jord22's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
frombethanysbookshelf's review
4.0
This was originally pitched to me as “Devil Wears Prada meets A Christmas Carol” - and my first thought was — what? Surely that wouldn’t work! But that’s actually a pretty spot on description; this festive romcom was such a fun read, full of sparkle but also with so much heart and warmth.
At first we get settled in with our favourite holiday tropes; but then as we get to know our characters we find Hollys own twists and flair as she takes a classic Christmassy story and injects some excitement into it. Moving between Christmas Eve and the Christmasses of the past with brilliant, personal narration and a lot of charm and humour. In quite a short story, there's a lot going on and it moves quickly, but takes a little time to let us really stop and watch all the christmassy chaos unfolding.
At first we get settled in with our favourite holiday tropes; but then as we get to know our characters we find Hollys own twists and flair as she takes a classic Christmassy story and injects some excitement into it. Moving between Christmas Eve and the Christmasses of the past with brilliant, personal narration and a lot of charm and humour. In quite a short story, there's a lot going on and it moves quickly, but takes a little time to let us really stop and watch all the christmassy chaos unfolding.
If you're looking for a quick, fun and festive read as the holidays approach, definitely pick up Secret Santa!
x_miss_mcrae_x's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
◇Review- Throughout the book, we meet cruel, cold Charlie (The Scrooge) and Poppy (Charlie's Employee). We get to see why Charlie is such a christmas hating, cruel woman and how her and Poppy's story intertwines. It was a heartwarming, modern take on one of my favourite classics, so an easy 4 Star read for me and although its only october, its one I'd definitely recommend as a quick festive read at only 104 pages long. I only wish it had been longer, which is the reason for the missing star, but I could see this novella expanded into a full story because its definitely left me wanting more. I can't wait to try the recipes.
Thank you to @Instabooktours, @holly_green_author & @bluepierbooks for having me on the book tour and for giving me a reason to get the Christmas decorations out early this year!
Thank you to @Instabooktours, @holly_green_author & @bluepierbooks for having me on the book tour and for giving me a reason to get the Christmas decorations out early this year!
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