Book Review: Misletoe Mansion by Samantha Tonge

Author: Samantha Tonge

Published: 10 November 2014

Publisher:  Carina

Blog/website: samanthatonge.co.uk 

Blurb

What can I say except that I loved this book! I was looking for an easy Christmas read and Mistletoe Mansion fits the bill perfectly. I love a bit of chick-lit and this one had the added bonus of some Christmas cheer and a somewhat unusual plot.

When we first meet Kimmy and her boyfriend Adam, it is actually the boyfriend who I could relate to more. Kimmy is a typical ditzy, celebrity-obsessed WAG wannabe. Adam is safe, dependable, reliable but boring. They are two totally different types of people and this causes a huge amount of tension in their relationship. The story follows Kimmy and her friend Jess as they become housesitters for Mistletoe Mansion. It is there that we meet the supporting characters – surely, rude Luke, real-life WAG and prima donna Melissa, the flamboyant Terry and his micro pig Frazzle and the loveable dog Graucho.

We watch Kimmy grow throughout the book, from her initial superficial, immature, ‘head in the clouds’ self to a young woman demonstrating friendship, loyalty, ambition and a huge heart. Whilst I disliked Kimmy at the start of the book and found her incredibly irritating, as the plot developed I found myself warming to her and her antics – albeit with a sense of frustration at the scrapes she gets herself into!

The supporting characters are all entertaining, if slightly stereotypical of the demographics they represent. I particularly liked the kind-hearted  Terry, who fast becomes a loyal and supportive friend to the girls.

There are some mysterious goings-on at Mistletoe Mansion which Kimmy and Jess need to get to the bottom of in order to help sell the house. The ghostly high-jinks move this story away from the usual chick-lit romance novel and adds an air of intrigue that made me want to keep ra

The story is a bit far-fetched, however readers should simply accept the story for what it is, rather than criticising it for what it’s not. If you want a serious piece of literary fiction, try Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy. If you want a modern Christmas fairytale, then Mistletoe Mansion is the perfect choice.

The story involves mystery, intrigue, romance and comedy, all entwined into a perfect light hearted, upifting read that left me thoroughly entertained throughout. This was a lovely story and just right for the holiday period. I think I would say that this was the favourite of my Christmas reads for 2014.

The book is released in electronic format and is currently priced at £0.59 on Amazon UK.