Guests arrive from around the world, seeking comfort, relaxation and refuge as tensions build across Europe and whispered rumours of war grow louder. As a Strictly Come Dancing fan, I was surprised to discover Anton du Beke also had a career as an author, and I was intrigued to find out how skilled he was at writing.

Along the way, they’ll unlock wisdom for those of us navigating our own coupledoms, and for those still seeking their perfect match. In this five-part series, US happiness expert and positive psychologist Michelle Gielan and British journalist and author Oliver Burkeman explore ways to become truly happier, backed up by scientific evidence. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.This grossly oversimplified understanding has created many complexities in our lives and taken away from us the very fundamentals of the joy of living.

The blurb on the front says something along the lines of "Downton meets strictly" and that is very much a good description of it, but it is also so much more. To accompany the launch of my novel, I’m also excited to let you know that there will be a ‘book tour’… with a difference.

I thoroughly enjoyed following all the characters at Buckingham hotel, and experiencing that time period. I had not read the previous books in the series but it was possible to read this as a standalone book and not feel that one was missing the back story of the characters. A re-read after reading the first two in the series, I enjoyed this even more this time around as I now knew the backgrounds and stories of the various characters. Thankfully we’ve got some much needed escapism to look forward to as the nights draw in, with Strictly back on our screens – and of course… a particularly good book to curl up with! It is full of the richest characters who all have backstories which in some way help define them and so, to get the very best from them, you would be better playing catch up first.

Du Beke on - a man of many hats to be sure, and he can easily inhabit the mind of a dancer and make a reader feel the sway and rhythm of dance.Sir Michael Caine knows a thing or two about gangs: whether that’s joining one as a kid, or playing them in movies for over 50 years. I have become so fond of all the characters that although this book has many happy moments, I know that the war which they all dread is coming and in all likelihood all their lives will be affected. I love how this book carried the stories of its main cast forward - enough that you felt progression, but still left wanting more. In particular this book “A Christmas to Remember” follows Raymond Du Guise and his wife to be,Nancy Nettleton and also Vivienne Edgerton (step daughter to Lord Edgerton) and her activities at the ‘Daughters of Salvation’ homeless shelter.