Saturday 5 November 2016

Book Review - The Christmas Getaway by Jill Barry - Back Catalogue Books


Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for. 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 

I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it! 

This week I am featuring The Christmas Getaway by Jill Barry that I bought last year and just haven't got around to reading yet. 

Amazon UK
Title: The Christmas Getaway
Author: Jill Barry
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Publication Date: 8th October 2015
Rating: 3.5 Stars


Christmas is not Lulu’s favourite time of year.  And she can’t yet face the idea of her gorgeous boyfriend Ravi meeting her family.  So this year she wants to plan an alternative Christmas.

When Ravi suggests they invite Lulu’s best friends - Susannah and Jo - to join them she is unsure at first.

But when Lulu suggests that they all spend the Christmas break in a secluded coastal cottage together, with their partners in tow, they both jump at the chance.

Susannah is back in a relationship with her teenage sweetheart, Grant. And Jo is living with Troy Cooper AKA TC, the soap opera star.

And, as of yet, none of the girls have met their best friend’s partners. With the cottage booked, Lulu can’t wait for their festive getaway. But then disaster strikes.

Ravi is mugged on his morning run and ends in hospital the day before their holiday. Will Lulu still manage to get her perfect Christmas holiday? Will all the couples get along? Or will everything come to a head during their The Christmas Getaway?

This book was previously published as Couples Retreat.

The Christmas Getaway is an enjoyable short novella that gives you an insight into 3 couples and the Christmas they spend together. For a book spanning a short space of time, and only 109 pages, there is a lot more going on than you may think, this is not an uneventful Christmas. 

Lily wants to show off her new boyfriend Ravi to her friends, that she doesn't see that often. She also isn't that keen on a family Christmas, although the reason behind that is barely touched upon which is a shame. Ravi organises a retreat in Bournemouth for the three couples, but then runs into trouble the day they are due to head there. 

There is Susannah who is in a relationship with Grant, but has had some heartache in the past, so is she currently with the right guy, or are they just trying too hard. And there is Jo who clearly loves TC but will his career become more important than her. 

This was an easy and quick book to read, but I couldn't help but feel there could have been a bit more depth, or that I should have been able to connect to the characters a bit more. I liked the ladies, but was missing that emotional connection to them, that would have shaped a great story. 

As a first introduction for me to this author's writing, I quite liked it, and would be perhaps interested in reading a longer book by her, to see just what she is capable of. 

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for this feature. Jill Barry has been in Australia, mainly away from social media!

    ReplyDelete

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