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Coming Home for Christmas
Two sisters...two very different lives. Alison's American dream is in tatters. Her highflying career is on the skids in the financial meltdown. Her Upper East Side apartment is now way beyond her means. But pride prevents her from telling her family back home just how bad things are. Olivia is fraught trying to juggle family, career, preparations for Christmas and organize a surprise party for their mother's seventieth birthday. How she envies, and sometimes resents, her sister Alison and her life of excitement and affluence in New York. Coming home is the last thing Alison wants to do, especially now that she's met a rather attractive, sexy, down to earth neighbour who doesn't believe in 'non exclusive dating' unlike her wealthy boyfriend, Jonathan. But family ties are strong. Alison and Olivia sort their differences, the party throws up a few surprises and Christmas brings changes for Alison that she could never have imagined before coming home.
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First published October 22, 2009
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About the author
Patricia Scanlan
71 books399 followersPatricia Scanlan was born in Dublin, where she still lives. Her #1 bestsellers include Apartment 3B; Finishing Touches; Foreign Affairs; Promises, Promises; Mirror, Mirror; City Girl; City Woman; City Lives; and Francesca’s Party. She has sold millions of books worldwide and is translated into many languages. Patricia is the series editor and a contributing author to the award winning Open Door literacy series, which she developed for adult literacy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
December 26, 2021
A Christmassy tale about what really matters in life, though the ending was rather abrupt.
January 20, 2011
Since we're on the run up to Christmas, I thought I would insert some festive reading into my books for December - and decided to start with Coming Home by Patricia Scanlan. I have read a few of Scanlan's novels and, although light, find them generally enjoyable. They are usually large, sprawling and very Irish novels, with a warm heart, which was what I expected to find in Coming Home.
Instead I got a rushed novel - seemingly produced to cash in on the Christmas market. The characters were two dimensional, the moralising was to extreme levels and the twee Irish references littered the book. I was very disappointed.
The plot (such as it is) deals with Alison Dunwoody, a high flying exec living in New York who loses her job thanks to the recession, and her sister Olivia, who chose to stay in Ireland, get married and have children. And... that's it. Alison goes home for Christmas. She tries to hide the fact she's lost her job from her family. She and Olivia have an argument about who has the worst life. She sort of meets a chap called JJ. Nothing happens in this book, seriously! I expected tension. There are three elderly relatives in this book and I was thinking one of them might become ill or something? Nope. Just Alison spending time with her family for Christmas. This could easily have been a short story - it is probably a novella, rather than a novel anyway - with the little dramatic tension it provides.
And that moralising? Sickeningly all-encompassing. Alison learns that money is the root of all evil. She discovers that family is more important than any high-flying executive job. She realises that wealth should not be measured in material items. Ugh. Saccharine sweet and cloying - and written into the story with the subtlety of a brick through a window.
I also found the "Irish-isms" ridiculous - Scanlan tried to write the dialogue phonetically, which made it difficult to read at times and very cutesy. On the other hand, when she dealt with Alison's life in New York, it felt like she had used Wikipedia to research fashion and lifestyle; it felt so artificial and shoe-horned in.
There were a couple of bright moments in the story, but in the main this was a mess of dire proportions - a cash in on Christmas and Scanlan's name. Borderline offensive in terms of how bad it is. Avoid.
Instead I got a rushed novel - seemingly produced to cash in on the Christmas market. The characters were two dimensional, the moralising was to extreme levels and the twee Irish references littered the book. I was very disappointed.
The plot (such as it is) deals with Alison Dunwoody, a high flying exec living in New York who loses her job thanks to the recession, and her sister Olivia, who chose to stay in Ireland, get married and have children. And... that's it. Alison goes home for Christmas. She tries to hide the fact she's lost her job from her family. She and Olivia have an argument about who has the worst life. She sort of meets a chap called JJ. Nothing happens in this book, seriously! I expected tension. There are three elderly relatives in this book and I was thinking one of them might become ill or something? Nope. Just Alison spending time with her family for Christmas. This could easily have been a short story - it is probably a novella, rather than a novel anyway - with the little dramatic tension it provides.
And that moralising? Sickeningly all-encompassing. Alison learns that money is the root of all evil. She discovers that family is more important than any high-flying executive job. She realises that wealth should not be measured in material items. Ugh. Saccharine sweet and cloying - and written into the story with the subtlety of a brick through a window.
