Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

Warm and uplifting, A good collection of short stories connected by giving gifts, With solid writing, good dialogue, and an effective prose, you will enjoy this book from start to finish. I thoroughly recommend i

A charming read with interconnecting stories that gets you into the festive spirit, though it does have more gritty realism than your average Christmas read. Set after the pandemic, people are hoping for a 'normal' Christmas but really, what is that?

This isn't so much a novel, but rather an anthology of 12 interconnected stories. Each story is told by a different person who is wondering what to buy someone for Christmas, making a sort of Christmas gift circle in the end.

The story is set post-Covid lockdown, with a realistic look at what the lockdowns did to relationships. Some people grew closer, others drifted apart, just like in real life. Obviously that means the pandemic does get mentioned, but thankfully it's not the main focus at all.

Unfortunately, the book does throw a lot of characters at you right from the very start, making it very hard to keep track of the who what where why of everyone. Too many names, plain and simple. Add to that a rather slow and meandering pace in every story and this becomes more like a challenge than a cosy relaxing read. This sadly didn't work for me, but I'm sure there are many people out there who would deeply enjoy burrowing into a blanket on a cold winter's day and cracking open this book.

A lovely festive read, 😊 📖 essentially the buying of gifts, moving from the gift giver to the receiver, who is buying for someone else, lots of life stories all neatly wrapped up In Christmas 🎄 Kindness. Read and enjoy 😉

Originally thought it was a book with standalone shorts (that's on me, I didn't read correctly) but the stories all connect with each other in some way or other. It's actually really interesting to go back and think, "So he knows her, who knows him, who knows him, who knows her-" ending with "and HE knows HER from the first story!"

It's a pretty warm read, some parts and stories are sadder than others, but most of them tie off pretty nicely so that the general feeling is a cozy and warm read about friends and family.

Maddy runs the bookshop on Market Square. She's struggling to choose a gift (a watch? a wine subscription? a weekend bag? all too much?) for her old school friend Peter, who's just moved back from London following a messy divorce.

Peter doesn't have a clue what to get for his teenage daughter Chloe - furious with her mother, she's decided to up sticks and move to Kent with him, but he worries that he really doesn't know her at all.

Chloe wants to buy something special for her grandmother Irene, who lives alone on the other side of town.

Irene doesn't get out much these days, but she'd really like to find the right gift for Alina, who's so much more than a carer, really - always stops to chat for a bit, have a cup of tea, even if it makes her late.

And Alina, meanwhile, has her eye on something for…

This was a beautiful book to read in December.

This book is a book full of short stories, but all of the stories interlink together and come together by the end.

The collection of stories are beautiful, but equally they are raw and real.

The book left me feeling festive and hope the author releases another festive collection next year.

Gifts by Laura Barnett

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Maddy runs the bookshop on Market Square. She's struggling to choose a gift (a watch? a wine subscription? a weekend bag? all too much?) for her old school friend Peter, who's just moved back from London following a messy divorce.

Peter doesn't have a clue what to get for his teenage daughter Chloe - furious with her mother, she's decided to up sticks and move to Kent with him, but he worries that he really doesn't know her at all.

This book really appealed to me, the cover initially intrigued me and then the blurb just added to the appeal but the book did not live up to my expectations. The way the book was written just did not work for me - this does not mean that it won't appeal to some people.

This is basically a collection of twelve short stories but the characters are all connected.

Rating: 3/5

From the gorgeously festive front cover to the 12 interlinked stories contained therein, this is the perfect Christmas read. The first chapter follows Maddy - owner of a bookshop in a small Kent market town - as she puzzles over what to give her friend (maybe more?) Peter for Christmas. The next jumps to Peter, thinking about what his teenage daughter, Chloe, would like, before switching to Chloe... you get the idea. Each person's story sits within the former, like nesting dolls, in a way which is extremely satisfying to read. And each has elements of bittersweet reflection - perfect for the Christmas season.

This book was easy and enjoyable to read. Its style was different from conventional storytelling as there was no real conclusion to the story as such as the gifts that each of the people received then led to the next section on another person linked to their life and the gift that they were to receive. There was a link between all of the 12 people featured which kept the story together, no chapters just breaks in the txt before leading on to the next person.

