Member Reviews

Firstly I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It seemed quite a straightforward story from the synopsis, but once you start reading it you realise it goes much deeper and covers some quite difficult subjects, proving that life is not always as simple as we would like. A great debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.

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I’ll start off with a content warning that some might want to be aware of - check out at the end for more info.

The blurb of this one really appealed - a pair in love, but that love is challenged by life and all the toils and troubles that come with it. Add a Christmas Day setting, a female friendship that’s also become thwarted by life, and throw in a bit of a twisted Groundhog Day - bob’s your uncle.

Our main character, Eva, is not in a good place - she’s not really likeable at the start, but you are shown glimpses of the trauma that she’s gone through over the past few years, and you can see how it has affected her and those around her. I did struggle relating to Eva in some parts, but oh how her story won me over. I loved her journey as she inhabits each ‘host’, the magical/mystical element and the bookish elements to it (the little Twilight homage).

This was a great debut by Greenlaw - I’m looking forward to her next offering! Merry Christmas (it’s still ok to say that, right?)











⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: strong theme of bereavement, miscarriage and grief ⚠️

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Eva is a workaholic; she has built up her own business from scratch and is on the verge of opening her very first shop. As Christmas approaches, her husband insists she takes some time off to attend a house party in Cornwall with their best friends. Eva is torn. She knows that she’s neglected every relationship over the last couple of years but she’s determined to make a success of the business.

This is a clever modern spin on A Christmas Carol. Eva’s Gran acts as the ghostly guide, walking Eva through several re-enactments of Christmas Day in the bodies of different guests.

As Eva’s sees herself from the perspective of her various friends, she begins to acknowledge what is important to her. Is it too late to mend her fractured relationships?

The book covers the themes of grief and miscarriage and explores how we come to terms with loss.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I received this ARC from @netgalley and @hqstories just in time for December and it was more of an emotional rollercoaster than I was expecting!

The storyline is a clever twist on a Christmas Carol. Our main character Eva has lost her way and, without giving anything away, a series of events provide her with some much needed perspective.

There were some very timely lessons in this story. Sometimes we shut other people out when we are dealing with grief and personal struggles. I can relate to that entirely and this book highlights how essential it is to pull people closer, not push them away.

The work life balance focus is also key. Again, it is easy to focus more on work during the tough times as it can be easier to control...but when you see yourself through other people's eyes, it is often clear how damaging a poor work life balance can be.

This isn't your standard happy go lucky, fairytale Christmas novel. It has depth, raw emotion and will be very relateable to vast number of people. It is a tear jerker, get the tissues ready!

Thank you to @netgalley and @hqstories for the opportunity to review.

Released on 8th August 2023.

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This book went through the life of Eva, and her struggles as it comes up towards the Christmas period. She is given a second chance at relationships, thanks to a helping hand from her bereaved nan coming back to guide her way to a happier life.

I thought this book was a nice easy read, but despite this I wasn’t really sold on the overall storyline, and I’d have liked to see more develop from each of the characters. I also at times found it difficult to work out whose perspective we have moved to. Overall I probably wouldn’t recommend this book, and would maybe consider some of the authors future work in a number of years.

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This is a five-star read that will see you well past Christmas. This is one of those stories that will stay with you, and keep you coming back for more, much like Eva at Christmas. Eva is one of those characters that you don’t always like, but the more you get to know her the better you like her. As we get to know all of the characters through their own eyes as well as Eva’s you get a deeper understanding, and you feel the pain they all go through at different levels as each day progresses. This is a whimsical story, but its also got a deeper meaning and story that will take you on a journey living each day as the first. I will admit it was a slow start and I did wander a little for the first couple of chapters, but then it was like all of a sudden I was hooked and I needed to know what would happen on each turn, would it finally stick, or would it all start again.

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Eva is struggling ... her new business is due to launch after Christmas, her marriage to James is in tatters .... and they are due to spend Christmas at Penhallow on the moors in Cornwall where Eva spent many happy times with her Gran.

Eva gets caught in a loop.... and like Groundhog Day relieves the same Christmas Day through the bodies of several of those present.

Well written ...

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What a special book this is!

In this book, the main character Eva experiences Christmas day from the perspective of those close, and not so close, to her. Learning more about herself with every experience.

This is one of those rare books that stays with you, long after you close the book.

The author has achieved, in my eyes, one of those unique books that you just can't stop thinking about.

I am so grateful to have been able to read an advanced copy via NetGalley, you must make this your 2023 Christmas read.

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Busy with life make two couple growing apart. Eva hope to reconnect with James, trying to fix their fourteen years relationship. Unusual event make her plan change!

Eva can see things, like ghost. She always ignore it when her gramdmother ghost visit and unusual things happend see must face the truth from different point of view. Eva always repeat the same day, wake up in different body until she figure everything with guide from her grandmother ghost.

"Don’t waste it, Eva. Listen. Learn. Don’t waste a single
second of this chance."

