Written by Fiona Gibson
Brilliantly
|
| Published by | Boldwood Books (11 Sept. 2024) |
| Genre | Seasonal, Book Club, Women's Fiction |
| Pages | 288 |
| ASIN | B0CZV5Y84T |
| ISBN-10 | 1836172168 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1836172161 |
I read the blurb for this novel and knew immediately that I wanted to be part of the blog tour, which is being organised by Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources.
To begin, I must first of all thank the author, Fiona Gibson, and her publisher, Boldwood Books, for a free a digital copy of 'Tis The Damn Season which I downloaded from Netgalley.
N.B. I read and am reviewing this book whilst recovering from covid, and I have to say I needed something uplifting whilst I felt so miserable. And this absolutely fitted the bill.
To begin, I must first of all thank the author, Fiona Gibson, and her publisher, Boldwood Books, for a free a digital copy of 'Tis The Damn Season which I downloaded from Netgalley.
N.B. I read and am reviewing this book whilst recovering from covid, and I have to say I needed something uplifting whilst I felt so miserable. And this absolutely fitted the bill.
The blurb:
'Tis The Damn SeasonThis year, their families can deck the bloody halls themselves...
Old friends Shelley, Lena and Pearl have reached their limit with the festive preparation that has always fallen to them, and five days before Christmas, they’ve booked a mini break… without their families. Up until Christmas Eve, they’ll be sipping prosecco in the Highlands while their kids wrap bacon around 100 chipolatas and their partners brave the supermarkets.
It’s exactly what they need… until they’re snowed in. Facing the prospect of Christmas 500 miles from home, each woman is forced to confront her real reasons for needing to escape: the fiance with the obnoxious family; the son’s new girlfriend who is taking over their home; the family who take their mother for granted all year round…
Will the friends make it home before Christmas day? And if they do, can they really go back to their old lives?
This Christmas, forget Elf on the Shelf, get ready for Mums on the Run in the hilarious and heartwarming new novel from Fiona Gibson.
Seasonal
Women's Fiction
Book Club
My thoughts:
What a brilliant read! I thoroughly enjoyed this relatable novel. The first chapter had me laughing out loud and the laughter continued throughout the story. I loved the countdown to Christmas, which stresses the short time-frame in which to produce another spectacular family Christmas. I have always found the run-up to Christmas a demanding time of year, trying to get everything done in time for the 'big day' and only realising I've survived another Christmas after the lunch is cleared away and everyone is too tired to want anything else.I completely understood Shelley's plight, kids and a husband who expect her to provide Christmas, yet offer no help to ease her load.
Then there's Lena whose relationship with Tommy sounds good, apart from outside influences from his parents and ex-wife. I'm on the fence about his daughter Daisy, unsure whether there was malicious intent behind her social media posts or just a child of divorced parents wishing them back together again.
Finally there's Pearl. She's a widow and brought up her only son, Brandon, alone since his beloved father died. Brandon and Pearl work well together but Brandon has invited his girlfriend, Abi, to live with him in Pearl's small flat and that is grating on poor Pearl, yet she does not want to rock the boat so says nothing.
These three women have the opportunity to have a few days away before Christmas and take it. Pearl's cousin Michael runs a B&B in the Highlands, and with no bookings, he is able to accommodate them. Naturally things do not run smoothly, but the women cope admirably.
The story also follows the women's family members left at home to pull Christmas together without them. The best part for me was Shelley's husband Joel with his 'hands-off-parenting' style - or rather leave-it-to-Shelley-to-sort-out - getting his comeuppance.
I thought 'Tis The Damn Season was brilliantly funny, insightful, well-written and has my kind of happy ending. I would wholeheartedly recommend this novel to lovers of women's fiction.
| Author Bio – Fiona Gibson |
|---|
 Fiona Gibson writes bestselling and brilliantly funny novels about the craziness and messiness of family life. |
| Social Media Links – | |
| @fionag_gib | |
| Facebook Author Page | @fionagibsonauthor |
| X | @FionaGibson |
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