I also found the "Irish-isms" ridiculous - Scanlan tried to write the dialogue phonetically, which made it difficult to read at times and very cutesy. On the other hand, when she dealt with Alison's life in New York, it felt like she had used Wikipedia to research fashion and lifestyle; it felt so artificial and shoe-horned in.
There were a couple of bright moments in the story, but in the main this was a mess of dire proportions - a cash in on Christmas and Scanlan's name. Borderline offensive in terms of how bad it is. Avoid.
January 7, 2020
A great book to start a year with!
December 8, 2025
A quick and easy read, although rather predictable and twee.
July 30, 2021
Oh, the sheer joy of reading a Patricia Scanlan novel again!
Alison is the Irish girl who went to America and did well for herself. Her family are very proud of her, but her parent miss her sorely. Olivia, her sister, feels a bit hard done to as she works full time, takes care of her husband and three girls whilst also looking after their parents and elderly uncle. The last place Alison wants to be is back home admitting her good life has gone with the financial collapse; with no income she’s struggling to come to terms with her new situation. Having promised to be home for her mother’s birthday, Alison is desperate to hide her new found circumstances from her family.
I’ve been a fan of Patricia Scanlan for many years; my bookcases bear testimony to that and I’ve been trying to find time to read this one for quite a while so it’s the perfect novel to kick off my summer break! My expectations were completely fulfilled; wonderfully created characters and an authentic storyline with so much going on kept me glued to the pages well past midnight. Beautifully written and one which made me realise that I’ve missed too much of this author’s work lately which I really must catch up with. Fabulously enjoyable and, for me, worth 4.5 stars!
Alison is the Irish girl who went to America and did well for herself. Her family are very proud of her, but her parent miss her sorely. Olivia, her sister, feels a bit hard done to as she works full time, takes care of her husband and three girls whilst also looking after their parents and elderly uncle. The last place Alison wants to be is back home admitting her good life has gone with the financial collapse; with no income she’s struggling to come to terms with her new situation. Having promised to be home for her mother’s birthday, Alison is desperate to hide her new found circumstances from her family.
I’ve been a fan of Patricia Scanlan for many years; my bookcases bear testimony to that and I’ve been trying to find time to read this one for quite a while so it’s the perfect novel to kick off my summer break! My expectations were completely fulfilled; wonderfully created characters and an authentic storyline with so much going on kept me glued to the pages well past midnight. Beautifully written and one which made me realise that I’ve missed too much of this author’s work lately which I really must catch up with. Fabulously enjoyable and, for me, worth 4.5 stars!
December 5, 2014
The book Coming Home For Christmas by Patricia Scanlan makes a lovely Christmas present as it is really a lovely read and full of emotion. I loved every page. It shows how a family pulls together in hard times. Coming Home For Christmas has happy and sad times, just as true life.The story is about two sisters who lead different lives, one leads a hetic life juggling twins and a career while organizing her mother's seventieth birthday party. The other sister Lives in New York battling loosing her high-flying career and much more, with loosing her job she decides to fly to Ireland to her parents house for Christmas. At the back of the book is four short chapters of With All My Love, which I have all ready got and will be reading it soon. I fully recommend the book Coming Home For Christmas as so much happens in this wonderful novel.
Review by www.ireadnovels.wordpress.com
Review by www.ireadnovels.wordpress.com
May 4, 2016
3.75 stars! This was a reaaally cute and heart warming read. I adored the family love in this book, I don't really have a family myself so it was amazing to read about a family so caring, warm and loving around each other. What I also LOVED was the fact that Alison and Olivia's parents still had SUCH a deeply affectionate relationship at the age of 70.
I definitely hope to find a love like that in the future. All by all, it was a really really enjoyable read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Warm, cosy, slightly predictable but not disturbingly so. Nothing mind blowing but worth reading nonetheless. It was really good!
I definitely hope to find a love like that in the future. All by all, it was a really really enjoyable read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Warm, cosy, slightly predictable but not disturbingly so. Nothing mind blowing but worth reading nonetheless. It was really good!
January 11, 2015
I like easy read books but this one was a bit too easy for me. Very straightforward story, no plot twists and not imaginative ending at all. A bit too 'sweet' for me sometimes. I mean for example - descriptions of people looking at each other happily saying (in their heads) a thank you prayers to God for such amazing moments... c'mmon... And I am a Catholic! I wouldn't enthusiastically recommend although an extract from another novel of that author at the end of the book ('With all my love') read much better so I may try that one.
