Member Reviews
This was a charming read, set on a beautiful island that has made me want to visit.
Summer has a shock when her husband tells her he wants to take a break for 6 months. She decides to stay in her aunts cottage in Jersey. She meets Jude when their suitcases get mixed up at the airport. He is such a lovely character and they quickly become friends spending time together.
You are wondering whether this fledging relationship will blossom into something more or whether Summer will be yearning to see her husband as soon as the 6 month break are over.
I really enjoyed this book and will seek out more by Rebecca Boxall
Romance filled with emotion and feel good feelings. A lovely book for the festive season. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.
I was looking forward to this book as part of my Christmas reading. Unfortunately I got about 1/4 of the way through and found that I was feeling sad reading it so did not continue. It is more than likely a personal thing and others' will enjoy reading it but I got stuck and couldn't continue.
This was a really good story, but not Christmassy in the sense of a Hallmark move. I loved the characters and their journey. I would recommend this any time, not just for Christmas.
This was an adorable story. Not totally christmassy since the story takes place over an 18 month period, but a solid romance read. I very quickly fell in love with Summer. Jude was an interesting character.
Hmm... can you like a book but at the same time not like it? I’m not even sure why I don’t like it except it seemed so far fetched it was ridiculous. If you put that aside it was a sweet love story.
I found the title very misleading. Christmas played a very minor role in the story. By the title, I would have thought it would be rampant throughout.
In my opinion, read as a book not to take seriously and one as a relaxing read. I give it 4 stars because I liked the story just not the delivery and the outlandishness of it.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Amazon Publishing UK, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Not a light read, heavy subject matter but so well written that it is wonderful. It a story of marriage, life expectations and disappointments. It is also of hope and dreams.
What a wonderful book! I loved the story which flowed along so nicely and having recently visited Jersey, reminded me of this special island. I was so hoping for a happy ending for the wonderful Summer & Jude, as I became emotionally attached to them..... did that happen? I’m not going to say as I wouldn’t want to spoil anyone else’s enjoyment of the book! You’ll just have to read it yourself to find out - but I would recommend that you download and read it soon,,,,,,,!!
My only criticism would be that I was expecting a Christmas story and really the only mention of Christmas is that that is where the story ends - on Christmas Eve. Still, a thoroughly enjoyable read which I would recommend to everyone.
Thank you to the publishers & NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
movies, even magazine articles. i love christmas! this book was just plain silly. bad. a woman embarking on a bucket list when her husband decides he wants six months off from their marriage . the only word i can think of is silly. not even lighthearted just silly. needless to say i was disappointed in this book and do not recommend it to anyone . thank you for providing the chance to read this however i look forward two more interesting stories in the future i really don’t know what else to say but i need to have 100 words and there aren’t 100 words to say. thank you again. i was hoping this was a festive christmas tale but it was not
The was an ok read for me but I was sort of disappointed in Summer, the main character in the story. She is shocked when her husband wants a 6 month break from their marriage. They are empty nesters and she moves to Jersey to look at the situation. She meets Jude who has a potentially deadly tumor and encourages him to fulfill his bucket list. I don't want to give the story away so I won't go into too much detail. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Journalist Summer is shocked when her husband Seth wants a six-month break from their marriage. Summer moves to Jersey to spend six months by sea. There she meets Jude who has just received the devastating news that he has only one year to live. Their chance encounter due to the mixup of their luggage feels like fate.
Author Rebecca Boxall has created an emotional and heartwarming story. Even with such a tough subject, she was able to create a lighthearted love story with focus on the beautiful aspects of life.
I always find it difficult to read books with sad endings, I crave HEAs. And thanks to the author for the way she ended Summer and Jude's story. And thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book, an emotional novel at times. I will definitely read another by Rebecca Boxall as I found it well-written and fun.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this in exchange for a review. I will be putting this review on Amazon.
This would be a good read for someone else but not me I love Christmas like most others. But not all in other countries
This is a book that alternates between lightheartedness and dismay. Summer has 20 years of marriage on the line, when she and her husband Seth agree to take a 6-month “break” from each other. During that time, Summer ends up living in her aunt’s seaside cottage in Jersey. Jude also lives a rather ho-hum existence in Jersey. One day, he receives shocking news about his health and “wakes up”, realizing he has not been living his life to the fullest. In the story, Summer loses her luggage enroute to Jersey, and, guess what, Jude also loses his. They meet when they find out their lost luggage has been mistakenly given to each other. What follows is a story of angst and hope, as the two become friends then lovers, all the while Summer supports Jude during this difficult time. Strange but wonderful (almost miraculous) things happen, as the story progresses, and the couple live out Jude’s last days in Jersey.
