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Make A Christmas Wish
Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park she certainly wasn’t ready to actually be dead! For months now she’s floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself.
And she’s not ready to go just yet! She’s furious about the new woman in her husband’s life and she’s worried about her beloved son who doesn’t seem to be adjusting to life without her at all.
This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas?
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
December 15, 2015
3 - "Let me take you on a journey." Stars!
I am not a stranger to Julia Williams writing and stories several of her previous Christmas books rank highly in my overall list of favorites, Make A Christmas Wish falls a little lower on my enjoyment scale than it's predecessors, and there isn't any main reason as to why that I can wholeheartedly put my finger on.
Told from several points of view, and through Journal entries for Adam and Livvy's son; Joe. The book basically charts the beginning, middle and somewhat unplanned end of Livvy's life and relationship with Adam. As the book progresses you get flashbacks to Christmases past which highlight the deterioration of their marriage, and insights into the woman Livvy gradually became as the years of raising a young child with a challenging condition gradually took their toll, on her as a person, her friendships and her marriage.
"You have unfinished business."
We also get to see the present of the story through Emily; Adams new partner and Adam as well so it really is a well rounded tale. An easy-going read in nature, with a few blurry eyed moments, but it took a long, long time for me to warm to Livvy, even as you see and start to understand who she was and why she has been left on earth as a ghost to try and understand her past mistakes and given the opportunity to make them right before passing over, I really did struggle with her for a lot of the book. There is another issue that also left me with a little bit of a bitter tang in my mouth, its a very small thing in the scheme of the book, and in an effort to keep the review spoiler free I will refrain from mentioning it, but some beginnings didn't sit well with me.
This is a book you can pick up and put down over the Christmas period whether you have five, fifteen or sixty minutes to spare. You are not going to struggle to pick up the story again if read incrementally. Enjoyable, but not exceptional.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, it was a pleasure to provide the above honest review.
I am not a stranger to Julia Williams writing and stories several of her previous Christmas books rank highly in my overall list of favorites, Make A Christmas Wish falls a little lower on my enjoyment scale than it's predecessors, and there isn't any main reason as to why that I can wholeheartedly put my finger on.
Told from several points of view, and through Journal entries for Adam and Livvy's son; Joe. The book basically charts the beginning, middle and somewhat unplanned end of Livvy's life and relationship with Adam. As the book progresses you get flashbacks to Christmases past which highlight the deterioration of their marriage, and insights into the woman Livvy gradually became as the years of raising a young child with a challenging condition gradually took their toll, on her as a person, her friendships and her marriage.
"You have unfinished business."
We also get to see the present of the story through Emily; Adams new partner and Adam as well so it really is a well rounded tale. An easy-going read in nature, with a few blurry eyed moments, but it took a long, long time for me to warm to Livvy, even as you see and start to understand who she was and why she has been left on earth as a ghost to try and understand her past mistakes and given the opportunity to make them right before passing over, I really did struggle with her for a lot of the book. There is another issue that also left me with a little bit of a bitter tang in my mouth, its a very small thing in the scheme of the book, and in an effort to keep the review spoiler free I will refrain from mentioning it, but some beginnings didn't sit well with me.
This is a book you can pick up and put down over the Christmas period whether you have five, fifteen or sixty minutes to spare. You are not going to struggle to pick up the story again if read incrementally. Enjoyable, but not exceptional.
ARC generously provided via Netgalley, it was a pleasure to provide the above honest review.
November 5, 2018
Livvy becomes stuck in a middle world between life and death after being run over in Lidi car park, she had unfinished business. First we discover Christmas Past and Livvy and Adam's marriage in the last few years didn't sound all too happy. I'm not a fan of cheating but it isn't a wonder he spent so much time with Emily. Livvy has a big drinking problem. I love Joe and how he senses his mum is still around first ''Mum's a ghost and she's pretty pissed off with you'' By the end of this part Livvy is starting to look at her own faults and Emily is starting to feel the presence of Livvy.
Second is Christmas Present and it's running as two parallel times with one being Livvy is dead the other surviving but wheelchair bound and her life with Adam does seem quite miserable. I do feel Livvy's mum is being a little too nice to Emily but later we find out she didn't know about the affair. By the end of this part it's becoming obvious Adam would get with Emily regardless of being Livvy being dead or not. This does not stop Emily of being jealous of a ghost and she would be freaked out with a dead woman standing in-front of her.
Part three is Christmas Future alongside the now. The vision is showed with Adam marrying Emily with most people's blessing. The story of Adam and Emily's children was so sweet with one being named after Livvy and her photo with Joe still up in the living room. It reminds me so much of Taylor Swift's song Long Live. Livvy now realises she wasn't brought back to win Adam back but to make amends and decides it's time to get Emily and Adam back together. They case Emily to London Euston with fate being on their side holding up buses, trains and the tube.
I love the Dicken's style of telling the story of Christmas Past, Present and Future to try and get a ghost to change their ways. Near the end I found this book very hard to put down wanting to know how it ended it's so beautiful sad and happy at the same time. This story is bonkers but I loved it! I really loved Joe.
Second is Christmas Present and it's running as two parallel times with one being Livvy is dead the other surviving but wheelchair bound and her life with Adam does seem quite miserable. I do feel Livvy's mum is being a little too nice to Emily but later we find out she didn't know about the affair. By the end of this part it's becoming obvious Adam would get with Emily regardless of being Livvy being dead or not. This does not stop Emily of being jealous of a ghost and she would be freaked out with a dead woman standing in-front of her.
Part three is Christmas Future alongside the now. The vision is showed with Adam marrying Emily with most people's blessing. The story of Adam and Emily's children was so sweet with one being named after Livvy and her photo with Joe still up in the living room. It reminds me so much of Taylor Swift's song Long Live. Livvy now realises she wasn't brought back to win Adam back but to make amends and decides it's time to get Emily and Adam back together. They case Emily to London Euston with fate being on their side holding up buses, trains and the tube.
