Book Review; A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale

Summary:
A beautiful story about the magic of childhood Christmas memories, the strength of family and falling in love when you least expect it.

Everyone loves Christmas – don’t they?

Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.

As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is amazing , the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree!

The only problem could be her boss… single-dad Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?

As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realises that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… after all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin!

---

When Snow

I very rarely read Christmas-themed books, usually preferring to watch Christmas movies to soak up the spirit of the time of year but this year, I decided that I would try one and when I heard about A Christmas to Remember it sounded like the perfect book for me. And, admittedly, I really enjoyed this book. I did have a few issues with it but essentially I connected with the book instantly and really managed to feel the Christmas spirit of the book. It felt like the perfect book to snuggle down with in front of the fire while snow falls. (I have neither a fireplace, nor have had any snow but there we go!)

Is Falling

This is a book that has a very typical plot. But it still managed to surprise me, which is what I really enjoyed about it. With so many books and just stories floating around it can be difficult to be different and unique but Jenny Hale has created a story that is just a little different. It had a warm feel while I was reading it and I really enjoyed following all of the characters’ stories. However, one of the issues I had was that the book repeated a lot of the characters’ insecurities. I get that these things do come up in our heads over and over again but as a reader, it got a little irritating to constantly hear how much the main character wanted a family. But, fortunately, it wasn’t enough to put me off the story all together!

All Around

I really loved all of the characters in this book. I thought everyone was so interesting and unique and I just wanted to read so much more about them all. Personally though, Carrie was by far my favourite. She was insecure (mentioned above) but she was still confident about things, caring, and stood up for what she believed in – even if the consequences wouldn’t be great! I loved how she was around the children and I really felt that she made a great role model for them. I also thought Adam was a very interesting character. He was complex, strong, but also vulnerable and sensitive. I enjoyed how much he came out of his shell as the story progressed.

Everything Changes

This is the perfect festive read. It was fun, endearing, heart-warming, and really captured the spirit of Christmas. It was a story that I fell into and one that I am sure I’ll go back to from time to time – and probably want to re-read eventually. If you’re a fan of romances, festive reads, and books that make you feel warm inside while it’s incredibly cold outside, then I would highly recommend this book. I would also recommend it if you love family stories that will set your spirits high. It’s a well-written book that I wish didn’t have to end.