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 … 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.
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Poppy Alexander’s “25 Days ’til Christmas” really wasn’t my idea of an “uplifting” holiday story, despite the publisher’s claims. Both of the main characters, Kate and Daniel, came across as total sad sacks for most of the book, and the plot seemed to be nothing more than one long series of depressing events. Among other things, the story included a dead soldier husband; a grandmother-in-law with advanced dementia, who was also running out of funds to keep her in her nursing home; Kate’s son’s struggles in school; a possible looming layoff; and Daniel’s dead sister. With all of that going on around them, it was no wonder that Daniel and Kate both struggled to find some Christmas spirit!
In addition to the depressing plot and unhappy characters, the author’s writing style was very choppy, with frequent POV changes in the middle of chapters. The first few chapters didn’t do a good job of drawing me into the story or making me invest in the characters, and I ended up setting the book aside and forgetting about it completely for a month or so before coming back to it because I remembered that I had committed to write a review. While this wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, I have to admit that I was tempted to DNF it a few times. I just wasn’t in the mood for something so sad right before Christmas; I wanted to read something light, funny, and happy instead.
Again, this was not a completely terrible book. I ended up liking (OK, maybe more like pitying) the characters in the end and I did want things to work out for them, but I wish there had been more to the book’s ending. It seemed very abrupt to me and a number of things were not completely resolved. In addition, given that I did not care for the author’s writing style, I don’t think I would read any of her other books in the future.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.
/ 5
I would like to start out by saying 25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander is not going to be for the person looking for a light, fluffy Christmas book that reads like a Hallmark movie. But if you are looking for a Christmas themed book with soul, depth, and a mix of both happy and sad then you should love it! I don’t normally like the idea of reading reviews before reading the book, but I would say that is almost a necessity here, so you know exactly what to expect from it and won’t be expecting something it’s not.
I went into 25 Days ‘Til Christmas with appropriate expectations and I absolutely loved it. I cried, I laughed, I got mad; I experienced a wide range of emotions, and I enjoyed it all. I think the synopsis is extremely misleading and makes you think you are in for a light, fluffy romcom when that is not the case at all. The romance really comes more towards the end and this book definitely deals with the sad before it gets happy. There is pain, loss, and darkness, but also joy and finally, the romance!
I loved so many characters but especially Kate and Jack. Their story totally engulfed me, and I read this book in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. I know a lot of people said it was too slow for them, but for me the pacing was fine, and I didn’t think the book was too long either. Some parts were predictable, and there are definitely some very unlikable characters as well, but I enjoyed it, nevertheless. Overall, I am probably more at a 4.5/5 but since I am not doing half stars anymore I wanted to give 25 Days ‘Til Christmas the full 5 because I think it deserves it.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Not Going Down by Jo Dee Messina
Final Thought: You are going to need the tissues for 25 Days ‘Til Christmas, but there is so much about it that will also make you smile and feel good that it won’t matter. I’m pretty disappointed with all the low ratings for this book since I loved it so much, but I can definitely understand how it wouldn’t be for everyone. And I repeat, this book is NOT LIGHT AND FLUFFY. You’re welcome. Alexander has found an instant fan in me at least so please keep them coming!
I won a copy of this one, so here is my review! So I liked this one, but it isn’t a happy/Trolls-worthy/glitterfest. I think people who struggle with wanting to hold on the magic of the holidays while facing the weight of their reality will feel a kinship with this book. While I enjoyed it, it did have a few slow moments.
I loved this book. So many tragic things happened to Kate that I was wondering if she would get her happy ending. The buildup to the bridge reminded me of “it’s a Wonderful Life” movie. She was “saved” by her Guardian Angel Daniel. Or that is just me being sappy. I could not put this book down, it was so good. Kate will always be the “Christmas Tree Girl”. Thank you, Poppy Alexander, for a wonderful Christmas story!
Poppy Alexander’s “25 Days ’til Christmas” really wasn’t my idea of an “uplifting” holiday story, despite the publisher’s claims. Both of the main characters, Kate and Daniel, came across as total sad sacks for most of the book, and the plot seemed to be nothing more than one long series of depressing events. Among other things, the story included a dead soldier husband; a grandmother-in-law with advanced dementia, who was also running out of funds to keep her in her nursing home; Kate’s son’s struggles in school; a possible looming layoff; and Daniel’s dead sister. With all of that going on around them, it was no wonder that Daniel and Kate both struggled to find some Christmas spirit!
In addition to the depressing plot and unhappy characters, the author’s writing style was very choppy, with frequent POV changes in the middle of chapters. The first few chapters didn’t do a good job of drawing me into the story or making me invest in the characters, and I ended up setting the book aside and forgetting about it completely for a month or so before coming back to it because I remembered that I had committed to write a review. While this wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, I have to admit that I was tempted to DNF it a few times. I just wasn’t in the mood for something so sad right before Christmas; I wanted to read something light, funny, and happy instead.
Again, this was not a completely terrible book. I ended up liking (OK, maybe more like pitying) the characters in the end and I did want things to work out for them, but I wish there had been more to the book’s ending. It seemed very abrupt to me and a number of things were not completely resolved. In addition, given that I did not care for the author’s writing style, I don’t think I would read any of her other books in the future.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.
/ 5
I would like to start out by saying 25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander is not going to be for the person looking for a light, fluffy Christmas book that reads like a Hallmark movie. But if you are looking for a Christmas themed book with soul, depth, and a mix of both happy and sad then you should love it! I don’t normally like the idea of reading reviews before reading the book, but I would say that is almost a necessity here, so you know exactly what to expect from it and won’t be expecting something it’s not.
