The Christmas Wish by Tilly Tennant

2.5 Stars

I couldn't really get to grips with the characters in this story at all.  Somehow the connection between reader and the page just didn't happen for me.  At first I felt intense sympathy for Esme after she fled her controlling boyfriend to her Grandmother's house in Derbyshire, especially as she seemed to be overcoming her personal demons and rebuilding her life.  Unfortunately, she soon suffers an extreme case of recidivism and allows him back in to her affections after the death of her Grandmother.  I think it was that point that she lost me if I'm being honest.  Sure, she decides to take the trip that her Grandmother had planned to Lapland for them both but she still doesn't deal with the boyfriend, she sneaks away whilst he is at work and then refuses to answer her phone or read her text messages.  It did drive me ever so slightly up the wall.  I am aware that there are people trapped in toxic relationships like these but somehow Esme's feels almost glib and she does a disservice to anyone in that situation for real.

The scene setting in Lapland is wonderful and did make me want to visit myself.  Admittedly I am a complete sucker for anything Santa and the thought of watching the Aurora Borealis does bring a deep joy to my heart.  Ms Tennant does make it all seem rather magical and mythical; particularly the visit to see the Real Santa Claus.

Unfortunately, the setting was not enough to make me a happy reader.  The characters are all more like caricatures than real people - Zach is tortured by his past, the snowmobile guide (who's name eludes me) is lovelorn, the two old people on the trip fall in to steamy clinches at the drop of a hat and then argue over nothing to both of their enjoyment.  Nothing really more than surface for any of them, including Esme.

A pleasant enough festive read but there are much better out there.