The Christmas List

by Chrissie Manby

[Leah]

I love, love, love Chrissie Manby. She’s a Chick Lit staple for me, and I always look forward to her books because she’s a fabulous writer. Fabulous! I was so gutted when her most recent novel A Proper Family Holiday was delayed from 2013 to 2014 *sadface* but to tide us over until summer 2014 and the release of her next book we have a Christmas novella to tide us over which made me whoop with joy. I devoured it in a half hour or so, and it was a wonderful little novella.

The Christmas List is my favourite type of novella; it’s MAGICAL! I adore books with a magical element and they’re such a rarity that when one appears, you have to hold on tightly because you don’t know when the next one is going to come your way. The novel is about Milly, and her sisters. Ever since they were kids, Milly and her siblings wrote a Christmas List each year, to be sent up the chimney to Santa. It’s not something they’ve done for years, though, but on a whim Milly decides to write a letter to Santa when helping her little nephews with their very own lists. But when things Milly asked for start to appear in her life – like a kitten, and some flowers, Milly starts to wonder if Santa is taking her list a bit too literally.

I really, really enjoyed The Christmas List, it’s a super-quick, fun read and I loved how the things Milly had asked for had started to come true. Yup, it was perhaps a bit far-fetched but if you believe in Christmas magic then it’s so easy to suspend your belief. I certainly could. I love how much Milly adored Christmas. Christmas is easily my favourite holiday, although I don’t go as overboard as Milly does, though I wish I did. I very much enjoyed The Christmas List, it’s the perfect Christmas novella, and one you absolutely have to pick up at some point over the holidays. I wish Chrissie Manby would write a novella a month because she’s such a fabulous writer and I’m so disappointed it’s over!