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A Titkos Mikulás-küldetés
Az Igazából szerelem találkozása a Mi a manó?-val.
Szivet melengető, nevetésre késztető romantikus regény. Csak kihúzol a kalapból egy nevet, akit alig ismersz, és olyan karácsonyod lesz, amit sosem fogsz feledni!
Jolene december elsején kezdi elsó munkanapját frissdiplomásként London egyik kerületének önkormányzatánál. És elképesztően lelkesen várja, hogy csatlakozhasson a könyvelési osztályhoz, hogy csodálatos karácsonyi programokat szervezzen az új munkatársaival.
Az új részlegen azonban senki sem ilyen lelkes. Sőt, mindannyian azon vannak, hogy kidolgozzák, hogyan ne tartsák meg jövő évben a karácsonyt Bermondsey kerületében, hogy ezzel pénzt spórolhassanak az önkormányzatnak.
Jolene tehát elhatározza, hogy visszahozza a karácsony szellemét unott kollégái életébe egy különleges Titkos Mikulás-küldetéssel, ahol nem az ajándékok a lényegesek, hanem egy apró szívesség, ami megváltoztathatja a másik ember életét.
Szivet melengető, nevetésre késztető romantikus regény. Csak kihúzol a kalapból egy nevet, akit alig ismersz, és olyan karácsonyod lesz, amit sosem fogsz feledni!
Jolene december elsején kezdi elsó munkanapját frissdiplomásként London egyik kerületének önkormányzatánál. És elképesztően lelkesen várja, hogy csatlakozhasson a könyvelési osztályhoz, hogy csodálatos karácsonyi programokat szervezzen az új munkatársaival.
Az új részlegen azonban senki sem ilyen lelkes. Sőt, mindannyian azon vannak, hogy kidolgozzák, hogyan ne tartsák meg jövő évben a karácsonyt Bermondsey kerületében, hogy ezzel pénzt spórolhassanak az önkormányzatnak.
Jolene tehát elhatározza, hogy visszahozza a karácsony szellemét unott kollégái életébe egy különleges Titkos Mikulás-küldetéssel, ahol nem az ajándékok a lényegesek, hanem egy apró szívesség, ami megváltoztathatja a másik ember életét.
320 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2025
130 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
September 19, 2024
I received a free copy of, The Secret Santa Project, by Tracy Bloom, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jolene is starting a new job as a trainee, but her colleagues want to cancel Christmas, Jolene wants to change their minds, get them to embrace Christmas. This is not your typical holiday romance, it has a lot of twists and turns and surprises.
dnf
December 7, 2025DNF at 11%
returned it and got a refund
returned it and got a refund
December 20, 2024
I just adore this book! I don’t care about what other reviews said. But this book came at the right time to me. I’m so glad I picked it up at the right moment. I love the side characters like Carol and Stacy’s daughter, Grace just love them. It’s a feel-good book and it delivers!! Loves it.
December 9, 2025
4.5
It’s crazy to me that I hate Christmas and I’m so close to rating a Christmas book 5 stars.
I LOVED this book! It just has everything! It reassures me that it’s okay to not love Christmas like most people do! It’s wholesome but emotional at the same time and I just love it! Can’t wait to discuss this at book club!
It’s crazy to me that I hate Christmas and I’m so close to rating a Christmas book 5 stars.
I LOVED this book! It just has everything! It reassures me that it’s okay to not love Christmas like most people do! It’s wholesome but emotional at the same time and I just love it! Can’t wait to discuss this at book club!
January 10, 2026
Book club book
Did what it said it would on the tin!! Not so bad and quite a sweet easy read at Xmas.
Not really my cup of tea but ideal if you don’t want a challenging read at that time of year, and that’s what book club is all about.
Did what it said it would on the tin!! Not so bad and quite a sweet easy read at Xmas.
Not really my cup of tea but ideal if you don’t want a challenging read at that time of year, and that’s what book club is all about.
November 17, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, it had such a cosy feel to it whilst reading. It really felt we engaged with the characters, learning more about each other of them. I love the meaning of this book, that whilst we are sad about Christmas we can find something to smile about. I want to read more from this author as I really enjoyed this book. It definitely made me feel festive.
