What do you think?
Rate this book
Meet Me in Central Park
Will their Christmas wish come true? Libby Cooper hasn’t celebrated Christmas since the night her parents died in a terrible accident. She wants to forget that the season of goodwill even exists; but her grandmother has other ideas. It’s time for Libby to start living her life just as her parents would have wanted her to do. First stop New York! What better way to immerse herself in the celebrations, than working in her great aunt’s Christmas shop, just a few blocks from Central Park? Making new friends in the Big Apple is the easy bit, but leaving the past behind proves much harder thn Libby imagined. Long walks in gorgeous Central Park help, and here she meets Harry Stanwick, a Central Park Ranger. Harry is as lovely on the inside as he is on the outside and seems to know instinctively when Libby wants to talk or when she just needs to sit quietly on their special bench with him by her side. Slowly, Libby begins to feel some of the pain of her past slipping away. And as New York begins to work its magic and her friendship with Harry grows, so too do Libby’s feelings for him. But can she ever be truly happy without the people who matter the most to her? Or can Harry convince Libby that she deserves her own Christmas miracle -and her chance of happiness – sitting with him on their bench in Central Park? From Jo Bartlett, the bestselling author of The Cornish Midwives Series, perfect for fans of Jessica Redland, Holly Martin and Christie Barlow. Readers love Jo Bartlett! 'Stunning setting, wonderful characters, and oozing with warmth. A triumph from Jo Bartlett.' Jessica Redland 'Once again a lovely read. Characters were good and it felt like you were there with them. It's a book I couldn't put down. Can't wait for the next one' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A lovely story with big surprises. I was hooked from the start' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This title was previously published as The Christmas Shop at Central Park
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2023
278 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
September 7, 2023
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
I have read some really good holiday books this summer unfortunately, this isn't one of them. Imagine my surprise when I found out that this isn't a new book but a re-issue of The Christmas Shop at Central Park .
I understand what this book was trying to say, Christmas isn't a happy time for everyone. But I felt this book was really repetitive. I got so sick of hearing Libby whine about her dead parents. I mean I get it, dead parents is something to be sad about but she constantly reminded herself that they're dead and she is to blame. It's been two years for crying out loud.
Okay, don't come at me because I also know that there is no timeframe for getting over a loss that big. I felt it when my grandmother died in 1988 and I still feel it 35 years later BUT I don't whine about it constantly and feel sorry for myself. I didn't have much empathy for Libby because she was a complainer and not a doer for the most part of this book. She just wallowed in her sadness and had a big pity party.
Libby constantly told herself she couldn't be happy because her parents were dead and they couldn't be happy. Would her parents be happy with her feeling that way? Would they want that? I also didn't like that she needed a man to feel better or worthy. I don't like the takeaway of this book, find a man and move away so you don't have to think of what's making you sad and that will solve all your problems. Ummm, NO!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
I have read some really good holiday books this summer unfortunately, this isn't one of them. Imagine my surprise when I found out that this isn't a new book but a re-issue of The Christmas Shop at Central Park .
I understand what this book was trying to say, Christmas isn't a happy time for everyone. But I felt this book was really repetitive. I got so sick of hearing Libby whine about her dead parents. I mean I get it, dead parents is something to be sad about but she constantly reminded herself that they're dead and she is to blame. It's been two years for crying out loud.
Okay, don't come at me because I also know that there is no timeframe for getting over a loss that big. I felt it when my grandmother died in 1988 and I still feel it 35 years later BUT I don't whine about it constantly and feel sorry for myself. I didn't have much empathy for Libby because she was a complainer and not a doer for the most part of this book. She just wallowed in her sadness and had a big pity party.
Libby constantly told herself she couldn't be happy because her parents were dead and they couldn't be happy. Would her parents be happy with her feeling that way? Would they want that? I also didn't like that she needed a man to feel better or worthy. I don't like the takeaway of this book, find a man and move away so you don't have to think of what's making you sad and that will solve all your problems. Ummm, NO!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
Read
December 25, 2025DNF
December 18, 2024
Good easy read for Christmas. Set on the same street I was staying on, makes me want to go straight back!
