Member Reviews
One Christmas Eve is my fourth read by Shari Low. Since I enjoyed the other three stories, I was excited to see what this one would have to offer. The cover for this story has amazing Christmas vibes with the colors, snow, and trees. I also love the “O” turned into a heart as it added a sweet romance element to cover. This story follows three women, Cathy McLean in 1968, her daughter, Helena, in 1993, and granddaughter, Eve Quinn in 2023. The timelines switch to different time periods for Christmas Eve where different blocks of time are presented in each chapter. It is similar, in a way, to One Summer Sunrise, the other novel I read, where the individual stories initially seem separate, yet the pieces all come together in the end. Eve’s story sets off a lot of the plot with her discovery that the man she thought was her father is not, so she begins a journey to find the truth.
The writing is easy to follow, and this novel was easily read in a single sitting. The characters are unique, and each is going through their own emotional journeys. Some of the characters are more open with their feelings than others so it keeps the readers on their toes as the characters read differently in each chapter. The family drama and dynamics were well-described, and I enjoyed how each element was written. The three women all interact with each other in their own way along with each interacting with characters in their own time periods. I enjoyed the romances in the story, and I felt like Low balanced everything well. Overall, I think Low did a great job with this story and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Boldwood Books, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.
I absolutely loved reading this book by Shari Low. It had me hooked from the beginning. It’s so well written.
We follow the lives of three generations of women, gran, mum and daughter, over one day, Christmas Eve.
Each are so different and we read about their lives, the people they’ve lost, loved as well as those that haven’t been honest with them through their years.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Shari Low and Boldwood Books for the ARC of One Christmas Eve. This is my personal review.
This is going to be a book I will read every year during the holiday time!
The book is all about Christmas Eve and tells about that eve during three generations. Cathy tells about 1968 – Helena 1993 – and Eve 2023. This is a beautiful way to tell the story of these three women.
The author has done a beautiful job of making these women so real to me.
How much did I love this .... SO much. The equivalent of having a chocolate fix at just the perfect time and a wonderful read for Christmas.
Another great one from Shari Low. Three generations and three different views. We follow Cathy, now grandmother and recently widowed, her daughter Helen, straight-laced lawyer and her daughter Eve.
Three Christmases at different times of their lives. Cathy's love of her life left her to go work and now he's back, but she is pregnant and engaged to another man, Helen has just found out her boyfriend is cheating on her and Eve makes a big discovering about her parentage.
Loved the ways the stories were all weaved together and such a lovely ending, everything tied up in a neat box.
Three women in the same family, three decisions on Christmas Eve, in different decades.
Sounds great, and for some people it is. I found I wasn’t that interested.
Blending through time comparison novels doesn’t suit me. I’m always a tad doubtful about my ability to stay the course.
A Boldwood Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
It's no secret that I adore all of Shari Low's novels but this one has found a very special place in my heart.
This is really three stories, each happening several decades apart. Cath 1968, her daughter Helen, 1993 and her daughter Eve, 2023. Covering Christmas Eve in each tale, their stories are told alternatively hour by hour. And what a story it is . . .
This way of writing a novel only works if the author is on the ball and, trust me, Shari Low is ALWAYS on the ball. She creates fabulous characters and there is always that one who has readers giggling and this is definitely Cath. For those who have read Shari's other novels, this Cath is so very like Aggie - and I can't be the only one who has split my sides laughing at her turn of phrase! One Christmas Eve has everything going for it and encompasses so much - most of which I didn't see coming. Another superb tale and, in all honesty, I think this is my favourite Shari Low book EVER. So easily commanding all five sparkling stars and my very highest recommendation.
My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.
Well, I must say that "One Christmas Eve" left me with rather mixed feelings. While it certainly wasn't a disappointment, it didn't quite measure up to the standard set by some of Shari Low's previous works. The alternating chapters between the past and the present added an intriguing dynamic to the narrative, though I found myself more captivated by the historical aspects than the contemporary ones. The gradual revelation of past events certainly piqued my interest and added depth to the storyline.
However, when it came to the much-anticipated reunions, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of dissatisfaction. In this instance, the sparks that usually fly off the pages in a Shari Low novel seemed a tad lacklustre. Perhaps my expectations were set too high, but I missed that signature energy that I've come to associate with this author's characters.
Undoubtedly, the festive spirit was woven masterfully throughout the narrative. Still, I must admit that picking up a Christmassy tale in the middle of August wasn't the wisest of choices on my part. My seasonal timing aside, I've noticed a recurring pattern in Shari Low's older characters – they all seem to possess that same quirky personality that's become a hallmark of her writing. However, I can't help but yearn for a touch more diversity in characterisation, something beyond the familiar 'eccentric yet endearing' archetype.
All said and done, "One Christmas Eve" did provide a light-hearted and enjoyable read. It had moments of charm and wit but didn't quite surpass my expectations. It's true that the narrative fell short of some of the author's more impactful pieces. Nonetheless, as a dedicated reader of Shari Low's works, my expectations might have been set unrealistically high. So, if you're seeking a cosy, Christmassy read, this book could be a delightful choice. Just don't expect it to be an instant classic among the author's repertoire.
This book grabbed me from the beginning — as I could relate to Eves` situation immediately— and I became invested in the story. The book is told from 3 woman’s POV — Eve ( 2023) , Helena ( 1993) , and Cathy (1968). The stories were well interwoven.
I love how the story follows the three generations of women in a family — and their love stories. This is a definite feel-good family Christmas/ Romance story . The writing was great and kept my attention all the way through . I loved it — and Recommend it as a great Christmas read. I have found another new author to add to my repertoire.
