REVIEW: A Christmas Secret (Schubert Book 2) by Kirsty Ferry
A heart-warming fun read from Kirsty Ferry, perfect for cat lovers.
What if a secret from Christmas past was stopping you from moving on to Christmas future?
When Hugo McCreadie steps into Isla Brodie’s pet portrait studio to get a ‘Festive Furball Photo Shoot’ for his sister’s cat Schubert, he does question his sanity. But he knows the photographs will be the perfect Christmas present for his eccentric sister, Nessa – and he finds himself quite taken with ditzy, animal-loving Isla Brodie, too.
Will a Christmas secret from long ago prevent Hugo and Isla’s new friendship from going any further? Or will a certain big, black cat taking matters into his own paws lead them not only on a mad winter dash through snowy Edinburgh –but into each other’s arms for Christmas as well?
Dear Ms. Ferry,
I discovered this series when I was looking for Halloween-ish books but as I didn’t get a chance to read book one before the holiday, I dove in with book two. I did just fine without having read the first one but now that I’m a Schubert fan, I plan on heading back at some point to read his first adventure.
Hugo is cat-sitting his nephew Schubert while Hugo’s sister and BF are in Hollywood. Thinking it would be a perfect present, Hugo arrives at Isla’s Pet Photo business to have Schubert immortalized. Schubert is a large (do not call him fat as Schubert listens closely to what people around him say or so says Hugo’s sister, Nessa) black, fluffy cat. Posing elegantly, along with his stuffed toy, Catnip, Schubert makes an impression.
Events throw Hugo and Isla together the next day when he arrives to pick up the portfolio and a (wretched) person from both their pasts ruins their dinner and might have thrown a monkey wrench into any relationship they might have been starting. Can Schubert save the day?
This is just charming with a side of Dark Past that makes both MCs introspective and keeps the book from being about nothing but a twee experience with a large cat. Isla’s self confidence got done in, while Hugo does have a Checkered Past albeit one he has turned around. But both are so used to things not going their way that it takes a nudge from an escape artist feline who then goes on a madcap tour of Edinburgh to get them to talk.
Does Schubert understand what everyone is saying? Well, I talk to my cats all the time and get appropriate looks from them as I do so … maybe? Readers looking for a fast, fun, and funny holiday story (which I tried to mentally read with Scottish accents) should check it out. B
~Jayne
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This sounds fun to read – a bonbon for the weekend – and is KU available. Thank you for the review.
@LML: You’re so welcome. Oh, and Isla isn’t ditzy like the blurb says. I just wish the cover artist had shown Schubert as large and fluffy but you can’t have everything in life.