Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - La lettre de Noël

Oh my heart! This book was so beautiful. Josie and Max’s story will warm your heart but also break it. This was not a happy Christmas love story, but it was a wonderful story all the same. I loved Josie and Max’s chance meeting, and how their lives were destined to intertwine. Josie always avoids Christmas and this year Max is doing the same, but after spending the holiday together it seems like it could be the start of something. But after the holiday is over Max leaves without saying anything, leaving Josie wondering why.
The story takes place over a year, and it’s in that year that they meet in the most unlikely of places and not always at the best time. Will these two have a chance to be together? It was a heartbreaking and beautifully told love story that had me in tears at the end. If your looking for a lighthearted Christmas story this is not it, but if you want a love story that will stay with you read this one.

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anaodaniel's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.5

This book is horribly ableist, and has a nasty undercurrent of fat phobia. The take home message seems to be that sick people serve no other purpose than to inspire healthy people to live better lives. The writing is quite honestly terrible. How nobody on the editorial team thought to flag the fact that the term “so and so huffed out a breath”, is beyond me. I am not exaggerating when I say that the phrase must appear over 100 times in a 400 page book.

I was hoping this book would be a meaningful look at grief, and holiday related grief in particular, but even that aspect was shallow and poorly developed. If you’re hoping for a less traditional Christmas read, skip this one. It’s not worth the terrible writing and the even worse content.

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bookswithmybulldog's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

krilves's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Not a romance and frankly I’m pissed off because this was shelved with romance and I picked it up believing it would be a romance. There’s no HEA. Max fucking DIES at the end.

I had several other problems with this:
- tropey in a way that had characters behaving as if they were puppets. There’s a difference between tropey stuff happening and characters behaving counter to how they actually would just to make the trips happen.
- Straight with a capital S. Not because of a lack of queer characters (the one gay guy in the book was a minor character with barely any lines except to make it obvious he was gay) but because of how heteronormatively focused it was on how “the other girl” was prettier/had longer legs/whatever than herself because his forbid men like them for their personalities, or something
- fatphobia. There is one singular fat character in this book and he existed only to be gross and disgusting because of his size. His ‘inappropriate’ behaviour was also emphasised through his fatness - frankly, if he’d been thin his behaviour wouldn’t have been anything much to comment on but no, let’s just make the fat person disgusting for no reason.

Besides all of that I thought it kind of ok. I guess people who enjoy having their hearts torn out and tramped on with no satisfying healing to follow up with would enjoy this. I don’t. I can’t in good conscience recommend it to anybody - the fatphobia alone made sure I would never recommend this book to anyone - but also I’m just too bloody mad. I could tell something was going on with Max and I was wondering what secret/burden it was going to be - had he had a mental health breakdown? Had he been assaulted? Had he lost an unborn child? Had he been sexually assaulted? I did not expect “inoperable brain tumour” or him just dying out of the blue. And maybe I should’ve picked up on it but I haven’t read this type of novel in so long that I must’ve forgotten what the conventions are like, and did I say, this was shelved as fucking romance so I expected it to be a fucking romance.

I’m going to bed.

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vicktorea's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

the twist was super heartbreaking but also felt like it came out of nowhere??? if it didn’t happen like that it prob wouldn’t have packed the emotional punch it did but omg…just heartbreaking but such a good story ❤️

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emilyharmonica's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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shutupiamreading's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It's a cute concept, but it could've been executed better. The ending felt so rushed.

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