Hello Readers! I’m excited to share my review of The 12 Christmases of You & Me by Jennifer Joyce as part of blog tour, organised by  Rachel’s Random Resources. Many thanks to Rachel for tour invite and author for providing the review copy.

What if you could go back in time and fix the biggest mistake of your life?

Two years ago, Maisie’s best friend walked out of her life and she hasn’t heard from him since. When she wakes up in 1994, she naturally assumes she’s dreaming. But when she finds herself in the past again the next night and her actions in the dream alter her present-day life, she begins to wonder if she’s somehow hopping back in time. And if she is time-travelling, can she save her friendship with Jonas?

When Maisie is forced to relive Christmases of the past, will she face up to her mistakes, or make them all over again?

The 12 Christmases of You & Me is a magical tale of friendship, first loves, and learning to live in the present.

Other Books I read By the same Author-

The Accidental Life Swap

The 12 Christmases of You & Me was fun and cosy romcom that revolved around Maisie’s unexpected time travel to past Christmases and face her mistakes that broke the friendship she cherished most and lost her chance at love. It was about family, friendship, and love, redemption, facing the past, and being brave to accept and express feelings before it’s too late.

Writing was lovely and addictive. Book was written in first person narrative from Maisie POV. Plot and the concept was amazing. I’m not fan of time travel but author made it work perfectly in this book. I thought this will be light-hearted read but there was more to the story than just entertainment and romance.

Maisie was thirtyish, single mother, who loved her family and her two best friends but she had one regret, made one mistake that estranged her from one of her best friends and love of her life, Jason. Now that her other best Lilly’s marriage was coming a week before Christmas, she thought she wouldn’t have a chance to right her mistake before she meets Jason once again in Lilly’s marriage. Until she went back to Christmas of 1994, in dream, in her teenage body with the mind of developed woman. At first, she thought she was dreaming but she noticed it changed things and photograph in her album was different than it was before. She kept going back in time to different Christmases and she realised it can’t be just dream and started having hope to right her mistake.

I wasn’t sure what was going on in first few chapters but I couldn’t stop reading once Maisie experienced her first time travel. It was interesting to see Maisie going back to 12 different Christmases that covered the time period from her teenage years to adulthood and motherhood, how Masie met her best friends- Lilly and Jason, her relationships with her family, her bad luck in boys, how she started developing feelings for Jason and why she wasn’t with him but with the father of her daughter, Annabelle. It was both fun and poignant.

I absolutely enjoyed back to school days from almost 40 years old Maisie’s eyes. Those scenes were hilarious. Family dynamics are great. Maisie’s parents were lovely, her mother’s enthusiasm for Christmas was infectious. I loved how she welcomed Lilly and her family and helped her throughout the book. Maisie’s dad was adorable. I could relate myself with his photography hobby and I loved how he captured all important events in Maisie’s life. All secondary characters were likable and relatable.

Lilly was the best character. She gave life to the story. She never changed throughout the book. Both as teenage and as adult she was filled with mischief, tremendous energy and lots of fun. She was amazing friend and I admired her for taking care of her family and supporting her mother when her sister was little. Jason was quirky and lovely. He wore makeup throughout his school time until he was comfortable enough to remove it and be the real himself. He knew how to hide himself or his real feelings and I could see why Maisie couldn’t see what he felt about her until it was too late and at the same time I could feel his sadness when Masie said she can’t be with him and it wasn’t their time. He was amazing friend and lovely person.

Maisie was great throughout the book. I liked how she could see how she was behaving with her parents like her daughter, could understand her daughter by seeing herself at her own age, and made relationship with her mother strong every time she went back and with her daughter in present. Not just that but her reflection to her choices was great and I loved how she learned to be brave enough to express her feelings and not dwelling in past but move forward in present and right her mistake in NOW.

All characters and theme of redemption was so relatable. We all reflect back to time and think of various what ifs and what we would or should or could change if we were given a chance to go back in time and right the many mistakes but, like Maisie, we wouldn’t want to change somethings, no matter how much we tried we cannot change the past but move forward in present, and can right the mistakes in present by being brave.

Climax was amazing. Lot of things were revealed at this point. I didn’t notice until this point that author didn’t mention the name of Maisie’s to-be-husband and the person I though was her to-be -groom was different. It was sad to read about Maisie’ mistake and even going back in past didn’t make things right the way she wanted. Lilly’s wedding with Christmas theme was beautiful and end was perfect with Jason and Maisie finally admitting their feelings and have their happily ever after so long.

Why 4.5 Stars-

The beginning was okay until the time travel and I was bit confused in initial chapters about who was Anabelle’s father but that might be just me.

Overall, The 12 Christmases of You & Me was fun, engaging, cosy, and emotive romcom with well written time travel, redemption and festive theme.  I surely recommend this book.

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B086T3LKB7/

US –   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086T3LKB7/

Author Bio:

Jennifer Joyce is a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with her husband and their two daughters. She’s been scribbling down bits of stories for as long as she can remember, graduating from a pen to a typewriter and then an electronic typewriter. And she felt like the bee’s knees typing on THAT. She now writes her books on a laptop (which has a proper delete button and everything).

Social Media Links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Thank you for reading my review and I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know in comments what you think about this book and my review, if you have read this already or any books by the same author. Would you like to time travel in past or in future, and why?

Happy Reading!

 

      

 

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