I love the Dicken's style of telling the story of Christmas Past, Present and Future to try and get a ghost to change their ways. Near the end I found this book very hard to put down wanting to know how it ended it's so beautiful sad and happy at the same time. This story is bonkers but I loved it! I really loved Joe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2015
When I first started reading Make A Christmas Wish, I wont lie to you, my first thought was "What on earth am I reading?" swiftly followed by "A Ghost? I'm reading a book from the prospective of a ghost?!"
OK, so that sounds a little strange, granted, but bare with me.... because what we actually have here is an incredibly well thought out Christmas novel that had me gasping in places and moved to tears at the end. If your happy to keep an open mind about ghost's and afterlife and remember this is a book of fiction then it really is a true work of art.
There are four main characters to the book - Livvy, Adam, Emily and Joe, and the book is told in the 1st person from Livvy and Adam, the 3rd person with Emily and notebook form from Joe so instantly we have a great variation of reading style which is well balanced, keeping the story flowing without getting confusing or lost.
Even though the bulk of the book is set in this year, it is split into three sections as there are odd chapters which in part one looks back on Christmas's from Livvy's past, section two remains as now whilst three takes a look at future Christmas's.
Now I appreciate that all this seems a lot to take in, but when your actually reading the book it flows perfectly, I don't want to give away too many details and spoil the plot but I will give a bit of a summary which will help explain the past and future sections to an extent.
Livvy is knocked down by a learner driver at her local supermarket just prior to Christmas last year, leaving behind her husband Adam and son, Joe. She is aware of things going on around her but cant quite work it all out. It all becomes clear when she overhears Adam and Joe being told that she didn't survive the accident.
After a year she is approached by her spirit guide, Malaki, who explains that she has been left where she passed away as she wasn't ready to go over to the other side.
Despite being dead, Livvy believes that its not her time to go and want to make it her mission to rebuild her family, especially as just before the car hit her she had discovered Adam had been having an affair with Emily.
Livvy hates Emily with a passion, but with her and Adam getting closer and closer, she decides drastic action is needed to drive the couple apart and make Adam fall in love with her again.
Only both Adam and Emily don't believe in ghost.
Livvy starts to play tricks on them - gusts of wind, flickering lights and frozen computer screens and soon enough they start to wonder what is happening.
Joe in the meantime knows its his mum doing this yet isn't believed, however is thrilled to have her back - He has Asperger's and puts things simply... Mums gone, Emily's here, she's my new mum, mums back, Emily must go.... he doesn't quite get the complications involved but knows that his one Christmas wish would be to have his family together again, which puts pressure on Adam as he wants Joe to be happy which will only be if Livvy stays, but of course him and Emily will be unhappy... its a love triangle at its best!
Over time, Malaki shows Livvy snapshots from her past and how much of a drinking problem she had, one of the main reasons her and Adam's relationship wasn't working.
Livvy confides in another spirit guide who says she can help bring her back to life and gives her 24 hours to make Adam fall for her again, and its only when he sticks to his feelings for Emily that Livvy realises that maybe it was her time to pass, that maybe her relationship was over a long time ago.
But does she do the right thing and leave her son and the man she loves for a second time or does she continue to drive a wedge between Emily and Adam?
Well..... you will just have to read the book as if I type anymore I think I will give the complete story away, and I really don't think that my over view has done the book justice so you are just going to have to trust me on how fantastic it is!
This is the first book of Julia William's I've read and I can say I was not disappointed. The book was a complete page turner and had me gripped from start to finish.
There were bits that made me chuckle out loud (who knew life after death could be such a ball?!) and bits that were pulling the heart strings and the whole concept of the book with the main character being a ghost gave me a completely different prospective and really makes you think about loved ones that you've lost and the process of them passing over.
It also leaves one question - if you could Make A Christmas Wish, what would you choose?
OK, so that sounds a little strange, granted, but bare with me.... because what we actually have here is an incredibly well thought out Christmas novel that had me gasping in places and moved to tears at the end. If your happy to keep an open mind about ghost's and afterlife and remember this is a book of fiction then it really is a true work of art.
There are four main characters to the book - Livvy, Adam, Emily and Joe, and the book is told in the 1st person from Livvy and Adam, the 3rd person with Emily and notebook form from Joe so instantly we have a great variation of reading style which is well balanced, keeping the story flowing without getting confusing or lost.
Even though the bulk of the book is set in this year, it is split into three sections as there are odd chapters which in part one looks back on Christmas's from Livvy's past, section two remains as now whilst three takes a look at future Christmas's.
Now I appreciate that all this seems a lot to take in, but when your actually reading the book it flows perfectly, I don't want to give away too many details and spoil the plot but I will give a bit of a summary which will help explain the past and future sections to an extent.
Livvy is knocked down by a learner driver at her local supermarket just prior to Christmas last year, leaving behind her husband Adam and son, Joe. She is aware of things going on around her but cant quite work it all out. It all becomes clear when she overhears Adam and Joe being told that she didn't survive the accident.
After a year she is approached by her spirit guide, Malaki, who explains that she has been left where she passed away as she wasn't ready to go over to the other side.
Despite being dead, Livvy believes that its not her time to go and want to make it her mission to rebuild her family, especially as just before the car hit her she had discovered Adam had been having an affair with Emily.
Livvy hates Emily with a passion, but with her and Adam getting closer and closer, she decides drastic action is needed to drive the couple apart and make Adam fall in love with her again.
Only both Adam and Emily don't believe in ghost.
Livvy starts to play tricks on them - gusts of wind, flickering lights and frozen computer screens and soon enough they start to wonder what is happening.
