Name: How to Stuff Up Christmas
ISBN: 9781782398608

Rosie Blake

Christmas and cooking collide in this hilarious romantic comedy from Rosie Blake.

How to Stuff Up Christmas

Amy Buckle

How to Stuff up Christmas centres on Eve, recently heartbroken and sick of the sight of Christmas, she decides to spend it alone rather than with her overbearing family. Nestled on a houseboat on the Thames in Pangbourne (near Reading) she wants to get through the festive season in one piece. While staying there she meets local vet Greg, whose mysterious personality intrigues her. But while Greg seems to be hiding something, so does Eve’s best friend Daisy, and the last thing she needs this Christmas is any more drama!

Two things I loved about this book; firstly it was set right around the corner from where I live which was excellent! And secondly the recipes which started some of the chapters gave the book a warming and friendly feel. It becomes clear early on that Eve can’t really cook but as it was Christmas, and a lot of the storyline focussed on family, the recipes gave it a homely feel which is exactly what I want from a Christmas book!

The relationship between Eve and Greg was quite safe and so this book was basically the equivalent of a Hallmark movie but if that’s what you want from a Christmas book, then this one’s for you! The storyline was quite predictable. but I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing, its unsurprising plot just made the book comforting as there was nothing unexpected.

All in all my favourite character was Daisy – as the best friend sidekick, she provided Eve the support she needed while also adding some complexity to the characters. I think there are probably a lot of readers who’ve had to deal with heartbreak at Christmas like Eve, so they’ll appreciate this storyline!

I don’t think you should read this book if you don’t like slushy romance, but as that’s pretty much my favourite genre, I loved it! The storyline was relatively safe but with enough familiarity and appeal to make the story comforting and likeable. This is nothing groundbreaking but it’s exactly what you need from a Christmas book!

How to Stuff Up Christmas

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