May 13, 2025
it was a great book
December 25, 2024
Loved, loved, loved .... such a warm, cozy, feel good Christmas read
December 10, 2025
Karácsony és egész december a kedvenc időszakom az egész évben, de valahogy a karácsonyi könyvek sosem nyerik el a tetszésem. Kicsit túlzottan kiszámítható, mázas (nyilván milyen lenne egy karácsonyi könyv), már sokszor az elején tudott a vége. Ebben is azért megvolt ez bőven, de messze a legjobb decemberi hangulatú könyv volt, amit valaha olvastam. Nem lesz kedvenc azért ez sem, de szívmelengető történet, aminek valóságos szaga van! Tényleg kicsit igazából szerelem, de talán ez nem is kritika ebben az esetben.
January 5, 2026
I read this for my book club. I know I'm not the target audience for this book at all but I just really didn't like it...at all.
September 15, 2024
A new Tracy Bloom's book is always a treat. So I thought.
This one was not so much a treat. I don't know, it simply didn't work for me. Especially Jolene, who truly got on my nerves. On one hand, the characters were true to life and had to deal with problems, just like normal people. On the other, everything worked out so unbelievably smoothly for them, like all the dreams came true.
And guys. Hold me. I've never loathed a character as much as I did this time and you will probably never guess who it was. Grace. Never, ever, absolutely never will a 7 - year - old speak and behave like Grace. Totally unbelievable and I couldn't stand her, and I've never thought I'm going to say something like this about a child - character. 7 going on 70, in the worst way possible. She was not funny. She was simply not authentic.
I also expected much more humour from Tracy Bloom. This story felt somehow much too depressive and it has never happened before but I started to skim - reading some of the passages. Too many pages, too less conflict.
I'm dissapointed, because I had great hopes for this one, but well, sometimes the book don't gel with you, or you don't gel with the books.
This one was not so much a treat. I don't know, it simply didn't work for me. Especially Jolene, who truly got on my nerves. On one hand, the characters were true to life and had to deal with problems, just like normal people. On the other, everything worked out so unbelievably smoothly for them, like all the dreams came true.
And guys. Hold me. I've never loathed a character as much as I did this time and you will probably never guess who it was. Grace. Never, ever, absolutely never will a 7 - year - old speak and behave like Grace. Totally unbelievable and I couldn't stand her, and I've never thought I'm going to say something like this about a child - character. 7 going on 70, in the worst way possible. She was not funny. She was simply not authentic.
I also expected much more humour from Tracy Bloom. This story felt somehow much too depressive and it has never happened before but I started to skim - reading some of the passages. Too many pages, too less conflict.
I'm dissapointed, because I had great hopes for this one, but well, sometimes the book don't gel with you, or you don't gel with the books.
September 23, 2024
This book was SO good. I really love Tracy’s novels and this was like a hug in a mug. I’ve never read a book set in a local council before and let me tell you, I did not know my council tax paid for Christmas lights! 😅😂 thank you Tracy for educating me. Anyway, back to the book!!
The Secret Santa Project was fantastic. It tells the story of 6 people who all work in the same council office - all pick a name out of a hat and are told they cannot buy a gift for someone, they must do a good deed for their secret Santa.
This was a delightful novel. I loved the characters so much - Jolene especially because I have as much Christmas spirit as she did. I struggled to like Stacey for ages because she was so miserable/whingy but I grew to like her. I loved Yang and Barney and Jerry was okay. Diane, their boss, was incredible.
This novel had everything including a precocious 7 year old named Grace who loves donkeys. I thought she was a right tonic. She made me giggle.
This was a wonderfully warm novel and was filled with Tracy’s trademark warmth and humour and she’s such a natural storyteller, I devoured this.
A Christmas cracker!
The Secret Santa Project was fantastic. It tells the story of 6 people who all work in the same council office - all pick a name out of a hat and are told they cannot buy a gift for someone, they must do a good deed for their secret Santa.
This was a delightful novel. I loved the characters so much - Jolene especially because I have as much Christmas spirit as she did. I struggled to like Stacey for ages because she was so miserable/whingy but I grew to like her. I loved Yang and Barney and Jerry was okay. Diane, their boss, was incredible.
This novel had everything including a precocious 7 year old named Grace who loves donkeys. I thought she was a right tonic. She made me giggle.
This was a wonderfully warm novel and was filled with Tracy’s trademark warmth and humour and she’s such a natural storyteller, I devoured this.
A Christmas cracker!
February 21, 2025
Sweet story that I loved yapping about with my sister!!!
