Escape for Christmas – Phillipa Ashley

Snow, Secrets and Second Chances: A Review of Escape for Christmas

Christmas romances are hardly in short supply. Every year they arrive in droves, brimming with twinkling lights, picture-perfect villages, and family gatherings so harmonious they would make the Waltons look dysfunctional. They are unapologetically sugary, steeped in festive cheer and neatly tied up with a bow. But what about those who find themselves quietly recoiling from all that enforced merriment? Can someone who once adored Christmas truly turn their back on it? Escape for Christmas sets out to explore exactly that.

Sophie begins the story as the embodiment of festive enthusiasm. She owns a year-round Christmas shop, has named her cats Jingle and Bell, and has built her entire identity around the most wonderful time of the year. Yet within the space of twelve months, everything changes. The shop is sold, the tinsel is packed away, and she purchases the Sunnyside Hotel at the far end of the county in a determined attempt to start afresh. Her solution? Host a Christmas week, pointedly titled ‘Escape for Christmas’. What follows is Sophie’s determined effort to avoid the season she once loved, and the inevitable chaos that ensues when Christmas refuses to be ignored.

Yes, the novel delivers the expected snowy village setting and, naturally, a local love interest in the form of Brody, the village vet. There is escapism, there is a measure of festive improbability, and there is certainly a generous helping of Christmas cheese. A little suspension of disbelief is required. Yet the real question is whether it offers anything beyond the familiar sparkle.

In short, it does.

What sets Escape for Christmas apart is its supporting cast. The secondary characters are not merely decorative additions to fill out the hotel’s guest list; they each bring their own complications, humour, and heart to the narrative. Their stories weave naturally into Sophie’s, creating a sense that this is a living, breathing community rather than a cardboard-cut-out backdrop for romance. The plot carries a surprising thread of intrigue, and the central characters are refreshingly imperfect. Sophie, in particular, is awkward, defensive, and at times frustratingly stubborn, which only makes her more relatable.

At its core, this is still unmistakably a Christmas novel. But if your own festive gatherings tend to descend into misunderstandings, family tensions, and minor catastrophes, you may find it closer to reality than the glossy covers suggest. There are disputes, emotional fallout, weather-related drama, and even the sort of chaotic mishaps that make you wonder how anything could possibly be salvaged. The irony of a ‘not Christmas’ celebration becoming more Christmassy than ever is handled with a knowing wink, and yes, there is even a donkey. The sheer, full-throttle chaos gives the book a cosy charm that feels earned rather than manufactured.

Beneath the sparkle, the story also explores the lingering effects of a past relationship that ended badly. Sophie’s retreat from Christmas is not mere whimsy; it is rooted in hurt, disappointment, and the quiet fear of history repeating itself. The novel touches thoughtfully on trauma, self-discovery, and the difficult process of rebuilding a life when something foundational has cracked. It considers what it means to be true to yourself, and how far you might go for the people you love.

For a book that initially presents itself as a light, festive romance, there is a surprising amount of depth. That balance is what makes it stand out. It manages to be both comfortingly predictable and capable of the occasional well-timed curveball. Ultimately, it remains the sort of story you want to curl up with as the evenings draw in, a mug of hot chocolate in hand, the world outside suitably wintry; even if you occasionally roll your eyes at the excess of baubles and goodwill.

Festive, chaotic, heartfelt, and just self-aware enough to avoid becoming saccharine, Escape for Christmas is a reminder that sometimes the very thing we are trying to escape is exactly what we need. I, for one, closed the final page feeling thoroughly entertained – and perhaps just a little more forgiving of the Christmas cheese.

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