What do you think?
Rate this book
New York Romance #2
The Gift of a Charm
From Melissa Hill, author of A Gift from Tiffany's, comes The Gift of a Charm-another New York Christmas love story to restore your faith in miracles
Holly O'Neill knows that every charm bracelet tells a story. Many years ago she was sent one with just a single charm attached. The charms have been appearing ever since, often at challenging times, as if her mysterious benefactor knows exactly when she needs a little magic in her life.
As a result, Holly's bracelet is her most prized possession. So when she finds someone else's charm bracelet, she feels she has to try to reunite it with its owner-even if the only clues she has to follow are the charms themselves.
Holly O'Neill knows that every charm bracelet tells a story. Many years ago she was sent one with just a single charm attached. The charms have been appearing ever since, often at challenging times, as if her mysterious benefactor knows exactly when she needs a little magic in her life.
As a result, Holly's bracelet is her most prized possession. So when she finds someone else's charm bracelet, she feels she has to try to reunite it with its owner-even if the only clues she has to follow are the charms themselves.
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2012
474 people are currently reading
3262 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Hill
129 books1,274 followersMelissa Hill is a USA Today bestselling author living in Ireland’s beautiful County Wicklow. Her page-turning contemporary novels of family, friendship and romance are published worldwide and have been translated into twenty-six languages.
A Hollywood adaptation of her international bestseller Something from Tiffany's, by Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine and Amazon Studios, was released worldwide in Dec 2022.
Other novels including A Gift to Remember and The Charm Bracelet have been adapted for screen by Hallmark Channel USA, with multiple other titles currently also in development for film and TV.
For more info, visit her website at www.melissahill.info
Facebook: facebook.com/melissahillbooks
Instagram: @melissahillbooks
Melissa also co-writes forensic thrillers with her husband under the pseudonym Casey Hill. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
A Hollywood adaptation of her international bestseller Something from Tiffany's, by Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine and Amazon Studios, was released worldwide in Dec 2022.
Other novels including A Gift to Remember and The Charm Bracelet have been adapted for screen by Hallmark Channel USA, with multiple other titles currently also in development for film and TV.
For more info, visit her website at www.melissahill.info
Facebook: facebook.com/melissahillbooks
Instagram: @melissahillbooks
Melissa also co-writes forensic thrillers with her husband under the pseudonym Casey Hill. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews
October 23, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
*I won this on a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway. I would like to thank St. Martin's Press*
This book is just so sweet. It's a feel good book read and I really enjoyed it.
Holly O'Neill works for The Secret Closet, they resale expensive and vintage cloths, etc. to the public.
One day when a new batch of donations come in from UPS, Holly finds a charm bracelet in an inside pocket of a jacket. This is an expensive jacket and they were not supposed to have inside pockets so Holly and her boss Carole figured the owner sewed it herself. Carole gives Holly the okay to try and locate the owner. Holly has her own charm bracelet and knows how much they can mean to someone and this seems to be filled with meaningful charms.
So, this hunt takes place during the wonderful Christmas season.
The book tells two stories. It tells the story of Holly and her son Danny and Greg and his family. It ends up that Greg has something to do with the charm bracelet, but I'm not going to tell you what the connection is... :)
It was so wonderful to go on these little hunts with Holly to try to track down people. I loved the atmosphere and the people in the book. I have to say at the end though, I was ready to smack someone to get to the point!!! I couldn't stand it, it's one of those, OMG.. will you get there. You know where it's going but they are doing a turtle walk to get there! But the ending was so sweet that it brought tears to my eyes! Shut-up! It was really good!
I recommend to anyone looking for a feel good book for the holidays or any time really.
*I won this on a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway. I would like to thank St. Martin's Press*
This book is just so sweet. It's a feel good book read and I really enjoyed it.
Holly O'Neill works for The Secret Closet, they resale expensive and vintage cloths, etc. to the public.
One day when a new batch of donations come in from UPS, Holly finds a charm bracelet in an inside pocket of a jacket. This is an expensive jacket and they were not supposed to have inside pockets so Holly and her boss Carole figured the owner sewed it herself. Carole gives Holly the okay to try and locate the owner. Holly has her own charm bracelet and knows how much they can mean to someone and this seems to be filled with meaningful charms.