This was an interesting book. I though the title was a bit deceiving, as the bulk of the book does not take place during the holidays and the lighthouse, wile significant, is not really a major player in the tale. I have read lots of romances, and generally enjoy watching the romance begin, grow and blossom. In this case, there was almost no time or space for this to occur, as the pair fell into love almost immediately. I was surprised at how quick Summer took to Jude, after coming out of a rather loveless, 20-year marriage to Seth. There were also a lot of things that almost seemed too far fetched in the story, such as Jude’s miraculously finding a doctor to help with his tumor. The ending was also a bit surprising, as I had not expected Seth’s affair with the woman who replaced Summer in his life seemed to happen all of sudden, with no hint of what was going on anywhere before. I am not sure I like the way the book ended, as it seemed a bit overdone and delving into fantasy. I can understand why the book is popular, as many readers enjoy reading “happy” stories, with good endings, but the way this turned out was a bit too much for me. Besides the two main characters, Summer and Jude, there were a lot of interesting secondary characters in the story, which added to enjoyment. I am just not sure about how this story turned out, because, as I said, it was just too pat for me. I received this form NetGalley to read and review.
What happens when your husband ask for a break and you travel to your Aunts cottage. Well of course you pick up the wrong luggage. When you arrange to pick it up after a gentleman's friend has wrote a story and put it on the news. What you don't know is the this gentleman has been given bad news and is trying to figure out what to do with it. Summer and Jude set out on adventures together and find themselves in love. They work together to go through Jude's short bucket list. Both have fears for the future as Jude doesn't think he has a chance of one with his diagnosis. Summer doesn't think she will return to her old life. With support from friends and family they see things changing for the better. At the end of they day life will throw them a few curves and then it will even out.
I was pleased to receive an advance copy of Christmas by the Lighthouse. I was interested in reading this book because I enjoy Christmas and lighthouses. This is not a Christmas book in the sense I enjoy. It is a novel of two people who are struggling with their lives, come together and fall in love. The book didn't hook me, yet I pressed on to the finish, thinking that I would eventually get into the story but I did not. This is not to say it is written poorly but rather, I am not the targeted audience. Had this book been written with a different title I probably would not have requested to read it for review.
I love Christmas-themed novels, but I was a teeny bit disappointed that this book didn’t make much mention of Christmas.
Summer and Jude had never met until they’re both heading to Jersey – from different directions – and end up accidentally taking each other’s suitcases.
Having lost both my parents to cancer, I find it difficult to read books where a character has been diagnosed with some form of it. I know that serious subjects sometimes have to be covered, but it would be useful to have some kind of warning/mention in the blurb.
It’s a nice, well-written book and if you’re not fazed by the subject of serious illness, then you’ll enjoy it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.
Not realistic in the slightest. Some big issues are covered here, which are all resolved far too quickly. The title is misleading too. Not much of the story is set round Christmas time, so if you're looking for a Christmassy read, this isn't it. I found Jude very childish at times, although this was explained by his lack of relationship history. I liked Summer, and the supporting characters were all entertaining. This could be a spoiler, but Summer getting accidentally pregnant I found to be a bit of a yawn fest. I liked the fact they rescued a dog, but question whether this could happen in the space of an hour. Lovely descriptions, and it was interesting the way Summer and Jude met. There could have been more depth though - things got sorted out far too easily. That said it did hold my attention throughout and it is a 'nice' if somewhat unrealistic read.
This book is the perfect feel good holiday read. You know how the story is going to end up, but enjoy the ride! I enjoy these heartfelt books during the holidays and this one was extremely well written.
Challenged Romance. This book did an excellent job of following the standard tropes while making it seem like that might not happen - at least for someone who had never read this author before. The particular challenges this couple face could be considered insurmountable, but the author does a great job of showing the couple come together through the challenges, rather than fall apart because of them. Excellent work, and very much recommended.