I adore Portia’s books and never turn down the chance to read a newbie by her. The romance and Christmas scenarios in this one sounded like a lot of fun, so I was looking forward to it.
Blurb:
Billie is looking forward to a quiet, man-free Christmas. It’s just a shame her family doesn’t feel the same way…
With a house full of unexpected (and unwanted) guests, Billie needs to find the perfect escape to get away from the chaos.
So when her dating app recommends a week of singles nights in her area, Billie decides that braving these events has to be better than making conversation with her dad’s new wife, dealing with her mum’s mid-life crisis or witnessing her sister flirting with her insufferably arrogant next-door neighbour.
While this is definitely not the festive season she had planned, between disco bowling and boozy bingo, little does Billie know that she may find love this year after all – she’ll just have to date and see…
Fall in love with the perfect laugh-out-loud festive read from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh.
My thoughts:
I loved the character of Billie and admired her indepence and strength. As a teacher, I identitifed with her need to switch off and enjoy the peace and calm of Christmas.
Of course, these plans go awry when family members turned up. I completely felt for Billie and her mixed emotions of having her Dad invite himself and his new partner over for Xmas, as their relationship could be described as distant. At this point, the story becomes about familial relationships and how they change and divert as we grow up.
I suppose the exploration of family dynamics provides a more serious element to the story, as the romance story is very light-hearted, a lot of fun and sometimes laugh out loud. Billie’s backstory is upsetting and realistic, and I was glad of her reaction when slimy Declan tried to worm his way back into Billie’s life.
Rocco is a likeable and suitable hero of the story, and him and Billie seem to hit it off straight away. However, another woman seems to have her eye on Rocco and Billie has setious trust issues, which makes it unclear as to whether their instant attraction will build into something that will last.
I was surprised by a few twists along the way, as well as the ending, but glad that Portia made the choice to provide an insight into the future, as otherwise I think the ending might have fallen flat or felt too rushed, for me personally.
Overall, this was a well balanced rom com that provides some light and fun moments, alongside some more serious, soul-searching moments. Recommended for fans of Paige Toon and Camilla Isley.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
*Ceri's Lil Blog* 