Author: Roseanne's Blog

I'm Roseanne :) 33. Married to Tim 💗 I'm a Harry Potter fanatic ⚡ and a Bookworm 📚 I started this blog to document our wedding planning and its grown from there!

Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 21: Christmas Book Review pt 2: Murder Mystery 📚

Hi guys 👋🏻

Here is my second book review for blogmas. I have been trying my best to read as many Christmas books as I can throughout the season, and I thought I would review a couple for you.

Let’s take a look!

📚 Book Information

Title: The Christmas Clue

Author: Nicola Upson

Genre: Mystery/Detective

Pages: 192 pages 

Publication Date: 9 September 2025

Series: Stand alone book

🕯️ Why I Picked It Up

I walked past the display in my local waterstones and I just thought it looked so festive. It also sounded like a cool and unique festive read, a far cry from the usual romances.

🎁 Summary (Spoiler-Free)

Christmas Eve, 1943. Anthony and Elva Pratt arrive in a snowy English village to run a murder mystery game – and instead discover a real murder.

The Pratts had planned for festive cheer, despite the wartime shortages: with Elva’s map of the hotel and Anthony’s prop weapons to use as clues, the guests in their parlour game would move through the rooms to figure out whodunnit.

But when Anthony discovers the cook’s sister Miss Silver beaten to death, they instead find themselves investigating a shockingly real crime. The hotel manager Mr Browning is trying to keep the peace but the guests are agitated, Colonel Colman is about to take over the hotel for the war effort – and the mysterious Mrs Threadgold hasn’t been seen at all.

In games, there’s only one victim – but this is real life. Can the Pratts puzzle out this Christmas mystery before it’s too late?

❄️ What Could Have Been Better

I actually don’t know to be honest. I loved the Cluedo inspiration, the appearance of the real creators of Cluedo, the mystery element, the quaint setting, the Agatha Christie vibes. It did exactly what it said on the tin.

🎅 Christmas Spirit Rating


🎄🎄🎄.5 / 5 Christmas Trees

🧣 Who Would Enjoy This Book?

Fans of Cluedo, Fans of Agatha Christie and a well written murder mystery.

🎁 Final Thoughts

This was a great festive whodunit perfect for those who enjoy the board game Cluedo and love a good old traditional murder mystery. I love the different elements of Cluedo included in this story, featuring thr original makers of Cluedo. That was my favourite childhood board game and I loved this murder mystery written in amongst it.

4 days until Christmas!

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 20: Work Christmas meals 🎄🍽🍸

Hi guys 👋🏻

It’s so great to be off work now for the school holidays! Woohoo.

And only 5 days until Christmas – exciting!

I feel like this Blogmas has flown by!!!

One nice part of the festive period is the work get togethers!

Here’s how they went!

For my work do we went to a local pub thats sells amazing pizzas to order. Delicious.

I also had one of my favourite cocktail – an espresso martini 🍸

It was lovely to get together for a chat! And its nice to get a chance to chat to othe people at work that you don’t often get a chance to, unless it is just in passing!

Last night I went to the Christmas meal of my work place that I left just before the summer hols, at the end of July. I have seen them since but it was nice to catch up again.

I enjoyed the food at Prezzo, you can’t go wrong with Italian!

Bit gutted that I started the evening off with a headache (sugar induced I think) so I didnt think I ought to have a dessert! The tiramisu looked so nice 😩 but I really enjoyed my Araccini style starter and ‘Marry Me’ Pasta.

Have you been out for your work do yet?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 19: A Christmas Carol Show

Hi guys 👋🏻

At the weekend me and my husband went to see ‘A Christmas Carol’ at our local theatre.

It was a one man show performed by Vincent Franklin. He has been in loads of famous shows such as Doc Martin, Happy Valley,  The Office and The Thick Of It.

He was brilliant and the show was really enjoyable. The way he performed it was haunting, entertaining and comical at different points throughout and he brought the story alive with his brilliant portrayal of this classic story.

The way he used a very basic, yet very effective, set ans very few props to create so much was mesmerising and clever. It is one of my favourite parts of theatre when your imagination is unlocked by the simplest props and sets. So enjoyable.

The post show talk was amazing, a really interesting insight into the show itself, as well as the actors love of the story of ‘A Christmas Carol’. It added a lot to the experience for sure.

I really like the story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and I try and read it each year. I love the beautiful editions you can see in the picture above.

The story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is so relevant in our current world, we all need to think of others and how our actions effect them more than we do, as a collective, and I like how it really makes you think about yourself, yout behaviour, the way you treat and view others etc.

Have you been to see a Christmas show?

6 days until Christmas!

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 18: Christmas Tree decorating 🎄

Hi guys 👋🏻

ONE WEEK TO GO!! THIS TIME NEXT WEEK IT WILL BE CHRISTMAS DAY!!! WOOHOO 🎄

Here are some photos of me and my husband decorating our mains christmas tree, in our flat. We’ve gone for a new position by the window this year, I decided last Christmas I wanted it there as you can sit on both sofas and look at it and see it whilst you watch tv.

As usual we have gone for our red, gold and green theme 😍

Here are some of the new decorations my mum got us. She very kindly always gets us a new tree dec each year, in our chosen colour scheme. These ones are great.

Do you have a favourite Christmas decoration colour scheme?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 17: My Festive Reads 📚

Hi guys! 👋🏻

8 days to go!! Whattttt

Let’s take a look at my festive reads (If I get through them all haha)

I exclusively read Christmas books in November and December.