September 15, 2023
This book was everything for me! I devoured it in one sitting. This story covers grief, happiness, anger, second chances, and newfound family. It had me laughing out loud and even crying at certain points. This is the perfect read for a cozy winter night. I absolutely loved getting to know Libby, and I found the way that she felt and dealt with her grief to be realistic. This story also showed how grief can come and go in waves. Another perspective within the story that I loved, was that even when those we love are gone, they are still with us. I recently lost my Mamaw and found that much of this story struck home for me in a beautiful way. This story is so well written, that I will be recommending it to everyone!
This story follows Libby Cooper on her journey of dealing with the grief of losing her parents in a terrible car accident. After losing them, she lost herself and the will to want more for her own life. However, for the Christmas season this year, her grandmother makes plans for her to help her great aunt with her store in New York City. Libby dreads leaving her grandparents as they are all she has left who share the same heartbreak as she does. Once she arrives in New York City to help her great aunt run her shop, she finds her life changing. New York City during Christmas time seems to be working its magic on her. She starts enjoying working in the shop, makes new friends, feels like she has found a second family, and her feelings end up growing for her friend Harry in particular. As much as Libby wants to enjoy her time in New York City, she can't help but feel sad knowing that in a couple months she'll fly back home to her grandparents. She knows she can't stay in the city because she could never leave them, and after her parents' accident she doesn't believe that she deserves a happy life.
Will Libby be able to not let her grief consume her and enjoy the happiness that has come out of the city, or will she fly away from it all to be close to where her parents' last memories were.
This story follows Libby Cooper on her journey of dealing with the grief of losing her parents in a terrible car accident. After losing them, she lost herself and the will to want more for her own life. However, for the Christmas season this year, her grandmother makes plans for her to help her great aunt with her store in New York City. Libby dreads leaving her grandparents as they are all she has left who share the same heartbreak as she does. Once she arrives in New York City to help her great aunt run her shop, she finds her life changing. New York City during Christmas time seems to be working its magic on her. She starts enjoying working in the shop, makes new friends, feels like she has found a second family, and her feelings end up growing for her friend Harry in particular. As much as Libby wants to enjoy her time in New York City, she can't help but feel sad knowing that in a couple months she'll fly back home to her grandparents. She knows she can't stay in the city because she could never leave them, and after her parents' accident she doesn't believe that she deserves a happy life.
Will Libby be able to not let her grief consume her and enjoy the happiness that has come out of the city, or will she fly away from it all to be close to where her parents' last memories were.
March 5, 2025
this was so good! It was so cute and surprisingly clean? I don't know if this is adult, ya, or middle grade. It was rlly enjoyable though and such a fun read!
December 11, 2025
A simple wholesome Christmas book set in nyc. After reading a lot of books with twists and turns and words I have to look up the meaning to… this book was a relaxing refreshing holiday book.
December 29, 2025
Meet Me in Central Park by Jo Bartlett is a heartwarming and emotional holiday story about grief, healing, and allowing yourself to be happy again.
Libby is held back by the traumatic loss of her parents, especially during the holidays. Her grandmother and aunt devise a plan to send her to New York in hopes that a change of scenery will help her escape her own thoughts and begin to heal. Her Aunt lives in New York and her parents passed away on their way to New York so I feel like this was a huge step for her. I found myself tearing up more than once, I related deeply to Libby, as losing parents can make the holidays especially heavy. Survivor’s guilt is real, and this story captures those feelings with sensitivity and honesty.
This was a quick, emotional read with a cozy romantic feel. The New York City setting adds a touch of magic and helps Libby move toward growth and healing. Overall, I really enjoyed it and think it’s worth the read, especially if you like emotional holiday romances.
I like it and I think it's worth the read.
