Pages: 453Published: October 25th 2012 by SphereGenre: Christmas Chick/LitFormat: PaperbackAcquired: My own collectionDate Finished: January 11th 2012SynopsisCan the imperfect family really have the perfect Christmas?
Juliet Joyce adores Christmas. She loves the presents, the tree, the turkey, the tinsel, everything. Already the festive spirit is upon her, which is just as well as this Christmas things are starting to get out of hand.
Her son Tom is out of work and bringing home a slew of unsuitable partners; pregnant daughter Chloe and her little boy have moved back in; Juliet's father, Frank, is getting over a heartbreak of his own and Rita, her eccentric mother, is behaving more erratically each day. And has the chaos got too much for Juliet's husband Rick?
With the big day fast approaching, Juliet hopes that she can stop everything spiraling out of control, because the only thing she wants is her family all around her and her home to be filled.My thoughts on With Love at Christmas.Oh how I rubbed my hands together with glee when I learned that Carol Matthews was writing another Christmas novel. Last year I had the great pleasure of reading Wrapped up in you and fell in love with her writing and the love of Christmas. This year I have to say I am glad it took me into January to read it because I did not want Christmas to stop and it kept the spirit a live just a little while longer.This book had it all, romance, family drama, betrayal, dogs, babies, mince pies and Christmas lights. Not to mention real issues that everyday people deal with around Christmas that reminded me of how important family truly is and had me teary many times. I loved every single character in the novel, all apart from one at the end [if you read it you will know who] and it brought me back to times when I was a teenager and what an extravagant, yet highly addictive and stressful time Christmas was for everyone. I just adored the lead up to the event and each single event surrounding it. Carol Matthews has a way of writing that captures that warmth and radiates it inside you throughout the novel and it was a perfect way to end and to start the New Year.The part I enjoyed most of all was the shifts between Rick and Juliet’s perspective [husband and wife] it made for a totally different experience and I really grew to love their relationship and took a lot out of it while reading. Their romantic life was hilarious and the way they came together to take care of their family and friends was admirable. As far as couples go, I really loved getting to know them.There was nothing to dislike about this novel, and while some may read it and say it was a tad predicable. I thought those parts were endearing.I must admit at times I wanted to strangle the ass out Juliet’s grown children, but remembered that in 2012 that is the generation and at some point I was probably like that too. Still, I would recommend this book as a fantastic Christmas read, but also for those who love the season and would love to rekindle that love and spirit any time of the year. It certainly has changed my perspective on Christmas and I don’t want to stop reading Christmas books –dammit.P.s there is a fantastic survival guide in the back and a little excerpt from her novel coming out in April as well. I cannot wait. Count me in !!!I am giving this one:★★★★.5Christmas Puddings
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