12 people. 12 gifts.

More a series of interconnecting stories, Gifts is a great tale for the Christmas period. Our central character who kicks everything off is Maddy, bookshop owner, who is looking for a present for recently divorced friend Peter. What follows is numerous tales of people searching for the perfect gift, heaped with a dose of backstory, heartache and sentimentality until we come full circle back to Maddy. I really liked how this was thought out, as although each story is different, it all still feels cohesive. However, the shear number of stories did mean that I couldn't become that attached to anyone as just as we settled into someone's backstory we swiftly move on to the next. Less stories, and more character development would have worked better for me personally.

An interesting concept that stands out from the typical Christmas romance stories, but I would have liked a deeper connection to the characters.

I thought this was a wonderful read for this time of year, it was a little more sad than I had expected but a lovely reflection on people and how each of us deal with this time of year

It is a proper Christmas read, a celebration of every kind of relation, one can observe over the span of these characters. All these characters want to make someone's Christmas special but they can't find a gift that can express their gratitude to that person, the perfect gift.
Maddy wants to gift something to Peter, someone she likes, Peter wishes to gift something to his daughter, Chloe, who is going through a tough time, Chloe wants a gift for Irene, her grandmother whom she loves the most, Irene, likes her caretaker Alina and finds a gift for her, Alina wants to find a gift for her sister, Daniella, who has supported her through thick and thin, Daniella needs to find a gift for her husband, Eddy, someone who has always been by her side and loved her dearly, Eddy wants to gift something to Jack, his friend, who has suffered enough in his life, Jack wishes to make a perfect gift for the girl he likes, Lizzy, who patiently heard his story, whom he doesn't deserve but with whom even friendship will be enough, Lizzy, wants to find a gift for her godmother, Della, who has always been like family, Della wishes to gift something special to her lover, Robert, who has been with her for the past 30 years but instead of matrimony preferred to choose to be with her everyday, Robert forgot to buy a gift for his sister, Fran, and Fran, who wants to give a gift to her friend Maddy.

It's a short, nice read, and it holds so many relation dynamics. I liked this.

Twelve people. Twelve gifts. One Christmas to remember. Maddy runs the bookshop on Market Square. She's struggling to choose a gift (a watch? a wine subscription? a weekend bag? all too much?) for her old school friend Peter, who's just moved back from London following a messy divorce. Peter doesn't have a clue what to get for his teenage daughter Chloe - furious with her mother, she's decided to up sticks and move to Kent with him, but he worries that he really doesn't know her at all. Chloe wants to buy something special for her grandmother Irene, who lives alone on the other side of town. Irene doesn't get out much these days, but she'd really like to find the right gift for Alina, who's so much more than a carer, really - always stops to chat for a bit, have a cup of tea, even if it makes her late. And Alina, meanwhile, has her eye on something for...

This is a charming, Christmas read that will definitely leave you feeling festive! Barnett writes about 12 very different people who are all trying to find the perfect present for someone. As the book goes on, it becomes clear they all have loose connections to each other which was a little something I enjoyed. This book is incredibly heart-warming and I was happy the whole time I was reading it.

However, I just wanted a little something extra. It is a sweet read and Barnett portrays the magic and love of Christmas perfectly. For me, I needed something else added to the plot. As this stands, it did feel like twelve short stories. They are all lovely but missing an edge.

If you are looking for a book to put you in the Christmas spirit then look no further. 'Gifts' is a beautiful, festive read centering around a group of charming characters, each with their own story to tell.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy.

This book was just ok for me. I found there to be too many characters that it was difficult to keep track of. Some readers will find that the format works for them but for me it just didn’t.

Gifts is a festive collection of 12 interconnected short stories that work as a whole and come full circle, beginning and ending with the character of Maddy. It's set in a fictional small town and gives us snapshots of the characters and their gift buying experiences. By acknowledging the pandemic it also suggests our shared but different experiences. An easy and well written read that I enjoyed.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A brilliant warming festive story. Loved all the characters and the reasons for gifts. Definitely a must read this season

A lovely festive set of interconnected stories set around a small North Kent town. it starts with Maddy, who runs the local bookshop, and is trying to decide what to buy for Peter, and to work out their relationship. Peter's story is more about his relationship with his teenage daughter Chloe, Chloe is thinking about her beloved gran who is thinking about her wonderful carer and so on. Full of tender insights into each live by turn, and full of Christmas spirit and joy, a festive treat!