Libby is held back by the traumatic loss of her parents, especially during the holidays. Her grandmother and aunt devise a plan to send her to New York in hopes that a change of scenery will help her escape her own thoughts and begin to heal. Her Aunt lives in New York and her parents passed away on their way to New York so I feel like this was a huge step for her. I found myself tearing up more than once, I related deeply to Libby, as losing parents can make the holidays especially heavy. Survivor’s guilt is real, and this story captures those feelings with sensitivity and honesty.
This was a quick, emotional read with a cozy romantic feel. The New York City setting adds a touch of magic and helps Libby move toward growth and healing. Overall, I really enjoyed it and think it’s worth the read, especially if you like emotional holiday romances.
I like it and I think it's worth the read.
December 3, 2023
Repetitive
March 19, 2024
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book....
libby cooper hasnt celebrated christmas since the day her parents died... they were in an accident that killed them by a drunk driver and though the driver was jailed it didnt bring them back....
when libby heard that the driver was going to be getting out sooner than what was expected it really hurt... she had tried in vain to get him an heftier sentence but it wasnt meant to be and now to know he was going to be out soon and in the same town as her...sent her into a tail spin
but libbys grandparents had a plan... and that was to send libby to new york to spend christmas there with her aunt and to work in her shop.... with the hope that libby would begin a new life for herself there...
but libby had a plan for herself and that wasnt to stay....
but as the days turned into weeks new york wove its magic spell around her and she started to heal.... but was it enough to keep her in new york...
a pleasant read and it makes me want to visit new york again.... and visit that christmas shop
libby cooper hasnt celebrated christmas since the day her parents died... they were in an accident that killed them by a drunk driver and though the driver was jailed it didnt bring them back....
when libby heard that the driver was going to be getting out sooner than what was expected it really hurt... she had tried in vain to get him an heftier sentence but it wasnt meant to be and now to know he was going to be out soon and in the same town as her...sent her into a tail spin
but libbys grandparents had a plan... and that was to send libby to new york to spend christmas there with her aunt and to work in her shop.... with the hope that libby would begin a new life for herself there...
but libby had a plan for herself and that wasnt to stay....
but as the days turned into weeks new york wove its magic spell around her and she started to heal.... but was it enough to keep her in new york...
a pleasant read and it makes me want to visit new york again.... and visit that christmas shop
December 7, 2024
Meet Me in Central Park by Jo Bartlett is a heartwarming romantic novella. themes of second chances, serendipity, and the magic of New York City are explored. I have only been to Newyork once and I loved it… it was winter time and I remember Central Park and the Empire State Building. !
.
This cozy read blends relatable emotions with charming settings, perfect for feel-good romance 🤩
.
The story centers around Libby who lives in Canterbury with her grandparents following the traumatic death of her parents ! She just hasn’t celebrated Christmas the same again! Seeing her state of mind, her Nan sends her off to New York to support her Aunt who runs a shop and to bring back the lost light especially during this festive period!
.
Lib ends up falling in love with a park ranger but does she return back to Cantery, uk ? Or let love take over ? .
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
.
This cozy read blends relatable emotions with charming settings, perfect for feel-good romance 🤩
.
The story centers around Libby who lives in Canterbury with her grandparents following the traumatic death of her parents ! She just hasn’t celebrated Christmas the same again! Seeing her state of mind, her Nan sends her off to New York to support her Aunt who runs a shop and to bring back the lost light especially during this festive period!
.
Lib ends up falling in love with a park ranger but does she return back to Cantery, uk ? Or let love take over ? .
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
September 15, 2023
Libby is struggling to get over her parents death in a car accident two years previously at Christmas time. She travels to New York to help at her great aunt's Christmas themed shop near Central Park at her grandparents insistence, despite her not celebrating Christmas..