So, this hunt takes place during the wonderful Christmas season.
The book tells two stories. It tells the story of Holly and her son Danny and Greg and his family. It ends up that Greg has something to do with the charm bracelet, but I'm not going to tell you what the connection is... :)
It was so wonderful to go on these little hunts with Holly to try to track down people. I loved the atmosphere and the people in the book. I have to say at the end though, I was ready to smack someone to get to the point!!! I couldn't stand it, it's one of those, OMG.. will you get there. You know where it's going but they are doing a turtle walk to get there! But the ending was so sweet that it brought tears to my eyes! Shut-up! It was really good!
I recommend to anyone looking for a feel good book for the holidays or any time really.
August 21, 2016
Holly O'Neill has always cherished her charm bracelet saying that the charms are simply a map to her life marking the good and bad times. She works in a upscale secondhand clothing store and when a donation comes in with a charm bracelet mistakenly inside Holly is determined to find the owner.
Greg and his father have been looking for his mother's charm bracelet. She had become sick and the bracelet had always been special to her so the family really wants to keep it but doesn't know what had happened.
I was a bit disappointed with The Gift of a Charm. I thought going into this one that it was going to be a lovely holiday romance read. Unfortunately the synopsis of searching for a charm bracelet's owner is basically the entirety of the read.
Starting off it was sort of a fun little mystery told by the one searching, the original owner and then the son of the owner. But at 400+ pages this just became really boring for me waiting for the "more" that never really came. There was a little twist at the end but a little too little too late for my taste.
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads.
Greg and his father have been looking for his mother's charm bracelet. She had become sick and the bracelet had always been special to her so the family really wants to keep it but doesn't know what had happened.
I was a bit disappointed with The Gift of a Charm. I thought going into this one that it was going to be a lovely holiday romance read. Unfortunately the synopsis of searching for a charm bracelet's owner is basically the entirety of the read.
Starting off it was sort of a fun little mystery told by the one searching, the original owner and then the son of the owner. But at 400+ pages this just became really boring for me waiting for the "more" that never really came. There was a little twist at the end but a little too little too late for my taste.
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads.
December 26, 2017
Wonderful, heart-warming story! The plot was so engrossing I didn’t want to put it down! Highly recommend.
December 22, 2024
4 ⭐️s
Wonderful and sweet story.
The tale focuses on Holly, our protagonist, searching for the owner of a charm bracelet which she found in a donated jacket in the vintage clothing shop where she works. She also owns a charm bracelet which means the world to her and imagines that the owner of this bracelet feels the same and must be shattered to have misplaced it. Holly is hoping to trace the owner by following the clues that each charm symbolises. I too have a charm bracelet with a special meaning behind each charm.
I look forward to reading the follow up, A Gift to Remember.
Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Myfanwy Hocking
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 min. 1.25x Speed
Wonderful and sweet story.
The tale focuses on Holly, our protagonist, searching for the owner of a charm bracelet which she found in a donated jacket in the vintage clothing shop where she works. She also owns a charm bracelet which means the world to her and imagines that the owner of this bracelet feels the same and must be shattered to have misplaced it. Holly is hoping to trace the owner by following the clues that each charm symbolises. I too have a charm bracelet with a special meaning behind each charm.
I look forward to reading the follow up, A Gift to Remember.
Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Myfanwy Hocking
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 min. 1.25x Speed
November 30, 2013
2.5 stars. Good idea for a book, I just couldn't get past the British spelling of words in a book about Americans that takes place in New York. Also there were a few continuity errors that bothered me.
December 28, 2012
Despite her huge popularity, I hadn't gotten around to picking up a book by Melissa Hill until this Christmas. Though the Charm Bracelet is the first book that I have read by her, I am sure it won't be the last - it was everything that I was expecting in the most positive way.
