A review by jhofmeister
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

๐Ÿ“–: 4 friends with tumultuous family relationships start a tradition of always spending Christmas together, but as their lives evolve, including one of them deciding to move across the country, their tradition, and friendship, risks falling apart.

๐ŸŽ„ ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿฝโ€๐Ÿคโ€๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿผ ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿพโ€๐Ÿคโ€๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿฝ

Unfortunately, I think my rating of The Christmas Orphans Club is highly influenced by how I read it, so hereโ€™s the backstory: I got a copy of this for myself and another for my bestie to read as an โ€œadvent calendarโ€ book where we read 1-2 chapters every day in December leading up to Christmas. It was a fun way to buddy read, but I STRUGGLED with only being able to read a chapter a night, and this was not the book to have to do that with. The plot depended on miscommunication to provide the tension (my literally least favorite trope) both with the romantic couples and within the friend group, and having to stew on that one chapter at a time?-- I think if I could have binged it, I would have liked it a lot more. All that being said, I didnโ€™t dislike the book, and I know lots of other people who loved it, so take this particular review with a large grain of salt!