Book Review – The Christmas Wish by Tilly Tennant

by Shalini, posted in Book Reviews, Fiction

I really wanted to like this book, it was part of my Christmas Reads.. I was well armed with the comfy couch, plumped up cushions, cuppa tea, and my ever faithful kindle.

Esme was in a strangely addictive, abusive relationship with Warren. She discovered he was a bigamist or rather a polygamist, went to her grandmother to lick her wounds, who died and left her tickets for Lapland. Post funeral Esme returned to that abusive boyfriend making excuses for his behavior, then ran away to Lapland and found herself…

The book had its moments of beauty with the northern lights and Santa’s village.. I too want to see all that… I want to live in that village for a day or two preferably during Christmas. I liked the tour company who tried to bring the solo travelers together so that they don’t feel lonely. I even liked the abusive boyfriend Warren because he stayed true to his character, using people all the time, especially the women, guilt feeling them into doing things as he wanted.

What niggled me from the beginning of the story was that Esme couldn’t see the way boyfriend was abusing her with his mental games stripping her of her self-respect. What made me beyond angry was that she made excuses for his going back to his wife when Esme wasn’t there. She was unsure throughout the book except the last few pages about this lout… She did stand up to him at the end, but it felt wishy-washy… I wanted to bop him one!! Or two!! With an added kick to his backside.

Overall the book kept me riveted as I kept turning pages hoping in every section that Esme would stand up for herself… It felt like a nice technique used by author Tilly Tennant to get the reader to the last page.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Bookouture, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!!

All my reviews can be found here

Christmas is coming but it doesn’t feel that way for Esme. Jilted by her cheating fiancée Warren and mourning the death of her beloved grandmother she’s determined not to let life beat her and books a trip to Lapland, on a holiday that her grandmother had always dreamed of taking.

Beneath the indigo skies of Lapland, love is the last thing on Esme’s mind but she can’t ignore a spark with Zach, a broodingly handsome actor, also nursing a broken heart. But when Esme is bombarded by messages from Warren promising he’s changed and she discovers that Zach is hiding something-will her head be turned? And when a trip to the northern lights reveals the full extent Zach’s own secret past is there any hope that Esme will get the happy ending that her grandmother wished for her?

Publication Date: 22nd October 2018

Publisher: Bookouture

26 thoughts on “Book Review – The Christmas Wish by Tilly Tennant”

  5. Nice, honest review Shalini. I have read several books by Tilly Tennant, but for some reason I passed on this one, I think I am glad I did. I am not impressed with women who allow men to walk all over them.

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. This sounds frustrating because it makes sense that a character might not see their abuser as abusive (very common in real life, sadly), but you as the reader would definitely want her to wake up and give him what he deserves!
    The setting with the Northern Lights does sound lovely though!

    Liked by 1 person

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