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Home for Christmas

by Cally Taylor (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 101 ratings · 23 reviews

Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged twenty-four, she feels like she's finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox - a charming but rundown independent cinema - and has a boyfriend who's so debonair and charming she can't believe her luck!

There's just one problem - none of her boyfriends have ever...more

Paperback, 353 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Orion (first published January 1st 2011)

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Dec 20, 2011 Kirsty (Book - Love - Bug) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has alternating chapters which tell Beth and Matts’ story. I really enjoyed being able to read different perspectives, sometimes of the same event. Beth is both ambitious and looking for her happy-ever-after. Matt is trying not to be a dick. Can they help each other on their quests?

Cally Taylor is a fantastic writer – very witty, she had me giggling all the way through! There are some real gems buried in this book! Taylor does a fantastic job at creating 3D characters who you’ll either...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Lorenzio Phillibuster Fireworks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It had taken me twenty-four years, but I finally understood two things. First, that isn’t about someone saying three little words to you, but about being loved for who you are, who you really are and not who you think the other person wants you to be. Second, the words “I love you” only mean something when you can repeat them right back.

Beth and Matt aren’t having much luck in the love department. Matt is being chased by a very temperamental ex-girlfriend – who lost the girlfriend status after...more It had taken me twenty-four years, but I finally understood two things. First, that isn’t about someone saying three little words to you, but about being loved for who you are, who you really are and not who you think the other person wants you to be. Second, the words “I love you” only mean something when you can repeat them right back.

Beth and Matt aren’t having much luck in the love department. Matt is being chased by a very temperamental ex-girlfriend – who lost the girlfriend status after throwing scalding hot coffee in Matt’s face. His ex-girlfriend has tried everything: stalking him, showing up at his local pub in just an overcoat, faking an ankle injury, and oh yeah, faking a pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Beth has never had a boyfriend who hasn’t cheated on her, or dumped her with the classic “it’s not you, it’s me”. She has never had a boyfriend tell her they love her, and she doesn’t hear it from her own mother all that often either. So all Beth wants is for boyfriend Aiden to tell her he loves her. Only he doesn’t, he tells her he needs space, that “it’s not you, it’s me”.

”You’re just having one of those men-withdraw-to-their-cave moments I’ve read about in Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. And I’m cool with that. Honestly. Go back to your cave and build a fire or, um, draw some pictures of stampeding buffalo on the wall or whatever, and I’ll wait until you’re ready to come out again.”

Just when Beth wants to sit at home and cry, she gets more bad news. The beautiful, beloved, independent vintage cinema she works for is being sold to the biggest cinema chain in the world and there’s only one job going to be left for the current staff. Making things even more difficult, the guy that’s going to be interviewing candidates, Matt, busted her practising her “I Love Yous” on a cut out of George Clooney. Beth is desperate to get that job and save the unique character and charm, but the whole process is a bit of a disaster – imagine the mortification of splitting your pants (sans underwear) while trying to abseil down a cliff as part of a management workshop – and it seems all aspects of Beth’s life are in turmoil.

I picked up this book in order to spread the magic of Christmas with a nice Christmas story and the thing is, while this story occurs during the last few weeks of December, it’s actually not about Christmas at all. So while it was a cute story, all I could think was “Just get to the Christmas part already!!” So in that sense, my expectations for this novel were disappointed in a way they wouldn’t have been had the book not been called Home for Christmas.

While I didn’t particularly warm to the two main characters, Beth and Matt, I did love the story and details surrounding the old theatre. The place itself had more character than either of the two main characters and I could picture it so vividly in my mind that I really wanted to physically go to this place and just stand there and look at it. It was honestly the best part of the novel, and had the emphasis solely been on the story surrounding the cinema I would have really loved this novel.

Best Line of the Novel: “If someone’s told you I’ve got a grandson, they’re pulling your leg, darling. I haven’t been near a fanny since I popped out of my mothers in 1932.”

