The magic of Christmas works even when you don’t understand or like it…

Synopsis

She can’t abide Christmas. He’s not sure what it’s all about. Together they’re in for a festive surprise.

Ambitious software developer Holly may have a festive name but the connection ends there. She despises the holiday season and decides to flee to the remote island of Mull in a bid to escape from it.

Syrian refugee Farid has made a new home in Scotland but he’s lonely. Understanding Nessie and Irn Bru is one thing, but when glittery reindeer and tinsel hit the shelves, he’s completely bemused. Determined to understand a new culture, he asks his new neighbour to educate him on all things Christmas.

When Holly reluctantly agrees, he realises there’s more to her hatred of mince pies and mulled wine than meets the eye. Farid makes it his mission to inject some joy into Hollys’ life but falling for her is an unexpected gift that was never on his list.

As their attraction sparkles, can Christmas work its magic on Holly and Farid, or will their spark fizzle out with the end of December?

My review

Holly is an ambitious software developer and while her name suggests the opposite, she hates everything that involves Christmas. Christmas songs? She hates it. Mince pies? She hates it. Christmas songs? She hates it.
What she needs now the most, is to escape from everything and everyone and the best place to do that, is the remote island of Mull in Scotland.
But what she didn’t need, was to have Farid as a neighbour. Farid is a Syrian refugee, making a new home in Scotland. Adjusting is not easy, especially with his family still so far away and not understanding all the traditions of Christmas.
And is there a better person to explain him everything than his new neighbour Holly?
While reluctantly, Holly agrees with Farid’s proposition. And slowly, beside all the sparks flying around, Farid learns the reason of Holly’s despise of this holiday. And maybe Holly can appreciate the holiday again by seeing it all through someone’s eyes? 

I love Christmas stories and I don’t care where in the world the story is taking place, as long as we have easy – to – love characters and I can feel the Christmas feelings flying around!

I don’t go big myself around Christmas, but I decorate the tree, buy the gifts (or let Santa know what to deliver 😊), prepare all the required dishes and spend the actual day with my family.
I do all the basics, but I don’t overindulge in it.
I understand the people who go all crazy about it, but I also understand the people who don’t. 

So even if I didn’t know all the details of Holly’s past, I comprehended that she was the kind of person who just doesn’t like the holiday.
And beside the Christmas – issue I could also understand why she wanted to just get of the radar for a moment.
I can only imagine the peace when you are unreachable or only reachable on your terms. 

It’s obvious that something happened to make her dislike the holiday so much, but before we know the whole truth, the author managed to trick her readers by making it appear something complete opposite.
But once the truth was revealed, my comprehension only grew more! 

Farid is the kind of person you can only admire for his courage. Not only did he have to escape his home, but he also has left his family for their protection. Yet he is making the best of his current situation. And even if he cannot use his skills and knowledge anymore, he appreciates the fact he is still alive and has found people willing to help him. 

I found it sweet how Farid was confused about the whole hype around Christmas. And it sure doesn’t help when he hasn’t mastered the English language and all its saying. I have to admit, I had a few laughs when he got confused!
But we see what kind of man he is, kind, gentle, open, loving and also curious and ready to learn new things. 

When Holly and Farid meet, it was an immediate attraction. And while this bothered me tiny bit (I understand attraction and lust, but for a Christmas love story, I was hoping for something on a deeper level), I quickly understood that this instant attraction was just a way of the author to make things work. 

I loved to read how Holly tries to explain everything to Farid, even if it goes against her nature in a figure of speech.
But what I loved the most was the enthusiasm Farid kept showing, making Holly thinking more about the true meaning of Christmas and the way how things work around this festive holiday, how nothing is impossible. 

It warmed my heart how these two persons, totally different in every possible way, find each other and learn from each other and learn to love (again).

This was a lovely, heart – warming story to read, showing us that while we sometimes take things for granted, that is not the case for everyone (shouldn’t we all reflect on this a little bit more?).
But also that no matter what our visions and thoughts are of Christmas, or even how we lack in the knowledge, its magic always finds a wonderful way…