ARC Review: One Week ‘Til Christmas by Belinda Missen

Title: One Week ‘Til Christmas
Author: Belinda Missen
Genre: Holiday, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Published On: November 1, 2019
Publisher: HQ Digital
Pages: 179

Synopsis: Two people. One chance meeting. Seven days to Christmas.

Isobel Bennett is waiting for the number 11 bus when a man quite literally falls into her lap. Snow is falling, Christmas lights are twinkling, and a gorgeous man with dark brown hair has just slipped on ice and is now pressed against Isobel.

Isobel knows she’s not imagining the chemistry between them. But then his ride arrives and, embarrassed, he beats a hasty retreat, murmuring apologies – and Isobel realises only too late that she didn’t manage to catch his name…

When she runs into him again the next morning, she decides it’s fate.

It’s a second chance for Isobel and Tom – but there’s only one week until she’s leaving London for good. Seven days of enjoying all the festive delights the city has to offer: ice-skating at Somerset House, mulled wine on the Southbank, Christmas shopping at Liberty.

There’s magic in the air and mistletoe in the trees – but what will happen when the week is over?

My thoughts

(I was provided an advance copy from the publisher, HQ Digital, through Netgalley.)

I am a sucker for holiday romances. It’s the only time I can put up with a little extra cheesiness in my books. One Week ‘Til Christmas is light on the cheese and heavy on the romance, just how I prefer my Christmas reads. And bonus, this one takes place in London! Who doesn’t want to live vicariously through two charming people falling in love during Christmas in London??

The main characters are fleshed out and engaging, and while I’m not one of those readers who hate insta-love, their meet-cute worked for me. This was an ARC I read, and there were a few things lost in translation, but I also very much enjoyed that it wasn’t Americanized for readers in the US–at least in my ARC version. My only critique is I feel like it could have used some more editing, tightening up, maybe some more time spent on a few scenes. Sometimes things felt rushed and glossed over. And no, I’m not talking about sex scenes. 😉

Overall, I enjoyed it and it definitely helped kick off the holiday season!