gamble everything this time, including her heart?

It might take the highs and lows of friendship, the risk of a forbidden romance, and a Pomeranian called Loki – not to mention some much-needed Christmas magic – before Cara finally realises the wish she made that night on the carousel might just be about to come true.

*****

Cara makes a wish on a carousel at a local Christmas market. Soon after, her quiet life turns upside down.

Her friends set her up with Greg, who is a decent, reliable man. She also meets Wilf, the not so dependable brother of her ex-employer. Is one of them the one?

She also meets Perdita, an elderly resident who has come back to the village. Could she send Cara on a different course?

As I have said many times on this blog, one of the things I love most about this time of year is the arrival of novels with Christmas/festive settings. This one was wonderful, drew me in and was magical.

Cara is a bit of a lost soul, at least, that’s my impression. She’s also stuck and scared. I also got the same impression about Wilf and of course, the two connect. There is a mystery surrounding Wilf and I found it interesting to see how they both developed through the novel. I really wanted them to find happiness, even if it wasn’t with each other.

Perdita was also intriguing. I couldn’t quite work out how she fitted into the story but I wanted to know more about her. She’s fabulous.

Pebblestow sounds idyllic and I want to visit it. It reminded me of the village they used in the Holiday and so, that is how I imagined it. There is something so beautiful about villages like that, all decked out for Christmas. You can’t help but feel festive.

I really don’t know what else I can say without giving things away and that’s the last thing I want to do. One of the lovely things about this book is how the story is presented and how it all eventually comes together.

This fairytale of a story is intriguing, enchanting and whimsical.

It’s about having the courage to fall in love but to also have faith in yourself and your worth.

A Christmas Wish on a Carousel is a positive, life affirming tale and I loved it. I also really hope it’s not the last we see of these characters. I’d love to know what becomes of some of them.

I look forward to seeing what Lottie Cardew does next.

About Lottie Cardew: 

Lottie Cardew was born during the Great Lockdown of early 2021, and writes uplifting, heartstring-tugging romcoms with no mention of anything remotely resembling a pandemic.

She lives in North Wales, subdues the other members of Novelistas Ink if they misbehave – including the popular authors Trisha Ashley and Sophie Claire – ­­­­and is a huge advocate of diversity and OwnVoices in fiction. Lottie has previously written as Valerie-Anne Baglietto, and is diagnosed autistic with suspected ADHD. Her home is currently overrun by husband, not-very-small children, and a ball of fluff masquerading as a Pomeranian, so Lottie often takes refuge at her pop-up desk in the bedroom.

Lottie guarantees her books will have a HEA ending, and some might possibly have a tiny hint of magic, too. They will always be warm, emotional, and witty (she hopes), and transport her readers to lovely places because everyone needs somewhere safe to escape to at times.

Say hello to Lottie via Twitter, Instagram or her website.

To sign up to Lottie’s newspaper, click here.

A Christmas Wish on a Carousel was released by Cloverdilli House Press on 4th October 2021. Click to buy on Amazon UK. 

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.