The Charm Bracelet immediately had me sold as it based around Christmas time - I love Christmas and prefer my reads to be as seasonal as possible, so I had to give this one a go. Of course, this book also has such a fun and intriguing premise - our main character, Holly, works in a vintage clothing store and finds a charm bracelet, which someone has mistakenly sent inside a jacket pocket, to the store. Holly has a charm bracelet herself and knows how important and sentimental they can be to the owner, so she sets out to find who it belongs to.
Alongside the story of Holly, we are introduced to another main character called Greg, who is still finding himself - he has left his steady job in order to pursue his dreams, which causes some relationship problems and in turn, his whole lifestyle gets shaken up. Initially, Greg's story seems very separate from Holly's, but as the story progresses, both story lines become interlinked.
I really enjoyed learning about both Holly and Greg as well as about the owner of the bracelet. I really don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I won't go into detail, but the story behind the owner was one of the most special parts of the book for me - it was very touching. Holly works through each charm on the bracelet and tries to find out the history behind it. For anyone who has ever owned a charm bracelet, you will find yourself reminiscing.
The characters were all well written and well thought out - each had a good history which was particularly 'solid' and contributed a lot to the plot of the story which moved at a good pace and was so easy to read continuously. If you're into chick-lit, Christmas and easy, indulgent reads, this is certainly a book I would recommend. I look forward to reading more by Melissa Hill in the future.
September 8, 2016
Spoiler in review.........……………….....................................................................................................................,,...,,... I really didn't get this book, the mother of the bracelet passes away and the father and son are desperate to find it as it reminds them of their life. Holly wants to return the charm bracelet she's found because she loves her own charm bracelet so much, yet at the very end of the book, the mother (the bracelet owner) is alive....what. Nope too confusing for me
September 22, 2012
This book made me clean up my own charm bracelet and evaluate the charms through a stranger's eyes. A completely different storyline with likeable characters and a twist I didn't see coming at the end. I really liked this book - and I didn't see that coming either.
It started off a bit slow as the character's backgrounds and personalities were established but I was soon enveloped in their lives as Holly tried to reunite the charm bracelet she found with it's rightful owner. This was the first of Melissa Hill's books that has graced my Kindle but it won't be the last. I enjoyed her writing style and the character depth that she bings to life on the page.
A nice easy read with a strong story and characters that you learn to care about as their story progresses. I would recommend this book to any woman who loves a light mystery with a sprinkle of hinted romance.
I have a treasured charm bracelet and would love to think that someone could trace me by using the charms. But who would know what two spiders in a web symbolises apart from me?!
It started off a bit slow as the character's backgrounds and personalities were established but I was soon enveloped in their lives as Holly tried to reunite the charm bracelet she found with it's rightful owner. This was the first of Melissa Hill's books that has graced my Kindle but it won't be the last. I enjoyed her writing style and the character depth that she bings to life on the page.
A nice easy read with a strong story and characters that you learn to care about as their story progresses. I would recommend this book to any woman who loves a light mystery with a sprinkle of hinted romance.
I have a treasured charm bracelet and would love to think that someone could trace me by using the charms. But who would know what two spiders in a web symbolises apart from me?!
December 4, 2012
On the day of her father’s funeral, Holly received an anonymous gift; a charm bracelet. Throughout her life, charms have turned up mysteriously marking important events or choices. When she finds another charm bracelet in a vintage coat, she is determined to reunite it with its owner. When she can’t find the previous owner of the coat she must piece together the clues hidden within the charms themselves.
Set around Christmas time, The Charm Bracelet is a slightly whimsical seasonal read. Holly makes all sorts of assumptions about the charms and there are a lot of coincidences but it’s exactly the sort of story that works during the holidays. It’s a little bit of the magic of Christmas.
The charm bracelet stories follow two lives; that of Holly and the events which contributed to her bracelet and that of the anonymous owner of the lost bracelet. They sort of make me want to start a charm bracelet myself! Holly works in a vintage clothes shop and it starts out with some lovely descriptions of the clothes. I wanted a bit more of that really. The strongest part is that of Greg’s parents’ relationship and this lifted the book from a bit of festive fluff to something quite moving by the end.