Worst Line of the Novel : ”Do something wild,” he urged as he leaned across the table and shot me what I think was supposed to be a saucy look. “Cause a scene, upturn the table, throw a glass of wine at me. Go on, Tiger. Get me hot, turn me on, make me do a little mess in my pants.”
(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Anastasia Cynthia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-a-copy, chicklit

Well, gue pengen mereview fiksi ini secara singkat. Dibanding dengan "Heaven Can Wait" yang premis banyak orang menyatakan novel ini lebih payah dibandingan karya Cally Taylor yang satu itu. Gue malah beranggapan sebaliknya. "Home for Christmas" ini brilian banget.
Mungkin karena gue menggandrungi abis latar belakang yang diusung Taylor kali ya? Semuanya berbasis pada sinema romatis/komedi. Apalagi dengan adanya karakter seperti Beth, ada beberapa adegan yang sumfah... konyol banget, tapi gak ker...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Rea Sinfield rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have previously read a book by Cally Taylor, Heaven Can Wait and I remember it being an enjoyable easy read. I have just finished reading her new novel Home for Christmas as part of my Best Christmas Book 2011.
In this book our main character is Beth who I found to be a very loveable and caring character who seems to have had nothing but disasters when it comes to finding the love of her Life. If it isn’t bad enough that she has yet to find a man who tells her he loves her, the rest of her worl...more

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Dec 22, 2011 Georgina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://chicklitaholic.blogspot.com/20...

When Christmas time rolls around each year, I love to read as many Christmas chick lit novels as it is physcially possible to do so. After reading and being captivated by Cally Taylor's novel Heaven Can Wait, I knew that Cally's latest novel Home For Christmas would be on the top of my reading pile as soon as I received a copy.

Beth Prince, a twenty-four year old romantic, works in the Picturebox, a charming independant cinema. Beth has a boyfriend she bel...more http://chicklitaholic.blogspot.com/20...

When Christmas time rolls around each year, I love to read as many Christmas chick lit novels as it is physcially possible to do so. After reading and being captivated by Cally Taylor's novel Heaven Can Wait, I knew that Cally's latest novel Home For Christmas would be on the top of my reading pile as soon as I received a copy.

Beth Prince, a twenty-four year old romantic, works in the Picturebox, a charming independant cinema. Beth has a boyfriend she believes is her dream man, theres just one problem, none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her. Desperate to be told 'I love you' for the first time Beth decides to take matters into her own hands and then wishes she hadn't. With Beth feeling low, bad news arrives in the handsome shape of Matt Jones, the regional director of a chain cinema who is determined to get his hands on the Picturebox.

Home For Christmas is told from two different viewpoints; Beth and Matt's, with each chapter alternating between the two characters. I really enjoyed being able to gain two perspectives on events that unfolded throughtout the novel. Usually in chick lit novels, the male characters feelings and emotions are not portrayed, so this was a refreshing change that I would love to see in more novels. At many points in the novel I did find myself literally laughing out loud. I really enjoy any book that I read to be humourous, even if only in a subtle way. Home For Christmas really excelled with the humour injected into the characters, adding an extra spark to the novel. Cally Taylor's wit is one of the reasons she is such a fantastic author that I will always look out for. The characters were another contributing factor as to why I enjoyed Home For Christmas. Cally Taylor has managed to create characters that I really cared about by really bringing them to life. Beth, while at times being a little naive was caring and extremely likeable. I couldn't help hoping that she would find love and be able to keep her job at The Picture Box cinema. I also really enjoyed reading about Carl, although I detested him as a character, he definatly made certain moments within the novel very entertaining.

I did find that unlike Cally Taylor's previous novel, Heaven Can Wait, Home For Christmas was a little cookie cutter for my tastes. While I, and most chick lit lovers, enjoy a romance story that is neatly wrapped up, I do enjoy a little originality, and in my option that is where this novel lacks. I also would have liked to see a little more of the Christmas theme within the story. While the novel ends at Christmas time, there is very little mention of Christmas for a book entitled Home For Christmas.

Home For Christmas is a very enjoyable, quick and charming read, that I managed to devour in just one sitting. I would reccomend this book to anyone looking for a cozy Christmas read over the holidays. I will be looking out for more of Cally Taylor's novels in the future.(less)

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Dec 07, 2011 Aileen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beth Prince is 24, she has a great boyfriend Aiden, and a job she loves at Picturebox Cinema, and she lives in Brighton. She’s very happy but no man has ever said the words “I love you”. Beth plans to tell Aiden how she feels but what could possibly go wrong?
Things turn out no better when gorgeous Matt Jones South East Manager of Apollo turns up and announces the owner is selling Picturebox to Apollo, Beth can apply for the Manager’s job but will she be successful?
I really enjoyed this book, it...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Samantha Robey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received a copy of Home For Christmas in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged twenty-four, she feels like she's finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox - a charming but rundown independent cinema - and has a boyfriend who's so debonair and charming she can't believe her luck! There's just one problem - none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn't look l...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Chanpreet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beth Prince is 24 and has never been told that she's loved by a man. She's just been dumped by Aiden without a warning, and it looks like her job at the Picturebox, an independent movie theater is about to go as well. Enter Matt Jones, the regional director of Apollo, the company that wants to take over and tear down the Picturebox. Matt and Beth are both conflicted with everything going on in their lives. Will they find what their looking for?