November 27, 2024
ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you that i adore anything remotely cheesy and christmasy - including those channel 5 / hallmark films; the cheesier, the better. however, this book had the exact opposite effect that i was hoping it would deliver.
my first impressions didn't amount to anything much and they didn't really get any better - jolene came across to me as a little childish with the constant talk of 'you have to love christmas' (for the most part, i agree with her, but some people just don't and it can get really annoying having to hear someone harp on about it), however the office dynamic of being the new girl and having everybody there loathe your mere existence from the word "go" was executed wonderfully.
my issue with this book is, i went into it expecting a fun, slightly chaotic secret santa project surrounding colleagues in an office and all the stereotypical things you would expect to come with it - what i actually got was the following: an introduction to the main characters that gave me pretty much every piece of information i needed to know about them right from the very start which ironically took away the majority of the depth i would've wanted to have found out about across the journey of the above mentioned christmas chaos; on the other hand, i felt iconic background characters such as carol were almost shoe-horned in for what felt like a character quota; the ending was all wrapped nice and tight for the main characters as expected, but one plot twist was left arguably unfinished and some characters simply floated into the background.
i know that christmas novels don't tend to have huge, jaw-dropping plot twists where everyone gets a send off - in fact, i love the chick-lit christmas books the very most and actively scour the shop bookshelves for them - but this book sadly felt like a whole jumble of characters and i almost got lost at one point as to whether i was meant to be following all of the characters' stories alongside one another or if i was getting distracted from one main person, not to mention that everybody, aside from jolene, makes it a personality trait to hate christmas for 90% of the book.
it did get better within the last 10 chapters which does bump up the rating by a single star, but sadly by this point i was uninterested in it and simply just wanted to get it finished. from the synopsis, it had a lovely plot and the idea of the secret santa project in this story is very sweet and one that i feel should be adopted in workplaces.
i really hate giving bad reviews as this is still something someone has poured their love, heart, soul, time, effort, and dreams into, but as much as i was hoping it would, this book simply didn't bring the christmas spirit that it felt like it was promising.
my first impressions didn't amount to anything much and they didn't really get any better - jolene came across to me as a little childish with the constant talk of 'you have to love christmas' (for the most part, i agree with her, but some people just don't and it can get really annoying having to hear someone harp on about it), however the office dynamic of being the new girl and having everybody there loathe your mere existence from the word "go" was executed wonderfully.
my issue with this book is, i went into it expecting a fun, slightly chaotic secret santa project surrounding colleagues in an office and all the stereotypical things you would expect to come with it - what i actually got was the following: an introduction to the main characters that gave me pretty much every piece of information i needed to know about them right from the very start which ironically took away the majority of the depth i would've wanted to have found out about across the journey of the above mentioned christmas chaos; on the other hand, i felt iconic background characters such as carol were almost shoe-horned in for what felt like a character quota; the ending was all wrapped nice and tight for the main characters as expected, but one plot twist was left arguably unfinished and some characters simply floated into the background.
i know that christmas novels don't tend to have huge, jaw-dropping plot twists where everyone gets a send off - in fact, i love the chick-lit christmas books the very most and actively scour the shop bookshelves for them - but this book sadly felt like a whole jumble of characters and i almost got lost at one point as to whether i was meant to be following all of the characters' stories alongside one another or if i was getting distracted from one main person, not to mention that everybody, aside from jolene, makes it a personality trait to hate christmas for 90% of the book.
it did get better within the last 10 chapters which does bump up the rating by a single star, but sadly by this point i was uninterested in it and simply just wanted to get it finished. from the synopsis, it had a lovely plot and the idea of the secret santa project in this story is very sweet and one that i feel should be adopted in workplaces.
i really hate giving bad reviews as this is still something someone has poured their love, heart, soul, time, effort, and dreams into, but as much as i was hoping it would, this book simply didn't bring the christmas spirit that it felt like it was promising.
March 8, 2025
Yes, I know you’re supposed to suspend belief while reading this sort of book but, I mean, really?
Jolene: yes, I can see it’s meant to be a joke name but it got boring it being sung every time she was introduced. And her over-the-top enthusiasm for Christmas! I’m a big Christmas fan but even this felt too much. Her own mother told her to dial it down too. Interestingly, apart from her love of Christmas and her missing university life, we learn no more about her whilst we learnt lots about the others. Perhaps she was meant to be a catalyst?
