I received this book for free from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It Won’t be Christmas Without You by Beth Reekles Published by HarperCollins Publishers on August 30, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, General, Holiday, Holidays, Holidays & Celebrations, New Adult, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 240
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
From the author of the smash hit Netflix romcom The Kissing Booth!
Eloise, a self-confessed Christmas obsessive, can’t wait for the big day. Devoted to her Michael Bublé playlist, she’s organising the school nativity play and even her gorgeous Grinch of a neighbour, James, can’t get her down.
Her workaholic twin sister, Cara, on the other hand, plans to work over the holiday – and figure out what secrets her seemingly-perfect boyfriend George might be keeping from her.
The sisters used to be close but since Cara moved to London, everything’s been different. Only, Eloise isn’t giving up just yet, and with a white Christmas on the cards, Cara can’t fail to be moved by the magic of the season ... can she?
I admit, I’m not usually one for romance or adult fiction. I’m more of a mystery, thriller, horror, and YA person. But this book seemed like it was going to be too cute to pass up. I was right.
Christmas is my second favorite holiday after Halloween. It should be – my birthday is Christmas Eve. So I know how important it is to be surrounded by loved ones for Christmas. So I can see why it is that Eloise is so disappointed when it seems that Christmas might not include her twin sister.
The writing style in this book might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Mind you, the book is set in the UK, so UK terms are used and might confuse some readers from other countries. The writing style itself kind of mish-mashes the story lines together. But it works. I didn’t find myself confused or wondering what was going on.
I found myself alternating between wanting to smack Cara and wanting to smack Eloise. They both seemed to be playing selfish – Eloise demanding her sister spend Christmas with her, Cara wanting to work as opposed to being with her family. But at the end of the day, aren’t we all at least a little selfish?
I was surprised to see how little the romance played into the story. It was there and it fit well into the story. Yet I can’t help but feel that with the exception of some dialogue between sisters, it honestly could have been left out with little consequence to the main theme of the book.
All in all, this was a very quick, very cute read. I recommend it for anyone looking for a cute, holiday themed read.
