Thursday, 30 December 2021

Review | 'Tis The Season To Be Single by Laura Ziepe

Published by HQ Digital on October 3, 2018


‘Tis the Season to be Single by Laura Ziepe was a fun-filled and festive read – the story of three friends who, after various relationship woes, make a pact to be single at Christmas. But what is Christmas without a little kiss under the mistletoe?

The story centres around Rachel, Grace and Amber – three best friends working in the department store Tidemans. I loved the department store setting – it had a proper festive feel to it and unlike some other Christmas books, this one truly felt seasonal. With snowfall, decorations, presents, busy shops and family celebrations, festivities were etched on every page and I loved being able to feel the wintery season all the way through reading this book.

In ‘Tis the Season to be Single, we first meet Rachel as she is about to have an important conversation with her boyfriend, Mark. Whilst she thinks he might be about to propose to her, Mark has other ideas – he wants to break up with her. Seeking comfort in the form of her friend Bianca, Rachel suffers another kick in the teeth as she discovers Mark and Bianca have been having an affair.

At the same time, Grace has had enough. She can no longer cope with the laziness of her husband Simon, and really, when was the last time he made her feel loved or appreciated? She had spent all her time tidying up after him – there was no romance left. After ending things with him, she joins Rachel in being newly single for Christmas.

Amber returns from her holiday to find her best friends both single and fed up. Amber is no stranger to being single – commitment is not for her. However, when she hears the news that her lifelong best friend Jack is now engaged, something shifts in Amber. She feels unsettled and unhappy – could she be jealous that Jack has found love with somebody else?

Despite the issues all three women were going through, this was still quite the feel-good read with humour, romance and an honest and endearing friendship at its core. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the story. After recent breakups, it was hard to know whether Rachel, Grace and Amber were going to embrace being free and single on the run-up to Christmas or whether they were going to be down in the dumps over it. Laura Ziepe writes the enjoyable middle ground with a fresh and light-hearted story. Sure, there were times I wanted to shout at some of the characters, but mostly I liked seeing them going on dates and nights out and re-evaluating their lives.

From beginning to end, ‘Tis the Season to be Single kept me engrossed and I enjoyed every chapter. All three women had different and interesting stories and whilst the chapters alternated between the three of them, the friendship between them always shone for me. This was a lovely fast-paced and romantic read that kept me entertained throughout.

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

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