This is a story on how someone can be totally immersed in their grief, blaming themselves for something they had no control over. It is, however, not a negative feeling book as Libby gradually becomes involved with friends in New York, especially Harry, with whom she feels a strange feeling of already knowing when she first meet him. I was lucky enough to have a holiday there a few years ago, so can easily visualise the settings, a wonderful place to visit. It is a sign of how involved with a character I was when I had to put down the book as I couldn't understand a decision that they'd made, although I had to pick it up again to check whether they'd changed their mind. A slow paced story that makes you think back on your own times of grief, but with a positive spin so it doesn't become morbid, instead gives hope for the future.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.
This is a story on how someone can be totally immersed in their grief, blaming themselves for something they had no control over. It is, however, not a negative feeling book as Libby gradually becomes involved with friends in New York, especially Harry, with whom she feels a strange feeling of already knowing when she first meet him. I was lucky enough to have a holiday there a few years ago, so can easily visualise the settings, a wonderful place to visit. It is a sign of how involved with a character I was when I had to put down the book as I couldn't understand a decision that they'd made, although I had to pick it up again to check whether they'd changed their mind. A slow paced story that makes you think back on your own times of grief, but with a positive spin so it doesn't become morbid, instead gives hope for the future.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.
December 11, 2024
This was an easy and quick read. Some parts were a bit repetitive but didn't need to think too much while reading it.
I like that since I've been to new York I can now picture certain parts which is nice
I like that since I've been to new York I can now picture certain parts which is nice
November 9, 2024
I love a book set in New York. This was a lovely read about dealing with grief and new beginnings. Really enjoyed it.
November 22, 2024
First book I've Read of Jo's and I really enjoyed it. It cover all aspects of life and makes you realise you never know what is around the corner or where life can take you.
December 1, 2024
Cute but very repetitive
December 9, 2024
Easy read, got me into the xmas vibes!
December 11, 2024
This was kinda slow, but the last part of the book I really got into. Loved the setting in New York, I felt that the grief was dealt with in a nice way and I’m happy libby got her happy ending 🥹
December 21, 2024
Only read this book to get it off the shelf and I would have dnf'd it but I don't like to not finish a book!
Read
December 31, 2024OH THE TEARS. THE TEARS.
December 26, 2025
loved how sweet this book was.
January 1, 2026
Cute Christmas story!
November 24, 2024
Perfection. I don’t drink hot drinks but I imagine this is what drinking hot chocolate feels like. Just a big warm hug. The New York references were perfection I could visualise myself being there. Got teary at end. It had a bit of everything. Only thing missing for me was a little bit of spice.
November 30, 2023
2.5 stars
December 10, 2023
Boring.
September 8, 2023
This book was very thought provoking and moving. Libby’s story really touched me. I really felt for her, she felt like she lost everything and she couldn’t make sense of it or move on. She was grieving for her loss, but also she recognised what her parents would be missing out on and even her grandparents as the book progressed. Her guilt weighed her down and her feeling like she didn’t deserve to be happy or have fun was very identifiable.
Her trip to New York gave her a fresh start she didn’t even know she needed. I loved how everyone in NY felt like lifelong friends right from the start and they accepted her and supported her even when she hadn’t shared her whole story with them yet. Harry was amazing and so supportive and loving and their connection was almost instant and then finding her mums travel book with Harry’s face smiling back really touched me. Her parents never left her and we’re still looking out for her, I loved that.
All the supporting characters were great too, everyone should have an Auntie Dottie with colourful hair, and a Rob and Dannie to offer unconditional friendship. Seeing Christmas in New York was a treat also, as like Libby’s parents it a place I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas.
Her trip to New York gave her a fresh start she didn’t even know she needed. I loved how everyone in NY felt like lifelong friends right from the start and they accepted her and supported her even when she hadn’t shared her whole story with them yet. Harry was amazing and so supportive and loving and their connection was almost instant and then finding her mums travel book with Harry’s face smiling back really touched me. Her parents never left her and we’re still looking out for her, I loved that.
All the supporting characters were great too, everyone should have an Auntie Dottie with colourful hair, and a Rob and Dannie to offer unconditional friendship. Seeing Christmas in New York was a treat also, as like Libby’s parents it a place I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas.
