REVIEW: I’ll be home for Christmas by Roisin Meaney

I’ll be home for Christmas by Roisin Meaney is a good read for those that love chick-lit or those who want to read a lovely Christmas story revolving around family.

Tilly’s parents adopted her because they were told they couldn’t have kids, but wouldn’t you know they were blessed with not one but two biological children, years later. Tilly is feeling left out. She wants to know where she’s from and when she learns she has a sister, she tracks her down by getting a plane and traveling a long way to see her, and then arriving unexpectedly.

We learn a lot about Tilly before she gets to her destination. We learn what happened to her birth mother and why there was no father listed on her birth certificate. We learn that Tilly had an affair with her teacher. A man who built up her self-esteem, took her virginity and then left. A man who left his mark on her, in the shape of a baby. When she hears she has a sister, she just knows she has to meet her, in fact, she needs her. The journey Tilly takes is a long one.

Laura and Gavin are the ideal couple. A couple who stay’s strong during times that are tough and who depend on each other. When they first met, it was Laura and her two twin boys.
Gavin was fresh out of a marriage with a woman who never wanted kids. Gavin was meant to be a father and courted Laura every step of the way. Now they have a total of five kids. The last baby they had also came with then news that Laura had breast cancer. A mastectomy and chemotherapy did their job, but now Laura lives with the fear that the cancer will come back. Gavin and Laura’s marriage is suffering. She’s losing patience and after having her surgery she’s self-conscience; won’t let Gavin touch her. On top of all this, Christmas isn’t going the way she hoped. Her mother-in-law is in town for a visit, everything that can go wrong does, and now she has extra guests to look after. When she finds out one of the guests is actually her sister, a sister who she had no clue existed, Christmas gets more complicated.

Once Laura and Tilly get over the surprise of seeing each other for the first time, there is an instant connection. A type of connection they could never find with another person. The story itself has a lot more going on, especially with all the secondary characters involved, but if you really want to know everything, you’ll read the book. I really liked the dual point of views. One moment we know what Tilly is thinking and then it switches to Laura. This actually made the story a lot easier to get into. This isn’t the type of book I usually go for, but I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I got sucked into the story.
 

Book Info:

Publication: October 15th, 2015 | Hachette Books Ireland |

It’s three days before Christmas …
Tilly boards a plane on the other side of the world. She’s determined to reach Roone, a small island off the west coast of Ireland, in time for Christmas Day. Tilly carries a troubling secret and Laura, a woman she’s never met, might be the only one who can help her.
Except that Laura has no idea that Tilly exists. And with five children, a mother-in-law stranded on the island and a husband with whom she’s barely on speaking terms, an unexpected guest is the Christmas present she’s not expecting …
A storm is heading for the island, but will peace be restored before the snow melts?

I’ll be home for Christmas is a feel-good tale of magic, sparkle and new beginnings from bestselling author Roisin Meaney.