The Twelve Topsy-turvy Very Messy Days of Christmas

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I honestly didn’t know what I was in for with this book. James Patterson, in my mind is a crime writer and I know he’s co-authored so many books, so wanted to check this one out for Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Sullivan family have not had a Christmas in 5 years since Katie - their mum and wife, had passed away. Ella and Will want desperately for their dad Henry to celebrate or just have some joy in their life. They set up a dating profile for their dad and start chatting to a user named Ms Truelove. Henry finds out and is instantly mad. All of a sudden, gifts start arriving at their doorstep - each day for the 12 days of Christmas. Just like the song, they are greeted with animals and random humans coinciding with the lyrics. All the gifts seem to sent by Ms Truelove, this anonymous lady from the dating website. The questions are why and how? As they embrace these random gifts, it sends their household into disarray, but at the same time lifts them out of the funk every other Christmas has been.

This is definitely a sad story that with some literal Christmas cheer, ends up being a heartwarming ending. I can only imagine what a loss of a wife/mother would be like. It takes time to grieve and having Christmas celebrations can be a reminder of what is lost. It was a wake up call for Henry to truly bring happiness to his children and be a better father for them.

This was definitely a story that reads like a Christmas movie. There was a lot of Christmas spirit and realisations of how important it is to carry on traditions and be surrounded by love. Even though someone is no longer with you, doesn’t mean you discontinue celebrations that they would have loved or encouraged. It’s definitely a sappy read and I enjoyed it!