The Twelve Wishes of Christmas - Ruby Basu

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HQ and I am leaving this review voluntarily

She’s here for the perfect Christmas escape…

When Sharmila discovers her late friend, Thomas, has gifted her the holiday of her dreams, she can’t pack her bags fast enough. Arriving in Pineford, it’s everything she’d ever hoped for and more.

But she’s in for another surprise, because Thomas has left her with one last request: if she completes his Christmas wish list of festive activities, her chosen charity will receive a big donation. Or so Sharmila thinks.

This is a heart-warming story, as we follow Sharmila on a quest to complete some Christmas related tasks. A very descriptive book that as a reader you can easily envision being in a Christmassy Pineford.

If you enjoy a good Christmas film then you will enjoy this sweet, festive tale. This is a book that you could easily get lost in.

Rating 4/5

My thanks to netgally for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review, which I freely give. This is debut by author Ruby Basu, If this is her standard, looking forward to more.

Sharmila who is an Indian young woman (lives in Birmingham) has been left a holiday in the USA by a gentleman who she met whilst helping out in her Aunts cafe. Just a clause, there is a list of 10 wishes she has to complete. Sharmila is like me, I love everything Christmas and would have loved to do her challenges.

When she arrives she meets some of the family but what she did not know they were planning behind her back to stop her from completing everything. When things begin to go wrong the kind people of the town help her.

I loved this book, I Can fully recommend it.

I usually don't prefer American based stories but this pulled me in from the start. The way Sharmila and Zach navigated their way around each other was a delight, not knowing the truth about why they were in each other's company and the whole small town American Christmas story was so lovely with the whole community embracing the Christmas spirit

I really enjoyed reading this novel and found it hard to put down. I could imagine reading it on a chilly December night nearer Christmas to try and get into the festive spirit.

The story centres around Sharmila, who has been gifted an authentic American small town Christmas holiday in her friend's will, and her friend's nephew, Zach, who she meets for the first time in said town. However Zach keeps his identity a secret from her as he works with his cousins to create obstacles to try and prevent her from completing a Christmas wishlist challenge where she will receive a donation to gift to the charity of her choice upon its completion, and also, unbeknownst to her, means she will also receive shares in Zach's family's company plus the house she is staying in for the duration of her holiday.

I loved reading on as Sharmila and Zach grew closer, with him feeling conflicted between loyalty to his family and his growing feelings for her. It was a pleasure to read as they became flirtier and more comfortable around each other.

I also liked that Sharmila is an Indian woman and that as a reader, you are experiencing a lot of traditions for the first time through her eyes and you can feel her excitement throughout, as she explains that due to her religion, Christmas wasn't really celebrated although she had a happy childhood and never felt she was missing out on anything until she became an adult. But I really couldn't stand the character of Angie and her ignorant views, and was thankful she wasn't in it much - although I feel that she should have been put in her place just once!

Sharmila also mentions watching a channel where Christmas romance films are shown in July which was a welcome surprise as I watch that same channel, and could easily picture this novel being made into one of those films as it had that lovely feeling to it. I think the author must watch that channel too as she captured all of the same magic.

Fab novel that I'd re-read again and I can't wait to read more by this author.

4.5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

What a wonderful book. I read this on a beach with blazing sunshine in October and even that didn’t take away from the lovely Christmassy feel of this book. It is incredibly cliched and wouldn’t surprise me if it became a straight to TV movie as it has all the makings of one. A very closed off heroine and a “I’ve been hurt in the past” hero. Throw in a beautiful Hindu (heroine) who has never really celebrated Christmas and an old (now deceased) gentleman who forged a very platonic friendship and his will. The will, which the heroine doesn’t know all the clauses and bequests of provides a luxury true “American” Christmas providing Sharmila (the heroine) completes a list of wishes for Christmas. The story is very descriptive and you can just imagine being in the small town in America where it all takes place. Essentially this is a brilliant, feel good Christmas story of hurt, surprise, betrayal and love.

Sharmila Mitra receives a wonderful gift from her friend, the late Thomas Adams in his will - an American small

town Christmas experience. This is her dream come true. Thomas also left her a list of ten activities to complete

on a special wishlist. When Sharmila and her bezzy Penny fly over to Pineford USA they are greeted warmly

by the townspeople but there is some opposition to her presence and not everyone wants her to succeed.

Her fate lies in the balance. This is a lively tale full of Christmas spirit, tension, and romance. Humourous and

happy.

