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18 December 2015

Review: 'Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper' by Debbie Johnson (2015)

For single mum Maggie, Christmas has always been a family occasion – her daughter Ellen filling the house with her bubbly warmth and mistletoe, her dad Paddy having one too many festive tipples, and the traditional family Christmas tree looking like a drunken elf vomited a rainbow all over it.

But this year, with both Ellen and Paddy away for the holidays, Maggie’s facing a truly blue Christmas – alone with nothing but a bottle of Baileys and an M&S turkey dinner.

Until walking the snowy streets of Oxford, Marco Cavelli quite literally crashes into her life – and, complete with broken leg, becomes her unexpected houseguest. All dreamy brown eyes and 6’5” of gorgeousness, the man is hotter and more delicious than a freshly baked mince pie.

Though Maggie always thought it’s a truth universally acknowledged that you never kiss a man in a Christmas jumper?

I have to admit both the title and reference to Mark Darcy (from 'Bridget Jones') and his Christmas jumper were already enough reason for me to want to pick up Debbie Johnson's latest release, 'Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper'. There's nothing like a good Christmas jumper for the holidays, if you ask me! However, I am also already familiar with Debbie Johnson's writing and would have picked up anything with her name on it, if we're being honest! Her previous title 'Pippa's Cornish Dream' (click here to read my review) was a read I ended up really enjoying, so I had my fingers crossed for this, hopefully, lovely read as well!

Thirty-something and single mum Maggie has always loved spending Christmas with her family. But this year both her father Paddy and daughter Ellen have other plans, leaving Maggie alone with just her Christmas tree for company. Until an unfortunate snowy bicycle accident leaves Maggie with an unexpected but handsome and charming houseguest in the form of Marco Cavelli. Since Marco lives in Chicago and is only in the UK for a short time, Maggie agrees to help him recover at her home after the accident. Marco should be out of there again before Christmas, but Maggie quickly realises there's a lot more to Marco than a pretty face and a Christmas jumper, and him staying with her might not be as awful as she initially expected...

'Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper' is a thoroughly enjoyable and simply lovely festive read; another great title by publisher Harper Impulse and author Debbie Johnson! The book is quite a short and quick read with nearly 200 pages, which makes it perfect to pick up in a quiet moment during this busy time of the year. I've had the pleasure of reading some of Debbie Johnson's other stories and it seems like she just keeps on getting better with every new release. This read has a great group of characters (with protagonist Maggie at the centre, a character who I felt was really easy to like, and some familiar faces if you've read Debbie's other festive novella 'Cold Feet at Christmas'!), a basic but entertaining storyline, a good dose of romance and sparks; everything I look for in an enjoyable romcom read.

I personally loved the setting of this book; winter time in Oxford sounds simply wonderful and the descriptions made me almost feel as if I was there myself. I am also a sucker for wedding-related topics, so I loved the fact that Maggie works as a seamstress and creates her own wedding dresses. The chemistry between Maggie and Marco was there from the first page, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship and friendship develop as the story progressed. The only negative thing is that it wasn't a full-length novel, because I would have definitely loved to read more about all of the characters. 'Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper' is a sweet, warm, fast-paced, festive read that made me fall in love with Debbie Johnson even more. The book to pick up if you're looking for a quick and lovely Christmas fix!
Rating:10/10
 
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher and author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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