December 16, 2021
this is the first undeniably schmaltzy Christmas book which I've read, and it did exactly what it's supposed to do. It is extremely easy to read, very light and fluffy, and does not exactly ask more of the reader than to sit back, relax and escape from the every day reality of things. I can't imagine that it would stand a re-read, but I new going in that it was going to be a superficial feel-good romp through family and snowy landscapes; in that regard, it was actually quite well written and very definitely a guilty little pleasure.
May 27, 2016
I love Patricia Scanlan books, but this was not as good as her other books. I did get into the characters and their feelings, felt I understood them, but it all ended and I felt I was left dangling. Nothing really happened. I was expecting more, but was left deflated.
January 1, 2011
Readable enough but just rather bland
October 12, 2017
Alison is a successful, independent and determined lady who lives in New York, she comes from a quiet town in Ireland. She has a close relationship with her parents and only
wants them to think the best of her. Her family always thought the best of Alison, she has a perfect life, the perfect job, apartment and boyfriend, or so they thought. Alison's life has changed and she does not know what to do with herself. She has found herself having a large amount of free time and away from her friends in New York.
In contrast, Olivia, Alison's sister, lives in their hometown in Ireland. She believes her sister has managed to get out of town and change her life for the better. Olivia has got married and raised three girls whilst her sister has been partying, working and making a name for herself in America. Olivia loves her sister but she feels there is a divide between them as Alison keeps on reminding Olivia of her success.
I believe Patricia Scanlan has written an interesting and engaging book, however, I did feel like there were a number of sections missing from the story. The story jumped at times and did not always make sense. When I expected an informative part of the story Scanlan appeared to rush and push through to the next section. Alison returns home for Christmas to her parents' surprise but does not want her lifestyle change to be mentioned. Her parents or sister do not know. How can she come home for Christmas and not expect to talk about her own life?
The story engages Alison in sadness, love, realisation, reality and disappointment. All emotions which Scanlan expresses well. However, I would have liked to know more about Alison and her family and the new interest in her life J.J. the new person who has just moved into her building. I so wanted good for Alison. I wanted her to do well, she had gone through a lot in a short space of time and I wanted the best for her. I feel I wasn't given enough information and decisions were made very quickly for Alison.
Although I enjoyed parts of the story when the end of the book came the author jumped forwards a number of months and tried to tie up a number of loose ends. I just felt she had tried to answer a number of questions about progression and relationships for both Alison and Olivia, but she did not do this for me. She created more questions and queries for me about what would happen and how things could be resolved. What were the relationship status developments for J.J. and Alison? How are Alison and Olivia's parents? What happened to the girl's dear Uncle Leo? Amongst many other questions.
The book was only 5 hours and 20 minutes long which is one of the shorter lengths of books I have listened to. This is a nice length of time to listen to a book if going on a long journey. However, I don't think I would recommend this book. I would only recommend it if I knew there was a second book to follow up my questions then I may consider offering the book to another person until then I would not recommend it.
Rating: 6/10
10-word-review: An easy read for a journey but not a recommendation.
Please check out my other reviews at threeminutesfortyfiveseconds.blogspot.co.uk
wants them to think the best of her. Her family always thought the best of Alison, she has a perfect life, the perfect job, apartment and boyfriend, or so they thought. Alison's life has changed and she does not know what to do with herself. She has found herself having a large amount of free time and away from her friends in New York.
In contrast, Olivia, Alison's sister, lives in their hometown in Ireland. She believes her sister has managed to get out of town and change her life for the better. Olivia has got married and raised three girls whilst her sister has been partying, working and making a name for herself in America. Olivia loves her sister but she feels there is a divide between them as Alison keeps on reminding Olivia of her success.
I believe Patricia Scanlan has written an interesting and engaging book, however, I did feel like there were a number of sections missing from the story. The story jumped at times and did not always make sense. When I expected an informative part of the story Scanlan appeared to rush and push through to the next section. Alison returns home for Christmas to her parents' surprise but does not want her lifestyle change to be mentioned. Her parents or sister do not know. How can she come home for Christmas and not expect to talk about her own life?
