A good, light, Christmas-themed book to read in a busy period. It took me a while to get into it, but then I found myself reading several chapters at a time. Enjoyable on the whole, if somewhat predictable, but really too much day-to-day detail that is rather repetitive in places. The author's typical inconsistent tenses are not as frequent as in some of her other books, but I'm mystified why editors/proof-readers don't pick up on them.

It also concerns me that the main plot line involves a little girl with a heart condition who has to fly to the US for a state-of-the-art (and very expensive) operation that will save her life. It didn't feel entirely real, and I suspect could be quite painful reading for someone with sick or disabled children, for whom miracles (and funds) are not forthcoming.

Still, there are some fascinating descriptions of cakes and some good suggestions for Christmas treats, and a low-key romance that has a bit of humour in places. Better still, it's all strictly PG. I do find it refreshing when a book is free of bad language and bedroom scenes, and appreciate that aspect of Trisha Ashley's books very much.

This stands alone, but the large cast of villagers could be rather overwhelming for anyone who has not read some of the author's previous books set in the same location.

Three and a half stars, really. ( )

I picked this up to help close out the month of November and to hopefully get a start on the festive season with a Christmas story. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley tells the story of Cally and her young daughter, Stella. They have moved to the village of Sticklepond to live with Cally‘s mother in order to help save money for a trip to the United States so Stella can have an experimental operation that she needs. Meanwhile, Jago is also new to the area and he is looking for a location to set up his wedding cake business. Cally is into cakes as well and writes recipes in both a magazine and a Sunday Supplement. This is not the right time for either of them to be getting involved in a relationship, but it appears to everyone that these two are perfect for each other and they can only fool themselves for so long.

This story could easily have been overly sentimental but the author manages to keep the story moving along and does not allow it to bog down in pathos. Stella is a very sick child but the characters around her remain optimistic that the operation will give her a normal life. The bulk of the story is about the raising of the money for Stella’s operation, and the establishing of Jago’s business. There are a couple of over-the-top ex-fiancés that were a little silly, but overall this was a nice light romance with enough seasonal touches to give it a festive feel. The book reaches it’s romantic conclusion as Christmas draws near and it brings a nice, satisfying closure to the story.

This is the first book I have read by Trisha Ashley, and I understand that she often bases her stories in this village which seems to have an almost magical feeling about it. Although this story was not exactly a show stopper, I would certainly like to try other books by this author. One warning however, be prepared to read about a wide variety of yummy sounding cakes (some recipes are provided in the back of the book). ( )