Greg’s career story got on my nerves a bit and in all honesty, it doesn’t really contribute to the charm bracelet stories. Yes, he symbolises giving up a high paid job that he doesn’t love to follow his dreams but the way it’s done is pretty unbelievable. His girlfriend Karen is probably meant to portray the woman who values material possessions over happiness however I wanted to side with her. If you live with your partner and share a mortgage, you shouldn’t quit your job without telling them first and expect them to be OK. She tries to be understanding but that sort of lack of communication and disregarding others will drive a wedge in any relationship. Yes, maybe she likes the life that both their jobs provide but still, Greg’s behaviour was pretty selfish even if he meant well.
As for his photography career. He takes one photo of a much photographed building and sells it and suddenly he’s amazing. Again I sided with Karen on this. He walks into a cushy job with NYT with no experience and he shoots film. Now I’m all for film with regards to fine art photography but if you’re being sent on journalistic assignments, you need to be shooting digital. Think of all those potential Pulitzer prize winning moments that will be missed because you’re changing the roll. Plus he’s developing and printing colour at home? Please? And when Karen tries to help him get a paid, commercial photography job he’s all dismissive. Most struggling photographers would be grateful for the experience and, hello, money. I’m pretty sure non-photographers will not care about any of this but it was all so cloud-cuckoo land, I couldn’t cope with his part of the story.
Once the plot moved past Greg’s work life, I got quite into the intertwined stories and did stay up a little later than normal to finish it. I’m a little confused by something at the end but I was left with a tear in my eye. However it was very nearly a book I gave up on.
Set around Christmas time, The Charm Bracelet is a slightly whimsical seasonal read. Holly makes all sorts of assumptions about the charms and there are a lot of coincidences but it’s exactly the sort of story that works during the holidays. It’s a little bit of the magic of Christmas.
The charm bracelet stories follow two lives; that of Holly and the events which contributed to her bracelet and that of the anonymous owner of the lost bracelet. They sort of make me want to start a charm bracelet myself! Holly works in a vintage clothes shop and it starts out with some lovely descriptions of the clothes. I wanted a bit more of that really. The strongest part is that of Greg’s parents’ relationship and this lifted the book from a bit of festive fluff to something quite moving by the end.
Greg’s career story got on my nerves a bit and in all honesty, it doesn’t really contribute to the charm bracelet stories. Yes, he symbolises giving up a high paid job that he doesn’t love to follow his dreams but the way it’s done is pretty unbelievable. His girlfriend Karen is probably meant to portray the woman who values material possessions over happiness however I wanted to side with her. If you live with your partner and share a mortgage, you shouldn’t quit your job without telling them first and expect them to be OK. She tries to be understanding but that sort of lack of communication and disregarding others will drive a wedge in any relationship. Yes, maybe she likes the life that both their jobs provide but still, Greg’s behaviour was pretty selfish even if he meant well.
As for his photography career. He takes one photo of a much photographed building and sells it and suddenly he’s amazing. Again I sided with Karen on this. He walks into a cushy job with NYT with no experience and he shoots film. Now I’m all for film with regards to fine art photography but if you’re being sent on journalistic assignments, you need to be shooting digital. Think of all those potential Pulitzer prize winning moments that will be missed because you’re changing the roll. Plus he’s developing and printing colour at home? Please? And when Karen tries to help him get a paid, commercial photography job he’s all dismissive. Most struggling photographers would be grateful for the experience and, hello, money. I’m pretty sure non-photographers will not care about any of this but it was all so cloud-cuckoo land, I couldn’t cope with his part of the story.
Once the plot moved past Greg’s work life, I got quite into the intertwined stories and did stay up a little later than normal to finish it. I’m a little confused by something at the end but I was left with a tear in my eye. However it was very nearly a book I gave up on.
February 4, 2015
I just happened to see the cover of this book and just had to check it out. This is not my normal gnre but boy am I glad I decided to read it. The main characters are wonderful. I didn't want to put this book down because there were so many times I thought I had things figured out and couldn't wait to see if I was right. The story line was quite original and I felt like I was walking the streets of New York following the clues from the charms. I loved how the story came together at the end. I will definately read more of Melissa Hill.