  • The Christmas Holiday by Phillipa Ashley
  • The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson
  • The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan (Audible)
  • The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore (Spotify)
  • Another Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton
  • All Together For Christmas by Sarah Morgan
  • All We Want For Christmas by Phillipa Ashley
  • Christmas For Beginners by Carole Matthews
  • The Christmas Love Letter by Sue Moorcroft
  • Christmas At The Little Waffle Shack by Helen Rolfe
  • Mince Pies And Mistletoe at the Christmas Market by Heidi Swain (Reread)
  • A Scrooge Mystery by Andreina Cordani

Our final Book Club pick for 2025 and our Christmas read is ‘Another Bloody Christmas’ by Jo Middleton.

We read the first book last year for Book Club so it will be cool to read this sequel.

Have you read any of these festive reads?

What’s your favourite festive fiction?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 16: Christmas Lights Switch on ✨️🎄

Hi guys 👋🏻

Welcome to Blogmas Day 16!

A few weeks ago me and my husband went to our town Christmas lights switch on. It was a nice little Sunday evening festive activity and it made me feel very Christmassy in November.

Here are some pictures from the evening 😊

I haven’t been able to go to a switch on in our town for years as they’ve been on a Thursday when I’ve been at work so it was nice for it be on a weekend.

Perfect with a mint hot choc in hand.

Have you been to your local lights switch on?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 15: My Harry Potter Christmas tree 🎄 ⚡️

Hi guys 👋🏻

ONLY 10 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!! WOOHOO!!!

Just like every year, I have a Harry Potter Christmas tree 🎄  it goes up in our bedroom.

So here it is in all its glory! Super happy with it again this year. Loving the addition of the floating candles too 😍

I love the coloured lights and that they are the Hogwarts house colours. I also have some star lights around our curtains (also Hogwarts house colours)

It looks super magical in our room, I love it.

The Sorting Hat works so well as a tree topper too!

Do you have a themed tree?

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 14: A Christmas Carol Concert 🎶

Hi guys 👋🏻

We are two weeks into Blogmas! Woohoo!

I hope you are enjoying it so far.

Today we have had a super festive day, this Christmas carol concert being the first of two festive shows (Check back in the next few days to see what the second show was)

My mother in law is part of a choir and we went along to her choir concert this afternoon.

They sung a selection of different songs, including lots of festive carols, as well as some poems and a lovely rendition of ‘Silent Night’ on the keyboard.

It was a lovely festive afternoon, listening and singing along to the Christmassy songs.

What festive activities do you have planned?

11 days to go!

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 13: Christmas decorations in London ✨️

Hi guys 👋🏻

Today me and my husband went to London.

We saw a show at Canary Wharf and met up with my Uni friend and her family ar Westfield for dinner.

I thought it would be nice to take some photos of all the lovely festive decorations that I see in London, as they do Christmas lights and decorations so well there.

I love taking festive photos and I thought it would make a nice festive blog post for Blogmas.

Let’s take a look!

12 days to go!

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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Blogmas 2025 ⛄️ Day 12: Christmas Book Review pt 1: Romance 📚

Hi guys 👋🏻

Here is my first book review for blogmas. I have been trying my best to read as many Christmas books as I can throughout the season, and I thought I would review a couple for you.

Let’s take a look!

📚 Book Information

Title: The Christmas Holiday

Author: Phillipa Ashley

Genre: Romance

Pages: 384

Publication Date: Nov 10th 2022

Series: Stand alone book


🕯️ Why I Picked It Up
I chose it because I loved the front cover, although its not conventional Christmas colours I do like pink and I like the cute Christmassy scene on the front.



🎁 Summary (Spoiler-Free)

Krystle didn’t have a normal childhood and longed for warm family Christmases with presents under the tree. Now she makes sure everyone else has the perfect Christmas she never had, bringing beautiful decorations to cheer as many people as possible.

With her festive business booming, she decides to celebrate by renting a secluded house in the Lakes, with a plan to make this the ultimate yuletide getaway.

But fate immediately throws a spanner in the works in the form of a broken-down car, a flooded river and Max; a man who despises Christmas.

Krystle becomes determined to show Max the joys of the holiday. She won’t take no for an answer.

Can she melt Max’s Grinch-like heart? And can he show her that life doesn’t need to go to plan to take you somewhere magical…


🌟 What I Loved

  • The festive atmosphere
  • The cute ‘Christmas Card’ cosy setting.
  • The characters were a nice mix without there being too many and it getting confusing.
  • Lots if interesting elements that added to the main story.



❄️ What Could Have Been Better

  • It did take me longer to read than other seasonal romances, it might have been the writing style, but I think it might be a me issue more than the book tbh 😂
  • Probably slightly predictable but most seasonal romances books are so 🤷🏼‍♀️



🎅 Christmas Spirit Rating


🎄🎄🎄.5 / 5 Christmas Trees


🧣 Who Would Enjoy This Book?

If you are a fan of a classic holiday romance, by authors such as Sarah Morgan, Heidi Swain, then you’ll love this.

Romance fans will enjoy this, its sweet and wholesome. It is a bit of a slow burn romance.

Fair warning, it is a little sad a couple of times due to a death mentioned.


🎁 Final Thoughts

Overall I really enjoyed reading it, the setting was super cosy, you could imagine being there for a magical, cosy ‘Picture postcard’ Christmas. The characters were very likeable and the story kept you interested.

13 days to go!

Until Next Time,

Roseanne 🙂

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