I loved how each chapter in this book was from eithe...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, books-read-2011

Back in 2009, Cally Taylor’s debut novel blew me away. I loved it. Heaven Can Wait was one of the most refreshing and enjoyable, not to mention unique, Chick Lit novels I’ve ever read. The magic set it apart from all other Chick Lit novels and I was gutted Cally’s second novel was pushed back to 2011 from 2010. Slowly, slowly, though, the release date for Cally’s second book has been arriving and I was thrilled to pieces to receive a bright pink proof copy of Home For Christmas.

Home For Christma...more Back in 2009, Cally Taylor’s debut novel blew me away. I loved it. Heaven Can Wait was one of the most refreshing and enjoyable, not to mention unique, Chick Lit novels I’ve ever read. The magic set it apart from all other Chick Lit novels and I was gutted Cally’s second novel was pushed back to 2011 from 2010. Slowly, slowly, though, the release date for Cally’s second book has been arriving and I was thrilled to pieces to receive a bright pink proof copy of Home For Christmas.

Home For Christmas is an enjoyable Christmassy novel. I can see the novel’s point, I read it in a matter of hours, but at the end of the day it’s nothing more than an enjoyable Christmas novel that I will have forgotten this time next year. Home For Christmas is lacking everything Heaven Can Wait had. The only thing that’s retained from Cally’s first book to her second is the humour and the lovely characters. The rest is gone. There’s no magic to speak of (apparently, magical novels don’t sell very well, so Cally had to take all of it out. And it shows) and it just has the kind of plot I feel like I’ve read a million times before. That doesn’t necessarily make it a bad book – because it wasn’t, I didn’t want to throw it out a window – but it’s not very memorable. It’s like I could see what Cally was trying to do and she did it well enough… But it just wasn’t good enough. It was good, but it wasn’t great.

The novel ticked all the right boxes to be a good novel, but when I got to the end I just felt disappointed. I liked it, but it has the kind of plot many authors have done before and there was nothing that particularly stood out to me. The plot was fine – Beth loves working at the Picturebox and when she learns a bigger company are trying to buy it, she’s devastated. Enter Matt, who works for said bigger company. Throw in a ditzy best friend, a psycho ex-girlfriend (on Matt’s side), a total idiot of an ex-boyfriend (on Beth’s side), chuck in a pushy mother who wants to move to Austrlia (Beth’s) and a Granddad who just wants to see his Grandson happy (Matt’s), stir and you’re done. Oh, and not forgetting Carl, the total creep Beth works with and allows to bully her considerably. And it’s set at Christmastime (score one for Cally Taylor writing an obligatory Xmas novel, woohoo!). I know that probably sounds flippant; heck I’m sure the entire paragraph sounds flippant but I was expecting more from the book and I felt it was all just ho-hum.

The characters helped to keep me reading. Sure, they’re all carbon-copy cookie-cutter Chick Lit characters – Beth with her hopelessness in life/love/job and her ability to wear ridiculously tight pants to go abseiling thinking they wouldn’t split(!) and Matt who despite thinking his girlfriend Alice is a psycho, still allows her to walk all over him when most people would tell her exactly where to take herself, but despite their foibles I did like them. Beth was charming in a strange sort of way, despite her stupidity over the pants and despite the fact she let Carl The Creep treat her like crap. She made me laugh, and I found her very amusing. Matt, too, was endearing at times. I did find him a tad weak (re: Alice) but I liked his banter with Beth, I thought they got on really well together. The rest of the characters were fine, with Matt’s Granddad being the stand-out character for me, I absolutely loved him and his and Matt’s relationship was just amazing to read.

I know I probably sound like a Debbie Downer on the novel, but it honestly wasn’t a bad novel. It just sort of ticked all the requisite boxes without really challenging itself. I think Cally having to take out the magical elements is probably what caused its downfall because it does feel as though something’s missing. It does feel a bit soulless. But like I said, I did enjoy it (and I know if I keep saying that, you’re all going to think I doth protest too much) I just expected a better follow up from the author who brought us Heaven Can Wait. It kills me that authors have to write to an expectant publisher and take out any elements that don’t follow the Chick Lit handbook. Doesn’t how much I – and many others – loved Heaven Can Wait prove that a bit of magic isn’t going to kill a novel dead? I would love to pick up a German copy of this novel, as Cally was allowed to keep in the magic and I’d love to see how that differed with all of its originality in tact. (Of course, I would have to learn German first, sadly.) It’s an alright novel. I feel bad I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to, but it just wasn’t a patch on Cally’s first novel.(less)

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Dec 11, 2011 Karen Gooderham rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I loved this book, it is a real christmas romance book along with lots of laughter.

