BOOK REVIEW: The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk

A heart warming story of bouncing back... again and again.

I read creepy and witchy books in October and then I spend the rest of the year reading holiday rom-coms. And as it is only a week into November, I am thrilled that I already have my first holiday read of the year finished thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins 360!

The Christmas Wish is a super cute holiday Groundhog day book that, I will admit, I wasn’t really feeling at the beginning of the story. By the end, I absolutely loved all the characters and the lesson Gwen had to learn before she’d be released from reliving Christmas Day over and over.

Living in her father’s shadow as an up and coming lawyer at a big London firm, having her boyfriend break up with her after cheating with his receptionist and moving out of the gorgeous house they shared, Gwen was not looking forward to spending the holiday with her family which included her older sister who seemed more like her arch nemesis.

The characters are absolutely amazing, even if many of them fit the stereotypes. You have Manny, her gay cousin who also seems to have a cursed love life. He is the comic relief, big brother character. If you needed a ride or die partner, you have one in Manny. Cerys, Gwen’s older obnoxious sister, has lost herself in the bitterness of an unhappy marriage and the struggles of motherhood and holding down a full time job. No wonder she’s obnoxious. But these two have their own moments to shine; it’s not just Gwen’s story.

But, my favorite characters are their parents and grandmother, Nan. Because her father lives vicariously through her, it is hard for Gwen to speak honestly with him. Her mother is always the one who tries to hold everything together, and that leaves Nan. The speaker of wisdom. The kind of wisdom that only comes from living a long life and no longer giving a you-know-what about what anyone thinks or does.

“Loneliness is how you know something is missing,” I said. “Feeling lonely means you haven’t given up hope.”

Gwen believes that her Hell of repeating Christmas stems from the family tradition of wishing on the six pence that is hidden in the Christmas pudding, so each day she wakes up on repeat, she seeks to find out what a different member of her family would wish for and then try to fulfill the wish.

Because each day was completely different, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. She takes what she learns each day into the next and grows as a daughter, a sister and a friend. I loved the things that would be the same (opening presents) weren't repeated, instead it was referenced with Gwen’s growing exasperation. 

Let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be the perfect holiday read if there wasn’t a nice little romance factored in, but with a new handsome butcher in town and sexy boy next door, there is literally something for everyone! It was so much fun to watch the daily interactions change and evolve as they are always new to everyone else, but to Gwen, she’s done it all before so there is an added sense of confidence.

Each of the nine times she re-lived Christmas Day, she had a different focus so events, conversations and interactions were different. Some of my favorite moments included ‘visiting’ Chatsworth House, finding the fireworks in the dark pantry, and taking an evening swim. Those were fun and humorous moments resulting in some days ending earlier than others. However, I think when pinpointing the moment where Gwen’s character development begins to shift is when she talks with Michael. That is the most pivotal moment and sets the rest of the book into motion. It was another one of those moments that is subtly powerful and meaningful, but layered with those laughable moments.

The story is all about taking a step back to look at the life you are living vs the life that will make you happy; the one you actually want to live. Being able to reflect and make changes. It’s always scary to change, but it is necessary at times and there should never be an excuse as to why it shouldn’t happen. Gwen had to step back and look at herself. Every repeated day was leading her to the epiphany that allowed her to become who she always wanted and needed to be, even if it took a while for her to get there.

The last week had opened my eyes to so much, the struggles that go on behind closed doors, the problems we keep buried, the sheer dedication it too to make perfect Yorkshire puddings…

Where does this land on my bookshelf?

I initially thought I’d place this on my middle shelf because I couldn’t get past how I felt at the very beginning of the story. However, now that I can look back on the book as a whole, I feel great about putting it on the top shelf. Seeing Gwen grow through her experiences with each family member was sweet and funny and heartwarming. It was what a holiday book is all about. I laughed and groaned and just enjoyed the quick read. It is definitely a book to put on your 2022 holiday reading TBR. The book hits shelves on November 15.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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