There are several problems with. A Shari Low book; you cannot stop reading it; you become embroiled in the lives of the characters; you miss those characters when the book is finished.
I love the concept of learning about the lives of three generation s of women through the events of a Christmas Eve they lived in their twenties and the life changing decision s they made on those days.
Christmas Eve 2023 and Eve is helping her grandmother Cathy move house
Christmas Eve 1993 Eve’s mum Helen learns she is having a celebration meal.
Christmas Eve 1968 Cathy is preparing to give birth to Helen..
This was a serious’I cannot put this book down read’.
An amazing story following Christmas Eve from there different years and from there different women, daughter, mother and grandmother. The magic do the season shines in this tale about true love, hard choices, second chances and finding love again. A great story.
We meet three women - Cathy, her daughter Helena and her granddaughter Eve. The story's timelines is written within 24 hours, all on Christmas Eve, but in different times in the women's lives. We see Cathy's Christmas Eve in 1968, Helena's in 1993 and present day for Eve. Whilst it obviously is a Christmas read, it can easily be read any time, with the book focussing more on their stories than the time of year!
I love this author's books and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The characters are all so likeable and I connected with their individual storylines immediately. I loved how it was all set within one day and how the different timelines linked together. The switching between the different years was done effortlessly and the storyline flowed so well. I guessed where some of the storylines were going, but surprised with other parts! The book was easy to read, heart-warming and emotional throughout. As with other books by this author, she managed to capture my attention early in the book and had me hooked to Cathy, Helena and Eve's stories right through to the last page, with a wonderful ending to finish it all off.
I loved this book, the idea of three different Christmas Eve's was clever, the characters fitted the storyline perfectly and there was so many family secrets, dramas, emotions and feel-good moments to keep me going until the next Christmas! Would definitely recommend!
Another wonderful read from Shari Low that will give you a warm glow. It took me a few chapters to get to know who's who but then you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. I really enjoyed this. A proper Christmas love story.
The perfect Christmas read,the book shines with all things Crimbo and if this story does not have you feeling warm and happy and wanting it to be that special time then nothing will
Set in Glasgow on Christmas Eve 1968,1993 and 2023….each featuring a different member of the family ie Nan,Mum and Daughter the book and its stories all come together in what has to be the best ‘feel good’ moments read in a book in a long time….more than that I can’t say but you start to feel the bubble of excitement as the book starts and then it all explodes in a Christmas Finale to make you cheer with that warm happy Christmas feeling
Loved everything about this book and would recommend for the lead up to the Season or the week itself or even now in August,reading bliss at it’s best
FOR BLOGTOUR
I loved reading about these three generations of women. I especially loved reading about Eve and her grandmother. You can feel the special bond that these two women have with each other. While this is entitled “One Christmas Eve,” this book can really be read at any time of the year. The author artfully has weaved these stories together and has a beautiful ending. Part of which I wasn’t expecting at all. For fans of Shari Low, you will love this book!
Thanks to Net Galley for opportunity to review. This is the second book I have read by this author and absolutely love her style of writing. This book is the story of 3 strong women, a daughter, mother and gran, and I so enjoyed reading about their relationship and love, touches of humour threaded throughout. This is a book that you won’t want to put down highly recommend
A fun, festive read that gave me all the Christmas feels, even though it’s currently August!! A nice story with cute characters, love the cover art too.
An absolute delight to read, the story may be a little hard to believe but it is so fun to read that you won’t even notice. Not your typical Christmas novel but that’s what makes it so good!
I have long been a Shari Low fan. Each of her books are unique with unforgettable characters, witty one liners, real emotion and thoroughly enjoyable storylines. This book did not let me down.
This book is the story of 3 strong women, a daughter, mother and gran, each of them having one memorable Christmas Eve that sets off a chain of remarkable events. All the characters in this book are well written, and you can’t help being drawn to them and carried away with their stories, you imagine them to become your friends, you become invested in them as they are so brilliantly described by the author. As with every family there is a lynch pin holding the family together and in this family it is the gran called Cathy. She is fabulous, funny and outspoken, I laughed out loud and cried happy tears with Cathy.
I was hooked by the first page, set in present time, the morning of Christmas Eve 2023, the results of an innocently done DNA ancestry kit have come through, opening a can of worms, then the story of each of the 3 main characters Christmas Eve’s begins. This book could have been complicated to read and follow as it is about 3 generations set over 3 decades, but it absolutely wasn’t. The story flows naturally, picking up where each page ends, and concludes with a brilliant ending bringing the whole book and the characters together as one, back to midnight of Christmas Eve 2023.
I binge read this book as I was desperate to know what happened then was disappointed when it was finished as I had became so invested in the story and the characters I didn’t want it to end.
❄Superb read😍
I was so engaged in this story of three generations of women in one family that I read it in one sitting. I love the way author Shari Low took one day in the year, in this case Christmas Eve, and built a moving and sweet, romantic story around watershed moments for Glaswegians Cathy, her daughter Helena and granddaughter Eve, on three pivotal Christmas Eves in 1968, 1993 and 2023. And the ending was sublimely uplifting.
The novel alternates between time periods in a really effective way. Cathy's story, which evolves over a fifty+ year period, was the one that I enjoyed the most but the question of Eve's paternity leant a bit of mystery that I really liked. I was hooked from the first chapter and this multi-generational story, with its twists and coincidences, was a total gem.
Excellent storytelling. Wholeheartedly recommended.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Three woman from different generations experience a holiday like no other. They will have a choice to make that will alter their lives forever. This book captures the holiday spirit.