Published October 12th, 2023 by Aria
Festive Fiction, Romance Fiction, Holiday Fiction, Humorous Fiction
Welcome to my review for the second of the Squadpod’s two December Book Club books. Thank you to Aria for the gifted copy.
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SYNOPSIS:
This Christmas, everything will change…
When Liv Latimer says goodbye to her fellow nurses and finishes work for the holidays, she’s looking forward to a Christmas to remember with her boyfriend Eddie.
But as she leaves the hospital, tragedy strikes and Liv is faced with a choice. Will she ignore her instincts and go home as planned? Or will she stay, and potentially change the course of her life as she knows it?
Whatever choice she makes, Liv is about to discover that fate finds a way…
From the bestselling Irish author of The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club comes an emotional and uplifting festive story about love, family and how a split-second decision can change your life.
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MY REVIEW:
On the First Day of Christmas is a sliding doors style story that is told in parallel timelines that diverge at a fateful moment. Liv Latimer is excitedly thinking about her cosy family Christmas celebrations back home in Ballycove and daydreaming about the proposal she is sure her long-term boyfriend, Eddie, will finally make this year when she’s caught up in a tragic accident. Faced with a choice, will Liv ignore her gut feelings and go home to Ballycove as planned, or will she stay in Dublin and see where destiny leads her?
My heart was not ready for this book. Heartwarming, funny, and filled with festive magic, I completely lost myself in this story. This was the second of the Squadpod’s two December Book Club Books and it is safe to say I’m full of the joys of Christmas reading. Beautifully told, cleverly plotted and filled with compelling characters, it is a fascinating exploration of how the choices we make can alter our lives forever but fate will always find a way. Faith Hogan expertly crafts the story parallel timelines, allowing us to see how the decision Liv makes at that fateful moment impacts not only her Christmas, but the rest of her life.
The protagonist, Liv, is a wonderful and authentic character who is relatable, messy, vulnerable, kind, and stronger than she knows. The book opens with the tragic death of her twin sister, Rachel, from cancer and we see that she is still trying to come to terms with her loss, which is woven into the fabric of her existence and shaped her life ever since. I loved that Rachel was so present throughout the book and remained a guiding light for Liv from the beyond. It explores loss and grief in such a beautiful way that I related to and took comfort from on a personal level.
Another topic the story explores is the fear of being alone. Liv has been with her boyfriend, Eddie, for six years and is convinced that this Christmas he will finally ask her to marry him. Much of Liv’s inner turmoil and dilemmas revolve around their relationship. She knows Eddie is no prince charming but she’s also sure that being with him is better than being alone, something I think many of us can understand. But at the same time I was willing her to stop accepting less than she deserved and finally kick the deadbeat to the curb.
A charming, witty and moving story filled with Christmas cheer, On the First Day of Christmas was a joy to read from beginning to end. I’m so thankful to the Squadpod for introducing me to new-to-me authors like Ms. Hogan and her backlist is now on my TBR.
Rating: 🎄🎄🎄🎄
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Faith Hogan is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of nine novels. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads and Summer Must Reads. She writes grown up women’s fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel good and inspiring.
She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway.
Her latest novel is The Guest House By The Sea – set in the west of Ireland – this is a book to fall in love with.
She also writes crime fiction as Geraldine Hogan. Her Corbally series is out now.
She is currently working on her next novel. She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She’s a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger – except of course when it is raining!
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