I Heart Christmas (Part Three: Chapters 13–18) (I Heart, #6)

by Lindsey Kelk

[Leah]

I really enjoy Lindsey Kelk’s novels – About A Girl is one of my favourite novels of hers (and is a fabulous start to her newest series), and I loved The Single Girl’s To Do List, as well. I’m not a massive fan of her I Heart novels, but when I received a proof copy of her sixth I Heart novel, I Heart Christmas, I quite liked the sound and look of the novel. I’ve only read up to I Heart Paris, having skipped London and Vegas (though that pains me cos I love Vegas, so I may have to go back and read it) but after reading the first page of I Heart Christmas, I just had to carry on reading because I was just so interested in Christmas with Angela, and I’m so glad I did because I really enjoyed the novel.

In I Heart Christmas, all Angela wants is the perfect Christmas – kitschy decorations, well deserved time off to spend with hubby Alex, and loads of beautiful British goodies, including Jaffa Cakes. But her peaceful and romantic Christmas starts to unravel in so many different ways; she gets a promotion at work, which should be awesome, but means way more work than she’s used to and her workload has trebled, her best friend Louisa has upped and left Britain and has landed on Angela’s doorstep looking for a place to stay, with daughter Grace, and Jenny Lopez has decided she wants a baby and will stop at nothing to make that come true and to top it all off, Angela’s parents have decided to come over for a visit. Angela’s perfect Christmas is unravelling at lightning speed and she starts to wonder if she’s going to have the Christmas she wants after all?

I really enjoyed I Heart Christmas, I think because I haven’t read I Heart Vegas and I Heart London that it actually helped. I liked Angela so much in this novel, a complete 180 to how I felt about her in the first three novels and it wasn’t something I’d ever thought I’d say. I don’t know if Angela changed, or if I’ve changed toward her, but I liked her. I loved her enthusiasm for Christmas and I just really enjoyed catching up with her and everyone else; Alex, Jenny, Louisa, even James Jacobs. I adored seeing Angela and Alex’s relationship. They’re married now and they’re settled, so settled. It was super sweet. I also really loved reading about Angela’s job at Gloss. I even enjoyed her feud with Cici, which spans a few books (she was apparently responsible for the luggage blowing up in Paris), and it was just the right side of light-hearted fun.

I was massively impressed with I Heart Christmas. Iv’e always said Kelk is an awesome writer and she must be good cos she’s got me to like, maybe even love, Angela. I’d even love to read more from Angela, I definitely think she still has mileage, because there is still a few things missing from Angela’s life!! Kelk could definitely write another if she wanted to and I’d read it in a heartbeat. I loved that Angela’s and Alex’s relationship has grown, and that they talk about stuff more, instead of fighting and splitting up and getting back together etc. Angela herself has grown, she finally seems to be an adult, which is so great. I’m so glad I read the novel because I enjoyed it so much. Bravo, Lindsey.