In Something from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill, There is something about the twinkling lights, the 
busy streets, and the colorful window displays that makes NYC the perfect Christmas destination. Add in a trip inside famed Tiffany’s and it becomes almost every woman’s dream come true. That’s why Londoner Ethan Greene has brought his girlfriend Vanessa to the Big Apple. He plans to pick out a ring and present the iconic blue box to her when he proposes before they leave. But when a commotion happens outside the store, Ethan’s new purchase somehow gets mixed up with another customer’s bag and he soon finds himself on the trail to track the ring down.
‘At this rate, Ethan would be happy if he never saw a little blue box again in his life.’
One minute to the next, Gary Knowles isn’t sure what happened in that topsy-turvy city street. But he knows he’s in the middle of a big old mess thanks to his quick stop in Tiffany’s for a last-minute charm bracelet for his girlfriend Rachel. After he’s on the mend, he has a lot of questions but is taking it day by day, playing things cool about the ring he didn’t buy but yet his girlfriend–now fiancée–ended up with. Rachel is of course over the moon about it all. Although she’s also surprised at Gary not only being so thoughtful but for him spending that much money on a ring from Tiffany’s. If she’s honest, it’s a bit out of character for him. So, when things aren’t adding up and she could swear her loved ones aren’t quite telling the truth, Rachel tries to figure out the story behind her surprise engagement.
‘And not for the first time, she wondered if that blasted ring truly did have a mind of its own.’
A reissue of a holiday novel that was part romance, part madcap adventure across three countries, Something from Tiffany’s brought out all the emotions due to Melissa Hill’s emotive writing style.
‘When you found the right person, everything fit.’
It’s always interesting to read a reissue of a popular novel and see if it still holds true years later, but especially in this case where Something from Tiffany’s has also been made into a movie (Amazon Prime) this year. And I think this did stand up to time. The mix up with the two Tiffany’s bags being accidentally switched was a classic element that lended itself to the chaos that followed as well as the increasing tension between the main couples. It was funny. It was frustrating at times. But ultimately it brought out the true nature of everyone involved–from the main cast right on down to their friends and coworkers.
When I get a strong reaction to a particular character, good or bad, I think of it as a sign of solid writing. And I definitely had a few thoughts about a couple of people–Gary and Vanessa, I’m looking at you!–that might not have been so nice. (lol) But their actions were needed to move the story along as well as show different sides to their relationships: Gary with Rachel and Vanessa with Ethan.
I’m not a huge fan of deception in a novel unless it’s warranted, so the number of white lies and the outright deceit that took place was tough to get through at times, particularly in the way it kept snowballing here. But I had faith in where Hill was taking us. Through the Christmas bustle in NYC to ringing in the New Year in both London and Dublin, romance did indeed blossom, and those who were meant to be together found their way in the sweetest fashion possible.
QOTD: Are you a fan of romantic holiday movies? Have any favorites you look forward to each year?
Book Info:
Publication: October 4th 2022 (first published 2011) | Sourcebooks Landmark |
Doesn’t every girl dream of getting… something from Tiffany’s?
On 5th Avenue in New York City, two very different men are shopping for gifts for the women they love.
Gary is buying his girlfriend Rachel a charm bracelet. Partly to thank her for paying for their holiday-of-a-lifetime to New York. But mainly because he’s left his shopping far too late.
Whereas Ethan’s looking for something a little more special – an engagement ring for the first woman to have made him happy since he lost the love of his life.
But when the two men’s shopping bags get confused, and Rachel somehow ends up with Ethan’s ring, the couples’ lives become intertwined.
As Ethan tries to reunite the ring with the woman it was actually intended for, he discovers this isn’t that easy. Does fate have other ideas for the couples? Or is there simply a bit of Tiffany’s magic in the air…
