Christmas at the Bay View Hotel
Hotel manager, Kate’s Christmas takes a turn for the worst
With a new owner taking over the Bay View, hotel manager Kate had planned the perfect Christmas for their guests. What she hadn’t planned for was a storm cutting Dashford off from the outside world the day before Christmas Eve.
With the roads impassable and every booking cancelled, Kate finds herself alone in an empty hotel with just one remaining guest.
James isn’t Kate’s idea of good company. He’s infuriating, secretive and decidedly grumpy. But is he who he says he is?
A standalone novel set in the fictional seaside town of Dashford-on-Sea. (You don’t have to have read the other Dashford books to enjoy this one.)
Tropes and themes
- festive romantic comedy
- later in life romance
- enemies-to-lovers
- forced proximity
- low spice
- contemporary Devon seaside small town setting
- fresh starts
- dual point-of-view
Publication date:
27 November 2026
Paperback
Kindle
Kindle Unlimited
Read an excerpt from Be More Capybara
‘Kate? Can I ask a favour?’ Do you mind if I leave early? I’m going to a party this evening.’
Kate looked up from her computer at Suki. ‘What time do you want to go?’
‘Now?’
Kate checked her watch. ‘It’s only half past four. What time are you going out?’
‘Not until eight, but I’ve got to wash my hair, do my nails, and put on my makeup.’ Suki sighed.
Kate grinned. That was all so important when she was eighteen. Thirty years ago. Good god. That long. ‘Go on then. I’ll hold the fort here.’
‘Thank you! You’re my favourite boss.’
‘But make up the time over the holidays, yeah?’
‘Yeah.’ Suki grabbed her coat from the back of the office door and ran to the hotel’s front door.
Kate re-read the email she’d been avoiding since lunchtime.
Fisher Holdings Ltd will be taking over ownership of the Bay View Hotel, with effect from Thursday 2nd January 2025. They’ve told me that they will continue to run the hotel the way we do now for at least the first three months of the year.
I hope that reassures you,
Silvia x
‘For at least the first three months.’ Kate read those words again. There was nothing reassuring about that phrase. She googled Fisher Holdings Ltd and scanned through the results. The headlines weren’t reassuring either. It looked like they had a history of buying up failing businesses, ostensibly to turn them around and sell them at a profit, but more often than not, they wound them up. “Much-loved Cornish hotel sold to developers by vulture capitalists, Fisher Holdings” was the most concerning. The Bay View Hotel was much loved by its regular guests and the residents of Dashford, but the accounts weren’t looking healthy, and neither were the bookings for next year. Things had never picked up properly since the pandemic. No wonder Silvia had been eager to sell it off - the hotel was a liability these days. Kate leaned back in her chair. You ought to be polishing your CV.
Polishing was a bit of an exaggeration. She hadn’t updated it since she’d been promoted to hotel manager nine years ago - not bad for someone who had started working here as a casual waitress when she was at sixth form. Friends had moved away from Dashford, but she’d stayed. Mainly because of Billy the Bastard, as she now thought of him. Childhood sweetheart, father to her two children, and as of six years ago, cheating arsehole - possibly before then too. She should never have married so young. How different life could’ve been if she’d gone to Australia when Sharon had suggested they have a gap year.
The ding of the Reception bell brought her back to reality. She got up from her desk and headed to the front desk, plastering on her usual welcoming smile.