Of the six Christmas books I read this year, three rose to the top as my favourites. Interestingly, the difference between five stars and four for me came down to the endings. Don't get me wrong -- I enjoyed all of these books. The ending, for me, factors significantly into my liking the book versus loving it. Following are my reviews for the holiday themed books I loved versus the ones I liked. You cannot go wrong with any of them!
CHRISTMAS BOOKS I LOVED
Hercule Poirot's Christmas, by Agatha Christie
This is the first Agatha Christie book I've been able to sink my teeth into. Absolutely loved it from the start and am ever so thankful to my bookclub for suggesting this one for our December meeting. Perfect!
The Twelve Holidates, by Emma St. Clair
This one checks all the boxes. From the very first line, I was hooked.
*Hilarious and horrifying set-up
*Best friends who don't know they are secretly in love with each other.
*Fun holiday-ish dates like rollerskating & watching movies in PJs.
*A cast of quirky characters who are somehow relatable as well as funny.
*And a period of "misunderstandings" that does not last too long.
Short, sweet, romantic and funny. Highly recommend.
Single All The Way, by Kate Watson
Well this story is just as sweet as can be. Reading Christmas-themed books this time of year started as a curiosity for me in 2023, and is quickly becoming a habit. I'm so grateful I selected this one as my first Christmas book for 2024! I am not much of series reader, so the epilogue teaser at the end of the book added nothing for me. That said, after reading about Kate Watson in her bio and Acknowledgments, I can tell she has all the qualities I look for in a closed door rom com author. Her next Christmas book may be my first pick for 2025 -- we'll see!
CHRISTMAS BOOKS I LIKED
Once Upon a Christmas, by Jane Porter
Lovely escapist story with all the British lordship feels contrasted with the honest brashness and sincerity of a young American. The HEA was too tidy. I felt like it needed more complications.
A Lighthouse Family Christmas, by Jane Porter
This was such a cute, festive story. I enjoyed the characters, the town, and the love story at the centre of this book. Perhaps my impatience to get to the happy ending prevented me from thoroughly appreciating the ride, as I did a fair amount of skimming to get past the “misunderstanding” and onto the resolution.
A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol, by Alana Oxford
This book is probably the best written holiday themed book I have read this year. Throughout the whole story, I was amazed how well the author captures the encroaching loneliness of midlife that affects many of us. The incredibly creative and vivid descriptions of the three spirit visitors felt strangely "real" and a cut above the standard Christmas Carol's. From the few reviews I've read on this delightful tale, I can see that the three optional endings appeal to most (if not all) readers. I would have preferred just one ending, and if I had my druthers, that ending would have leaned heavily into number one, while incorporating aspects of two and three. Also, the bleeding of the "spirit" world into reality with a remnant left behind felt jarring for me. My reservations about the choose-your-own-ending device aside, I absolutely loved this book and will highly recommend it to others!
What do you think? Is all well that ends well when it comes to Christmas books, or does the journey matter more?