Then there’s her whole attitude to work; it must have been very tiring to be in that office with her. She definitely needed a dose of reality, of what life is really like, how unfair it is.
As to the actual project itself, this seemed to defeat its own objective in the sense that people started telling others what they’d planned before doing them. Not such a good surprise ‘present’ after all then. And if you’d asked me what, for example, Jolene ‘received’ as her gift, I couldn’t tell you. (Actually, I can now: , which again breaks the project’s rules, being a monetary gift)
Volunteering in a charity book, I notice that there’s been a big increase in Christmas books being donated so perhaps this author felt the need to jump on the bandwagon, failing dismally though as far as I’m concerned. She definitely writes better when the main character is more mature.
A disappointment.
Jolene: yes, I can see it’s meant to be a joke name but it got boring it being sung every time she was introduced. And her over-the-top enthusiasm for Christmas! I’m a big Christmas fan but even this felt too much. Her own mother told her to dial it down too. Interestingly, apart from her love of Christmas and her missing university life, we learn no more about her whilst we learnt lots about the others. Perhaps she was meant to be a catalyst?
Then there’s her whole attitude to work; it must have been very tiring to be in that office with her. She definitely needed a dose of reality, of what life is really like, how unfair it is.
As to the actual project itself, this seemed to defeat its own objective in the sense that people started telling others what they’d planned before doing them. Not such a good surprise ‘present’ after all then. And if you’d asked me what, for example, Jolene ‘received’ as her gift, I couldn’t tell you. (Actually, I can now: , which again breaks the project’s rules, being a monetary gift)
Volunteering in a charity book, I notice that there’s been a big increase in Christmas books being donated so perhaps this author felt the need to jump on the bandwagon, failing dismally though as far as I’m concerned. She definitely writes better when the main character is more mature.
A disappointment.
December 31, 2025
3.5 stars
This was a fun, quick read and a nice way to end the year, although I think it is unlikley to be a memorable read. All of the characters were interesting and distinct, though with so many storylines running at once, I didn’t quite get the time to fully settle into any one person’s world.
Stacey’s storyline stood out to me the most — her experience as a single mum wanting a life of her own felt particularly realistic and well done. I also really enjoyed the chaos surrounding Jerry and his coffee shop man, which added humour to the story. There were some touching moments too, especially those involving Barney and memories of his late wife, Linda.
The setup of the characters working in the council’s accounts department and analysing the “value for money” of Christmas was an interesting angle. It felt very reflective of the current state of the UK, and I liked the underlying message that joy, kindness, and shared memories can’t really be priced or measured.
The ending was very heartwarming and left me feeling festive and content. It also felt fitting that I ended the year with my first read for the book club I’ll be starting next year.
This was a fun, quick read and a nice way to end the year, although I think it is unlikley to be a memorable read. All of the characters were interesting and distinct, though with so many storylines running at once, I didn’t quite get the time to fully settle into any one person’s world.
Stacey’s storyline stood out to me the most — her experience as a single mum wanting a life of her own felt particularly realistic and well done. I also really enjoyed the chaos surrounding Jerry and his coffee shop man, which added humour to the story. There were some touching moments too, especially those involving Barney and memories of his late wife, Linda.
The setup of the characters working in the council’s accounts department and analysing the “value for money” of Christmas was an interesting angle. It felt very reflective of the current state of the UK, and I liked the underlying message that joy, kindness, and shared memories can’t really be priced or measured.
The ending was very heartwarming and left me feeling festive and content. It also felt fitting that I ended the year with my first read for the book club I’ll be starting next year.
December 21, 2025
A great read, the characters are so relatable and funny, as you all wanted them to find happiness, and I love the happy ending at the end, as it was so heartwarming and sweet.
If you need a book to get you into the Christmas spirit, then this is the one for you 😁
If you need a book to get you into the Christmas spirit, then this is the one for you 😁
December 2, 2024
3.25✨️
November 14, 2025
Really good festive story
December 18, 2025
I LOVED this! This is a proper nice heartwarming Christmas book without being cheesy. Bravo
December 26, 2025
Szívmelengető történet - Love Actually stílusban.
Karácsony előtti hetekben pont jól esett olvasni. Szabados Ági NIOK könyvklubjának ajánlására olvastam.
Karácsony előtti hetekben pont jól esett olvasni. Szabados Ági NIOK könyvklubjának ajánlására olvastam.
