Christmas Carol

by Michele Gorman

[Leah]

In the past couple of years, I’ve become quite a fan of Michele Gorman, after a bit of a rocky start with her debut novel. I really loved her last release Bella Summer Takes A Chance and so when she announced she was writing a Christmas novella I was chuffed and I was really looking forward to reading it. So when my copy pinged into my email inbox, I couldn’t wait to give it a read. Novellas have become massive over the past couple of years – a way for authors to keep themselves in our memory without having to write a 100,000 word novel!

Christmas Carol is a cute Christmas read that took me an hour or so to read. That’s about 100 pages or so to you and me, and tells the tale of Carol, who after being dumped by Robert the Rat is quite sure that the last thing she wants to do is go to a wedding, but her sister Marley’s getting married just a week or so after Xmas so Carol and her family and assorted guests head up to Scotland for Marley’s nuptials. The last thing Carol expects when they reach Scotland is that not one, not two, but three of her ex-boyfriends are in attendance, and all of a sudden Carol wishes she was anywhere but there.

I really enjoyed Christmas Carol, it was short, it was sweet and it was a really good read. I love weddings in big castles/buildings and in places you don’t normally frequent so I quite enjoyed reading about the Scotland house where Marley was getting married. If I ever marry (who knows if that’s likely) I’d like to do it in a big house that has a fascinating history. I’m strange like that I suppose. I was also fascinated by Carol’s history with all of her boyfriends; were there going to be recriminations? Shenanigans? Would Carol get back together with any of them? I wasn’t a massive fan of Skate or Karl, Skate was too environmental hippy-dippy and Karl was slimy, but I did like Robert. He seemed sweet. I wasn’t sure where the novella was going to go, mind. For a moment I wondered if Carol would abscond with all three and just rotate them! ;) Nevertheless this is a good, quick read, perfect for reading by the fire not that I HAVE a fire. But that is what this book would be perfect to read by. Gets you proper in the Christmas spirit, even if it is only September!