Review: Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas by Jo Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Chloe is a single mother. Her son Ruben has gone to stay with his father, and his father's new family in New York. It's the first Christmas Chloe has spent without Ruben and all she wants is for it to be over.

Then a mysterious heir hunter approaches Chloe, she may have inherited a tract of land in Canada which, if sold, would enable her to buy a home for her and Ruben. So Chloe travels to a small town in Canada, miles away from any cities and is overjoyed to discover that they too seem to be avoiding Christmas this year. The truth is somewhat more prosaic, Bea the owner of the town's café/restaurant is heavily pregnant with twins, since she is the one who organises all the Christmas festivities nothing has been done.

Soon, despite her 'Bah Humbug' feelings, Chloe is wooed by the townspeople, she quickly starts to take over Bea's duties in the diner, particularly after she is ordered to go on bed rest until the babies are born, and the townsfolk get invested in her homemade advent calendar which Ruben prepared for her. Chloe discovers that her land is crucial for the own's maple syrup cooperative, without it they wouldn't be able to distill the raw syrup they tap from the trees.

But just when it looks like Chloe could be getting her very own Hallmark Christmas it seems that she might not be the only heir - and he has no intention of selling to anyone except the highest bidder.

I love a schmaltzy Christmas film/romance as much as the next woman but this just felt too sugary, without enough grit to make it real. All the characters felt like stock romance characters, just there for one-dimensional purposes, including the obligatory grasping ex-wife. I feel blasphemous writing this, but it felt a bit lazy. And the ending ... ridiculous what about red tape? Also the idea that you can chop and change transatlantic flights that close to Christmas is laughable - most flights are sold out months in advance at Christmas.

Not one of Jo Thomas' better novels for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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