25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

Published:  October 2019 – William Morrow Paperbacks

Book courtesy of the publisher

Description:  Kate Potter used to love Christmas. A few years ago, she would have been wrapping her presents in September and baking mince pies on Halloween, counting down the days and hours to Christmas. But that was before Kate’s husband left for the army and never came home. Now she can hardly stand December at all.

Kate can’t deny she’s lonely, yet she doesn’t think she’s ready for romance. She knows that her son, Jack, needs a Christmas to remember—just like Kate needs a miracle to help her finally move forward with her life. So she’s decided if there isn’t a miracle on its way, she’ll just have to make her own.

As Kate’s advent countdown to the best Christmas ever begins, she soon realizes that even with the best laid plans, you can’t plan for the unexpected. For when the path of the loneliest woman in town crosses with that of the loneliest man, these two destined hearts might find a way to save the holiday for both of them. (publisher)

My take:  Kate, a widow and mother of a young son, has the weight of the world on her shoulders and then she has to take on more when her job is threatened by a lecherous boss, her grandmother’s nursing home costs skyrocket, and her son Jack is being placed in a school that will do him no good at all. All she wants is to give Jack a happy Christmas.

Daniel is spending his first Christmas without his sister. His parents died years earlier and he took care of Zoe who had Down Syndrome and succumbed to a heart ailment. He’s a good man looking at where his life might go now that he’s on his own.

This book is about lonely people meeting and what happens when they open themselves to new connections. It’s an emotional story that tugged the heartstrings and I thought the fairytale ending seemed just right for the season.

---

About the author:

Poppy Alexander wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in her West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks) where she lives with her husband, children and various other pets. Poppy also writes as Rosie Howard and Sarah Waights.

---