Series: N/A
Audience: +18
Genre: Chick Lit, Holiday, Contemporary
Publisher: HQ Digital
Release Date: October 5th 2018
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Neverland Blog Tours
Blurb (from Goodreads):
One night will change their lives forever…
Georgia Bailey is closing up her little charity shop in Oakbarrow when she gets a mysterious late night call from a stranger, threatening to jump off the town’s bridge. Something about the man’s voice is faintly familiar but all she can do is stay on the line and, after talking for hours and losing sense of time passing, coax him back from the edge. The next morning, Georgia walks to work, buys a festive latte from Leo (who she’s had a crush on for months!) at the local coffee shop, and is shocked when she suddenly recognizes the voice from last night…
A heartwarming festive love story that reminds us that even in the darkest of times, hope is always just around the corner!
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this boon from Neverland Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
**Disclaimer: Trigger warning: mental health, suicidal tendencies
This book was amazing, perfect for the holiday season and, surprisingly, not what I expected at all.
It's a Wonderful Night is more than just a holiday book, it's a book about masks and what we hide behind big smiles. It's a story about mental health, depression, hitting rock bottom and having someone there to help us when we need it the most.
I adored Georgia. Although as a psychologist I recognize the mistake she made by talking to the mysterious man that wanted to jump off the bridge, as a human being I understand her. I admired her willingness to help Leo, even though she had to go to some extreme measures in order to do so. What she did for Leo and the entire Oakbarrow community can almost be seen as a miracle. She gave hope not just to one man, but to an entire community of people. Her need to help one man find his will to live made an entire group of people remember the magic of their town, the good old days before internet shopping and supermarkets. I may not agree with what Georgia chose to do, but I respected and admired her for doing it.
Leo was a sweetheart and, honestly, I would have helped him too. He is trying so hard to be the man everyone thinks he is, he is trying to cope with his father's death, he is trying to live with his guilt so much so that he doesn't take care of himself. It was heartbreaking, really, to hear him refer to himself as unworthy of love, as a loser. There were times when I just wanted to hug him and never let go. He eventually opens up about why he feels so much guilt, why he pushed himself the way that he did, why he was so hard on himself. It all makes sense, and I was so sad for him.
The book is full of colorful characters, people that I truly cared about, from the homeless man that knew more than people gave him credit for, to Georgia's best friend. They were people that I'd love to know more about, learn their stories. They made the story amazing. To my great shame I do not know the movie that inspired this book, It's a Wonderful Life, but I plan to watch it before the year is over. I did however get some You've Got Mail vibes from this book, and although the two stories are nothing alike, I couldn't help but think about that movie while reading It's A Wonderful Night.
I cried several times while reading this book, I'm not ashamed to say that. There were a few funny moments, but in general this book made me want to believe in Christmas miracles, as cheesy as that may sound. I found myself nodding a few times, because it's hard to feel like you're stuck, which in a way is something Georgia and Leo had in common.
I truly loved this book, and it was a fantastic way to be introduced to this author's work. I'll definitely read more of Ms. Admans in the future.
Book links:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D4679MT
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D4679MT
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/it-s-a-wonderful-night
Also available from all other ebook retailers.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40611376-it-s-a-wonderful-night
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jaimie is a 32-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, watching horror movies, and drinking tea, although she’s seriously considering marrying her coffee machine. She loves autumn and winter, and singing songs from musicals despite the fact she’s got the voice of a dying hyena. She hates spiders, hot weather, and cheese & onion crisps. She spends far too much time on Twitter and owns too many pairs of boots.
She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read. She is the author of chick-lit romantic comedies The Chateau of Happily Ever Afters, The Little Wedding Island, It’s a Wonderful Night, and Kismetology, and she has also written young-adult romantic comedies Afterlife Academy, Not Pretty Enough, and North Pole Reform School.
Author links:
http://www.jaimieadmans.com
http://twitter.com/be_the_spark
http://facebook.com/jaimieadmansbooks
Giveaway!
UK Only
*It's a Wonderful Night notebook
*It's a Wonderful Night fridge magnet
*A signed postcard of the cover
*A copy of It's a Wonderful Life on DVD because this is the inspiration behind the story.
*An invisible spine Paris notebook because it's where Georgia wants to go more than anywhere in the world.
*A light-up Christmas tree pen, because who doesn't need a light-up Christmas tree pen at this time of year?!
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