Tuesday 19 January 2021

Review | One Kiss Before Christmas by Emma Jackson

Published by Orion Dash on November 2, 2020


It might seem a bit late (or a lot early) to be reading a Christmas book in January but since where I live has been fully lacking in snow but full of gloomy, rainy weather, I thought it was the perfect time to tuck into a festive feel-good read and One Kiss Before Christmas by Emma Jackson fit the bill perfectly.

Ashleigh is spending her winter months working as an elf at a local Christmas farm. You can tell straight away she is a little lost in life. She’s struggling for money, struggling in her relationship with her mum and living with her Nan is more stressful than she’d like. Olivier is also at a crossroads in his life. He loves to cook, and working at a restaurant in Paris with his dad should be everything he wants from his career but he never gets to cook the food he likes and ends up spending his time following his dad’s orders whilst sacrificing the things he would actually like to do.

When he returns to Brighton for Christmas, everything changes for Ashleigh. There is history between them, and attraction. I loved getting to know both Ash and Olivier. The story is told in alternating chapters between the two of them and they are both interesting characters who have room to grow throughout the pages of this book and it was really enjoyable to read. I loved the blossoming feelings between the two of them and the will-they-won’t-they feel to the romance. There were so many unspoken words and this kept me reading on eager to see if we could get a happily ever after.

There was plenty of other things to like about this book such as exploring the backdrop of Brighton. The author made this seaside resort seem so enticing. I wanted a walk on the pier. Also enticing was the sound of the chocolate shop ran by Olivier’s mum. This is not a book to be read with an empty stomach. There was a lovely Christmassy feel to this book all the way through. The author built up such a vivid picture of the season with all the lights and decorations. The story isn’t massively festive but just enough to deliver a warm and uplifting atmosphere for the reader.

One of my favourite parts of this book was all the supporting characters and their side stories. There was a good amount of depth to them and seeing their stories explored was almost as entertaining as the main story. As there were a lot of characters, not everything was going to be tied up perfectly, but at the same time, it didn’t need to be either.

One Kiss Before Christmas was a lovely escapist read, a sweet book ideal for a lazy afternoon’s reading curled up in front of the fire.

Review copy provided by the publisher - this was my honest review.     
      

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