“Joe took the chair beside hers as she explained the initials and arrows. She soon became over-aware of his proximity; even a nod seemed to disturb the air that surrounded them both. It was distracting.”
A Christmas Gift is a wonderful book that will have you believing in the magic of Christmas.
Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet.
To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organizing the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye?
Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends new and old make this a Christmas to remember after all?
Is there anything better than reading a charming Christmas book? I don’t think so. A Christmas Gift is the perfect book for readers who want to read a holiday book without all that Hallmark cheesiness in it. I love how Sue created a story that many of her readers could relate to. There was such realism to it. She did such an excellent job at blending the heartwarming Christmas romance story with some serious and real-life issues. The characters and the story have depth and are engaging.
This story follows Georgine and Joe, who are brought together to help organize the Christmas show at Acting Instrumental, a performing arts college. Georgine can’t figure out why Joe looks so familiar; what she doesn’t realize is that she does know Joe. They were childhood friends but had parted on unhappy terms. Joe can’t believe that he has bumped into and is now working with Georgine, the girl he had a huge crush on in school. Both Georgine and Joe have VERY complicated lives; I think the best way to describe it is that their lives are big hot messes. Georgine has debt collectors banging at her door because of her ex, and she has lots of family problems that she has to deal with. Joe’s childhood was anything but ideal, and now he finds himself hiding a part of his life from Georgine because he is afraid that it will change how she treats him. One great thing about this book was that even though both characters are dealing with really tough situations; I didn’t feel overwhelmed by their problems. There are still many lighthearted moments in this book, and I really enjoyed watching the romance bloom between Georgine and Joe. Â
Like most Christmas romance books, the spiciness in this book is light, which is how I like my Christmas romance novels. I love Georgine and Joe as a couple. I could see the chemistry between these two, and it was beautiful to watch as they took the time to listen and learn about each other. This gave their relationship a lot of depth. I loved how they accepted each other regardless of what they had been through or going through. It’s always nice when an author creates a couple that isn’t just together for the good times. Â
I must also admit, I love reading about the behind-the-scenes production of the Christmas show that Georgine and Joe were putting on. It was fun following the students as they rehearsed and seeing how they interacted with each other (oh, the memories of high school drama, LOL). Â
Sue Moorcroft’s book, A Christmas Gift, is a heartwarming book that will have you singing your favourite holiday tunes and wanting to go outside to spread some holiday cheer.
Thank you Harper Collins Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
