The Christmas Stocking is a festive book by Katie Fforde featuring six short stories. Beginning with the title story, in which Romy is having nothing but bad luck, from crashing her car to her plane being cancelled so she can’t join her boyfriend in France for Christmas. Instead, she gets to spend it with a stranger who bought all her Christmas decorations that she had handmade.

I really enjoyed this story, even if it was really far-fetched and you knew from the beginning where the plot was taking you. I think I might have been creeped out having to spend Christmas with someone I didn’t know, in a house with bats in the attic which was situated in the middle of a woods.

We then move onto A Dream Christmas. This for me was the standout story in the book. I just really enjoyed it. It was so sparkly and festive as newlyweds Ginny and Ben start to enjoy their honeymoon on Christmas day after their Christmas Eve Wedding. Once the pressure of the wedding was over, Ginny starts to wonder if her life is going the way she wants it too. But with a little magic, she might just see how perfect her life really is.

I’m not going to write a review of every story, but alongside these two fab reads is – Candlelight at Christmas, A Christmas in Disguise, Dogs are for Christmas and The Christmas Fairy.

I normally tend to stay away from short story books due to most having one stand out story, a few good ones and at least one that should have been left out. However, whilst I did find that one story which was superior to all the others, none were bad and all were enjoyable.

A lovely Christmas festive read that you can pick and choose which story to read when. Only two of the stories have been published before and all are heart-warming and will have you feeling all jolly and Christmassy inside.

About the Author

Sunday Times best-selling romantic novelist Katie Fforde has always been a huge advocate for family life and the home, settling and raising a family in the heart of the Cotswolds. Hearty meals and the smell of something in the Rayburn to welcome and share amongst family and friends has always been part of it.

It is this deep routed sense of the home and especially the kitchen, that has lit Katie’s passion for homewares.

Her children, now all grown up and raising their own families, share the same passion and being the creative types they are, have always chatted with Katie (usually over food and wine) discussing ideas and dreams of creating their own range of homewares.

The idea was to encapsulate the Cotswold lifestyle in a contemporary yet quintessentially English style that ties into Katie’s books and her way of life.

It has been a challenging yet exciting journey, but it now feels that the visions and chats have come to fruition and Katie Fforde Designs has finally arrived.

With importance being placed on every product being British made and of the highest quality, wherever possible we have worked with local businesses. Every company involved has been the best we could find. The end results are some special and unique products. We hope that they will bring you as much pleasure as we had in their creation.