Joe in the meantime knows its his mum doing this yet isn't believed, however is thrilled to have her back - He has Asperger's and puts things simply... Mums gone, Emily's here, she's my new mum, mums back, Emily must go.... he doesn't quite get the complications involved but knows that his one Christmas wish would be to have his family together again, which puts pressure on Adam as he wants Joe to be happy which will only be if Livvy stays, but of course him and Emily will be unhappy... its a love triangle at its best!
Over time, Malaki shows Livvy snapshots from her past and how much of a drinking problem she had, one of the main reasons her and Adam's relationship wasn't working.
Livvy confides in another spirit guide who says she can help bring her back to life and gives her 24 hours to make Adam fall for her again, and its only when he sticks to his feelings for Emily that Livvy realises that maybe it was her time to pass, that maybe her relationship was over a long time ago.
But does she do the right thing and leave her son and the man she loves for a second time or does she continue to drive a wedge between Emily and Adam?
Well..... you will just have to read the book as if I type anymore I think I will give the complete story away, and I really don't think that my over view has done the book justice so you are just going to have to trust me on how fantastic it is!
This is the first book of Julia William's I've read and I can say I was not disappointed. The book was a complete page turner and had me gripped from start to finish.
There were bits that made me chuckle out loud (who knew life after death could be such a ball?!) and bits that were pulling the heart strings and the whole concept of the book with the main character being a ghost gave me a completely different prospective and really makes you think about loved ones that you've lost and the process of them passing over.
It also leaves one question - if you could Make A Christmas Wish, what would you choose?
May 27, 2020
I’ve been more than a bit off chick-lit of late but after reading so many psychological thrillers & gory crime novels I figured a feel good Christmassy tale might be the perfect diversion. I must admit the cover blurb gave me cause for doubt when I realised Livvy would be telling this tale as a ghost as I’ve read a few of this style in the past finding them to range from the amusingly entertaining to the downright dire. Well I gave this ago & I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
In short, after meeting an untimely death in a Lidl car park (for some absurd reason this tickled me) Livvy is given the chance to come back & make everything right with her husband Adam & son Joe. However, Livvy’s idea of how to put things right doesn’t meet with her guide, Malachi’s approval. The plot revolves around whether Livvy will be able to split Adam up from “new” love Emily. In life Livvy was a rather selfish & self-centred character, totally oblivious to her faults & the effect they had on others & fair to say that being dead hasn’t improved her disposition. Come hell or high water she wants her husband, son & old life back….& there’s no room in it for Emily.
Told from different viewpoints this story manages to come over with a slightly different twist to many of its ilk. It’s an engaging read, funny in parts & rather sad in others without falling into the trap of turning sentimentally mawkish (though embarrassingly I admit did have a lump in my throat at one point!)
A very enjoyable read - if you’re fancying a sprinkling of Christmas magic this should just hit the spot.
In short, after meeting an untimely death in a Lidl car park (for some absurd reason this tickled me) Livvy is given the chance to come back & make everything right with her husband Adam & son Joe. However, Livvy’s idea of how to put things right doesn’t meet with her guide, Malachi’s approval. The plot revolves around whether Livvy will be able to split Adam up from “new” love Emily. In life Livvy was a rather selfish & self-centred character, totally oblivious to her faults & the effect they had on others & fair to say that being dead hasn’t improved her disposition. Come hell or high water she wants her husband, son & old life back….& there’s no room in it for Emily.
Told from different viewpoints this story manages to come over with a slightly different twist to many of its ilk. It’s an engaging read, funny in parts & rather sad in others without falling into the trap of turning sentimentally mawkish (though embarrassingly I admit did have a lump in my throat at one point!)
A very enjoyable read - if you’re fancying a sprinkling of Christmas magic this should just hit the spot.
October 6, 2015
Originally reviewed on http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/2...
I'm thrilled to be sharing my review of Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams today as part of the fabulous blog tour organised by Avon! There are some who will say that it's far too early to be delving into the Christmas books already and I totally respect that, but for Christmas fanatics, it's much harder to hold back and not cave. That's exactly what I've done by the way, caved. But can you really blame me? Look at that cover! Look at the blurb! For me, it is never early to get the Christmas books under-way...
In Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams, we're introduced to Livvy. Recently deceased, and not entirely sure of what it is that she's supposed to do while stuck on the car park she was struck down on, Livvy's confused. But slowly, fragment by fragment, bits of Livvy's memory begin to come back to her, and rather than listen to her spirit guide Malachi (who comes in the form of a black cat and seems to be very disapproving) Livvy is hell-bent on seeing her husband and son once more. Not only that, but she's determined to not let Adam's new girlfriend Emily worm her way into Livvy's spot in their family. No way!
When I first met Livvy, I could tell she was going to be a fun, entertaining character, and boy was I right. She was exactly that. I think Julia Williams chose a premise for her novel that threw up endless possibilities for Livvy as a ghost, possibilities that yes, were far-fetched, but in fiction, there really are no limits. Julia told Livvy's story in the most beautiful of ways, taking the reader back to the past in order for us to watch where it all began to go wrong, and then into the future too, where Livvy could see how their life would have continued if she hadn't of died. Malachi the spirit guide was a character who I found absolutely hilarious. He was so full of wise words and advice for Livvy, but she was a very stubborn woman and refused to listen to a single word. It's odd because, at the beginning of A Christmas Wish I found myself taking sides with Livvy. As ridiculous as it sounds, I found I was imagining myself in Livvy's position and was able to see where she was coming from. How gut-wrenching would it be to watch your husband and son move forward in life without you? To watch your husband declare his love for another woman? To watch your son replace you as a mum? Heart-breaking probably doesn't even cut it. Livvy, to me, was fantastic. I loved her attitude and, when the haunting of her home began, I was excited to see just how far she would go. As I mentioned before, the possibilities were endless and Julia pulled it off amazingly.
