Published 3rd November 2016
Full of romance and festive magic, Mistletoe on 34th Street is the funniest and most charming love story you will read this Christmas!
Olivia has never experienced a snow-covered, ‘traditional’ Christmas before. Having grown up in a family that chose winter sun over decking the halls, she’s not sure what all the fuss is about. So when she and her colleagues are stranded in New York after a work trip, Olivia is perfectly happy spending the holiday season in the Big Apple.
Jon, Olivia’s friend, on the other hand is desperate to get home in time for his big family get-together. Nevertheless, determined to make the best out of the situation, he sets out to show Olivia how enchanting Christmas in New York can be. And when handsome New Yorker Elijah is added to the mix, could the magic of the season finally be working its charm on Olivia? As 25 December draws closer, Olivia suddenly finds herself with a decision to make: who does she really want to kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas?
Amazon UK
*** Disclaimer - I was given a copy of this book by Little Brown Book Group, in return for an honest review ***
Finally, I have been waiting weeks to post this review. It is finally November and I can indulge, get cosy under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate and absorb myself in Christmas themed books. This being my first of the year and having read it over Halloween, I had been worried I might not get fully into the Christmas spirit. I need not have worried it did and some. By the way how pretty is the cover? It caught my attention straight away when I received an email about this book.
The author has a talent for drawing you in, making you feel like you know the characters and is extremely good at describing the world around Olivia our main character, in particular, New York. All the characters have varied personalities and they are relatable in their own ways which helped me get past a slightly slow start (which for me is my only real criticism of this book). The story is full of romance, humor and everything that makes Christmas... well Christmas. I laughed out loud at so many parts, I am pretty sure my husband thought I had finally lost my marbles.
The Author's writing style is fun, lighthearted and ( as someone who has not read anything not in the third person style in a long while) refreshing. Olivia's mind is perfect for telling this story and a pleasure to be 'inside' she is so quirky and her inner monologue is quite often so funny you cannot help but fall in love with her yourself. As we follow her struggle of understanding Christmas from a traditional point of view and her struggles with work, love, being stranded in New York, crossed wires and learning that the past is just that the past. She is surrounded by a variety of entertaining individuals, each bringing their own little thing to the story. Some of which are just perfect and favourites in the book for me. Such as Olivia's dad, Kim (her appearances are just gold) and Abigail. Another thing I found a really nice touch about this book was the well-placed pop culture references. I loved them! Especially regarding a certain favourite childhood toy of mine, I actually think that might be my favourite scene throughout the whole of the book.
As lighthearted, festive and funny as this book is it caught me upside the head with one hell of a wallop of emotion and although not where it may have been attended or where people would think I was a gibbering teary mess. If a book can make me cry, laugh out loud and festive then that is definitely a book worthy of a read.
There is very little to criticize about this book. I found the start slow and for, me it took a while to get hooked. I also had trouble with some of the words used / phrasing, this is in no way the author's fault but my own.
If you are feeling grinchy this year or having trouble deciding on your first or latest festive read for the year, pick up a copy, grab your blanket, your festive pj's or jumper, your favourite winter tipple and settle down to enjoy.
My Rating :
Author Bio
Lisa Dickenson is the pseudonym for Beyoncé. OK, FINE, THAT'S NOT TRUE. Lisa lives by the Devon seaside, stuffing cream teas in the gobs of anyone who comes to visit, and writing stuff down that she hopes is funny. Her first novel was the copyright-infringing Sweet Valley Twins: The Twins Holiday Horror, which she wrote in primary school and gave up on after five pages. Twenty-ish years later Lisa went on to be a *real author* and wrote the Novelicious Debut of the Year, The Twelve Dates of Christmas. In summer 2016 out popped You Had Me at Merlot. She’s now keeping her fingers crossed that everyone will like her third paperback, Mistletoe on 34th Street, and that New York City gives her a free apartment near Central Park as a ‘well done’.
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