The Little Christmas House by Tracy Rees
Publication Date: 22nd Oct 2021
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Christmas Fiction
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Good, but could’ve been better.
It’s Christmas time in Hopley village, and what’s Christmas when wounded hearts don’t heal? Holly loves to teach little kids and is a drama teacher in the village school.
Edward and his eight-year-old daughter, Eliza, have recently moved into the Christmas House that’s a bit away from the village. Eliza is in the same class Holly teaches and is trying to adjust to the new place. Holly is nursing heartbreak after Alex ended their 10-year relationship.
Holly, Edward, and Eliza are struggling with issues from the past. When fate brings them together, will they manage to look past the wounds and find each other? How will the past affect their present and future?
The story is told in the limited third person from three perspectives- Holly, Edward, and Eliza. My favorite character in the book is Eliza. To say she’s the life of the story wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Holly and Edward are sweet people who want to do the best they can. The book is pretty much a Hallmark movie kind of story. While it was enjoyable, the overall impact wasn’t as good as I expected. I’ve read the author’s first book and was impressed by it.
This one, though sweet and inclusive, was more of a tell than show when it came to backstory. While it contained the length, it dimmed the effect on readers (at least me). Also, there wasn’t an epilogue! The last chapter has a decent, hopeful ending, but that’s not enough. I wanted something more concrete.
Three things I loved the most:
- Eliza is an absolute sweetheart, and so were the other kids at school.
- Holly is a wonderful teacher. Sensitive, attentive, and assertive.
- Edward is a great dad.
Things that could have been better:
- Cressida’s character. We never really get to understand her.
- A little more show than tell.
- A couple of more chapters from Eliza’s POV.
- More interaction between the lead characters.
To sum up, The Little Christmas House is a sweet book to pick up between heavy reads or on a lazy afternoon.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheLittleChristmasHouse #NetGalley
*****
P.S: Can we please not use Fatima in so many books? There are many other beautiful Arabic names for girls.
Indira Khan sounds a bit awkward, especially without the backstory, and I kept wondering if the parents were a fan of the late Indira Gandhi.
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