December 28, 2025
Love Actually vibes, nice easy festive read
January 2, 2026
Very much a Hallmark movie book. Really entertaining and couldn't put it down but it is not really a good either, if that makes sense. Perfect for Christmas time though.
January 10, 2026
This was book number 4 I found since joining the Chapter25 bookclub. I really enjoyed it, it was very heartwarming, warm and fuzzy Christmassy feelings. Would definitely recommend to others.
December 12, 2025
This was going to be 0.5 but page 300 shifted it to a 0.75
If it wasn't a book club pick I wouldn't have picked this up. Not for me. Very much a children's book of it wasn't for the occasional swear word. 🤮
If it wasn't a book club pick I wouldn't have picked this up. Not for me. Very much a children's book of it wasn't for the occasional swear word. 🤮
December 30, 2025
Love Actually meets Elf in this Christmas affirming, laugh-out-loud comedy from the bestselling author of The Wife Who Got a Life and No One Has Sex on a Tuesday
A name drawn from a hatSomeone you barely knowA Christmas you’ll never forget It’s the 1st December and it’s Jolene’s first day as a graduate trainee at Lambeth City Council. She’s so excited to be joining the accounting team just in time for all those joyous Christmas festivities that all work mates share, the world over!
Only no-one in her new department wants to know. In fact they are all hellbent on doing everything they can to cancel Christmas.
And so Jolene sets about bringing Christmas back to her joyless new colleagues with a Secret Santa to end all Secret Santa’s that could not only make their Christmas but it could also change their lives.
My comments:
If I had two words I could use to describe this book i'd say funny and beautiful. When I first found the description for this book and found it was labelled a romantic comedy I was very apprehensive about reading it however as it was the December pick for book club I took the plunge and I have to say I would have missed out on a very beautiful and funny uplifting story. I was pleasantly surprised on how quickly I got into this book and the characters.
I loved the idea of the secret Santa project and the way it was done differently from the normal way a secret Santa would be done. Jolene was a funny and very interesting character. I loved the way she got stuck into bringing Christmas back to her colleagues and I loved this idea much better than buying a gift. I am not going to say anymore about the plot as don't want to spoil it for anyone who may want to give it a try.
The main reason I was apprehensive about reading this book is because I don't enjoy comedy as I don't often get jokes however with this book their were not really a lot of jokes, it was the actions characters performed and the way the story unfolded that made it funny so thankfully their were not a lot of complicated jokes to worry about.
I am so glad I read this book and this was my last book of 2025 and what a positive and uplifting book to end the year on. By the time I finish my next book on my reading list it will be 2026. I am glad that the majority of my huge reading list this year have been positive reads. If you want a funny, uplifting and beautiful story then try this.
The reader brought the story to life and this was a very pleasant listening experience. As I am totally blind my reading method is audio as I find it difficult to concentrate when reading braille, audio allows me to enjoy the story and take in and remember more of it.
A name drawn from a hatSomeone you barely knowA Christmas you’ll never forget It’s the 1st December and it’s Jolene’s first day as a graduate trainee at Lambeth City Council. She’s so excited to be joining the accounting team just in time for all those joyous Christmas festivities that all work mates share, the world over!
Only no-one in her new department wants to know. In fact they are all hellbent on doing everything they can to cancel Christmas.
And so Jolene sets about bringing Christmas back to her joyless new colleagues with a Secret Santa to end all Secret Santa’s that could not only make their Christmas but it could also change their lives.
My comments:
If I had two words I could use to describe this book i'd say funny and beautiful. When I first found the description for this book and found it was labelled a romantic comedy I was very apprehensive about reading it however as it was the December pick for book club I took the plunge and I have to say I would have missed out on a very beautiful and funny uplifting story. I was pleasantly surprised on how quickly I got into this book and the characters.
I loved the idea of the secret Santa project and the way it was done differently from the normal way a secret Santa would be done. Jolene was a funny and very interesting character. I loved the way she got stuck into bringing Christmas back to her colleagues and I loved this idea much better than buying a gift. I am not going to say anymore about the plot as don't want to spoil it for anyone who may want to give it a try.
The main reason I was apprehensive about reading this book is because I don't enjoy comedy as I don't often get jokes however with this book their were not really a lot of jokes, it was the actions characters performed and the way the story unfolded that made it funny so thankfully their were not a lot of complicated jokes to worry about.
