Jill's Book Blog

Title: Heartaches and Christmas Cakes
Author: Amy Miller
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Bookouture
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: October 20, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

December, 1940: All that Audrey Barton wants is her family together for Christmas. But the war changes everything… 

The Barton family bakery in Bournemouth has been at the heart of the town for generations: Audrey and Charlie Barton have never been rich, but their bread and cakes – and their love and advice – have enriched the lives of others in the town for many years.

When war breaks out, it doesn’t take long for trouble to arrive on the bakery doorstep. Audrey’s brother William has joined up to fight, and William’s fiancé Elsie fears she may lose him before their life together has even begun. Audrey’s stepsister Lily comes to stay, but Lily is clearly hiding a dark secret.

And a silent and strange little girl is evacuated to the town – will Audrey get to the heart of what is ailing her?

Audrey battles to keep hope and love alive in tumultuous times. But when disaster strikes at Christmas, will her efforts be in vain?

This is the first book in a heartwarming and romantic new saga series, perfect for fans of The Gingerbread Girl, Nadine Dorries and Ellie Dean.

Review:

This book really lived up to it’s name. There were lots of Christmas cakes and tons of heartaches.

I enjoyed the backdrop of the bakery. It was fascinating to see how they dealt with the rations. I was also surprised at how important the bakery was during the war. They were given special privileges, such as Charlie being exempt from the war, because they had to feed people.

This was such a heart wrenching story. Pretty much everything that could go wrong to a town during the war happened to these people. A house was bombed, people were lost at war, and even a suicide. All of these things brought tears to my eyes, because they were so realistic. These were real problems that people faced during the war.

This story wasn’t so much about Christmas, though they gathered for Christmas at the end. They couldn’t decorate the town because the lights would have drawn attention to them during the air raids. But they were still able to have a happy Christmas at the end.

This book isn’t something I would typically read because it was so sad, but I enjoyed the writing. This is a good Christmas war story.

Title: No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day
Author: Tracy Bloom
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Bookouture
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: October 24, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Don’t you always plan the perfect Christmas?
Don’t you always think it will be the best one ever?
And doesn’t something – usually one of your loved ones – always come along and screw it up?

Katy’s been spending too much time in the office and not enough time with her family so she wants it all: snow (fake or real), the Michael Bublé Christmas album, whatever it takes.

There’s only one thing missing as far as her husband Ben is concerned: another baby to complete their family. Katy isn’t so sure…

Ben may be playing the role of Master Elf in the pre-school nativity but he is struggling to master his own family life. With romantically-challenged friends, an ex who refuses to go away and Katy’s mum’s 64-year-old toy boy thrown into the mix, Christmas looks like it could be going off the rails… Never mind family planning, can Katy and Ben even plan to make it to the end of Christmas Day?

Review:

Well, I couldn’t resist this story when I saw the title! It sounds so funny, and it didn’t disappoint.

This story is part of a series. I haven’t read any of the other books, but I understood this one. There were a couple of parts where I was slowed down when I tried to figure out who was related. It’s a family comedy, so it’s easy to get into the story.

The families are at different stages in their lives, so they would be relatable to different readers. Katy’s family is deciding whether or not to have more children, while also dealing with stress from her job. Her mother has a new boyfriend at 74 years of age, and they have invited themselves for Christmas dinner. Meanwhile, Matthew’s family is expecting a new child and dealing with preschool drama with his twins. All of these situations made for some very funny moments.

I really enjoyed this story. It was quick to get through because it was so funny and lighthearted. It’s a great, entertaining holiday story.

Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Wisehouse Classics
Source: Purchased
Release Date: November 6, 2015, originally December 19, 1843
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London on December 1843. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. A Christmas Carol tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation into a gentler, kindlier man after visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. The book was written at a time when the British were examining and exploring Christmas traditions from the past as well as new customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees. Carol singing took a new lease on life during this time. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.

Review:

It’s surprising that I had never read A Christmas Carol considering how much I love Victorian novels. My mom doesn’t like this story so I think that influenced me. But now I have finally read it!

Of course, there were no surprises with this story. It was exactly what I was expecting. There are so many adaptations of this story! It is such an important part of Christmas. Two Christmas movie adaptations I can think of are Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and It’s a Wonderful Life. Both are great examples of movies that were adapted to fit the story into a more modern setting.

The story has also added to pop culture. I kept thinking “Scrooge is being such a… Scrooge!” It’s funny how his name has really become a mainstream word.

This story is nice and short too. It takes less than two hours to read. This makes it the perfect book for a cozy winter night in with some hot cocoa.

Title: The Best Little Christmas Shop
Author: Maxine Morrey
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: HQ Digital
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Come home for Christmas to the Best Little Christmas Shop – the snowiest, cosiest place you can be!

Home for the holidays…

Icing gingerbread men, arranging handmade toys and making up countless Christmas wreaths in her family’s cosy little Christmas shop isn’t usually globe-trotter Lexi’s idea of fun. But it’s all that’s keeping her mind off romance. And, with a broken engagement under her belt, she’s planning to stay well clear of that for the foreseeable future…until gorgeous single dad Cal Martin walks through the door!

Christmas takes on a whole new meaning as Lexi begins to see it through Cal’s adorable five-year-old son’s eyes. But, finding herself getting dangerously close to the mistletoe with Cal, Lexi knows she needs to back off. She’s sworn off love, and little George needs a stability she can’t provide. One day she’ll decide whether to settle down again – just not yet.

But the best little Christmas shop in this sleepy, snow-covered village has another surprise in store…

Review:

This is a super cute story.

I loved the setting of the little village. There were a lot of comparisons to London since Cal was originally from there. But it was such a cozy little town, the perfect setting for a Christmas story.

This story has many of the stereotypical aspects of a Christmas romance. A stranger comes to the town and falls in love with one of their beloved residents. But there were some twists. One was that Lexi used to work with Formula One racers as a mechanic. She isn’t a stereotypical damsel in distress so she stands out in the story.

There also always seems to be a child that brings the couple together. Cal’s son George was that child in this story, and he was so adorable! He fit that role perfectly.

I really enjoyed this story. I recommend it for a cozy Christmas read!