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rebroxannape's review against another edition
5.0
April 24, 2023
Whew! I forgot what a tear-jerker this one was! I loved all the reappearances of the characters from previous books. I just wish I remembered more about them. It's hard to reflect on and research some of the characters when you're listening on audio.
**Original Review**
I've read 4 1/2 Milly Johnson books so far and I've learned to expect certain things. You will both laugh and giggle throughout. At the end, you will sigh with satisfaction. With some you will cry, with some you will be scared, with some you will stand up and cheer, and with some, you will be angry. With The Mother of all Christmases you will do all of those. I agree with Bookworman who I credit with introducing me to this wonderful English author that it is one of her best. Milly Johnson, where have you been the last 10 years of my life? I don't understand why she is not more well known in the United States!
One of the extra bonuses of her books is that you meet and catch up with characters from previous novels. this book probably incorporates more of this than the previous ones I have read. A few I have met before, and some, I can't wait to meet in future books.
Whew! I forgot what a tear-jerker this one was! I loved all the reappearances of the characters from previous books. I just wish I remembered more about them. It's hard to reflect on and research some of the characters when you're listening on audio.
**Original Review**
‘I’m pregnant,’ she blurted out because the words were too big to keep in. It wasn’t what she meant to say, which was Joe, can I have a private word with you, but somehow the delivered words raced past the intended ones queueing in her voice box.
‘And your Granny Ferrell is your family,’ Jacques threw back at her. ‘Talk about the enemy within.’ It was a bullseye point. Eve’s Granny Ferrell was the most wicked old bag on the planet. She made the Antichrist look like Anne of Green Gables.
I've read 4 1/2 Milly Johnson books so far and I've learned to expect certain things. You will both laugh and giggle throughout. At the end, you will sigh with satisfaction. With some you will cry, with some you will be scared, with some you will stand up and cheer, and with some, you will be angry. With The Mother of all Christmases you will do all of those. I agree with Bookworman who I credit with introducing me to this wonderful English author that it is one of her best. Milly Johnson, where have you been the last 10 years of my life? I don't understand why she is not more well known in the United States!
One of the extra bonuses of her books is that you meet and catch up with characters from previous novels. this book probably incorporates more of this than the previous ones I have read. A few I have met before, and some, I can't wait to meet in future books.
jo_bookworm's review
4.0
Meet three women who through one common denominator are going to be friends forever - they are all pregnant.
But that is the only common thing between them all.
Eve, pregnant and due on Christmas Day owns and runs the Winter Wonderland theme park which was featured in a previous Johnson novel. You don't have to have read it to make any sense of this story, but it was lovely to meet back up with familiar characters.
Having a baby is not really a problem, but when there are other distractions and some dangerous accidents going on, is Eve really safe to carry on working there?
Annie, childless and now content with her life with her italian husband, Joe runs the cracker factory which specialises not just in the mass market ones but also handmade, bespoke ones too. But as she ages, the inevitable she thinks is happening that is until she is told that she is in fact pregnant and not going through the menopause. Utter joy fills both Annie and Joe.
Palma agreed to be a surrogate for a couple she thought could not have children. It was the way she was able to access money and get herself out of the life she found herself in. She wanted better and she was not afraid to work for it, but she needs to escape her past. Trouble is the couple split up and Palma is left with some very difficult choices.
Coming together at their Doctor's new Christmas Pudding Club the women forge a friendship and we get to see them as they go through the highs and lows of their impending motherhood.
Add into that, some unsavoury character, cracker making, a wedding, an important boxing match and of course Christmas and there is much packed into this novel. It made me laugh out loud and it made me cry with joy and sadness. What more could you want or need from a novel?
But that is the only common thing between them all.
Eve, pregnant and due on Christmas Day owns and runs the Winter Wonderland theme park which was featured in a previous Johnson novel. You don't have to have read it to make any sense of this story, but it was lovely to meet back up with familiar characters.
Having a baby is not really a problem, but when there are other distractions and some dangerous accidents going on, is Eve really safe to carry on working there?
Annie, childless and now content with her life with her italian husband, Joe runs the cracker factory which specialises not just in the mass market ones but also handmade, bespoke ones too. But as she ages, the inevitable she thinks is happening that is until she is told that she is in fact pregnant and not going through the menopause. Utter joy fills both Annie and Joe.
Palma agreed to be a surrogate for a couple she thought could not have children. It was the way she was able to access money and get herself out of the life she found herself in. She wanted better and she was not afraid to work for it, but she needs to escape her past. Trouble is the couple split up and Palma is left with some very difficult choices.
Coming together at their Doctor's new Christmas Pudding Club the women forge a friendship and we get to see them as they go through the highs and lows of their impending motherhood.
Add into that, some unsavoury character, cracker making, a wedding, an important boxing match and of course Christmas and there is much packed into this novel. It made me laugh out loud and it made me cry with joy and sadness. What more could you want or need from a novel?
colorfulleo92's review
4.0
The power as a reread! As you can see from my review below I liked it enough for a 3.5 stars the first time. I had completely forgot that I've read this the year before and started to read it again and I'm glad I didn't put it down without giving it a second chance. This time around I very much enjoyed it more. It was an emotional touching story and while motherhood never been interesting for me it did definitely walk on my emotions. A very good read and a highly recommend this.