I am so glad I read this book and this was my last book of 2025 and what a positive and uplifting book to end the year on. By the time I finish my next book on my reading list it will be 2026. I am glad that the majority of my huge reading list this year have been positive reads. If you want a funny, uplifting and beautiful story then try this.
The reader brought the story to life and this was a very pleasant listening experience. As I am totally blind my reading method is audio as I find it difficult to concentrate when reading braille, audio allows me to enjoy the story and take in and remember more of it.
November 2, 2024
Hilarious from start to finish!
This was Tracy Bloom at her comedic very best! But in amongst the humour there is a heartwarming story about a group of people that work in a council accounts department, who have been tasked with trying to work out the real value of Christmas and whether they can cancel it the next year.
Jolene is excited for her first ever job in the adult world of work, only to get to the office on her first day and it not really being anything like she imagined. Not only that she is my sort of person being a Disney and Christmas loving adult - something her new colleagues weren't as sure about.
But Jolene does come up with a great concept for the office - a secret santa project where her idea is for them to all do one good deed for their chosen person to help make their Christmas, and to spend no money doing so.
We get chapters from all of the characters points of view, and get to really know all of them quite well, and it was interesting to see how their lives connect away from the office in ways they aren't even aware of.
I really enjoyed seeing all of these characters develop over the course of the story and I was totally invested in all of their lives.
A fabulous assortment of down to earth, relatable characters, set to a backdrop of Christmas, and the possibility of Christmas magic.
Good seasonal fun that I totally adored.
Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
This was Tracy Bloom at her comedic very best! But in amongst the humour there is a heartwarming story about a group of people that work in a council accounts department, who have been tasked with trying to work out the real value of Christmas and whether they can cancel it the next year.
Jolene is excited for her first ever job in the adult world of work, only to get to the office on her first day and it not really being anything like she imagined. Not only that she is my sort of person being a Disney and Christmas loving adult - something her new colleagues weren't as sure about.
But Jolene does come up with a great concept for the office - a secret santa project where her idea is for them to all do one good deed for their chosen person to help make their Christmas, and to spend no money doing so.
We get chapters from all of the characters points of view, and get to really know all of them quite well, and it was interesting to see how their lives connect away from the office in ways they aren't even aware of.
I really enjoyed seeing all of these characters develop over the course of the story and I was totally invested in all of their lives.
A fabulous assortment of down to earth, relatable characters, set to a backdrop of Christmas, and the possibility of Christmas magic.
Good seasonal fun that I totally adored.
Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
September 19, 2024
As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot...
I've read quite a few novels by Tracy Bloom, so was pleased to be invited to read this one.
It was an enjoyable, light read - but with some grittier topics along the way too (such as bereavement, single parenthood, relationships various, workplace cutbacks, etc).
I think the author captured the all-too-common atmosphere of many office environments as the festive season approaches; some staff are entirely on-board and enthusiastic, whilst others are less so, or don't celebrate Christmas (some being happy to go along with office festivities anyway).
Gradually everyone's backstories make it clear why they have particular attitudes to both work and celebration.
The characters are a varied mix but include people that most could identify in their own workplaces, which made them instantly familiar. The child of the outfit - Grace - was a bit of a minx but added much humour! Jolene (one of the lead characters) was very much "an innocent abroad", with her love of all things Christmas and optimistic approach - I found myself hoping (despite her being fictional!) that she would always stay the same rather than becoming a cynical, downtrodden person.
This book will appeal to you if you like Christmas - possibly less so otherwise.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.
I've read quite a few novels by Tracy Bloom, so was pleased to be invited to read this one.
It was an enjoyable, light read - but with some grittier topics along the way too (such as bereavement, single parenthood, relationships various, workplace cutbacks, etc).
I think the author captured the all-too-common atmosphere of many office environments as the festive season approaches; some staff are entirely on-board and enthusiastic, whilst others are less so, or don't celebrate Christmas (some being happy to go along with office festivities anyway).
Gradually everyone's backstories make it clear why they have particular attitudes to both work and celebration.
The characters are a varied mix but include people that most could identify in their own workplaces, which made them instantly familiar. The child of the outfit - Grace - was a bit of a minx but added much humour! Jolene (one of the lead characters) was very much "an innocent abroad", with her love of all things Christmas and optimistic approach - I found myself hoping (despite her being fictional!) that she would always stay the same rather than becoming a cynical, downtrodden person.
This book will appeal to you if you like Christmas - possibly less so otherwise.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.
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