December 18, 2023
There are a few settings that are just perfect for a Christmas story – although I rather like the comforts of home at that time of year, I’ll admit New York has long been on my wish list for a future festive visit. But Libby is a rather more reluctant visitor – Christmas hasn’t been the same since the accident that claimed the lives of her parents, but her grandparents will be away, and there are other compelling reasons why it might be a good idea for her not to be around for a while.
Her gran’s sister runs a Christmas shop near Central Park, and needs help while recovering from a hip operation – perhaps not the most suitable of places for someone still suffering with grief and guilt and who’d prefer to avoid the festive season altogether. But her time in New York puts her on the path to healing – new friendships and distractions, and an unexpected romance with the lovely Harry, a Central Park ranger, who shows her the delights of the city and begins to help mend her broken heart.
I will admit – a little reluctantly, and with apologies – that I did find my sympathy for Libby running just a little thin at times. However tragic her experience, her grief could sometimes be a touch too much – but the characters around her most definitely made up for that (I really loved her great-aunt’s approach to life…), along with the perfect and detailed setting. This really is a book you could use as a guide for places to visit during the festive season – beautifully done, its joy gradually bringing about the change in Libby that began to find her a place in my heart. Heading for home before Christmas itself – always her plan – slowly becomes less of an option, and the story steadily builds towards the possibility of a far happier ending.
The romance is gorgeous, the friendships just wonderful, there are a few surprises along the way, and the whole story is beautifully told – and despite my slightly mixed feelings about some of the emotional content, it’s as perfectly handled as I’ve come to expect from the author. And it really is a lovely and very moving Christmas read – and one that couldn’t fail to warm your heart whatever the season.
Her gran’s sister runs a Christmas shop near Central Park, and needs help while recovering from a hip operation – perhaps not the most suitable of places for someone still suffering with grief and guilt and who’d prefer to avoid the festive season altogether. But her time in New York puts her on the path to healing – new friendships and distractions, and an unexpected romance with the lovely Harry, a Central Park ranger, who shows her the delights of the city and begins to help mend her broken heart.
I will admit – a little reluctantly, and with apologies – that I did find my sympathy for Libby running just a little thin at times. However tragic her experience, her grief could sometimes be a touch too much – but the characters around her most definitely made up for that (I really loved her great-aunt’s approach to life…), along with the perfect and detailed setting. This really is a book you could use as a guide for places to visit during the festive season – beautifully done, its joy gradually bringing about the change in Libby that began to find her a place in my heart. Heading for home before Christmas itself – always her plan – slowly becomes less of an option, and the story steadily builds towards the possibility of a far happier ending.
The romance is gorgeous, the friendships just wonderful, there are a few surprises along the way, and the whole story is beautifully told – and despite my slightly mixed feelings about some of the emotional content, it’s as perfectly handled as I’ve come to expect from the author. And it really is a lovely and very moving Christmas read – and one that couldn’t fail to warm your heart whatever the season.
January 1, 2025
Liberty aka Libby has been working in her Grandparents pub ever since both of her parents were killed in a hit and run two years earlier. And her Grandmother has decided this year both her and her husband will take a cruise so the pub will be closed. Lucky for Libby or unluckily she is being sent over to her Aunt's gift shop in New York to work for two months.
Where she meats a Park Ranger in Central Park and instantly has a connection like she has known him for years. And the more time she spends with Harry and her new friends she starts falling for both Harry and the City. But the only issue is she feels that her Grandparents need her and thats where her parents are buried.
Will she take true love and a place she has fallen for or go back to Canterbury where her parents are buried and feels she is needed to be.
I found the connection between Harry and Libby very well written and loved that Libby knew where she knew Harry from but it would of been fun for Harry to learn how she knew him from back in the UK. And the book is very well written its fast paced and there is never a boring part the plot is always advancing and Libby is constantly doing things.
