A Season to Remember by Shelia O'Flanagan
Published: 27th October 2011
Publisher: Headline Review
Pages: 372
Available in Hardback, Paperback and on Kindle
Blurb
In this collection of interlinked short stories Sheila O'Flanagan brings her own trademark sparkle to Christmas - a time when friends, families and lovers traditionally come together and when every person is hoping their wishes will come true.
Review
Firstly I would like to thank bookbridgr and Headline Review
for sending me a copy to review, it’s been a long time since I read a novel by
Shelia O’Flanagan and it was a pleasure to read something by her again. Unlike her other books A Season to Remember
is a collection of short stories all linked because they take place at The Sugar
Loaf Lodge. I didn’t realise this initially and was worried I wouldn’t enjoy
this book as much because of it, but I’m pleased to say it was a joy to read
and definitely put me in a festive mood.
The Sugar Loaf Lodge is run by Neil and Claire Archer, who
have turned it from derelict old house with a tragic past into a luxury
boutique hotel, which I would love to visit myself one day! The book begins by
introducing us to Neil and Clare and we learn that they are having financial
difficulties and have hardly any bookings for over Christmas. They’ve just
rejected a deal to sell the hotel to a large company, financially this was
maybe not the best decision but they both feel a connection to the hotel,
Claire especially. Somehow the Sugar Loaf becomes fully booked for Christmas
and they begin to welcome their guests for the season.
Each of the rooms in the hotel are named after Irish
mountains and so are the chapter titles, in each chapter we meet the room
occupants and learn their background
story and find out how they ended up at the Sugar Loaf Lodge for Christmas. I
really liked this and was surprised how much background details we learn about these
characters in such a short amount of time, they felt like we’d known them for
much longer than a few pages. Not all of
their stories are happy ones but I loved the way that while at the Sugar Loaf
they all seemed to let their worries melt away and enjoyed themselves.
The Sugar Loaf Lodge for me was the perfect place to set a
Christmas story, the place just oozes luxury with its first class restaurant
and award winning spa. Set at the foot of the mountains in lovely grounds it
makes the perfect place to spend Christmas, I mean who can resist roaring log
fires at Christmas?
Louisa’s story was my favourite as it gave the Lodge some
history and helped to bring the whole book together as you could begin to see
how Claire felt such a connection to the place and why the guests felt so spoilt.
I also liked the way the last couple of stories tied many of the characters
together as they celebrated Christmas Day together, this for me made this book
better the a short story collection. I would love for Shelia O’Flanagan to
write more about some of these characters as I’d love to know what happens next
to them.
If you are looking for a feel good Christmas read then I can
highly recommend this book, it highlights the fact we don’t always get on with
our families but at Christmas we try our best to compromise and come together
to make the best of what we have. It has left me with a lovely warm Christmassy
glow and a longing to go to The Sugar Loaf Lodge myself someday.
Rating 4/5
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