An enjoyable christmas story full of emotion as a gift left lovingly in a will can be seen in the wrong way

Sharmila find out that a late friend that she had made, Thomas, gifted her a holiday in small town America in his will that she had always dreamed about. As part of the bequest she has to fulfill twelve wishes, after which she will receive a large donation to give to charity. Along with her best friend Penny she immerses herself in Christmas in the small town, however there is opposition from Thomas's family who thinks that she is just after the money.
Think Hallmark Christmas movies and you will get the basis of the book, with references to movies that I have seen popping up throughout. If you don't enjoy such movies this might not be the book for you, however if you love them like me just shout back and enjoy. It doesn't whitewash the downsides of being in a small community, Sharmila does encounter some racism due to her Indian heritage, but also shows that most people are accepting and interested in her quest. An ideal read in the run up to Christmas, although if you're like me you also watch the Christmas movies in July you can enjoy it anytime..
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Set in small town America this book ticks all the boxes of the expectation you may have of an all American Christmas based on seasonal movies!
Beautiful settings, friendly townspeople, amazing activities, ridiculous amounts of Christmas cheer and gingerbread all there for the experiencing for Sharmila- reserved, quiet and grieving and on the Christmas holiday of a lifetime thanks to a friendship struck up in a cafe.
I loved the details of the many and varied festival activities Sharmila participate or was dragged into...everything shimmered with Christmas magic and the book has the feelgood factor you want form a cosy Christmas read.

If the weather outside if frightful then set yourself up with hot chocolate and a plate of gingerbread and settle in with Sharmila as she discovers Pineford in all its wintery glory.

A nice warm Christmas romance.
Sharmila discovers her friend Thomas died and left her a Christmas holiday with a list of things to do to enjoy the Christmas experience, with being Indian she had not experienced, if all the list is done then a large amount of money will be donated to charity.
Thomas`s family are not happy thinking Sharmila was going to inherit part of their company.
So along comes Zac and Lucas to try and stop Sharmila getting through her list but Zac gets closer and closer to Sharmila.

A great Christmas romance and a lovely list to get through. I loved the characters and all you want is a lovely happy ending.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Posted to Goodreads

I absolutely loved this book, what a brilliant first novel. It was such a heartwarming story, and right from the first chapter I wanted to know more about the wish list and if Sharmila would succeed. and if she would meet her perfect man in Pineford.
It is going to be the perfect festive feel good book - one you can wrap up in a blanket with, drinking hot chocolate and getting lost in the story.

Who's the Grinch who doesn't like a Christmas story based in England? Well, not me, that's for sure.

This book delivered all the Christmas joy and the warm feeling. It's such a shame I couldn't do it with a blanket and some warm chocolate in my (stolen) Starbucks mug, because it's so hot right now I would melt.

This was so cute, light and sometimes fun, it left a smile on my face. Watch me rereading this in December again.

Review
Oh this book was just beautiful. It sucked me in from page 1 and didnt let go.

It is hard to believe that this is Ruby's debut novel, her writing style is addictive and her characters have so much depth.

I really warmed to Sharmila, her journey made me smile and gives you such a sense of warmth. I'm looking forward to reading more by Ruby.

A book filled with love, sparks and Christmas magic.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really liked this book as my favourite films are about Christmas in American towns. All the activities you would expect, a welcome from the town community and a romance thrown in for good measure

A truly lovely read set around the twelve Christmas wishes Sharmila was given to complete by Thomas after his death. Thomas paid for Sharmila and her friend to travel to America for Christmas celebrations. Little did Sharmila know, but that was not all he left for her in his will and when she meets his nephew falls for in love with him without knowing who he really is.

This is a great debut novel and a lovely festive read. Reqlly enjoyed it and loved the Christmas setting!

This is a Hallmark Christmas movie in a book.

In England Sharmila bonds with Thomas, who is older and American, over their love of Christmas films. When he dies he bequeaths her a holiday of a lifetime to spend three weeks in Pineford, the small town he grew up in, to experience a Christmas like in the films. He leaves her a list of Christmas activities to do with some conditions.

Throw in some plotting from Thomas's nephews who are upset with the conditions of his will, the essential love interest, snow lots of it and some cute Christmas moments.

With Sharmila being from Indian parentage it touches on her heritage along with racism and stereotypes but most of all on her love for Christmas and you can't help but see it through her eyes and get caught up in the wonder of it all.

If you love cheesy Christmas films (who doesn't?!) you will love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

The Twelve Wishes of Christmas by Ruby Basu is just right if you want to sink into a commercial, film-driven Christmas. The author is up front about what she is offering her readers and she delivers it well. For myself, I think the reader knows too much. I'd have enjoyed it more if we'd only seen the story unfold from one viewpoint as I think there'd have been more of a dramatic arc. But the plot works perfectly well as it is and the characters are fun to spend time with.

Wouldn’t you live to celebrate the run up to Christmas and Christmas like they do on the movies, will Sharmila got a chance! Along with her picturesque Christmas she also had a wish list to complete to get her true gift of the holidays! Loved the romance between her and Zach. Also loved the relationship between Penny and her too.

This was an adorable read I laughed I was sad and above all I couldnt out it down. A great book and a great debut