And Then There Were Ten, #AChristmasGift @SueMoorcroft

On By macsbooks311In 12 Weeks 'Til Christmas, Cozy Mysteries, Holiday-Christmas

The Countdown Continues with Ten Weeks to Christmas…

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I seriously cannot believe it is just TEN WEEKS until the big day. It’s a good thing that I celebrate the entire holiday season or I would be in a panic. Wait! I already am in a panic! No, no, not really. The fact that I’m decorating trees in secret, in my closet, so they will be ready to go the day after Halloween means nothing. Nah….  One thing that does not wait, however, is my passion for holiday reading and Sue Moorcroft has given us another outstanding Christmas book this year: A Christmas Gift!

Georgine loves Christmas. As the artistic director for a private arts school, she is in charge of the annual Christmas pageant. Regardless of anything else going on in her life, each Christmas she completely immerses herself in the organization of the holiday production. Over the past year, she has encountered financial problems as her former boyfriend left her with a mountain of debt – and the collectors that go with it. Also compounding the problem is her sister who has barged back into her life, bringing her financial woes as well. Having been raised quite wealthy in a family that eventually lost everything, Georgine is terrified of being financially destitute. Georgine also cares for her elderly father who has had a stroke. Thrown into this mixed bag of emotions is “Joe,” whom her boss has given to her as an assistant for the play. Joe feels familiar to Georgine but she is unable to place where she has known him from in her past. Who “Joe” is will turn Georgine’s world upside down along with much hilarity, angst, sadness and joy.

A Christmas Gift is exactly the type of holiday book that I love. Of course there is a bit of romance, lots of crossed signals, and ultimately a happy ending. However, Moorcroft’s style of writing also lends itself to explore deeper undercurrents that we all face. With Georgine and Joe, we see how extreme poverty can manifest itself throughout a lifetime, how fleeting wealth can be and how tenuous relationships are, whether they with the opposite sex, parent-child, or sibling relationships – they all take a lot of work to maintain. Moorcroft deftly handles each of these topics and allows the reader to look beyond the surface of the “happy holiday” stereotype.

I loved A Christmas Gift and, if you like holiday stories, I think you will enjoy it as well. Let me know if you’ve read this book or any of Moorcroft’s other books. Are you reading holiday tales yet? Share them with me – I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks to #Netgalley, @AvonBooksUK and @SueMoorcroft for my copy of this delightful tale.

 

 

 

22 thoughts on “And Then There Were Ten, #AChristmasGift @SueMoorcroft”

    1. I truly did love Georgine and Joe. I thought their story was a wonderful one and just perfect for putting me in the holiday spirit. I’ve since purchased some of your previous books and can’t wait to start on them! And yes, just ten weeks! Somehow counting down the weeks makes it appear to be speeding this way! Have a great holiday – and thank you for such a marvelous read!

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      1. Great to know you’re trying others of my books. 🙂 I hope you enjoy them just as much as ACG. There are few things that give me more pleasure than people enjoying my books! PS I have just bought my first Christmas present. It’s kind of by default as I ordered it for someone’s birthday but it arrived too late, so they can have it for Christmas.

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      2. I’m starting with The Little Christmas Village, but I got a summer one too. I’ll be sure to send a link like I did with this one once the reviews are up but I’m quite I will enjoy them just as much as A Christmas Gift. I think putting a book into the world is a little like having children so I only can imagine how wonderful it must be when readers love your work – and I do! And now I’m off to continue secretly decorate trees in my closet. LOL!

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      3. I’m not sure if this reply is going to come out in the correct place in the thread but it would be great to receive links to other reviews – thank you very much for thinking of it. I will always share, of course. 🙂

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      4. It is so hard for me to figure out all of the ins and outs of blogging and social media. The main thing is that your post was there! Sue, I have truly enjoyed talking with you today. I thought you would be a wonderful person because of the joy that is apparent in your book, now I know it for a fact.
        I meant to post this somewhere in my review and just got so excited that I forgot: My daughter has many friends who are in the band scene and as we were discussing your book they were all very impressed about the knowledge you had regarding the music industry. I thought you should know it was appreciated.

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    1. Thanks Jonetta! It was deeper than most holiday books that I’ve read in the past, or even this season. How the characters dealt with both abuse and poverty was very insightful. The fact that it also included romance was icing on the cake. I think you might like this one!

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      2. LOL! I have been hoarding so many of them this year that I most likely will be joining you in the 365 day Holiday Christmas Countdown. hehehe. Nothing like starting in January to make sure we get our fill. 😉

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    1. Fantastic Chris! Let me know what you think! This was very different from many of the holiday books I’ve been reading. Have you read anything else by this author? I’m reading her 2017 holiday book now.

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  8. Again, Mac, I can’t find a ‘reply’ button that relates directly to your last comment, but thank you so much for going to the trouble of passing on the comments about authenticity. I try very hard with my research. Having said that, the music side of things was helped a lot by having a music teacher in the family who performs a little, and having had another in the past who I helped at gigs. The music royalty aspect had to be researched hard though! Luckily, I had a contact from my school days, and she passed me on to a drummer in an indie band, who was great.

    It has been wonderful to talk to you too. The timeline has been a little disjointed as I’m away from home right now, but the wonders of blogging and social media made it possible for me to catch up in the end. I hope you enjoy any others of my books that you read. 🙂

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    1. I am enjoying your other books and will have reviews up for them shortly. I’m so glad I discovered your books Sue! This is why I love reading through Netgalley – I read books that introduce me to authors I might otherwise never have read!
      The “reply button” issue is bothersome. I need to find out why it isn’t showing up on your end and if this is happening to everyone. I’ll do that in between reading. 😉 Have safe travels Sue!

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