Gifts is a most unusual book. In it are twelve stories, each one connected to the previous one regarding the giving of Christmas presents. It touches lots of different types of people who are all searching for the perfect gift for the special person in their lives. From Maddy the local bookshop owner to Alina the carer, we get a glimpse into their situations and discover the story behind their choice of gift.
This is a nice easy Christmas story, which I enjoyed. Many thanks to #NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advanced copy of #Gifts. I give this book 2.5 ⭐️

In a Nutshell: It didn’t work for me the way I thought it would. But yes, it might work well for the right type of reader. There is a certain beauty to this unusual Christmas book.

Story:
You could say that this is a collection of twelve stories. But the tales and the characters are interconnected and the overall effect is more like reading a set of novellas than an anthology of independent stories. There are twelve people from whose 3rd person perspective helps bring each story to us. In every narrative, the person is pondering over the right gift to buy for someone else. This is revealed with a great deal of background, past heartaches, present worries, and hopeful thoughts for a better future.

The blurb gives you a big clue about how the stories proceed. Taking the names from the blurb so as to avoid spoilers, Maddy is pondering over a gift to her friend Peter in story 1, Peter is wondering what to get his daughter Chloe in story 2, Chloe is debating over the right gift for her grandma Irene in story 3, Irene is…. And so on and so forth until the whole circle is completed with the last person planning a gift for Maddy.

The stories don't work like Fibonacci numbers where each one adds onto the earlier story and reaches a higher collaborative structure. Rather, they are like pinpointed destinations on a journey that is circular in its route. With each pitstop, you feel like you are getting further and further away from your starting point but soon, you see the connection between where you started and where you are and where you are going. On a circular journey, the place of origin is the same as the final destination. And that’s exactly what happens. The book begins and ends with Maddy.

Where the book worked for me:
✔ The book is set in the aftermath of the covid pandemic but this dreary topic isn’t the prime focus of any of the stories. It shows a realistic impact of the lockdown on families, and how some families came together while others drifted apart during the forced isolation.
✔ The stories are set in the fictional town of Lenbourne, but could be imagined in any small-town setting where people know each other and actually interact with each other rather than depending on technology alone for communication. It highlighted the values of personal relationships, and how everyone carries so much of heartbreak in them, whether they show it or not.
✔ The relationships are quite varied and not necessarily from within the family. This adds a variety to the stories as there are siblings, parents, grandparents, friends, and even a patient-caregiver pair.
✔ It’s a very different kind of Christmas book as the themes are heavier than a typical Christmas read. But as in every Christmassy story, there is hope and redemption.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ The way the writer has brought the stories a full circle and connected the myriad characters together is worthy of mention. Unfortunately, this didn’t really click for me, because by the time I got to know and love a character, their turn in the book was over and the narrative moved on to the next person. So I felt like I couldn’t really form a deeper connection with any of the characters and I really wanted to know some of them more.
⚠ There are too many characters too soon at the start. Knowing who is who took me a lot of time. And this was important to remember because as I said, the last story links back to the first one to complete the circle. But by the time I reached the final tale, I forgot the characters in the initial ones. There were simply too many names to remember!
⚠ The pace was too slow and the stories too meandering for my liking.
⚠ I suppose it will work better for those who ponder for hours over the “perfect” gift for Christmas as they will see the beauty of getting the right gift. I’m a birthday gift giver and Christmas holds more of a religious than a commercial sentiment for me. So to see a Christmas story where the MAIN concern people have is buying the right gifts is not really my cup of tea.

All in all, this book will work for a reader who is looking for a different take on Christmas. Add to it that this is set in the Christmas of 2021, the first Christmas after the global pandemic where the world is tottering back its way to normalcy, so it is a bittersweet-cum-nostalgic kind of read.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of “Gifts”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.