The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey

The Snow Child has been on my TBR for a while now. If you haven't gathered already, I love a folklore/fairytale retelling and whilst this didn't technically meet my Christmas read criteria - the Snow element definitely meant I was going to allow the tedious link.

Mabel and Jack have moved from their somewhat comfortable surroundings to Alaska. It's 1920 and they have no idea what they are coming up against. The harsh Alaskan winters are not for the feint hearted but after suffering with what would have been called "melancholy", Mabel wants a fresh start.

Whilst no accurate ages are given, I see the couple as being middle-aged (perhaps early 50's) and as a result, the cruel cold backdrop is a challenge for them physically. On top of this, Mabel thoughts lead us to understand that she is still grieving after a loss years prior.

I wouldn't want to give too much away so I'll leave my synopsis there. This book was an unexpected love for me though - around 50 pages in, I was concerned it would become a DNF for me because I found it slow paced and American wilderness is not for me. But I stuck with it and I found it to be a truly beautiful book.

The writing is stunning, the feelings and thoughts portrayed are heart felt and the real life challenges that would have been experienced are carefully laid out.

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Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie

Started: Saturday 2nd July 2022 Finished: Saturday 2nd July 2022 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ On Saturday I travelled up to London to see Beauty and The Beast at the London Palladium and with a four hours on a train, I wanted something I could really get stuck into. I need a book small enough to fit in my bang, fast paced enough to lose myself in and lighthearted enough not to impact my mood and Murder On The Orient Express was perfect. My second delve into the Agatha Christie catalogue, I’ve already labelled her books as “filler” books - perfect for one sitting and clever enough to keep me guessing without the dreaded Book Hangover. Murder On The Orient Express sees the infamous Monsieur Hercule Poirot have an urgent recall to England, cutting his leisure time short. But oddly, the sleeper train is full, a strange and unexplained circumstance given the time of year. Through his years of connections, a temporary cabin is found to be shared with McQueen - the travel companion for Ratchett; and ...

The English Fuhrer - Rory Clements

There's something about an alternative Second World War or a "What If?" that intrigues me. After my somewhat disappointing experience with The Man In The High Castle a few weeks ago - I was hesitant that this would also miss the mark slightly but thankfully - it hit all the right spots. A few months after the end of the War, Tom Wilde is back from his OSS placement and is settling back into academia at Cambridge. But a visit to a sick friend lands him in the midst of a biological attack on British Soil and he's called up on by his previous colleague to investigate. I really enjoyed this story. I didn't realise that it was part of a series of novels based on the central character, Tom Wilde but that didn't stop my grasp of what was going on. The departments and fractions of military were easy to pick up though there are a likely a few backstories that would have been useful to piece things together quicker. My only criticism is that Clements' writing s...

A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

What a bloody lovely Christmas beaut this was! If you're venturing into spicy romance books and have been on Instagram or TikTok recently, it's likely that you would have seen this little gem doing the rounds. Bee is a content creator for ClosedDoor (think.. OnlyFans) and Nolan is an ex-boyband bad boy that are both cast in a Hope Channel (think... Hallmark) Christmas movie, Duke The Halls. Nolan is reinventing his career and trying to rid himself of the bad boy image whereas Bee is brought in last minute because the Lead Actress has been taken ill. The best part? Bee was a massive fan of Nolan in her teenage years and Nolan has been following Bee on social media for a while. And they're getting paid to get to know each other. I adored this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and is perfect for those of us who love a Hallmark Christmas movie but wished there was a bit heat in the romances. the positive message around Bee's work is brilliantly handled, not to me...

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