I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
25 Days 'Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander Published by HarperCollins on October 8, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Holiday, Holidays, Women
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
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In this heartwarming, feel-good holiday novel, one woman needs to find a little inspiration in the 25 days leading up to Christmas to help her remember the magic of the season and the magic of falling in love—perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Josie Silver.
Kate Potter used to love Christmas. A few years ago, she would have been wrapping her presents in September and baking mince pies on Halloween, counting down the days and hours to Christmas. But that was before Kate’s husband left for the army and never came home. Now she can hardly stand December at all.
Kate can’t deny she’s lonely, yet she doesn’t think she’s ready for romance. She knows that her son, Jack, needs a Christmas to remember—just like Kate needs a miracle to help her finally move forward with her life. So she’s decided if there isn’t a miracle on its way, she’ll just have to make her own.
As Kate’s advent countdown to the best Christmas ever begins, she soon realizes that even with the best laid plans, you can’t plan for the unexpected. For when the path of the loneliest woman in town crosses with that of the loneliest man, these two destined hearts might find a way to save the holiday for both of them.
25 Days Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander has the sort of cover that gave me all the wrong expectations. I had figured this would be a light hearted romance about a single mom. Instead, it’s a serious read with some truly heavy moments about people who feel so real. I genuinely felt 25 Days Til Christmas embodied the season perfectly with real, actual stakes for the characters.
Poppy Alexander’s 25 Days Til Christmas follows Kate who is a widow who lives in Bristol in a tiny apartment over a laundromat with her six year old son Jack. Kate works at a retail store selling Christmas trees on an annual contract, much to her dismay. She’s absolutely in poverty. At night, she works on her side hustle, making jewelry. Unfortunately for Kate, her boss is an ass, Jack’s not doing great in school, and she’s struggling to keep it altogether.
Kate then meets Daniel, who is dealing with the grief of losing his sister, Zoe. They’re essential the two loneliest people in Bristol and their paths are about to cross. Meanwhile, Kate has decided she’s going to give Jack a magical Christmas and so comes up with a small event to do during each day of Advent leading up to Christmas. She also dives headlong into trying to figure out how to turn their lives around.
Lest you think this book is about Daniel rescuing them, it’s not. Yes, there’s some romance, but it is very secondary. Instead we see Kate’s village and how they do step in to help her. However, the primary driving force is Kate herself. And well, I think it’s a fabulous story of carrying on through adversity and coming out the other side – with the help of others -but also not being passive. I just really loved 25 Days Til Christmas and could see it being a serious sort of movie.
On A Scale Of One To Buddy The Elf, How Much Christmas Spirit Does 25 Days Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander Have?
Honestly, 25 Days Til Christmas has spirit for sure. It has to with the different events Kate comes up with for Jack in their advent calendar. However, this is a book with some gravitas. There’s an aching despair that makes you really appreciate the happy moments and when all comes together for Kate. I think this book falls more on the George Bailey Christmas scale and that’s just fine with me.
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