I went into 25 Days ‘Til Christmas with appropriate expectations and I absolutely loved it. I cried, I laughed, I got mad; I experienced a wide range of emotions, and I enjoyed it all. I think the synopsis is extremely misleading and makes you think you are in for a light, fluffy romcom when that is not the case at all. The romance really comes more towards the end and this book definitely deals with the sad before it gets happy. There is pain, loss, and darkness, but also joy and finally, the romance!
I loved so many characters but especially Kate and Jack. Their story totally engulfed me, and I read this book in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. I know a lot of people said it was too slow for them, but for me the pacing was fine, and I didn’t think the book was too long either. Some parts were predictable, and there are definitely some very unlikable characters as well, but I enjoyed it, nevertheless. Overall, I am probably more at a 4.5/5 but since I am not doing half stars anymore I wanted to give 25 Days ‘Til Christmas the full 5 because I think it deserves it.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Not Going Down by Jo Dee Messina
Final Thought: You are going to need the tissues for 25 Days ‘Til Christmas, but there is so much about it that will also make you smile and feel good that it won’t matter. I’m pretty disappointed with all the low ratings for this book since I loved it so much, but I can definitely understand how it wouldn’t be for everyone. And I repeat, this book is NOT LIGHT AND FLUFFY. You’re welcome. Alexander has found an instant fan in me at least so please keep them coming!
I won a copy of this one, so here is my review! So I liked this one, but it isn’t a happy/Trolls-worthy/glitterfest. I think people who struggle with wanting to hold on the magic of the holidays while facing the weight of their reality will feel a kinship with this book. While I enjoyed it, it did have a few slow moments.
I loved this book. So many tragic things happened to Kate that I was wondering if she would get her happy ending. The buildup to the bridge reminded me of “it’s a Wonderful Life” movie. She was “saved” by her Guardian Angel Daniel. Or that is just me being sappy. I could not put this book down, it was so good. Kate will always be the “Christmas Tree Girl”. Thank you, Poppy Alexander, for a wonderful Christmas story!
Poppy Alexander’s “25 Days ’til Christmas” really wasn’t my idea of an “uplifting” holiday story, despite the publisher’s claims. Both of the main characters, Kate and Daniel, came across as total sad sacks for most of the book, and the plot seemed to be nothing more than one long series of depressing events. Among other things, the story included a dead soldier husband; a grandmother-in-law with advanced dementia, who was also running out of funds to keep her in her nursing home; Kate’s son’s struggles in school; a possible looming layoff; and Daniel’s dead sister. With all of that going on around them, it was no wonder that Daniel and Kate both struggled to find some Christmas spirit!
In addition to the depressing plot and unhappy characters, the author’s writing style was very choppy, with frequent POV changes in the middle of chapters. The first few chapters didn’t do a good job of drawing me into the story or making me invest in the characters, and I ended up setting the book aside and forgetting about it completely for a month or so before coming back to it because I remembered that I had committed to write a review. While this wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read, I have to admit that I was tempted to DNF it a few times. I just wasn’t in the mood for something so sad right before Christmas; I wanted to read something light, funny, and happy instead.
Again, this was not a completely terrible book. I ended up liking (OK, maybe more like pitying) the characters in the end and I did want things to work out for them, but I wish there had been more to the book’s ending. It seemed very abrupt to me and a number of things were not completely resolved. In addition, given that I did not care for the author’s writing style, I don’t think I would read any of her other books in the future.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.
/ 5
I would like to start out by saying 25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander is not going to be for the person looking for a light, fluffy Christmas book that reads like a Hallmark movie. But if you are looking for a Christmas themed book with soul, depth, and a mix of both happy and sad then you should love it! I don’t normally like the idea of reading reviews before reading the book, but I would say that is almost a necessity here, so you know exactly what to expect from it and won’t be expecting something it’s not.
I went into 25 Days ‘Til Christmas with appropriate expectations and I absolutely loved it. I cried, I laughed, I got mad; I experienced a wide range of emotions, and I enjoyed it all. I think the synopsis is extremely misleading and makes you think you are in for a light, fluffy romcom when that is not the case at all. The romance really comes more towards the end and this book definitely deals with the sad before it gets happy. There is pain, loss, and darkness, but also joy and finally, the romance!
I loved so many characters but especially Kate and Jack. Their story totally engulfed me, and I read this book in one sitting because I didn’t want to put it down. I know a lot of people said it was too slow for them, but for me the pacing was fine, and I didn’t think the book was too long either. Some parts were predictable, and there are definitely some very unlikable characters as well, but I enjoyed it, nevertheless. Overall, I am probably more at a 4.5/5 but since I am not doing half stars anymore I wanted to give 25 Days ‘Til Christmas the full 5 because I think it deserves it.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Not Going Down by Jo Dee Messina
Final Thought: You are going to need the tissues for 25 Days ‘Til Christmas, but there is so much about it that will also make you smile and feel good that it won’t matter. I’m pretty disappointed with all the low ratings for this book since I loved it so much, but I can definitely understand how it wouldn’t be for everyone. And I repeat, this book is NOT LIGHT AND FLUFFY. You’re welcome. Alexander has found an instant fan in me at least so please keep them coming!
I won a copy of this one, so here is my review! So I liked this one, but it isn’t a happy/Trolls-worthy/glitterfest. I think people who struggle with wanting to hold on the magic of the holidays while facing the weight of their reality will feel a kinship with this book. While I enjoyed it, it did have a few slow moments.