Scan barcode
readingwithgee_'s review
2.0
2.5
So i'll start off by saying that this book was.. Well it was fine! I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either which was a shame because it was my first Christmas read of the year and I was really looking forward to it!
The whole idea behind the book was nice.. Woman's god mother passes away and leaves a big luxurious house to her, and rather than being alone for Christmas she goes out on a whim and invites a few old friends who she knows will also be alone for Christmas, to stay and celebrate with her HOWEVER.. The characters just weren't for me, none of them really.. They were all so whiny and easily offended and for grown adults I found myself really confused at what their problems were 90% of the time!
Janey had me rolling my eyes way too often, I just couldn't deal with feeling like even I as a reader was babysitting her, I found bobbie to be quite self absorbed and lissy I couldn't help feeling like she was trying too hard to be someone she isn't, constantly droning on about how "eating in the dining room would be too formal, eating in the kitchen too casual" "buff the glasses" "my food needs to be fancy" just stopppppp!
Another thing that really bothered me was the relationship between lissy and xander I mean can you imagine basically falling for your wife's best friend at your wedding, not seeing her for years and then when you finally see her again you're both going on like "I thought about that moment so many times since it happened"and discussing how much they continued having feelings for each other the entire time he was married to her best friend before she died? like what sort of people are you??? I just don't think these people are for me, I definitely took longer than I should have reading this it just wasn't my favourite book, I will give it to Linda the ending was a nice touch and I am definitely ready for the Christmas season! thanks to Netgalley and harpercollins for sending me an e-arc
So i'll start off by saying that this book was.. Well it was fine! I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either which was a shame because it was my first Christmas read of the year and I was really looking forward to it!
The whole idea behind the book was nice.. Woman's god mother passes away and leaves a big luxurious house to her, and rather than being alone for Christmas she goes out on a whim and invites a few old friends who she knows will also be alone for Christmas, to stay and celebrate with her HOWEVER.. The characters just weren't for me, none of them really.. They were all so whiny and easily offended and for grown adults I found myself really confused at what their problems were 90% of the time!
Janey had me rolling my eyes way too often, I just couldn't deal with feeling like even I as a reader was babysitting her, I found bobbie to be quite self absorbed and lissy I couldn't help feeling like she was trying too hard to be someone she isn't, constantly droning on about how "eating in the dining room would be too formal, eating in the kitchen too casual" "buff the glasses" "my food needs to be fancy" just stopppppp!
Another thing that really bothered me was the relationship between lissy and xander I mean can you imagine basically falling for your wife's best friend at your wedding, not seeing her for years and then when you finally see her again you're both going on like "I thought about that moment so many times since it happened"and discussing how much they continued having feelings for each other the entire time he was married to her best friend before she died? like what sort of people are you??? I just don't think these people are for me, I definitely took longer than I should have reading this it just wasn't my favourite book, I will give it to Linda the ending was a nice touch and I am definitely ready for the Christmas season! thanks to Netgalley and harpercollins for sending me an e-arc
thewoollygeek's review
3.0
A nice little Christmas tale, I wanted to like it more but sadly the characters were lacking for me, I didn't find them likeable or empathetic at all. Some of the relationships I found a bit unlikely/unrealistic but it had a nice ending and wasn't a waste of a read, but not the best Christmas story and sad as I wanted to like it much more. But three stars rather than two as I did like the end
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review
carleneinspired's review
4.0
3.5 Stars
Four friends come together for a holiday they'll never forget. It'll be the holiday that changes them, for better or for worse. There will be self reflection, romance, and a Christmas to brighten the spirits of the lonely individuals.
Lissy takes it upon herself to ensure the holiday spirit is alive and well in her three distant friends. Inviting Janey, Bobbie, and Xander to stay at her Grandmother's old beach house is both selfish and philanthropic, she believes she can bring joy and companionship to those she knows are lonely this season. It's chick lit mixed with Christmas at its finest, with Linda Mitchelmore weaving stories of love, loss, forgiveness, and growth. It is confusing at first and I did have difficulty connecting with the characters, but that is always the case with a story told from more than two perspectives. The characters, however, have unique voices, and the tribulations each is facing is very distinct. At Strand House the friends remove their protective layers, they open up, they exhale the things they've been holding onto and open their lungs for friendship. I really enjoyed the Christmas spirit layered into the story, but more than that I love the companionship these four friends offer to one another. Their walks of life have been very different, their tie together a sad one, and yet they uplift, encourage, and understand. They have compassion and truly care, enough to do whatever they can to help and positively impact, it's a message we all need especially during the stressful feeling that the holidays can bring.
Christmas at Strand House is a unique holiday story for the chick-lit market, one I think fans will love to revisit year after year. It's a genuine story of friendship, survival, and the people who make the hard days brighter.
ARC provided.
