Emma (SCR)
Written on May 31, 2015
Phoebe has had a terrible year, starting with the death of her boyfriend and ending, three weeks before Christmas, when she’s sacked from her job. The bills are piling up and she’s desperate enough to find herself working as a Christmas elf in the grotto of Hendrick’s Toy Store. As if the job description isn’t bad enough, Phoebe doesn’t like children. There’s nothing wrong with them, they’re just not for her. Neither is there any escape from a boss whose only language is sarcasm, and an alcoholic Santa.
Then one morning Maria comes into the grotto – a little girl unlike any she has met before. Phoebe doesn’t know it yet, but Maria and her dad are about to shake her life up in ways she could never have imagined…
When I signed up to the Little Acts of Love tour I knew I had to read Mishaps and Mistletoe which had been on my ever growing TBR for months now. I have read Tilly’s books before and I just love her writing so I was excited to delve back into the world of Milrise.
Phoebe has had a rough year and all she wants it to get through these 3 weeks working as an elf at Hendry’s Toy Store, so she can pay her bills. It’s just three weeks of handing out toys to snotty nosed, winy children and then she’s out of there. Phoebe is not really a fan of children but this close to Christmas it was the only job she could find. Phoebe is muddling through when one day she takes a shine to this little girl. There is something about her that Phoebe just gets. Little Maria is visiting the store with her father.
I liked Phoebe and I really felt for her after everything she had been through in the last year. She was easy to relate to and she has something likeable about her. Maria is such a sweet little girl and I instantly fell for her father.
I loved how much Phoebe cared and the way her and Maria interacted with each other.
This is a lovely little Christmas story that will have you wishing for those long dark nights by the warm fire (or radiator in my case), with a nice mug of hot chocolate.