Of course, there were moments of soft tenderness within this novel too, it wasn't all fun and games, providing Make A Christmas Wish with that perfect combination of the two. There were times when Livvy would look upon her past with Adam and Joe, and feel regret for how she had handled things in the early days. It was so sad, and I couldn't help but to feel sad for the three of them. It truly put into perspective how different our futures can turn out to be...
Alongside Livvy's character, we were able to meet Adam, Joe, and Emily too. When I was first introduced to Adam, as I mentioned previously, I'd already taken Livvy's side. I couldn't believe that he'd been messing around with another woman and felt angry towards him on Livvy's behalf. But, as the past began to become clear to me, I was able to understand more clearly why Adam had felt the way he had. It all began to make sense and I wondered how Adam would continue after Livvy's death. There's also their lovely, lovely son Joe, who I adored. Throughout the telling of this story, the author included snippets from Joe's Notebook, and these told us everything we needed to know. Joe wasn't very good with words, preferring to keep things simple in his mind, but within this notebook we're able to really see how Joe's feeling about everything that's happened. Joe was the only one, when things began to get scary, who knew it was Livvy. He tried numerous times to tell everyone that it was Mum, but no one would listen. Whenever Joe and Livvy were near one another, I couldn't help the sadness that washed over me. Mother and son, but in two different worlds. And then of course there is Emily, the new woman in Adam's life, who Livvy refuses to let wiggle into her family. The fun to be had between Emily and Livvy was endless, but it doesn't take long for realisation to hit Livvy, especially when Malachi shows her the not-so-very-comfortable future.
I loved this book. It was magical but amusing at the same time. Very A Chrismtas Carol-esque, with the swapping of the past, present and future. The characters were all absolutely wonderful, bringing this story to life and making it all the more enjoyable for me. Becca's Books is awarding Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams FIVE GORGEOUS CUPCAKES! A story about forgiveness, letting go, and moving on, even when it seems like the hardest thing in the world to do...
I'm thrilled to be sharing my review of Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams today as part of the fabulous blog tour organised by Avon! There are some who will say that it's far too early to be delving into the Christmas books already and I totally respect that, but for Christmas fanatics, it's much harder to hold back and not cave. That's exactly what I've done by the way, caved. But can you really blame me? Look at that cover! Look at the blurb! For me, it is never early to get the Christmas books under-way...
In Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams, we're introduced to Livvy. Recently deceased, and not entirely sure of what it is that she's supposed to do while stuck on the car park she was struck down on, Livvy's confused. But slowly, fragment by fragment, bits of Livvy's memory begin to come back to her, and rather than listen to her spirit guide Malachi (who comes in the form of a black cat and seems to be very disapproving) Livvy is hell-bent on seeing her husband and son once more. Not only that, but she's determined to not let Adam's new girlfriend Emily worm her way into Livvy's spot in their family. No way!
When I first met Livvy, I could tell she was going to be a fun, entertaining character, and boy was I right. She was exactly that. I think Julia Williams chose a premise for her novel that threw up endless possibilities for Livvy as a ghost, possibilities that yes, were far-fetched, but in fiction, there really are no limits. Julia told Livvy's story in the most beautiful of ways, taking the reader back to the past in order for us to watch where it all began to go wrong, and then into the future too, where Livvy could see how their life would have continued if she hadn't of died. Malachi the spirit guide was a character who I found absolutely hilarious. He was so full of wise words and advice for Livvy, but she was a very stubborn woman and refused to listen to a single word. It's odd because, at the beginning of A Christmas Wish I found myself taking sides with Livvy. As ridiculous as it sounds, I found I was imagining myself in Livvy's position and was able to see where she was coming from. How gut-wrenching would it be to watch your husband and son move forward in life without you? To watch your husband declare his love for another woman? To watch your son replace you as a mum? Heart-breaking probably doesn't even cut it. Livvy, to me, was fantastic. I loved her attitude and, when the haunting of her home began, I was excited to see just how far she would go. As I mentioned before, the possibilities were endless and Julia pulled it off amazingly.
Of course, there were moments of soft tenderness within this novel too, it wasn't all fun and games, providing Make A Christmas Wish with that perfect combination of the two. There were times when Livvy would look upon her past with Adam and Joe, and feel regret for how she had handled things in the early days. It was so sad, and I couldn't help but to feel sad for the three of them. It truly put into perspective how different our futures can turn out to be...
Alongside Livvy's character, we were able to meet Adam, Joe, and Emily too. When I was first introduced to Adam, as I mentioned previously, I'd already taken Livvy's side. I couldn't believe that he'd been messing around with another woman and felt angry towards him on Livvy's behalf. But, as the past began to become clear to me, I was able to understand more clearly why Adam had felt the way he had. It all began to make sense and I wondered how Adam would continue after Livvy's death. There's also their lovely, lovely son Joe, who I adored. Throughout the telling of this story, the author included snippets from Joe's Notebook, and these told us everything we needed to know. Joe wasn't very good with words, preferring to keep things simple in his mind, but within this notebook we're able to really see how Joe's feeling about everything that's happened. Joe was the only one, when things began to get scary, who knew it was Livvy. He tried numerous times to tell everyone that it was Mum, but no one would listen. Whenever Joe and Livvy were near one another, I couldn't help the sadness that washed over me. Mother and son, but in two different worlds. And then of course there is Emily, the new woman in Adam's life, who Livvy refuses to let wiggle into her family. The fun to be had between Emily and Livvy was endless, but it doesn't take long for realisation to hit Livvy, especially when Malachi shows her the not-so-very-comfortable future.
