Christmas At The Beach Hut by Veronica Henry @veronica_henry @orionbooks #ChristmasBeachHut

Everyone adores Christmas . . .

Especially Lizzy Kingham. But this year, she is feeling unloved and under-appreciated by her family. The present-buying, decorating and food shopping have all been left to her. So she wonders ... what would happen if she ran away and left them to it?

Lizzy heads to her favourite place: a beach hut on the golden sands of Everdene. There she meets an unlikely collection of new friends, all running away from something. But the spirit of Christmas gets under Lizzy's skin: soon the fairy lights are twinkling and the scent of mulled wine mingles with the sea air.

Back at Pepperpot Cottage, her family are desperate to find her. For Christmas isn't Christmas without Lizzy. Can they track her down in time and convince her she means the world to them, every day of the year?

Christmas At The Beach Hut by Veronica Henry was published by Orion Books on 15 November 2018. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

This review was originally published in the Daily Express early this month.

Lizzy Kingham’s husband and teenage children don’t arrive home for the family tradition of decorating the Christmas tree, she decides that she’s had enough.
She packs a bag, leaves a note and drives off to a beach hut in North Devon.

Lizzy is not the only person who is escaping Christmas at the beach. Young Harley is trying to avoid another run in with his mother’s abusive boyfriend and Jack and  toddler son Nate cannot face Christmas after the death of wife and mother Fran. 

It isn’t long before they are all having their own kind of Christmas. Barbecued turkey, smoked salmon and fairy lights create a different, but magical holiday.

However, Lizzy’s family are devastated by her disappearance and when they track her down and arrive at the beach hut on Christmas afternoon, she realises that despite everything, her family are the most important thing in her life.

This is a wonderfully warm, feel-good story, perfect for the time of year. With colourful characters and a delicious beach front setting, it’s an utter delight.

Veronica Henry has worked as a scriptwriter for THE ARCHERS, HEARTBEAT and HOLBY CITY amongst many others, before turning to fiction. 

She won the 2014 RNA NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD for A NIGHT ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. 

Veronica lives with her family in a village in north Devon. 



Find out more at www.veronicahenry.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @veronica_henry