And it's funny how both her Grandmother and her Aunt has obviously went behind her back knowing her parents death has hit her hard and they found a way and need for her to run her aunts shop. And there are moments where the author has you guessing on some plot points about people who is in Libby's life in New York.
Whilst Libby was trying to live her life I felt she was trying to build her life for her grandparents and her deceased parents and she allowed that to dictate where she lived and I felt that she didn't get paid greatly working in her Grandparents pub.
I felt like she used the same excuses to why she couldn't do things.
The book is not quite a short story but neither is it a length of a normal book. But at only 213 pages it still feels well paced and very informative and although it was enjoyable it didn't hook me like a five star would so it was a four star for me.
Where she meats a Park Ranger in Central Park and instantly has a connection like she has known him for years. And the more time she spends with Harry and her new friends she starts falling for both Harry and the City. But the only issue is she feels that her Grandparents need her and thats where her parents are buried.
Will she take true love and a place she has fallen for or go back to Canterbury where her parents are buried and feels she is needed to be.
I found the connection between Harry and Libby very well written and loved that Libby knew where she knew Harry from but it would of been fun for Harry to learn how she knew him from back in the UK. And the book is very well written its fast paced and there is never a boring part the plot is always advancing and Libby is constantly doing things.
And it's funny how both her Grandmother and her Aunt has obviously went behind her back knowing her parents death has hit her hard and they found a way and need for her to run her aunts shop. And there are moments where the author has you guessing on some plot points about people who is in Libby's life in New York.
Whilst Libby was trying to live her life I felt she was trying to build her life for her grandparents and her deceased parents and she allowed that to dictate where she lived and I felt that she didn't get paid greatly working in her Grandparents pub.
I felt like she used the same excuses to why she couldn't do things.
The book is not quite a short story but neither is it a length of a normal book. But at only 213 pages it still feels well paced and very informative and although it was enjoyable it didn't hook me like a five star would so it was a four star for me.
September 23, 2023
I was drawn to this one because I really like reading books focused on a particular season and this one seemed like a perfect read for this holiday season. Unfortunately this one didn't work for me. I did really enjoy some of the side characters and the story was well written. However, I just couldn't connect to Libby. I am really close to my parents and I can't imagine loosing them but it seemed like Libby turned her loss into her whole personality. She blamed herself and couldn't move on. However, it seemed to me that someone who was so bogged down in loss would be depressed but Libby was just sad. She didn't have symptoms of clinical depression she still functioned fine, she just wasn't happy. I didn't like that she had years of therapy but then changing locations cured her? I also didn't like that she sort of got therapy from a friend. That was really unethical, especially the part where they make a bet to motivate her. An ethical therapist would not try to guilt someone into doing something. Libby also changed her mind very quickly to the point where I had whiplash. In the end I felt bad for Harry. He was so committed and Libby was putting a memory over him. While I never want to diminish a loss or anyone's reaction to it, plenty of people lose parents and still go on with their lives. Libby was so set on playing the victim that I found myself annoyed with her instead of rooting for her. There are lots of wonderful holiday romances out there but you can give this one a miss.
Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood books for letting me read this title early and give a review. All opinions are my own
Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood books for letting me read this title early and give a review. All opinions are my own
October 17, 2025
Meet Me in Central Park by Jo Bartlett
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
Will their Christmas wish come true? Libby Cooper hasn’t celebrated Christmas since the night her parents died in a terrible accident. She wants to forget that the season of goodwill even exists; but her grandmother has other ideas. It’s time for Libby to start living her life just as her parents would have wanted her to do. First stop New York! What better way to immerse herself in the celebrations, than working in her great aunt’s Christmas shop, just a few blocks from Central Park? Making new friends in the Big Apple is the easy bit, but leaving the past behind proves much harder than Libby imagined. Long walks in gorgeous Central Park help, and here she meets Harry Stanwick, a Central Park Ranger. Harry is as lovely on the inside as he is on the outside and seems to know instinctively when Libby wants to talk or when she just needs to sit quietly on their special bench with him by her side. Slowly, Libby begins to feel some of the pain of her past slipping away. And as New York begins to work its magic and her friendship with Harry grows, so too do Libby’s feelings for him. But can she ever be truly happy without the people who matter the most to her? Or can Harry convince Libby that she deserves her own Christmas miracle -and her chance of happiness – sitting with him on their bench in Central Park?
