Lovely story of Christmas enjoyed the story read around Christmas time which was perfect for the time of year.

1989 Christmas in the Malpas family. A reunion of sorts. The family is gravely dysfunctional and it does not augur well to have them around - together - for a very long time.

The addition of three unexpected visitors does not add to the harmony. Blanche the eldest daughter has a baby and the father is unknown to the immediate family and Blanche wants to keep it that way. She wanted a baby and now that she has one that is all she wants. We have Lydia the youngest bringing Freddie home (a lady) and it is obvious from the start that their relationship is an intimate one. Not to the parents who live in a world of their own. We then have their only son with an estranged wife turning up, wanting to resolve permanently the rift in their marriage and talk about divorce and custody of two very very interesting children.

It was a family story more than a Christmassy one but it was interesting nevertheless. A lot of cross currents, personality clashes galore but all adding to the story and the way it turned out.

Although the storyline had premise, unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations at all.
I found the characters incredibly unlikeable, and although I do acknowledge that this is showing a slightly different perspective on family dynamics, it also made it incredibly hard to feel any connection with this story.

Unfortunately this story wasn't for me.

Set in Cornwall in 1989 Sylvia invites her grown up children for Christmas and as soon as they arrive the tensions start as old hurts and squabbles rise to the surface, not helped by the unexpected guests! Can Sylvia get them through and mend all of the old rifts?

An interesting story, not the cosy Christmas story I was expecting, but the story of a completely dysfunctional family who have many buried grievances that all come out..... as no doubt in many families who all get together for Christmas!

Charades by Jean Stubbs
Publisher: Sapere Books
Genre: Historical Fiction | Romance | Women's Fiction
Release Date: November 24, 2020

Charades is a standalone novel by Jean Stubbs. This is the first book I've read by the author.

If you are looking for a dysfunctional family Christmas story, this is the book for you. Set in Cornwall in 1989, this story recounts a Christmas reunion that quickly turns into chaos.

There was a lot of unpacking of trauma that occurred for the characters in this book and may offer some comfort to some readers.

I'm so grateful to Jean Stubbs, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars. I’ve been reading a lot of Christmas books over the past month and this one just doesn’t compare to some of the others. It sounds like it would be a great story when you read the description but the characters were so annoying that I could barely finish. I understand there are dysfunctional families out there but these characters were pretty bad. Maybe other people would like it but I’m more of a “Hallmark Christmas” kinda gal and this was not in the category for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sapere for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Jean Stubbs and Sapere Books for the book Charades. This is my personal review.
What I was expecting and what I got from reading this book were not even close to being the same thing.
From the description I read on the cover of it being a heart-warming Christmas saga made me eager to read this book. What I got was a strange dysfunctional family saga that in no way for me was heart-warming. It was a difficult book for me to read.

Charades is right! Family drama is at the forefront here...you couldn't possibly find more if you tried. Whilst very interesting, in my opinion it was just too much, too unbelievable to be plausible. Each person has a history with deep pain attached. That's fine but their treatment of each other is appalling and resolution seems insincere. They are adults, after all.

In 1989 Cornwall. Sybil invites her adult kids and grandchildren over for a Christmas get together. Sounds normal, right? Wrong. Not with this family. It doesn't take long for them to be at each other's throats in a big way. To compound matters, three uninvited guests show up to a party Sybil hosts which throws things into even more turmoil. It's a full house full of nasty vibes and uncomfortable angst. What is realistic is that the characters are flawed. Though well written, I wasn't engaged or connected, just sort of on edge and felt for the innocent kids. I am glad that each person's history was explained, not that it endeared me any more.

Though not my cup of tea, it may be yours if you are in the mood for a dysfunctional Christmas read. I don't require feel good books but this made me itchy. However, I do recommend other books by this author.

My sincere thank you to Sapere Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.