3.5 stars. Such a sweet and heartwarming story about family and motherhood during the Christmas period. A real feel good. Was lured in by the cover and the promise of a Christmas story. I wouldn't normally have picked it up otherwise as motherhood isn't something that really speaks to me in literature. But I'm glad I picked it up!
3.5 stars. Such a sweet and heartwarming story about family and motherhood during the Christmas period. A real feel good. Was lured in by the cover and the promise of a Christmas story. I wouldn't normally have picked it up otherwise as motherhood isn't something that really speaks to me in literature. But I'm glad I picked it up!
portybelle's review
5.0
Joy to the world! Milly Johnson has a Christmas book out and it's a cracker - sorry, couldn't resist! Much of the book takes place in a Christmas cracker factory run by Annie and her husband Joe. Rather unexpectedly, and to their great delight, she finds herself pregnant for the first time at 48. The local doctor has the idea to have a club for expectant mothers due around Christmas time - the Christmas Pudding Club. I must say I think that sounds like a splendid idea as it can be a worrying time being pregnant. It would be great to have mums-to-be at the same stage to chat with, as well as the kind reassuring midwives we meet in this book.
At the club, Annie meets young single-mum-to-be Palma. She became pregnant as part of a surrogacy arrangement which has gone horribly wrong when the couple split up. Despite the difficulties this might cause her, she is determined to make a better life for herself and her baby. Her scenes were amongst the most poignant in the book. The third main character is Eve, happily married to Jacques and running a winter theme park together - and also unexpectedly pregnant. Her story many seem the most straightforward of the three ladies but with a winter wedding planned just a few days before her due date, things might not go quite to plan...
Now, if you have read lots of Milly Johnson's books you may recognise some of the characters as some have appeared in previous books. This book is a standalone story though so don't worry - even if it's your first Milly Johnson book, you'll keep up no problem. And lucky you, you'll have lots of her previous books to catch up on!
I loved reading this very funny, uplifting book with all the wonderfully drawn characters. The support and friendship between the women was fantastic. There is so much that any woman who has had a child will remember from having their babies from the wonderful, to the worrying, to the funny, to the downright embarrassing! Milly Johnson has a real talent for creating characters who feel like totally authentic people you could meet when you pop out to the shops. She creates scenes and situations you can identify with or easily imagine if you haven't experienced, and makes you think how you would respond if you were in her characters' shoes.
The book is thought provoking as well though making you think about more serious issues such as organ donation and how that can make a difference not just to the recipient but can also bring some comfort to the donor's family. Social issues are also explored though another character who is making a difference in the lives of young people in his community, having come from a difficult background himself but given the opportunity to better himself.
I can't finish this review without mentioning the snippets from the local paper, The Daily Trumpet. The corrections and apologies included were hilarious with even some of the corrections having glaring errors. I'm surprised the paper had any money left with everything they kept paying out by way of apology!
The Mother of All Christmases is a fabulous, feel-good festive read and I loved spending time with The Christmas Pudding Club. I'll remember these characters for a long time.
At the club, Annie meets young single-mum-to-be Palma. She became pregnant as part of a surrogacy arrangement which has gone horribly wrong when the couple split up. Despite the difficulties this might cause her, she is determined to make a better life for herself and her baby. Her scenes were amongst the most poignant in the book. The third main character is Eve, happily married to Jacques and running a winter theme park together - and also unexpectedly pregnant. Her story many seem the most straightforward of the three ladies but with a winter wedding planned just a few days before her due date, things might not go quite to plan...
Now, if you have read lots of Milly Johnson's books you may recognise some of the characters as some have appeared in previous books. This book is a standalone story though so don't worry - even if it's your first Milly Johnson book, you'll keep up no problem. And lucky you, you'll have lots of her previous books to catch up on!
I loved reading this very funny, uplifting book with all the wonderfully drawn characters. The support and friendship between the women was fantastic. There is so much that any woman who has had a child will remember from having their babies from the wonderful, to the worrying, to the funny, to the downright embarrassing! Milly Johnson has a real talent for creating characters who feel like totally authentic people you could meet when you pop out to the shops. She creates scenes and situations you can identify with or easily imagine if you haven't experienced, and makes you think how you would respond if you were in her characters' shoes.
The book is thought provoking as well though making you think about more serious issues such as organ donation and how that can make a difference not just to the recipient but can also bring some comfort to the donor's family. Social issues are also explored though another character who is making a difference in the lives of young people in his community, having come from a difficult background himself but given the opportunity to better himself.
I can't finish this review without mentioning the snippets from the local paper, The Daily Trumpet. The corrections and apologies included were hilarious with even some of the corrections having glaring errors. I'm surprised the paper had any money left with everything they kept paying out by way of apology!
The Mother of All Christmases is a fabulous, feel-good festive read and I loved spending time with The Christmas Pudding Club. I'll remember these characters for a long time.
sandysmith's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A cracking Christmas read, with 3 main women characters Eve, Annie, and Palma introduced in the first 3 chapters. Based on the pregnancies of these three, very different women, plus many supporting roles. It is so much more than a fluffy Christmas read, and I absolutely loved it, so I'm hoping to read more from the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Child death, and Drug use
josreadingcorner's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
anawilson05's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
shippers1983's review
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
2.75