finished reading

It's a good thing there's a list of characters.  There are a lot of different arrivals at the castle.  And the castle is as much a character as any person.  The main character, Dido, senses the special atmosphere of the castle and its winter garden.  I enjoyed the rapport between Dido and her best friend and business partner, Henry.  They are well-developed characters.  My only complaint is that it's a bit long--or rather, slow.

From the publisher:

Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.

Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought.

But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel...

As past secrets come to light, can this still be a magical Christmas to remember?