Love Me By Christmas

by Jaci Burton

There is so much to be said about this story that I think I could be in danger of getting a little too carried away. The author presented what I can only describe as a remarkable body of work that brought both sensitivity and realism to a short story that made a mockery of the term novella, this read quickly yes, but the author didn’t sell the story short, it could have easily been a fully-fledged novel, the content was that engaging and that the context marvellously descriptive.

Ellie was a young widow, having lost her husband whilst pregnant with her son Henry, she takes up a kind offer of somewhere to live from Nick, her brother in law and five years later, their living arrangements may not have changed in that time but the feelings that have now certainly aren’t what they used to be.

Long gone are the friends and housemate feelings and in comes something a lot more complicated…well it shouldn’t be but it is and the main reason is that Ellie is struggling to get her head around with what others may think of how and who her heart has chosen to move on with, she has fallen in love with Nick and as difficult and complicated as that sounds, the reality of the situation is that there is much either of them can do to change it.

Although that didn’t stop her from trying to keep him at arm’s length and when she starts trying to set him up with some of her colleagues, he is none the best pleased at what she is doing but he used that as the catalyst for him to open the door to a much needed conversation about what they both feel and how they need to handle it…he only hoped that she would listen to what he had to say and begin to act on the feelings he knew she had for him.

I adored Henry, he brought a smile to my face and I loved that the author both Ellie and Nick the opportunity to not only think over but act on what was an emotionally sensitively situation for everyone involved.