May 10, 2013
Wonderful book! It's like a cup of coffee and a muffin in a raining afternoon. Depicts New York gracefully.
January 31, 2016
3,5 estrelas
August 26, 2016
Quero uma pulseira com pendentes...
July 4, 2020
Banale, e scontato, ma ben scritto. Si legge volentieri se si ha voglia di un libro decisamente poco impegnativo..
October 1, 2020
A beautiful story about family, love, loss and a bit of mystery. I loved it.
October 19, 2016
A would have been 4 starrer had it not been for the cliche ending. I loved the setting, the heroine and most of all The Charm Bracelet. Liked the concept ....And the underplayed romance.
August 19, 2015
Neste livro, conhecemos Holly O'Neill uma mulher de 30 (e poucos) anos que trabalha numa loja vintage de roupa em segunda mão. Um dia, ao examinar uma das caixas com roupa que a loja recebeu, Holly depara-se com uma pulseira de pendentes muito semelhante à sua. A partir desse dia, Holly faz de tudo para encontrar a dona da pulseira e devolver-lha pois sabe o significado que deve ter para a dona tal como a própria pulseira tem para si.
Conhecemos também Greg Matthews, um corretor de bolsa que deixa o seu emprego para seguir um grande sonho: a fotografia. Ele tem uma vida perfeita ao lado da namorada, Karen, até que ele se demite sem contar a Karen a sua decisão.
O livro tem três perspetivas na narrativa: uma conta-nos a vida de Holly e de todas as suas aventuras para descobrir a dona da pulseira; outra conta-nos a história de Greg e a forma como a sua vida se desenrola desde que decide seguir o seu sonho; a terceira é nos contada em 1ª pessoa pela dona da pulseira.
Eu consegui perceber logo no início quem era a dona da pulseira e fiquei um pouco triste por ter resolvido logo o "mistério" mas a perspetiva contada pela dona da pulseira não deixa de ser interessante, muito pelo contrário. Conta-nos coisas que só ficaríamos a saber por essa personagem, principalmente a derradeira revelação na última página do livro.
Só gostava de saber o que acontece a Holly no fim de toda esta aventura :/
Foi um livro simplesmente incrível que me prendeu da primeira à última página! Uma releitura muito provavelmente!
Conhecemos também Greg Matthews, um corretor de bolsa que deixa o seu emprego para seguir um grande sonho: a fotografia. Ele tem uma vida perfeita ao lado da namorada, Karen, até que ele se demite sem contar a Karen a sua decisão.
O livro tem três perspetivas na narrativa: uma conta-nos a vida de Holly e de todas as suas aventuras para descobrir a dona da pulseira; outra conta-nos a história de Greg e a forma como a sua vida se desenrola desde que decide seguir o seu sonho; a terceira é nos contada em 1ª pessoa pela dona da pulseira.
Eu consegui perceber logo no início quem era a dona da pulseira e fiquei um pouco triste por ter resolvido logo o "mistério" mas a perspetiva contada pela dona da pulseira não deixa de ser interessante, muito pelo contrário. Conta-nos coisas que só ficaríamos a saber por essa personagem, principalmente a derradeira revelação na última página do livro.
Só gostava de saber o que acontece a Holly no fim de toda esta aventura :/
Foi um livro simplesmente incrível que me prendeu da primeira à última página! Uma releitura muito provavelmente!
February 21, 2013
I read this type of book occasionally, because they are easy bits of fluff; a welcome break, for example, from the over-the-top ponderings of Levin, in Anna Karenina, about how mowing fields with his workers elevates his soul, which goes on for several chapters. But there always comes a point, when reading these types of books, where I start to get annoyed with the lack of depth, here it was how the saintly ill mother speaks entirely in platitudes and sayings: along the lines of 'live each moment-blah-blah' and how everyone is so sickeningly nice, and the one 'evil' character is dispatched with not much ceremony at all; I wanted some kind of fight or drama, which just didn't happen. The 9/11 references seem a bit shoehorned in and clunky, and the 'twist' forced and unnatural.
Overall this is a 1.5, as I did keep reading, but I prefer 'Something from Tiffanys', as that has slightly more going for it, whereas here Hill is trying to recreate that formula which doesn't work nearly as well.
Overall this is a 1.5, as I did keep reading, but I prefer 'Something from Tiffanys', as that has slightly more going for it, whereas here Hill is trying to recreate that formula which doesn't work nearly as well.
November 2, 2015
Gostei muito deste livro de Melissa Hill, um romance leve e encantador.
Holly tem uma loja de roupa vintage, e num dos bolsos de um vestido encontra uma pulseira de pendentes, quase igual a que um dia, alguém anonimamente lhe ofereceu.Nessa pulseira ela vai registando os momentos mais importantes da sua via.A pulseira que encontrou tem muitos mais pendentes que os dela, revelando que quem a deixou no bolso teve uma visa preenchida de bons e naus momentos, e Holly sente que quem a deixou de certeza que a quer de volta, só que não sabe que como por magia, esta pulseira vai leva-la muito mais longe do que ela pensava e temos um final inesperado e muito bonito.
Os livros de Melissa Hill, contam estórias simples e encantadoras que dão prazer a ler, eu particularmente gosto muito.
Holly tem uma loja de roupa vintage, e num dos bolsos de um vestido encontra uma pulseira de pendentes, quase igual a que um dia, alguém anonimamente lhe ofereceu.Nessa pulseira ela vai registando os momentos mais importantes da sua via.A pulseira que encontrou tem muitos mais pendentes que os dela, revelando que quem a deixou no bolso teve uma visa preenchida de bons e naus momentos, e Holly sente que quem a deixou de certeza que a quer de volta, só que não sabe que como por magia, esta pulseira vai leva-la muito mais longe do que ela pensava e temos um final inesperado e muito bonito.
Os livros de Melissa Hill, contam estórias simples e encantadoras que dão prazer a ler, eu particularmente gosto muito.
December 24, 2022
3.5⭐️ rounded up
This was a nice Christmas read; a bit of Christmas fluff. The story kept me engaged even after the plot direction became obvious.
I enjoyed the character of Holly particularly. I think all the female characters were much better drawn than any of the male characters. Honestly, the relationship between Greg and Karen made absolutely no sense; they were obviously very wrong for each other. I enjoyed all the ways paths crossed and some of those instances could easily have added more to the story. For example, Vera: Greg meets her and is intrigued by her. Then she gets invited to Holly's Christmas dinner as an old friend of Holly's Mom. And she proclaims she is a bit of a psychic. And then she just disappears from the story. Same with Nick; there's no resolution to his story arc.
It was a nicely intricate plot with several "almost met" occasions. There was one fact that I thought the author went to great lengths to hide from or misrepresent to the reader and I really didn't like that!
The ebook would have benefited from a proofreader who was paying a bit more attention … I'm not a fan of obvious grammar errors (not in conversation where you really don't expect perfect grammar, but in the more descriptive parts). Also, calling characters by the wrong name is both annoying and potentially confusing! The son was called by the fathers name multiple times! And at one point Holly's mother was called Maggie when her name was Eileen! (I did a search … there was no Maggie character; it *had* to be Eileen the author intended to reference!)
This was a nice Christmas read; a bit of Christmas fluff. The story kept me engaged even after the plot direction became obvious.
I enjoyed the character of Holly particularly. I think all the female characters were much better drawn than any of the male characters. Honestly, the relationship between Greg and Karen made absolutely no sense; they were obviously very wrong for each other. I enjoyed all the ways paths crossed and some of those instances could easily have added more to the story. For example, Vera: Greg meets her and is intrigued by her. Then she gets invited to Holly's Christmas dinner as an old friend of Holly's Mom. And she proclaims she is a bit of a psychic. And then she just disappears from the story. Same with Nick; there's no resolution to his story arc.
It was a nicely intricate plot with several "almost met" occasions. There was one fact that I thought the author went to great lengths to hide from or misrepresent to the reader and I really didn't like that!
The ebook would have benefited from a proofreader who was paying a bit more attention … I'm not a fan of obvious grammar errors (not in conversation where you really don't expect perfect grammar, but in the more descriptive parts). Also, calling characters by the wrong name is both annoying and potentially confusing! The son was called by the fathers name multiple times! And at one point Holly's mother was called Maggie when her name was Eileen! (I did a search … there was no Maggie character; it *had* to be Eileen the author intended to reference!)
February 3, 2019
Lovely and thoughtful though predictful
A book I’d share with my daughter because it’s that type of mother daughter type of book. I found it relative to my interests as would she. I definitely would enjoy to read this book again. If you have an interest in charm bracelets and fashion then you may enjoy this book.
A book I’d share with my daughter because it’s that type of mother daughter type of book. I found it relative to my interests as would she. I definitely would enjoy to read this book again. If you have an interest in charm bracelets and fashion then you may enjoy this book.
November 15, 2020
Loved, loved, loved this book!
What an incredible story...creative plot, heartwarming characters and the holidays. Completely engrossing story that I literally stayed up late to finish.
What an incredible story...creative plot, heartwarming characters and the holidays. Completely engrossing story that I literally stayed up late to finish.
December 26, 2020
Книгата ми хареса. Може би, затова допринесе фактът, че я четох точно на Коледа. Допаднаха ми паралелните сюжетни линии - едната от които разказваше за цял един живот, постепенно разкриван чрез историята на талисманите върху гривната. Много топла книга.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2023
400 pages is a bit to long 300-320 should have been enough.
Quite sweet and nice story though and I will Def try another from the author.
It all happens around Christmas time but it's not really a Christmas book.
Quite sweet and nice story though and I will Def try another from the author.
It all happens around Christmas time but it's not really a Christmas book.
July 24, 2017
Cute fluffy read! This was a nice treat 😊
December 28, 2021
Absolutely loved this once, and didn’t think I would as it’s been on my bookshelf for years! Such a gorgeous read!
December 31, 2018
2.5 Stars
July 3, 2020
É um romance muito ternurento, sobre vidas cruzadas, momentos especiais e pessoas que estão destinadas a se encontrar, dê lá por onde der.
Gostei das personagens principais, a Holly e o Greg e só tive pena de apenas se cruzarem tão no final, ficando completamente em aberto a forma como o relacionamento entre eles irá decorrer.
Teria preferido que se cruzassem um pouco antes, porque pessoalmente gosto mais de histórias onde há mais envolvimento e acompanhamento das personagens amorosas principais.
No entanto, não deixa de ser uma bonita história sobre darmos valor aos momentos realmente marcantes e especiais das nossas vidas. E sobre conhecer pessoas com bom fundo, pessoas especiais, realmente de coração cheio.
E é também uma história sobre casais que se amam toda uma vida e o quanto sofre o elemento que sobrevive ao outro e como é difícil fazer as coisas simples do dia-a-dia sem as partilhar com a sua pessoa especial, que esteve sempre lá.
Apesar de ter alguns clichés, é um romance fofinho que foi um prazer ler.
Gostei das personagens principais, a Holly e o Greg e só tive pena de apenas se cruzarem tão no final, ficando completamente em aberto a forma como o relacionamento entre eles irá decorrer.
Teria preferido que se cruzassem um pouco antes, porque pessoalmente gosto mais de histórias onde há mais envolvimento e acompanhamento das personagens amorosas principais.
No entanto, não deixa de ser uma bonita história sobre darmos valor aos momentos realmente marcantes e especiais das nossas vidas. E sobre conhecer pessoas com bom fundo, pessoas especiais, realmente de coração cheio.
E é também uma história sobre casais que se amam toda uma vida e o quanto sofre o elemento que sobrevive ao outro e como é difícil fazer as coisas simples do dia-a-dia sem as partilhar com a sua pessoa especial, que esteve sempre lá.
Apesar de ter alguns clichés, é um romance fofinho que foi um prazer ler.
January 13, 2016
Life was just like a snow globe. From the outside things looked peaceful, until you shook it and everything inside got jumbled up.