I loved this book. It was magical but amusing at the same time. Very A Chrismtas Carol-esque, with the swapping of the past, present and future. The characters were all absolutely wonderful, bringing this story to life and making it all the more enjoyable for me. Becca's Books is awarding Make A Christmas Wish by Julia Williams FIVE GORGEOUS CUPCAKES! A story about forgiveness, letting go, and moving on, even when it seems like the hardest thing in the world to do...
November 16, 2016
This is the first book I've read by Julia Williams and I loved it from start to finish, I like reading ghost stories and this was a most refreshing change to the usual ones of haunted houses that are a bit scary, had a nice love story to it as well will definitely be reading more of her books.
January 5, 2023
This was a really lovely easy read, heartwarming and a perfect festive novel in the build up to Christmas (although I started reading it in the new year haha). The characters were all mostly loveable, although admittedly I found Livvy irritating through the majority of it. That being said, I do like how the book resolved and that Livvy eventually found peace and acceptance, which made me feel differently about her towards the end.
I think the concept of the book as a whole was really well thought out, and I enjoyed watching the development of all the characters relationships.
With that being said, I think in some places the writing was a bit simplistic and didn’t quite pack a punch, feeling slightly underwhelming. An example of this being when Emily was talking to the ghost of her mother at the church. I just think there was a missed opportunity to explore the potential of this relationship, and how impactful this encounter would have been to Emily.
In contrast to my previous point, the simplicity of the writing did mean it was a quick read to get through and a nice filler-book that didn’t require masses of concentration. If you’re after a fuzzy, gentle read to feel festive then I’d recommend this book for that reason. I’m glad I read it and I’m sure a lot of other people will enjoy it for it’s down-to-earth quality also!
I think the concept of the book as a whole was really well thought out, and I enjoyed watching the development of all the characters relationships.
With that being said, I think in some places the writing was a bit simplistic and didn’t quite pack a punch, feeling slightly underwhelming. An example of this being when Emily was talking to the ghost of her mother at the church. I just think there was a missed opportunity to explore the potential of this relationship, and how impactful this encounter would have been to Emily.
In contrast to my previous point, the simplicity of the writing did mean it was a quick read to get through and a nice filler-book that didn’t require masses of concentration. If you’re after a fuzzy, gentle read to feel festive then I’d recommend this book for that reason. I’m glad I read it and I’m sure a lot of other people will enjoy it for it’s down-to-earth quality also!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2019
2.5 Stars
December 18, 2025
I like ghost stories, so that part was fun. But I found most of the characters to be really awful people and the redemption arc was rather abrupt.
December 20, 2025
An enjoyable Christmas read, albeit with some quite heavy subjects. Didn’t particularly like the main character who spent a little bit too long to see the error of her ways, but then again, Ebenezeer Scrooge is hardly a likeable character until he’s spent time with the ghosts.
October 23, 2015
Livvy is married to Adam. They’ve been together for about twenty years and have a son. Joe is a good kid. He has Asperger’s and has sometimes been difficult to manage over the years. Livvy has just discovered that Adam has been having an affair with Emily. She sends him an angry text to let him know that she knows about his indiscretions and then Boom. She’s hit by a learner driver in a supermarket car park. It is a couple of weeks to Christmas and Livvy is dead.
“Make a Christmas Wish” is not your average Christmas fare. You could pick this up expecting a fairly Mills and Boon experience because the cover is fairly typical of schmaltzy Chic Lit. This is more Dickens’ A Christmas Carol meets Beetlejuice with a touch of It’s a Wonderful Life.
After almost a year spent stuck in the car park Livvy starts listening to her spirit guide, a black cat called Malachi. Suddenly she is free and is back to reclaim her old life. This isn’t as easy as she first thought though. Adam has moved on, and is about to ask Emily to move in with them. Joe is growing up and has a “girl” friend and even her own Mum seems to have forgotten about her. Livvy is angry and sets out to reclaim her family.
MACW is quite a hard book to categorize. It’s an interesting book from a psychological viewpoint because as the book progresses Livvy starts to realise why things had gone wrong between her and Adam and what had caused the huge rift between them. I’ll even admit to shedding a tear or two towards the end of the book and when you do most of your reading on public transport that’s quite embarrassing!
If you fancy reading something Christmassy that is a bit quirky and different this is the perfect choice.
Supplied by Net Galley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“Make a Christmas Wish” is not your average Christmas fare. You could pick this up expecting a fairly Mills and Boon experience because the cover is fairly typical of schmaltzy Chic Lit. This is more Dickens’ A Christmas Carol meets Beetlejuice with a touch of It’s a Wonderful Life.
After almost a year spent stuck in the car park Livvy starts listening to her spirit guide, a black cat called Malachi. Suddenly she is free and is back to reclaim her old life. This isn’t as easy as she first thought though. Adam has moved on, and is about to ask Emily to move in with them. Joe is growing up and has a “girl” friend and even her own Mum seems to have forgotten about her. Livvy is angry and sets out to reclaim her family.
MACW is quite a hard book to categorize. It’s an interesting book from a psychological viewpoint because as the book progresses Livvy starts to realise why things had gone wrong between her and Adam and what had caused the huge rift between them. I’ll even admit to shedding a tear or two towards the end of the book and when you do most of your reading on public transport that’s quite embarrassing!
If you fancy reading something Christmassy that is a bit quirky and different this is the perfect choice.
Supplied by Net Galley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2018
I get that this is supposed to simply be an easy, fun christmas story; but the amount of unrealistic aspects just went too far by the end of the book.
For example: How on earth could Livvy come back from the dead without anyone knowing she was gone? Why was noone even the slightest bit scared by the ghosts popping up throughout the story? When was Joe finding time to write in his notebook?
If I'd enjoyed the writing and overall story more, I'm sure that I would have been able to look past these issues and enjoy the book for what it's supposed to be: a fun, unrealistic contemporary. However, I didn't and couldn't. I didn't find the book cute or funny in the way it is advertised to be, I didn't care enough to find certain scenes sad or upsetting and just overall didn't think it was very good writing. By the end, this book was honestly becoming painful to read, and every unrealistic element just made me cringe more and more.
For example: How on earth could Livvy come back from the dead without anyone knowing she was gone? Why was noone even the slightest bit scared by the ghosts popping up throughout the story? When was Joe finding time to write in his notebook?
If I'd enjoyed the writing and overall story more, I'm sure that I would have been able to look past these issues and enjoy the book for what it's supposed to be: a fun, unrealistic contemporary. However, I didn't and couldn't. I didn't find the book cute or funny in the way it is advertised to be, I didn't care enough to find certain scenes sad or upsetting and just overall didn't think it was very good writing. By the end, this book was honestly becoming painful to read, and every unrealistic element just made me cringe more and more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2015
Wow is all I can say, just wow!! An absolute pleasure to read I got sucked into it straight away. Livvy is dead but she has unfinished business, she needs to make peace with her cheating husband so she can pass on. This book drew me in straight away, you meet different characters Livvy the wife, her husband Adam and emily the new girlfriend. You get his perspective of his dead wife haunting him, his new girlfriend Emily’s and there autistic son Joe. Livvys character is funny and lovable but you also identify with the other characters, this book was so cleverly written and really makes u wonder about what happens after death! Livvy has a chaperone in the form of a cat called Malachi whom tries to help her stay on the straight and narrow, but Livvy has other ideas that could leave her stuck in the mid afterlife forever. I hate the cliché "a page Turner”, but it really was!!
April 19, 2016
I received this book via Goodreads
This book was about Livvy who had died but still had some unfinished business. When she died she had found out that her husband was having an affair. She is very angry and starts haunting her husband and son.
I enjoyed seeing the traditional aspects of a Christmas story; showing Christmas' past, present and future.
This book dealt with some quite difficult topics and I thought that they were covered really well. At times the character of Livvy was annoying and she was so focused on revenge and getting her old life back. I liked seeing all the characters different perspectives as you got to see what everyone was feeling.
This book was about Livvy who had died but still had some unfinished business. When she died she had found out that her husband was having an affair. She is very angry and starts haunting her husband and son.
I enjoyed seeing the traditional aspects of a Christmas story; showing Christmas' past, present and future.
This book dealt with some quite difficult topics and I thought that they were covered really well. At times the character of Livvy was annoying and she was so focused on revenge and getting her old life back. I liked seeing all the characters different perspectives as you got to see what everyone was feeling.
December 15, 2015
I personally did not like the writing style. At times it was almost painful to read. The story was a little predictable and the main character Livvy, is one of the worst characters I've ever read, I've never felt so much hatred for a character before I was so close to skipping all her parts in the book.. But instead I skim read them so I didn't miss anything important. But to be honest she was never that useful just so hateful and selfish. There were some good parts to the book however, I did like the little incites to how there life could have, would have been. I did really like the characters Kenneth and Felicity wish they were a bigger part of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2017
Wasn't sure about reading a book with Christmas in the title when it is March. But don't worry it isn't overly Christmassy. I don't want to give too much away as this book is a treat. It follows the story of Livvy and Adam and Joe their autistic on after Livvy meets a sticky end. But Livvy isn't quite ready to shuffle off this mortal coil and leave the rest of her family to pick up the pieces and carry on with their lives. Sad in places. Funny in places. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different character and they are relatively short which is always a bonus to me. On looking on Amazon I have some catching up to do with Julias books - which makes me happy.
December 20, 2015
I'm hovering between a 3 and a 4 for this one and in the spirit of Christmas I'm giving it a four. I spent a lot of the book really not liking Livvy *at all* but I thought the story was really clever and well done and I liked all of the other characters much more than Livvy. This is not your usual Christmas book - it's not saccharine or trite - but it is a really fun way of passing some time in the festive season!
December 28, 2017
4.5* rating.
I really enjoyed the story and it was a complete change from all the other Christmassy books I've picked up and read this season.
A festive Rom-com with a big ghostly twist.
Recommended.
I really enjoyed the story and it was a complete change from all the other Christmassy books I've picked up and read this season.
A festive Rom-com with a big ghostly twist.
Recommended.
December 13, 2018
The story is about Livvy who just two weeks before Christmas finds out that her husband of twenty years has been having an affair. As she sends him a horrible text message to let him know that she has found out about it she gets hit by a car and dies.
The story follows her journey as a ghost watching over her family over the course of a year and plotting to break up her husband and his mistress who resume their relationship after her death.
I found this to be an easy read but definitely not 'hilarious' as billed in the blurb. I liked the concept of someone coming back after they died to try and make amends with their family to be able to pass on but I wasn't a fan of how it evolved in the story.
The main problem for me was the central character Livvy. She's selfish, stubborn, self absorbed and has no perspective on her actions and the effect it has on those closest to her. Initially she comes back as vengeful which is understandable but she is so self righteous and indignant feeling that she has been wronged without acknowledging her part in everything. She is a very difficult character to like or feel any empathy towards. She feels her way is the only correct way although by the end of the story she does come full circle.
I like the way the story is written in that it is told through each of the central characters point of view and flips between the past, present and future but those characters are not particularly likeable either.
Joe the son of Livvy and Adam was my favourite character. His logical reasoning and sweet nature was at times very touching.
The story follows her journey as a ghost watching over her family over the course of a year and plotting to break up her husband and his mistress who resume their relationship after her death.
I found this to be an easy read but definitely not 'hilarious' as billed in the blurb. I liked the concept of someone coming back after they died to try and make amends with their family to be able to pass on but I wasn't a fan of how it evolved in the story.
The main problem for me was the central character Livvy. She's selfish, stubborn, self absorbed and has no perspective on her actions and the effect it has on those closest to her. Initially she comes back as vengeful which is understandable but she is so self righteous and indignant feeling that she has been wronged without acknowledging her part in everything. She is a very difficult character to like or feel any empathy towards. She feels her way is the only correct way although by the end of the story she does come full circle.
I like the way the story is written in that it is told through each of the central characters point of view and flips between the past, present and future but those characters are not particularly likeable either.
Joe the son of Livvy and Adam was my favourite character. His logical reasoning and sweet nature was at times very touching.
January 3, 2017
Time taken to read - 2 days
Publisher - Avon
Pages - 367
Blurb from Goodreads
Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park she certainly wasn’t ready to actually be dead! For months now she’s floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself.
And she’s not ready to go just yet! She’s furious about the new woman in her husband’s life and she’s worried about her beloved son who doesn’t seem to be adjusting to life without her at all.
This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas?
My Review
Imagine finding out a betrayal by your husband just before Christmas, furious, upset and then to be hit by a car and killed! That is what happens to Livvy, however Livvy is earth bound for the foreseeable and she is enraged. Viewing her husband, the other woman and her son she struggled to accept she is dead and determined to get through to her family.
This is an emotive book, Livvy's son Joe has Asperger's, her and Adam (the husband) had a toxic relationship and the book takes us through their relationship in stages. We visit the past & present, seeing what Livvy's relationship was really like. Livvy is in denial and this is her chance at redemption, forcing her to examine her part in the breakdown in the marriage and deal with her unresolved issues. We hear from Joe in diary format and get to see Adams point on some things too, for this and with the time and character jumps you can dip in and out of this book without missing out on anything.
One major problem I had with this book is it states on the back "A hilarious and just a little heartbreaking festive treat..." I didn't laugh once at this. A lot of it is heartbreaking, I didn't laugh once and the main character really annoyed me with her selfish and destructive behavior. I understand she is mad and frustrated however causing more upset to people you love I just couldn't get on with. Some people loved the character though so it is definitely one you should read and make your own judgement on. I loved the character Joe, we see glimpses of his outlook from his diary entries and the interactions viewed by Livvy, I think they were quite emotive and he is a lovely carved character in some very unlikable ones. This was my first time reading this author, I would read her again, 3/5 for me this time.
Publisher - Avon
Pages - 367
Blurb from Goodreads
Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park she certainly wasn’t ready to actually be dead! For months now she’s floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself.
And she’s not ready to go just yet! She’s furious about the new woman in her husband’s life and she’s worried about her beloved son who doesn’t seem to be adjusting to life without her at all.
This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas?
My Review
Imagine finding out a betrayal by your husband just before Christmas, furious, upset and then to be hit by a car and killed! That is what happens to Livvy, however Livvy is earth bound for the foreseeable and she is enraged. Viewing her husband, the other woman and her son she struggled to accept she is dead and determined to get through to her family.
This is an emotive book, Livvy's son Joe has Asperger's, her and Adam (the husband) had a toxic relationship and the book takes us through their relationship in stages. We visit the past & present, seeing what Livvy's relationship was really like. Livvy is in denial and this is her chance at redemption, forcing her to examine her part in the breakdown in the marriage and deal with her unresolved issues. We hear from Joe in diary format and get to see Adams point on some things too, for this and with the time and character jumps you can dip in and out of this book without missing out on anything.
One major problem I had with this book is it states on the back "A hilarious and just a little heartbreaking festive treat..." I didn't laugh once at this. A lot of it is heartbreaking, I didn't laugh once and the main character really annoyed me with her selfish and destructive behavior. I understand she is mad and frustrated however causing more upset to people you love I just couldn't get on with. Some people loved the character though so it is definitely one you should read and make your own judgement on. I loved the character Joe, we see glimpses of his outlook from his diary entries and the interactions viewed by Livvy, I think they were quite emotive and he is a lovely carved character in some very unlikable ones. This was my first time reading this author, I would read her again, 3/5 for me this time.
November 30, 2018
This year I wanted to do something different read holiday books. Reading Christmas books from authors that I haven't even heard of. I have never heard of Julia Williams. Now I am so glad that I found her books and will plan on buying all her books and reading them. This book will be in my holiday collection that I will be rereading every year. This story is about Livvy who founds out that her husband Adam has been having affair with a woman named Emily. But before Livvy can confront her husband she passes away due to a car crash. And now that she is a ghost she watches her husband and her son with this new woman in their lives. Livvy try's to deal with being dead and watching her family. Livvy try's everything she can to be with her family. This story is amazing read I loved it. Livvy had a lot problems that she had to look at. And I could see those things. I wanted to yell at times at Livvy and tell Emily to go away. You don't think about your loved moving on after you pass away. This story took my heart and I even cried that ending is beautiful. HIGHLY Recommend this book. If you like Christmas future and past and crazy ghosts. This is a book you need to read. This is one of my NEW favorite books.
December 12, 2017
I always like to read a Christmas book during the season. I'll read Dickens, and then something else, and this was the something else. While obviously not as well written as Dickens, it also is a ghost story, and if there is anything I like more than a Christmas story it's a Christmas story with ghosts. Livvy is not a particularly nice ghost, and definitely would be in the poltergeist category. In life she was a great advocate for her son who has Aspergers but not always the best mum. She was a rotten wife, and not really a very nice person at all. Death didn't change much, she's still a nasty, jealous, bad tempered, impatient jerk, but she's been given a chance to put things right, with the help of her spirit guide that just happens to take the form of stray black cat. Livvy finds Malachi's (the cat) direction a little too safe and conservative and chooses to not listen and go with another guide with a much more unorthodox approach, known to have inconsistent results. This is kind of an anti-romantic story, which I rather liked.
November 9, 2021
I did have some fun reading this book, but it just doesn't give me the heart-wrenching Christmassy warmth at the end of the chapters. I can't quite put my finger on where it went wrong, the writing was fun, some parts of it were funny and some of them were quite touching as well (although I do find it a little too draggy at times).
Maybe it's the fact that Adam and Emily's relationship started from a lie. So no matter how real their love is or how sacrificial Emily was at the end, it all feels a little phoney. I get that Livvy was a living hell with her drinking, but the whole story seems to centre on Adam and Emily's love, and Livvy - who is ironically supposed to be the herione here, gets portrayed as the almost-villain the whole way until the end. I think the most likeable character for me would be Joe - with his logical thinking and straightforward replies - at least no one got hurt badly from the truth he speaks.
Maybe it's the fact that Adam and Emily's relationship started from a lie. So no matter how real their love is or how sacrificial Emily was at the end, it all feels a little phoney. I get that Livvy was a living hell with her drinking, but the whole story seems to centre on Adam and Emily's love, and Livvy - who is ironically supposed to be the herione here, gets portrayed as the almost-villain the whole way until the end. I think the most likeable character for me would be Joe - with his logical thinking and straightforward replies - at least no one got hurt badly from the truth he speaks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2017
I certainly wouldn't call this book hilarious although there were one or two incidents that brought a smile to my face. The story is told from four POVs: Adam and Livvy in the first person; Emily in the third person and Joe writing in a notebook. Having started reading in the first person, I found the switch to the third person for Emily a little confusing and quite unnecessary. Obviously as this is a ghost story, it's going to be fairly unrealistic anyway but I found the idea of ghosts getting drunk and having hangovers too much to take. There was quite a bit of repetition as though the author didn't quite trust her readers to get the point the first time (or maybe she was just trying to up her word count). Possibly the best thing about the book is the idea of Joe having Asperger's and how that affected him in the story.
May 18, 2018
Livvy dies at the start of the book. It picks up a year later when her husband and son have started to move on. Adam (the husband) had been having an affair before Livvy died. Obviously this sounds bad and you're outraged and on Livvy's side. Then you find out some stuff about her life, which makes you think differently. I don't condone anyone cheating but I can kind of understand why Adam does. I still think if you're that unhappy get divorced before you start an affair. Livvy basically gets a chance to help her family and right her wrongs. It's a bittersweet story, you'd like to think if you died the people you love would never get over it but I guess that's not how it happens. And realistically I don't think you want it to.
January 2, 2019
3,5*
This is a supernatural Christmas story. The main character dies right at the start and is a ghost for the rest of the book. For me it worked decently well, but at times the paranormal side of the story got a bit too out of hand for my personal taste. (Ghost party is all I'm gonna say...)
The story itself was nice to read and while it took a bit to get going I was interested in what was going to happen next all the way through. I liked how it seemed to be very straight forward at first, with the main character being the one who was wronged, but gained depth along the way. So it wasn't at all as 2 dimensional as it seemed at the start.
The characters were rounded enough to feel real and I grew to quite like them!
All in all a good Christmas read that kept me well entertained.
This is a supernatural Christmas story. The main character dies right at the start and is a ghost for the rest of the book. For me it worked decently well, but at times the paranormal side of the story got a bit too out of hand for my personal taste. (Ghost party is all I'm gonna say...)
The story itself was nice to read and while it took a bit to get going I was interested in what was going to happen next all the way through. I liked how it seemed to be very straight forward at first, with the main character being the one who was wronged, but gained depth along the way. So it wasn't at all as 2 dimensional as it seemed at the start.
The characters were rounded enough to feel real and I grew to quite like them!
All in all a good Christmas read that kept me well entertained.
December 14, 2017
Drawn in by the intriguing premise of a dead mother of an autistic child coming to terms with her [former] life and relationships, and the promise of a "hilarious" story.
Sadly, by page 49 I gave up, having realised that I have a different sense of humour than the author, as nothing had raised my spirits, let alone the ghost of a smile.
Whilst I could get used to 4 narrators, the changes from first to third person were really annoying, and the overblown style held little promise for the next 300 plus pages.
Sadly, by page 49 I gave up, having realised that I have a different sense of humour than the author, as nothing had raised my spirits, let alone the ghost of a smile.
Whilst I could get used to 4 narrators, the changes from first to third person were really annoying, and the overblown style held little promise for the next 300 plus pages.
December 27, 2025
The book isn't bad, it just wasn't for me.
They use an outdated term for an autistic character, so that's why I put the ableism warning.
The fact that all of the main characters are flawed makes the story much more interesting. You also understand why they do the things they do. Or what the circumstances were when they happened.
If you're into Christmas books that are supernatural and deal with grief and about acceptance, has a very flawed protagonist. This book might be for you.
This a pretty easy read. It's not as heavy as it might seem at first. It's still keeps it lighthearted.
They use an outdated term for an autistic character, so that's why I put the ableism warning.
The fact that all of the main characters are flawed makes the story much more interesting. You also understand why they do the things they do. Or what the circumstances were when they happened.
If you're into Christmas books that are supernatural and deal with grief and about acceptance, has a very flawed protagonist. This book might be for you.
This a pretty easy read. It's not as heavy as it might seem at first. It's still keeps it lighthearted.
November 12, 2017
Wow this is a good book. A totally different story from all the other books I used to read. This book is funny and heart warming. A perfect read for Christmas. There are ghosts in the story but they are not scary at all. It's more a story of family love and forgiveness. First time I am reading a book by Julia Williams and I absolutely loved it!
January 8, 2024
Never have I ever read such a far-fetched snorefest. I cannot even begin to explain how unbelievable this was. Paired not only with corny clichés and simplistic writing, but also with a stream of annoyances (who still gets their train ticket clipped at Euston?!), this just wasn't for me. I'll leave it at that.
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