Review: 25 Days ‘til Christmas by Poppy Alexander
“She needed a Christmas miracle.”
The Basics
Title: 25 Days ‘til Christmas
Author: Poppy Alexander
Published: 2019
Publisher: William Morrow — HarperCollins
Pages: 342
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Contemporary fiction, Holiday, Romance, Contemporary romance, Holiday romance, Clean romance
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Book Synopsis
Just days before Christmas four years ago, Kate Thompson lost her husband, and life since then has been difficult for both her and her 6-year-old son, Jack. Kate had to leave the army base that had been her home and move to the city with Jack, where she was forced into taking a minimum-wage job in order to provide for her son. Now, her job is at risk of being cut, and as if that were not enough to worry about, Jack is having difficulties at school, the money that had been paying for her mother-in-law’s care at a nursing home is starting to run low, and the anniversary of her husband’s death is approaching. In spite of all of these worries, Kate is determined to make this holiday season special for her son through an advent calendar that features one Christmassy activity for them to do each day. Along the way, she meets Daniel, who has also recently lost a family member, and through their shared understanding, a friendship develops that helps both of them not only make it through but also enjoy the holiday season once more. Before long, both begin to wonder if there is the potential for more than just friendship between them.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: A heartwarming holiday story about love, loss, friendship, and new beginnings.
I only recently finished 25 Days ‘til Christmas, but it has already become one of my favorite holiday books. It’s a heartwarming story that is Christmassy without being overly so.
25 Days ‘til Christmas reminds me of It’s a Wonderful Life. Much like George Bailey, Kate is down on her luck and struggling to cope with a mix of grief, stress, and anxiety. Over the course of the book, however, she comes to realize that her life is not as bleak as it had once seemed. Her life is by no means perfect, but she learns that she has people in her life who are not only willing but eager to help her in whatever way possible. Thus, the book highlights a similar theme to that of It’s a Wonderful Life: if you have people in your life who care about you, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
This book also earns points from me for its inclusion and portrayal of individuals with disabilities, including intellectual, emotional, and behavioral. Through her characters, Poppy Alexander challenges common preconceptions and illustrates some of the difficulties encountered by people with disabilities, particularly within the public education system.
What truly makes this book, however, is its characters. Kate is such a realistic and relatable character. Like many of us, she has insecurities, self-doubt, and worries, and at times, she struggles to cope with them. And also like the majority of us, she has problems in her life that she doesn’t know how to fix. She is not one of those heroines we love to despise who magically thinks up a solution to all of her problems – no, she’s a normal person who is just trying her best to deal with what life has thrown at her. Her love interest, Daniel, is equally relatable. He’s not the suave, charming male lead that appears in many romances. Instead, he’s nervous, sometimes awkward, and not overly self-confident.
The relationship between Daniel and Kate is quite sweet, and we get to see it evolve over the course of the book. Moreover, we are able to see the two characters interact with one another in various contexts, including both one-on-one and group settings, which has the effect of creating relationship buy-in. One of my biggest pet peeves with romances is when the two romantic leads hardly interact with one another and then suddenly end up together at the end of the book. How can I be expected to root for a couple that I barely know?
The not so good
In terms of the not-so-goods, there is only one aspect of the book that could potentially fall under this category. If you’re the type of person who enjoys happy endings (I certainly do when it comes to romances), then you’ll love this book’s ending. If, however, you don’t like an ending that neatly wraps up everything, then this book probably isn’t for you.
Overall
25 Days ‘til Christmas is the perfect holiday read. Reading this book got me even more into the holiday spirit. It is such a sweet, touching story, and I’ll freely admit that I often found myself smiling while reading it. So, if you’re looking for a feel-good story to read this holiday season, look no further.
What books are you reading this holiday season? Let me know in the comments below!