This book hook me up, i cant stop reading. Curious anout what happend between James and Eva, what happend with their friends, what will happend next if she still in denial and run from every problem.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#OneChristmasMorning #RachelGreenlaw #HQ #NetGalley #ARC

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A very enjoyable book , a cross between a Christmas Carol and Groundhog Day. Eva is a woman so focused on her business that her marraige is on the verge of failing. She is losing touch with her friends and mistreating her assistant. A beloved dead relative must step in to show her the error of her ways before it is too late.I particularly liked how each day Eva could see how her actions impacted others. A realistic ending too. A warm, feel good read for the festive period.

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One Christmas Morning... to save it all ✨

I spent MY Christmas morning finishing this glorious, poignant, hot chocolate of a novel (with foxes biscuits on the side of course.) Think Groundhog Day, meets A Christmas Carol, meets Love Actually, meets Evelyn Hardcastle... Naturally, it’s a 5 star from me!

This is a marketed as a love story - & it is - just not the one you think. If you want a book that captures the true spirit of Christmas, without being sickly, this one is for you. If you sometimes need reminding that it’s okay to slow down, step back, reevaluate... well, it’s a match made in heaven. Not to mention that the writing is *chefs kiss*

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Freaky Friday meets Groundhog Day at Christmas time. I read the book wondering if I liked Eva…she is just so infuriating and it’s easy to see what’s happened and you read on just wanting it to be fixed. Some really heavy topics throughout the story so it’s not such a sickeningly Christmas love story and the change in perspective doesn’t make the story so repetitive given it’s the same day each time. I enjoyed it and I will look out for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in return for an honest review.

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I really had high hopes for this novel but it left me really disappointed. It started off really well but then lost me with her grandmother turning up to give her more chances.
They all seemed very insensitive to Eva having to visit a place that used to belong to her beloved nan and then they announced their pregnancy on the same date she had a miscarriage.
Not a single character was redeemable, they were all pretty awful.
She kept banging on about her childhood and if they all just understood but we never really find out anything about it and the mother texting her also doesn't get resolved.

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Eva is trying to get her new shop open just after Xmas. She's putting her family and friends behind this and everything's falling apart. Lovely book

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I really loved reading this book. It was so heartwarming in a heartbreaking way. Almost a modern day version of A Christmas Carol. Very enjoyable. Would like to see trigger warnings though as it hit me a bit.

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One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw is all over Instagram right now, so I jumped at the chance to read an early copy through NetGalley.

This novel ended up being a much deeper, more though-provoking read than I had expected: I went in prepared for a Christmas love story, and while there are definitely elements of that, it’s really a much more serious, nuanced story that looks at ambition, grief, friendships, adult responsibilities, and the decisions we make day-to-day that end up charting the course of our lives.

I don’t want to say too much in case I accidentally share spoilers, but there’s a little bit of magic here too, that reminded me of the kind of books I read as a child – the kind of books where old houses hold secrets that are revealed when the clock strikes midnight, and I loved that element of the story.

This is definitely one to look out for when it’s released in 2023!

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I think I am in the minority because I did not understand the concept of this story and did not enjoy the book at all, so did not finish it.

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This is such a beautifully written, romantic story, with the subject of wanting a baby handled really delicately. It’s a gorgeous, all-rounder with a great cast of characters and lovely MCs in Eva and James. One of my faves this year. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

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Let me begin by saying that the cover design on this book is so beautiful! It's so gorgeous and festive, and I honestly think I would have purchased a paperback copy of the book in Waterstones just to display it. I also think the book has such a strong commercial hook; I was so intrigued by the idea of a body-swapping magical realism book set in a manor at Christmas. It's such a unique, engaging premise.

I can't believe that Rachel Greenlaw is a debut author, because she writes like an experienced novelist that already has several novels already under her belt. Some of her descriptions (e.g. "lemon wedge of sun," "the sort of house that sunk into your bones") were so beautiful that I had to stop and take a second to admire them. I felt like all the characters were fleshed out and had a lot of depth to them, and I loved Eva's character arc from "stressed, workaholic, grieving thirty-something" to a more relaxed, accepting and peaceful version of herself.

My only concern is that the book is rather repetitive (although that's difficult to avoid, with this sort of novel). I raced through the first half of the book in one day, but it took me another 2-3 days to finish it. I do wish that Eva had woken up in James's body at some point, possibly instead of her second experience as her assistant (although again, I appreciate that the author did that to show more of Diana's past and Eva's growth as a character).

Overall, I really enjoyed this Christmas read. The whole novel was reminiscent of "A Christmas Carol" (which is one of my favourite festive tales), and I couldn't get enough of Penhallow, its secrets, and both its living and ghostly residents. I would very happily read something again by Rachel Greenlaw in future!

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A gorgeous story framed by some real heartfelt storytelling around grief and its impact on how we live our lives. I felt this book thoughtfully explored some difficult topics, keeping a positive tone and humour too. A lovely Christmas read and one I’d recommend.

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