I loved the main character Beth, she so badly wants someone to fall in love with her and tell her that they love her. Beth works at the local cinema 'Picturebox' but her boss is an elderly lady and wants to sell it to a chain 'Apollo'. So she also has this as a problem (not knowing if she is going to have a job after christmas).

You follow Beth trying to keep her job and also being dumped by her current boyfirend A...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Yola NY rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

it has 2sided-narators!!

and so many LOL!
can you imagine that i read this book at midnight while my parents sleeping and im laughing loudly?

matt, though he's handsime, gorgeous and get nice job, seeing into his mindway, cant get the funny man like him..
and absolutely beth is the winner! for making me wow along..

nice to know the happy ending for them :-)

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Jun 18, 2012 Annette Hart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I know it's typical, light chick-lit but I still enjoyed reading it! Sometimes I like to keep it simple (things are tricky for the girl, girl meets boy, they don't like each other, then like each, then it all goes wrong - misunderstandings - then it all gets resolved and they live happily ever after) and this book did the trick.

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Dec 28, 2012 Hobby rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chicklit, drama-romance, pinjam

Well, it was ok, I like her first book "Heaven Can Wait" --- much-much better than this.

more about this book, check on my review at here :
http://lemarihobbybuku.blogspot.com/2...

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Jan 19, 2013 Pollypoptart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

Not a Christmas book, despite the name. (I put off reading it for a year because I don't like reading Christmas books at Christmas). Great book - really enjoyed the storyline, the characters . . . I laughed and I cried.

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Apr 14, 2012 Sheena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit

Loved this one. Cally Taylor is quickly becoming one of my favorie authors. Can't wait to read more by her!

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Nov 20, 2012 Luanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Easy to read with some laugh out loud moments!.. Feel good book

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Apr 30, 2013 Wangi Mutiara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-reading

Witty, brilliant and another happy ending love story.

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Nov 29, 2012 Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-for-mmbbr-s

Review dec 11th!

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Mar 03, 2012 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first book by Cally Taylor and I will definitely be on the look out for more by this author. I read this in a day and I really really enjoyed. There was a few reason's it wasn't a five for me, One was the fact the title says "home for Christmas" yet Christmas only features towards the end and not even for long. Beth's mother was really rude and annoying and disrespected her daughter at every chance she got and that annoyed me and it was a bit slow at times but over all I enjoyed it.

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Apr 03, 2012 Nathalie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book of Cally Taylor's I've read, and I really enjoyed it. I read it so quickly as it was a nice gentle read that allowed me to escape for a while when reading it.
I loved Matt, and Beth and Lizzie made me chuckle at times. I wasn't keen on Beth's mum, thought she wasn't very nice to her daughter. I also really loved Matt's grandad!
All in all, a great book to escape into and one which left me feeling happy after reading it.
Would recommend.

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Nov 13, 2011 Penelope rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction, christmas

A very mediocre chick-lit novel that felt as if the Christmas theme was tagged on. Disappointed!

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Nov 18, 2011 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I couldn't get Bridget Jones out of my head whenever Beth's story was told , but I particularly enjoyed Matthews voice/ story.....all In all a cracking romp of a read

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Dec 16, 2012 Joanna Gawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Home for Christmas is a genuinely funny chick-lit read, with a few side-splitting moments (even my husband laughed!) This book reminded me of the Bridget Jones novels, but perhaps had a better balance due to our awareness of Matt's 'side of the story' in alternate chapters. A great cast of support characters, too.

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Jan 10, 2013 Karen Clarke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Home for Christmas is a fantastic, heart-warming read with a wonderful cast of characters, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some that made me cry, and despite the title it can - and SHOULD - be read any time, anywhere. Highly recommended.

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May 21, 2013 Lia marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: ingin-memiliki

May 14, 2013 glorybox6 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 04, 2013 Book marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 03, 2013 Nonii Elputri rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

May 03, 2013 Lunar marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 30, 2013 Eve rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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About Cally Taylor

Cally Taylor lives in Bristol with her boyfriend, baby son and their ridiculously large DVD/book/music collection. She shares her 'study' with the washing machine and surf board and writes her novels in any spare moments she can squeeze in between the day job and her social network addiction . She started writing fiction in 2005 and her short stories have won several awards and been published by a...more

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