The story engages Alison in sadness, love, realisation, reality and disappointment. All emotions which Scanlan expresses well. However, I would have liked to know more about Alison and her family and the new interest in her life J.J. the new person who has just moved into her building. I so wanted good for Alison. I wanted her to do well, she had gone through a lot in a short space of time and I wanted the best for her. I feel I wasn't given enough information and decisions were made very quickly for Alison.
Although I enjoyed parts of the story when the end of the book came the author jumped forwards a number of months and tried to tie up a number of loose ends. I just felt she had tried to answer a number of questions about progression and relationships for both Alison and Olivia, but she did not do this for me. She created more questions and queries for me about what would happen and how things could be resolved. What were the relationship status developments for J.J. and Alison? How are Alison and Olivia's parents? What happened to the girl's dear Uncle Leo? Amongst many other questions.
The book was only 5 hours and 20 minutes long which is one of the shorter lengths of books I have listened to. This is a nice length of time to listen to a book if going on a long journey. However, I don't think I would recommend this book. I would only recommend it if I knew there was a second book to follow up my questions then I may consider offering the book to another person until then I would not recommend it.
Rating: 6/10
10-word-review: An easy read for a journey but not a recommendation.
Please check out my other reviews at threeminutesfortyfiveseconds.blogspot.co.uk
September 5, 2022
Loved this book, the perfect winter read (I’m in NZ, so read it through my winter, to make it feel like I was reading it at Christmas time) loved the setting and it being half in Ireland (a country I often dream of visiting) and half being set in America (a country I dream less of visiting, but still loved the setting of the snow, and characters having Irish accents, something that truly makes my heart flutter.) if you are into real life problems (spoiler job losses,) warming romance stories, and family reunions and of course Christmas fun, then this really is the read for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2022
Very beautiful heart warming. I liked how the characters were sensible and talked about things rather than the usual non sense of people keeping everything to themselves. But I did think it ended rather abruptly. I was hoping for something a bit more substantial. But it wasn't bad considering somethings can be left to the imagination.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2018
3.5 *s. I wanted a feel good "Christmasy" read and this one worked for me. Alison loses her job in New York City and returns to home in Ireland for her mother's 70th birthday. This was just what I needed to put me in the Christmas mood in a Hallmark movie kind of way.
December 14, 2020
Nice feel good actual Christmasy book - not just with a Christmas in the title - The main character actually finds Christmas spirit and re-lives childhood Christmas traditions. I hope the author brings back these characters some day. It was like traveling to New York and Ireland, too.
January 26, 2021
Makes you want.to have Xmas in Ireland
A lovely read making you feel very warm inside and understand and appreciate the love of family. My only disappointment was.the end. I felt it fizzled out and I had to.imagine the happy ending but that's just my preference
A lovely read making you feel very warm inside and understand and appreciate the love of family. My only disappointment was.the end. I felt it fizzled out and I had to.imagine the happy ending but that's just my preference
December 2, 2017
Läst på engelska
Mysig feel-good bok med ett givet slut men är lite omständig i vissa beskrivningar.
Lättläst!
Mysig feel-good bok med ett givet slut men är lite omständig i vissa beskrivningar.
Lättläst!
August 1, 2018
Loved it! It's sweet and simple, but sometimes that's exactly what you need: a story about family, friends and love, happening during the best holiday of the year. It made me happy and cheerful.
December 9, 2018
Most of the way through the book was perfect but there just wasn’t enough ending. She did a ‘5 months later’ which just screams cop out and in my humble opinion she ended up in the wrong place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2018
Easy read, a bit predictable but a good book to snuggle up with on a cold wet day
December 7, 2019
Love Patricia Scanlan, another book read in less than 24 hours, can’t seem to be able to put them down
February 11, 2021
Not my favourite Patricia Scanlan book, it was a nice read, but not much really happening, I felt the ending was very abrupt and kinda left you wanting more.
December 13, 2021
An easy predictable Christmassy read!
December 25, 2021
Nice easy read for this time of year!
November 3, 2022
It was a good read.
November 27, 2024
A lovely feel good read
December 9, 2024
An enjoyable easy light read.
No intellectual challenge but engaging characters and a believable rendition of an Irish family at Christmas.
I will look out for more of her books.
No intellectual challenge but engaging characters and a believable rendition of an Irish family at Christmas.
I will look out for more of her books.
December 13, 2024
Lovely family, feel good read for this time of year.
December 20, 2024
New author discovery. Good story line but the ending could have been better developed. A nice feel good Christmas read. Predictable but not too fluffy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews