Jemima has hit the nail on the head with the theme of this story, Love and Loss. The whole story revolves around each characters devastating Losses through death and/or breakup. In Ollie and Bea it is both. Emma has even given Ollie’s career as a Cardiac Nurse.
With this ongoing sense of Loss throughout the story it is very clever how Emma has subtly yet strongly made “love” the dominant emotion.
The journey through the story starts with so much Loss and ends with so much Love, with only a few notes of loss in their backgrounds.
I really enjoyed the serendipitous aspect to this book, the opening airport scene was beautifully crafted and had me invested from the outset. I agree that Bea and Ollie was great main characters with a really strong supporting cast, it had rings of Love Actually. Loved the Peter Pan references and no unusually I didn’t see the common character coming either so I think the author did that very well. The Irishness really sang through and that was a joy to experience, especially in the wonderful Aunt Nora. As you say, it did tacked some tougher subjects: medical emergencies, family death, but I thought these were handled so sensitively with a raw truth that can only be expressed though personal experience. A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas read.
Exactly this. A perfect festive romance with real elements of life being hard and the unknown often coming from nowhere, along with that fated element of a chance encounter eventually changing your life. It's made me really want to read her others. I read one last year I loved of hers so I need to download the other festive ones before festive season is over!
I enjoyed this book too Bea and Ollie are really great characters. I was so sad when she got on the plane and went home lol you could really feel through the pages how lonely she was without him lol I really thought he would ask her to marry him at the end but … maybe that's a follow on book for next year lol 😂 xx
This book is not available in paperback in Australia as yet so I listened to it on Audible. It was my first Audible experience and I loved it. The two narrators were Damian Gildea as Ollie & Niamh McAlister as Bea. Both outstanding, bringing those characters to life. Ollie was my man… so funny witty quirky! His lightness & casual temperament a balance for Bea who has a lot emotionally going on, what with her boyfriend breakup and her brother’s passing that still had a profound effect on her.
I loved them both for different reasons. My stand out character being Ollie’s Aunty Nora, loved her! She was hilarious, really funny and loving. The dynamic between her and Ollie had me in laughter 😃 I want an Aunt Nora!!! I want to visit Ireland and laugh with the Ollie’s, the Nora’s and the Beas.
I really enjoyed listening to this feel good scrumptious love story, I thought it was early Christmas treat for myself.
Yes Nora had this Dame Edna/Mrs Brown's Boys vibe going on, which made her a little unbelievable to me. But maybe that was the narration. Like you I audibled this one and weren't they both good. Bea's narrator had such a warm, smiley voice, if that makes sense.
Yes Ollie was funny. I really liked him. Self-depracating humour is my weakness.
I agree with Dana SK regarding Bea’s personality. The first few chapters about her she did come across as a “goodie two shoes”, over exaggerating her love of the hotel etc… I wanted her to swear or light up a cigarette or something. However as the book progressed and her losses revealed I can understand what drives her character to be so work driven.
It was her confusion and stubbornness that made me wonder if there really would be a happy ending.
One of my favourite scenes in the story is the ham sandwich lunch Ollie was eating with Scott outside the hospital on a freezing day. So relate able!
This book was only an “ok” read for me. It started off with all the right fuzzy feels and with the potential to be a very good Christmas story. Unfortunately, as I kept reading and got to know Bea better I just felt more and more frustrated with her character. So level headed and career driven on one side but so ‘blah’ in other aspects of her life. Argh, I just wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and pull yourself together. 😂
Ollie on the other hand was so lovely. I could not find any fault with him. I guess his character was there to balance Bea’s and I suppose that’s why the two worked well together. I loved their meet-cute at the airport and thought that was very believable. I myself like to talk to strangers wherever I go, so I could see this happen in real life.
My most favourite character was Leroy. Like you Lorna, I also didn’t see it at first, the way he played a part in both of their lives - that was very cleverly done. I just loved his warm character and the relationship/friendship he had with both of them.
I think I set my expectations high with this book and although the writing style was great, the settings even better and the plot was intriguing…Bea just about finished me off and killed all my enthusiasm.
Yes I got very frustrated with her too! But I did love how nice she was and how she wasn't overloaded with previous baggage. I've become a bit anti epic-baggage when a main character enters the arena. I wanted to give her a good talking to when she had this opportunity to be with Ollie and she just let him go! And not particularly for a reason I could get on board with. Made me a bit thin lipped for a while.
Better late than never with my comments!
I enjoyed reading this book as much as the Karen Swan Christmas book.
I loved all the characters and totally agreed with your observations
Ah fabulous. Happy new year and so pleased you enjoyed it.
