Publication Date: 12 October 2023

The Blurb

It’s 25 days until Christmas…

And 10-year-old Harper gets a surprise when Mum announces she’s bringing her new boyfriend Nick home for the holidays!

Nick seems nice enough. But why do strange Christmassy things happen whenever he’s around? Like snow falling only in the family’s garden? Or a reindeer suddenly appearing on the roof?!

Harper’s convinced that Nick must be Father Christmas! And if her mum and older brother won’t believe her, she’ll just have to find a way to prove it herself…

The Review

I love a Christmas book, so when this popped through my letterbox, I dropped everything, got myself a pot of Salted Caramel Lebkuchen Tea, and settled down to read.

Family, friendship and festivities are woven together to create a cosy blanket of a book that deserves to be shared with loved ones.

The Halls are such a great family to spend time with. The characters are endearing, and the familial dynamics are relatable for any blended family. Mum’s concerns about introducing her boyfriend to her children, and Harper’s worries about how life will change if Nick stays around are clear to see as the story unwinds. Her quest to uncover the truth about Nick blends humour and warmth with questions and caution, while encouraging empathy and understanding for children in Harper and Will’s position.

I loved the sibling relationship between Harper and Will – the gentle bickering floating above a solid foundation of love where you will do anything to protect each other. Harper knows all is not right with Will, and wants to make her big brother happy again. I recognised her anger at Henry as she sees the hurt he causes to her brother with each snub.

With 25 chapters, it’s an advent calendar in book form that will leave you with a warm glow in your heart, and hunger for gingerbread and hot chocolate. And even better, this isn’t the last we’ll see of the Halls, which has made not only this Christmas but next year’s too!

Huge thanks to Hachette Childrens for sending me a finished copy.