The book is kind of like this too. From the cover and the blurb, it appears to be a simple, sweet chick-lit romance, but actually, there’s a lot of stuff going on in there.
Honestly, I fell for the cover. There, I said it. I know how people go on and on about not judging a book by its cover and all that, but just look at it! It’s so pretty. But lately I think reading books with amazing covers is getting me nowhere, coz this one didn’t blow me away as much as I’d expected.
As I started the book, I thought was going to end up giving it 2 stars. The writing was simplistic, the characters were two-dimensional; the whole lot of them perfect and preachy, which was so unbelievably unrealistic. I kept rolling my eyes at the end of every paragraph.
The MC, Holly O’Neill is a single mom in New York, whose life is limited to bringing up her ten year old son and working in a vintage clothing store. Most of the first part concentrates on Holly’s beauty and perfection and how she doesn’t care that she doesn’t have an ounce of a social life in New York City , for heaven’s sake. I don’t like to speak ill about kids (I mean, who does?), but the wisdom that was spewing out of her ten year old son’s mouth was seriously making me feel like, Seriously, do kids even talk like this???? The only realistic thing about Holly was her relationship with her mother.
But then the middle part of the story picked up. I found the concept of charms in bracelets really unique. Holly has had a mysterious well-wisher; someone who's always comforted her and looked out for her in good times and bad, by sending out little charms, each corresponding perfectly well with the situation that she’s in. Right from her father’s death to the birth of her son, the charm bracelet holds a special place in her heart. So when another similar charm bracelet is found mysteriously in a vintage jacket, Holly makes it her business to track down the owner and return it.
I found myself drawn to the mystery, the little twists of fate and the invisible threads connecting the seemingly unrelated people. It was something like Serendipity; like how Fate plays such an important role in each tiny aspect. I enjoyed Holly’s treasure-hunt in reverse; she had the treasure but had to hunt down its rightful owner.
But then something had to ruin it for me! The mystery behind Holly’s secret angel was so anti-climactic.
I can’t reveal much of the alternative pov of Greg Matthews coz it’s going to be a spoiler. But all I can say is that the ending was so far-fetched and kind of silly that I was compelled to round my rating down.
Overall, the concept was extremely unique. The points of view were interesting, Holly’s and Greg’s present ones with the flashbacks interspersed in between.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.5
November 28, 2012
Intrigued and enamoured as I was by the New York settings - how romantic must skating in Central Park be? - The Charm Bracelet with its pretty cover, charming asides (I loved the 'additional' story of the owner of the lost bracelet) and (at least outwardly) beautiful characters could all too easily have been a read of frivolous nonsense and yet, whilst hardly brain-taxing, I found it to be far short of this.
A not too saccharine-sweet read, perfect for those cold winter days when you have overdosed on that tin of Quality Street chocolates . In many ways a nice, gentle, old fashioned romance - it is not only the fact that the main character, Holly, works in a vintage clothing shop that puts you in mind of those old black and white films of the nineteen fifties.
More than a romance though, the novel also has a mysterious air to it that is a nice addition even if, as we get to know the characters, it becomes pretty apparent as to where the story is heading.
Not so the ending. Totally unexpected, I'm still not sure whether I actually enjoyed it or simply thought it sentimental claptrap - either way I admit I found myself in need of more than one tissue.
DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of NEWBOOKS magazine I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
A not too saccharine-sweet read, perfect for those cold winter days when you have overdosed on that tin of Quality Street chocolates . In many ways a nice, gentle, old fashioned romance - it is not only the fact that the main character, Holly, works in a vintage clothing shop that puts you in mind of those old black and white films of the nineteen fifties.
More than a romance though, the novel also has a mysterious air to it that is a nice addition even if, as we get to know the characters, it becomes pretty apparent as to where the story is heading.
Not so the ending. Totally unexpected, I'm still not sure whether I actually enjoyed it or simply thought it sentimental claptrap - either way I admit I found myself in need of more than one tissue.
DISCLAIMER: Read and reviewed on behalf of NEWBOOKS magazine I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 381 reviews