Jemima has hit the nail on the head with the theme of this story, Love and Loss. The whole story revolves around each characters devastating Losses through death and/or breakup. In Ollie and Bea it is both. Emma has even given Ollie’s career as a Cardiac Nurse.
With this ongoing sense of Loss throughout the story it is very clever how Emma has subtly yet strongly made “love” the dominant emotion.
The journey through the story starts with so much Loss and ends with so much Love, with only a few notes of loss in their backgrounds.
Very cleverly written.
Ah I'm pleased you enjoyed it Stephanie. A good choice all round.
I really enjoyed the serendipitous aspect to this book, the opening airport scene was beautifully crafted and had me invested from the outset. I agree that Bea and Ollie was great main characters with a really strong supporting cast, it had rings of Love Actually. Loved the Peter Pan references and no unusually I didn’t see the common character coming either so I think the author did that very well. The Irishness really sang through and that was a joy to experience, especially in the wonderful Aunt Nora. As you say, it did tacked some tougher subjects: medical emergencies, family death, but I thought these were handled so sensitively with a raw truth that can only be expressed though personal experience. A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas read.
Exactly this. A perfect festive romance with real elements of life being hard and the unknown often coming from nowhere, along with that fated element of a chance encounter eventually changing your life. It's made me really want to read her others. I read one last year I loved of hers so I need to download the other festive ones before festive season is over!
I enjoyed this book too Bea and Ollie are really great characters. I was so sad when she got on the plane and went home lol you could really feel through the pages how lonely she was without him lol I really thought he would ask her to marry him at the end but … maybe that's a follow on book for next year lol 😂 xx
This book is not available in paperback in Australia as yet so I listened to it on Audible. It was my first Audible experience and I loved it. The two narrators were Damian Gildea as Ollie & Niamh McAlister as Bea. Both outstanding, bringing those characters to life. Ollie was my man… so funny witty quirky! His lightness & casual temperament a balance for Bea who has a lot emotionally going on, what with her boyfriend breakup and her brother’s passing that still had a profound effect on her.
I loved them both for different reasons. My stand out character being Ollie’s Aunty Nora, loved her! She was hilarious, really funny and loving. The dynamic between her and Ollie had me in laughter 😃 I want an Aunt Nora!!! I want to visit Ireland and laugh with the Ollie’s, the Nora’s and the Beas.
I really enjoyed listening to this feel good scrumptious love story, I thought it was early Christmas treat for myself.
I am looking forward to our next Read.
Yes Nora had this Dame Edna/Mrs Brown's Boys vibe going on, which made her a little unbelievable to me. But maybe that was the narration. Like you I audibled this one and weren't they both good. Bea's narrator had such a warm, smiley voice, if that makes sense.
Yes Ollie was funny. I really liked him. Self-depracating humour is my weakness.
I agree with Dana SK regarding Bea’s personality. The first few chapters about her she did come across as a “goodie two shoes”, over exaggerating her love of the hotel etc… I wanted her to swear or light up a cigarette or something. However as the book progressed and her losses revealed I can understand what drives her character to be so work driven.
It was her confusion and stubbornness that made me wonder if there really would be a happy ending.
One of my favourite scenes in the story is the ham sandwich lunch Ollie was eating with Scott outside the hospital on a freezing day. So relate able!
They had such a lovely believable bromance. Scott was a bit underrated. He needs a love story novel of his own I feel.
'Just wanted her to swear or light up a cigarette!' HA!! Fabulous. Yes she's definitely Head Girl material.
This book was only an “ok” read for me. It started off with all the right fuzzy feels and with the potential to be a very good Christmas story. Unfortunately, as I kept reading and got to know Bea better I just felt more and more frustrated with her character. So level headed and career driven on one side but so ‘blah’ in other aspects of her life. Argh, I just wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and pull yourself together. 😂
Ollie on the other hand was so lovely. I could not find any fault with him. I guess his character was there to balance Bea’s and I suppose that’s why the two worked well together. I loved their meet-cute at the airport and thought that was very believable. I myself like to talk to strangers wherever I go, so I could see this happen in real life.
My most favourite character was Leroy. Like you Lorna, I also didn’t see it at first, the way he played a part in both of their lives - that was very cleverly done. I just loved his warm character and the relationship/friendship he had with both of them.
I think I set my expectations high with this book and although the writing style was great, the settings even better and the plot was intriguing…Bea just about finished me off and killed all my enthusiasm.
Did anyone else find her character difficult?
Yes I got very frustrated with her too! But I did love how nice she was and how she wasn't overloaded with previous baggage. I've become a bit anti epic-baggage when a main character enters the arena. I wanted to give her a good talking to when she had this opportunity to be with Ollie and she just let him go! And not particularly for a reason I could get on board with. Made me a bit thin lipped for a while.
Phew! Glad it’s not just me ☺️