Four friends come together for a holiday they'll never forget. It'll be the holiday that changes them, for better or for worse. There will be self reflection, romance, and a Christmas to brighten the spirits of the lonely individuals.
Lissy takes it upon herself to ensure the holiday spirit is alive and well in her three distant friends. Inviting Janey, Bobbie, and Xander to stay at her Grandmother's old beach house is both selfish and philanthropic, she believes she can bring joy and companionship to those she knows are lonely this season. It's chick lit mixed with Christmas at its finest, with Linda Mitchelmore weaving stories of love, loss, forgiveness, and growth. It is confusing at first and I did have difficulty connecting with the characters, but that is always the case with a story told from more than two perspectives. The characters, however, have unique voices, and the tribulations each is facing is very distinct. At Strand House the friends remove their protective layers, they open up, they exhale the things they've been holding onto and open their lungs for friendship. I really enjoyed the Christmas spirit layered into the story, but more than that I love the companionship these four friends offer to one another. Their walks of life have been very different, their tie together a sad one, and yet they uplift, encourage, and understand. They have compassion and truly care, enough to do whatever they can to help and positively impact, it's a message we all need especially during the stressful feeling that the holidays can bring.
Christmas at Strand House is a unique holiday story for the chick-lit market, one I think fans will love to revisit year after year. It's a genuine story of friendship, survival, and the people who make the hard days brighter.
ARC provided.
saschadarlington's review
3.0
Honestly, I expected more from Christmas at Strand House by Linda Mitchelmore from reading the blurb. It sounds like the perfect read with four lonely people, each with a tantalizing secret, spending Christmas in a huge, lovely home.
The secrets turn out to be not so tantalizing; the descriptions of the food, however, are.
The novel is so ripe with possibilities that never quite come to fruition. And, I found it marred by an incident early on when both Lissy and Xander, separately, recall an intoxicated dance at Xander and Claire’s wedding in which they had a moment, a moment of “what could have been.” I suppose that the author thought this would be romantic having the new husband and the wife’s best friend have that moment so that they had a foundation for this future romance, but I found it sad, and it unsettled the remainder of the novel for me because it so was unromantic. Idealistically I would have preferred that the new husband be totally and absolutely, head-over-heels in love with his new wife.
Christmas at Strand House has little drama. What does occur are misunderstandings via dialogue and then drawn out apologies. There’s a lot of repetition due to this.
Despite the setting and Christmas frivolity, Christmas at Strand House never moves beyond that for me. I never really came to care about the characters, and ultimately I just wished something would happen.
This is a case of YMMV (your-mileage-may-vary) because it has lots of love on Goodreads.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The secrets turn out to be not so tantalizing; the descriptions of the food, however, are.
The novel is so ripe with possibilities that never quite come to fruition. And, I found it marred by an incident early on when both Lissy and Xander, separately, recall an intoxicated dance at Xander and Claire’s wedding in which they had a moment, a moment of “what could have been.” I suppose that the author thought this would be romantic having the new husband and the wife’s best friend have that moment so that they had a foundation for this future romance, but I found it sad, and it unsettled the remainder of the novel for me because it so was unromantic. Idealistically I would have preferred that the new husband be totally and absolutely, head-over-heels in love with his new wife.
Christmas at Strand House has little drama. What does occur are misunderstandings via dialogue and then drawn out apologies. There’s a lot of repetition due to this.
Despite the setting and Christmas frivolity, Christmas at Strand House never moves beyond that for me. I never really came to care about the characters, and ultimately I just wished something would happen.
This is a case of YMMV (your-mileage-may-vary) because it has lots of love on Goodreads.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
wayhayman14's review
3.0
Love reading a Christmas themed book at this time of year and this one didn’t disappoint. It tells the story of 4 people who come together to spend Christmas together at Strand House. The descriptions of the settings and the food and good company made me wish I was there too. Their friendships grows and love blossoms. It’s a wonderful story and all four of the characters go through a healing process that they are all there to help each other through.
angelareadsbooks's review
3.0
As with most books with several characters and a story told from different viewpoints, it took me a little bit to get into the story and connect with each character. However once I did, I found Christmas at Strand House to be a charming book full of heart. Each character had a different story and a different conflict to overcome. I enjoyed the development of each of them and how their stories resolved. This was a fun, quick read —perfect for the busy holiday season!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!
annarella's review
5.0
What an amazing book, it's a chick lit with something more and a perfect festive atmosphere.
The cast of characters is well developed, it's pleasure to see them growing and changing through the book.
I loved the style of writing and the setting.
At the end of the book you want more and I would be happy to read other books with this cast of characters.
An enjoyable, heartwarming, and entertaining read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this ARC
The cast of characters is well developed, it's pleasure to see them growing and changing through the book.
I loved the style of writing and the setting.
At the end of the book you want more and I would be happy to read other books with this cast of characters.
An enjoyable, heartwarming, and entertaining read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this ARC
More...