BBNYA 2025 Finalist Review: Bella's Countryside Christmas by Claire Huston
Sweet, snowy, and heart-warming, this second-chance romance blends small-town charm with a gentle slow-burn connection that feels like coming home.
Sweet, snowy, and heart-warming, this festive second-chance romance follows Bella as a fake wedding date turns into a genuine connection-only for life to pull them apart. A year later, a fresh start brings her right back to the man she left behind. With holiday charm, village warmth, and a gentle slow-build romance, this is a cozy curl-up-with-hot-cocoa kind of read-and a perfect choice if you love a cozy Christmas romance with small-town charm.
A gentle, small-town Christmas romance built on second chances and emotional timing.
Welcome to my stop on the 2025 BBNYA Finalist Tour
The Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) celebrates standout indie fiction, and I always love being part of that discovery process.
Today's post is a review of Bella's Countryside Christmas by Claire Huston, one of this year's finalists.
This review is part of my ongoing mission here at GinaRaeMitchell.com to champion indie authors and stories worth discovering.
About BBNYA
The Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is a yearly competition that helps readers discover exceptional indie books.
Learn more about BBNYA:
BBNYA Website
@BBNYA_Official on X
@The_WriteReads on X
About Bella's Countryside Christmas
Bella's Countryside Christmas: A sweet, heart-warming winter romance By Claire Huston
Series: Haileybrook Village
Published by Independently Published on September 2024
Genres: Women's Fiction, Romance
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 366
Source: BBNYAA standalone story; an uplifting festive romance perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Phillipa Ashley, Trisha Ashley, Sue Moorcroft, Rebecca Raisin and Donna Ashcroft.
Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.
Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.
A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.
But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …
Reader Resources
Curious to learn more or see what other readers think? Explore the book here:
View Bella's Countryside Christmas on Goodreads
View Bella's Countryside Christmas on StoryGraph
Review at a Glance
| Genre: | Romance, Women's Fiction |
| Setting: | Haileybrook Village (cozy countryside at Christmas) |
| Length: | 363 pages |
| Content Rating: | Clean / Fade to black |
| My Rating: | ★★★★½ |
| Quick Take: | A sweet, slow-burn Christmas romance with strong cozy vibes, charming small-town energy, and a satisfying second-chance arc. |
Before we get into the full thoughts, a quick note for readers:
Themes of heartbreak, career dissatisfaction, family tension, and emotional uncertainty. Overall tone remains uplifting and gentle, with a strong focus on personal growth and second chances.
This felt like a true curl-up-and-stay-awhile kind of read-here's why:
My Thoughts
This is exactly the kind of book I reach for when I want something comforting, steady, and quietly romantic. From the very beginning, the setting does a lot of the heavy lifting in the best way possible. Haileybrook isn't just a backdrop-it feels lived in, festive, and full of the kind of small-town energy that makes you want to linger a little longer.
The story leans into a familiar setup-fake dating, missed timing, and a second chance a year later-but it does so with a gentle touch that keeps it from feeling overly predictable. Instead, it becomes more about emotional timing and personal readiness than big dramatic twists, which felt very true to life.
Bella is easy to connect with, especially in that space between wanting a fresh start and not quite knowing what that should look like. Her return to Haileybrook carries that mix of hope and hesitation, and I appreciated how her journey focused as much on finding her footing as it did on the romance itself.
The relationship between Bella and Jack builds slowly, and that pacing works well here. There's no rush, no forced intensity-just a gradual reconnection that makes their second chance feel earned. For readers who prefer low spice and emotionally grounded romance, this is a great fit.
If there's anything to note, it's that the story stays firmly within the cozy romance lane. The conflicts are relatively gentle, and the overall arc leans more toward comfort than surprise. But honestly, that's part of its charm. This is a book that knows exactly what it wants to be-and delivers on that promise.
With its strong sense of place, warm holiday atmosphere, and satisfying emotional arc, this is an easy recommendation for anyone looking to curl up with a feel-good Christmas read, especially readers who enjoy clean holiday romance and low-spice love stories.
Where to Buy
If this cozy finalist feels like your kind of read, you can explore purchase options below.
View Bella's Countryside Christmas on Amazon
Kindle | Paperback
Meet the Author
About Claire Huston
Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire, UK, with her husband and two children. She writes uplifting modern love stories about characters who are meant for each other but sometimes need a little help to realize it.
A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul at www.clairehuston.co.uk along with over 150 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.
As well as her website, you can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Goodreads: linktr.ee/clairehuston_author
Explore more from the author:
Website | Amazon | Goodreads
More 2025 BBNYA Finalists
If you're enjoying these finalists, here are a few more worth exploring:
In Conclusion
Bella's Countryside Christmas delivers exactly what it promises: a cozy, heart-warming escape filled with small-town charm, gentle romance, and a satisfying second-chance arc. While it stays comfortably within familiar holiday romance beats, its strong sense of place and steady emotional build make it an especially enjoyable read. This is the kind of story that feels easy to settle into-and just as hard to leave behind.
If you've read Bella's Countryside Christmas, tell me what you thought - I'd love to compare notes.
Happy reading - and thank you for supporting indie authors and stories worth discovering.
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[…] Bella's Countryside Christmas […]
Great review, Gina. I read this back when it came out and I loved it. Good Luck to Claire.
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A fun read!