Christmas at the Chalet by Anita Hughes

 Christmas at the Chalet by Anita Hughes

Blurb:  

A delicious love story about a bridal designer showing her new collection in the Alps during the magical week of Christmas where hijinx of the heart ensue.

It's the day after Christmas, and Felicity Grant is at a gorgeous ski chalet in St. Moritz for the biggest fashion show of her career. Felicity is a rising star on the bridal design scene, and this is her best collection yet. But when her boyfriend gives her a spa day instead of a diamond ring for Christmas, she has to face the possibility that she may never walk down the aisle in one of her own stunning designs.

And then there's Nell, the top model headlining Felicity's show. Nell is planning her dream wedding to her wonderful fiance with one catch: her divorced parents can't stand each other and threaten to no-show if the other is there.

Add to that Felicity's race against the clock to create a special gown for a prestigious bridal salon, and what both girls need is a Christmas miracle. What better place to find one than in the Swiss Alps with its dark forests and sparkling vistas?

But for Felicity it's hard to recognize a miracle even when it's right in front of her, and for Nell one miracle might not be enough to fix the past. Can dreams really come true or is that the stuff of Swiss fairytales?

Anita Hughes's Christmas at the Chalet is full of romance, gorgeous gowns, and the stunning scenery of the Swiss Alps. It's about love and forgiveness, and creating one's own miracles during the most festive time of year. 


I must admit that the story couldn*t really convince me. There was simply too much going on at the same time.

If it had just been Nell's story, I might have been more satisfied but Felicity and her story, well. I couldn't understand the way she behaved when it came to Gabriel, it felt as if she was taking advantage of him and a bit more caution would have been nice as well, at least once she had realized that she was watched.

Jumping back and forth and jumping from Nell and the story of her parents and Felicity and Adam now and then and everything else going on, it never really felt intense and I wasn't pulled into the story or felt with the characters. I felt like I was watching from the outside, polite interest and all but never really involved. Apart from some minor details, the story seemed rather predictable. Even in the end, it couldn't convince me because I had been waiting for this development and the only thing I was curious about was how Felicity would justify her decisions. 

It all seemed a bit forced, actually and a bit too much of everything. Too many coincidences, too many problems (okay, scratch that, that's probably the most believable part), too many minor storylines that never went deep enough and left me wanting more. More feelings, more depth, more....well, more of a story. 

★★★