Meet me Under the Mistletoe by Abby Clements

I seem to be hooked on the up and coming Christmas reads, is that bad when it is only October? Meet me Under the Mistletoe is Abby Clements debut book and the cover is beautiful with it’s shimmering sparkle that instantly catches your eye I was hoping the storyline would win me over as much as the cover had!

Childhood friends Laurie and Rachel's lives have taken very different paths since they picked up their A-level results together. Laurie is living in London and dedicated to her career, keeping track of her friends on Facebook.

Rachel is seemingly living the family idyll in a cottage in Yorkshire - except she worries her marriage is starting to show cracks. When Rachel's mother in law falls ill and needs treatment in London, and Laurie decides she needs to get away for a break, a house swap falls into place. Soon Rachel is braving the mean streets of London while trying to keep her family together, while Laurie tries to figure out how to work an Aga and befriend the locals - and forget the man who seems intent on breaking her heart.

Will their relationships survive this test? And will they make it home in time for Christmas?

Each chapter in this book alternates between our two main characters Laurie and Rachel which allows us to get to know each of the characters in turn. I loved both of the characters but I found I could relate more to Laurie’s character, being  a business woman myself it is hard to get the work and personal life balance right, which is what Laurie is finding impossible but then having said that I was a little worried when I first met her character as she seemed to be blinded to this fact and so came across as a very cold and hard character but as the book progresses her character mellows and becomes more loveable. Rachel is a very warm and nurturing character from the start of this book and she is a joy to read, I just seem to be missing the maternal bone in my body which is why I preferred Laurie!

I was surprised that there wasn't more interaction between the two friends although both of their storylines are cleverly weaved together so it doesn't fell like two completely different stories. The storyline was enjoyable and easy to follow and I loved the shocking realisation towards the end of the book which I didn’t see coming.

There was a nice little touch of festivity to this book so makes it a perfect read for this time of year but because it is not overloaded with festivity it will be suitable to read all year around.

This was a great début by Abby Clements, I will be looking forward to more books by this author in the future.

Book Cover


Festive Feel

Book review over all


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