My Opinion
At just over 200 pages, Meet Me in Central Park was a quick festive read. Jo Bartlett has packed a lot into these pages. A heart-warming novel.
Rating 4/5
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Blurb
Will their Christmas wish come true? Libby Cooper hasn’t celebrated Christmas since the night her parents died in a terrible accident. She wants to forget that the season of goodwill even exists; but her grandmother has other ideas. It’s time for Libby to start living her life just as her parents would have wanted her to do. First stop New York! What better way to immerse herself in the celebrations, than working in her great aunt’s Christmas shop, just a few blocks from Central Park? Making new friends in the Big Apple is the easy bit, but leaving the past behind proves much harder than Libby imagined. Long walks in gorgeous Central Park help, and here she meets Harry Stanwick, a Central Park Ranger. Harry is as lovely on the inside as he is on the outside and seems to know instinctively when Libby wants to talk or when she just needs to sit quietly on their special bench with him by her side. Slowly, Libby begins to feel some of the pain of her past slipping away. And as New York begins to work its magic and her friendship with Harry grows, so too do Libby’s feelings for him. But can she ever be truly happy without the people who matter the most to her? Or can Harry convince Libby that she deserves her own Christmas miracle -and her chance of happiness – sitting with him on their bench in Central Park?
My Opinion
At just over 200 pages, Meet Me in Central Park was a quick festive read. Jo Bartlett has packed a lot into these pages. A heart-warming novel.
Rating 4/5
December 16, 2024
I mean if you're looking for just a cosy Christmas romance with no drama and no dilemmas then yes this is for you. For me, I just found it a bit boring.
British girl goes on a trip to America, girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl debates whether to return to Britain or stay in America... and that's about the gist of the story. For me, I felt like I needed a little more drama. The FMC and MMC fell in love very quickly, very easily, and they didn't have to go through any of the usual hardships that couples have to go through in romance novels. Yes some readers might like the no-drama aspect, but I was looking for a little more meat.
I loved all of the additional side characters, who each had their own personalities and lives going on that gradually intertwined with each other. There was a lot of representation here, from the gay couple next door to the woman in a wheelchair running art therapy class. In a way, the side characters almost outshone the main couple. The MMC and FMC were actually quite forgettable.
The main message of the book was quite clear and endearing - sometimes you have to move on from the past and stop blaming yourself. This book might resonate well with readers who have lost loved ones, as it emphasises how it's important to continue living your life and making new memories.
Overall it was an okay book - I didn't hate it, but equally I didn't love it. If there had been a bit more substance in the middle and padded out with some additional drama or dilemma, then this could have been a lot better.
British girl goes on a trip to America, girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl debates whether to return to Britain or stay in America... and that's about the gist of the story. For me, I felt like I needed a little more drama. The FMC and MMC fell in love very quickly, very easily, and they didn't have to go through any of the usual hardships that couples have to go through in romance novels. Yes some readers might like the no-drama aspect, but I was looking for a little more meat.
I loved all of the additional side characters, who each had their own personalities and lives going on that gradually intertwined with each other. There was a lot of representation here, from the gay couple next door to the woman in a wheelchair running art therapy class. In a way, the side characters almost outshone the main couple. The MMC and FMC were actually quite forgettable.
The main message of the book was quite clear and endearing - sometimes you have to move on from the past and stop blaming yourself. This book might resonate well with readers who have lost loved ones, as it emphasises how it's important to continue living your life and making new memories.
Overall it was an okay book - I didn't hate it, but equally I didn't love it. If there had been a bit more substance in the middle and padded out with some additional drama or dilemma, then this could have been a lot better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews