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It’s a Wonderful Night
Georgia Bailey is closing up her little charity shop in Oakbarrow when she gets a mysterious late night call from a stranger, threatening to jump off the town’s bridge.
Something about the man’s voice is faintly familiar but all she can do is stay on the line and after talking for hours, losing sense of time passing, coax him back from the edge.
The next morning, Georgia walks to work, buys a festive latte from Leo (who she’s had a crush on for months!) at the local coffee shop, and is shocked when she suddenly recognizes the voice from last night…
Something about the man’s voice is faintly familiar but all she can do is stay on the line and after talking for hours, losing sense of time passing, coax him back from the edge.
The next morning, Georgia walks to work, buys a festive latte from Leo (who she’s had a crush on for months!) at the local coffee shop, and is shocked when she suddenly recognizes the voice from last night…
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2018
121 people are currently reading
726 people want to read
About the author
Jaimie Admans
32 books707 followersJaimie is a 32-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, watching horror movies, and drinking tea, although she’s seriously considering marrying her coffee machine. She loves autumn and winter, and singing songs from musicals despite the fact she’s got the voice of a dying hyena. She hates spiders, hot weather, and cheese & onion crisps. She spends far too much time on Twitter and owns too many pairs of boots.
She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read.
She is the author of chick-lit romantic comedies The Chateau of Happily Ever Afters and Kismetology, and she has also written young-adult romantic comedies Afterlife Academy, Not Pretty Enough, and North Pole Reform School.
She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read.
She is the author of chick-lit romantic comedies The Chateau of Happily Ever Afters and Kismetology, and she has also written young-adult romantic comedies Afterlife Academy, Not Pretty Enough, and North Pole Reform School.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 4, 2018
It’s a Wonderful Night by Jaimie Admans is a holiday contemporary romance. Now while the cover seems whimsical and fun this one actually is set on the rather tough subjects of suicide and depression. Getting many mentions in the book is the movie It’s a Wonderful Life and while this isn’t a direct retelling it’s similar in nature.
Georgia Bailey works at local charity shop in a small town in the area of a few still privately owned shops that are struggling to compete with the big chains. One night while working late Georgia gets a phone call from a man on the side of a bridge that has mis-dialed the suicide hot line. Instead of hanging up Georgia lends and ear to someone who obviously needs it and talks the man down.
The next day as Georgia heads into work at the charity shop she discovers that the man she has had a crush on that owns the local coffee shop is the same man from the phone call the night before. Knowing that he’s struggling to keep his shop open and hang onto hope Georgia finds herself jumping in and doing whatever she can to help him wthout giving away her identity from the call.
Now, before I say anything else I would like to point out that I’m not a huge fan of the overused hide my identity trope. I’m not sure why anyone would think not being honest is a good idea and a basis to form a relationship so I struggle with believability with this one. However, I am a fan of Jaimie Admans writing as she has a way with making her characters, story and setting quite charming and likable with a dash of humor and this was no exception thankfully. In the end I’d give this 3.5 stars as the identity angst lasted a little long in my opinion but that’s from one that would prefer it not be there at all.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Georgia Bailey works at local charity shop in a small town in the area of a few still privately owned shops that are struggling to compete with the big chains. One night while working late Georgia gets a phone call from a man on the side of a bridge that has mis-dialed the suicide hot line. Instead of hanging up Georgia lends and ear to someone who obviously needs it and talks the man down.
The next day as Georgia heads into work at the charity shop she discovers that the man she has had a crush on that owns the local coffee shop is the same man from the phone call the night before. Knowing that he’s struggling to keep his shop open and hang onto hope Georgia finds herself jumping in and doing whatever she can to help him wthout giving away her identity from the call.
Now, before I say anything else I would like to point out that I’m not a huge fan of the overused hide my identity trope. I’m not sure why anyone would think not being honest is a good idea and a basis to form a relationship so I struggle with believability with this one. However, I am a fan of Jaimie Admans writing as she has a way with making her characters, story and setting quite charming and likable with a dash of humor and this was no exception thankfully. In the end I’d give this 3.5 stars as the identity angst lasted a little long in my opinion but that’s from one that would prefer it not be there at all.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
January 14, 2019
Imagine every Hallmark Channel movie ever made. Now imagine they were all spun into one film that was so sweet it would make your teeth ache. That is the gist of It’s a Wonderful Night, a barely PG (more G) romance novel by Jaime Admans.
The book opens with Georgia Bailey, a charity shop manager, taking a late night call at work from a suicidal man who has misdialed. He is threatening to jump from a local bridge and initially believes he has reached a suicide-prevention line. Georgia impresses upon him the folly of his trajectory, then gently reveals that he has the wrong number. He begs her not to hang up, and the two fall into a conversation in which they share some very intimate details about their similar hopes and dreams. It’s the anonymity that encourages the moments of introspection, fueled by the loneliness that envelopes them both. They end the call, and though both have been moved by the encounter, they seem to be resigned to the fact that they were simply two ships passing in the night. The next morning, Georgia stops into a local coffee shop to buy her morning latte and get a glimpse of Leo, the hunky barista. She is stopped in her tracks, however, when she recognizes his voice—Leo is the man on the bridge. Her knee-jerk reaction in that moment sets the stage for the rest of the book.
So...as established above, it’s a predictable plot that plays out exactly how you think it will, with lots of miscues, missed opportunities and swooning. This veers from the predictable millennial rom com, however, when we learn Georgia’s and Leo’s ages. Although they speak and act like overly-hormonal teenagers, they are actually older adults. Georgia is 34 and Leo is 37, and both are dealing with aging parents and coming to terms with regrets about the roads not taken. The problem is that the dialogue is more realistic for that of a much younger couple. While reading, I kept wishing that the author had either developed them as mature adults or made them younger to more closely reflect their seemingly immature behaviors. In any case, it takes a bit of a leap of faith to not want to smack them both and scream “GROW UP!”
I was looking for an easy read that wouldn’t make me think and that’s exactly what this book delivers. Although the author tackles head-on the issues of male suicide and depression, I didn’t find it heavy-handed enough to ruin the feel-good tone. The writing is rock solid, and the author’s style and structure make for a relaxing evening lost in the pages. Against a backdrop of references to It’s a Wonderful Life, those who know the movie will also find it to be relatable and nostalgic.
The book opens with Georgia Bailey, a charity shop manager, taking a late night call at work from a suicidal man who has misdialed. He is threatening to jump from a local bridge and initially believes he has reached a suicide-prevention line. Georgia impresses upon him the folly of his trajectory, then gently reveals that he has the wrong number. He begs her not to hang up, and the two fall into a conversation in which they share some very intimate details about their similar hopes and dreams. It’s the anonymity that encourages the moments of introspection, fueled by the loneliness that envelopes them both. They end the call, and though both have been moved by the encounter, they seem to be resigned to the fact that they were simply two ships passing in the night. The next morning, Georgia stops into a local coffee shop to buy her morning latte and get a glimpse of Leo, the hunky barista. She is stopped in her tracks, however, when she recognizes his voice—Leo is the man on the bridge. Her knee-jerk reaction in that moment sets the stage for the rest of the book.
So...as established above, it’s a predictable plot that plays out exactly how you think it will, with lots of miscues, missed opportunities and swooning. This veers from the predictable millennial rom com, however, when we learn Georgia’s and Leo’s ages. Although they speak and act like overly-hormonal teenagers, they are actually older adults. Georgia is 34 and Leo is 37, and both are dealing with aging parents and coming to terms with regrets about the roads not taken. The problem is that the dialogue is more realistic for that of a much younger couple. While reading, I kept wishing that the author had either developed them as mature adults or made them younger to more closely reflect their seemingly immature behaviors. In any case, it takes a bit of a leap of faith to not want to smack them both and scream “GROW UP!”
I was looking for an easy read that wouldn’t make me think and that’s exactly what this book delivers. Although the author tackles head-on the issues of male suicide and depression, I didn’t find it heavy-handed enough to ruin the feel-good tone. The writing is rock solid, and the author’s style and structure make for a relaxing evening lost in the pages. Against a backdrop of references to It’s a Wonderful Life, those who know the movie will also find it to be relatable and nostalgic.
November 26, 2018
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
Georgia Bailey is working very late one night at the charity shop, One Light, where she is the manager, sorting out their Christmas window display when the telephone begins to ring. Ignoring it at first, Georgia’s conscience gets the better of her and with a mouth full of Crunchie she manages to mumble hello into the receiver.
On the other end of the phone is a man who wants to know if it will hurt when he jumps off the bridge he is stood on. His tells Georgia all about his business which is in big trouble and he is about to lose everything. With no training to talk to suicidal people but knowing that she needs to keep him talking, Georgia does her best to coax him down.
Eventually, the man steps away from the edge and thanks Georgia for her patience and understanding and for making him smile again. The next day on her way to work, Georgia calls in at her local coffee shop, ‘It’s a Wonderful Latte’ and realises from the voice that the man she spoke to is the owner Leo, though he doesn’t recognise her.
Now Georgia has a mission on her hands to help Leo understand that he would be missed if he was no longer around and to help him bring in more customers. As the two get closer, Leo unfortunately only has one woman on his mind, the one who saved his life. He just doesn’t realise she is standing right next to him.
My favourite Christmas movie of all time is ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ if you haven’t seen it, you really should. With this in mind, I couldn’t wait to read ‘It’s a Wonderful Night’, knowing that the film had lots of influence on the plot.
Georgia Bailey (George Bailey is the main character in the movie), is such a beautiful person both inside and out. She hears Leo’s cries for help and is determined to help him, even if it means she is out until the early hours of the morning making his shop Christmassy. Over time she feels herself falling for Leo, but Leo is desperate to find the woman who helped him. He doesn’t know Georgia works at the charity shop, he believes she works at the bank next door.
Leo is a broken man. He dad has recently died and he bought the cafe in his memory. He can’t afford staff and the only other worker is his elderly mum. He is a man who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel but he’s slowly learning with Georgia’s help that people do need him.
Ms. Admans has clearly done her research into mental health as it really shows in her writing as the storyline covers some serious issues, but they are done with grace and a determination to get the feelings and scenes just right.
The whole book was truly wonderful to read. It made me smile the whole way through and I didn’t want it to end. It was completely heart-warming and I was hooked from the first chapter to the very end.
Georgia Bailey is working very late one night at the charity shop, One Light, where she is the manager, sorting out their Christmas window display when the telephone begins to ring. Ignoring it at first, Georgia’s conscience gets the better of her and with a mouth full of Crunchie she manages to mumble hello into the receiver.
On the other end of the phone is a man who wants to know if it will hurt when he jumps off the bridge he is stood on. His tells Georgia all about his business which is in big trouble and he is about to lose everything. With no training to talk to suicidal people but knowing that she needs to keep him talking, Georgia does her best to coax him down.
Eventually, the man steps away from the edge and thanks Georgia for her patience and understanding and for making him smile again. The next day on her way to work, Georgia calls in at her local coffee shop, ‘It’s a Wonderful Latte’ and realises from the voice that the man she spoke to is the owner Leo, though he doesn’t recognise her.
Now Georgia has a mission on her hands to help Leo understand that he would be missed if he was no longer around and to help him bring in more customers. As the two get closer, Leo unfortunately only has one woman on his mind, the one who saved his life. He just doesn’t realise she is standing right next to him.
My favourite Christmas movie of all time is ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ if you haven’t seen it, you really should. With this in mind, I couldn’t wait to read ‘It’s a Wonderful Night’, knowing that the film had lots of influence on the plot.
Georgia Bailey (George Bailey is the main character in the movie), is such a beautiful person both inside and out. She hears Leo’s cries for help and is determined to help him, even if it means she is out until the early hours of the morning making his shop Christmassy. Over time she feels herself falling for Leo, but Leo is desperate to find the woman who helped him. He doesn’t know Georgia works at the charity shop, he believes she works at the bank next door.
Leo is a broken man. He dad has recently died and he bought the cafe in his memory. He can’t afford staff and the only other worker is his elderly mum. He is a man who can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel but he’s slowly learning with Georgia’s help that people do need him.
Ms. Admans has clearly done her research into mental health as it really shows in her writing as the storyline covers some serious issues, but they are done with grace and a determination to get the feelings and scenes just right.
The whole book was truly wonderful to read. It made me smile the whole way through and I didn’t want it to end. It was completely heart-warming and I was hooked from the first chapter to the very end.
December 1, 2018
This is, without a doubt, the best Christmas story I have read in 2018. Well, that says it all and this would probably be the shortest review I am going to write. When you love something so much, it is hard to put those fragmented but intense emotions to words. This book will forever be associated with Christmases and angels for me.
The title, as you can guess is inspired by the famous Christmas movie, 'It's a Wonderful Life'. The novel follows a similar pattern and follows the lives of Leo and Georgia as the latter decides to play the role of his fairy godmother or the guardian angel. Together they bring back life and the rejuvenating spirit of Christmas to their market street. It is inspiring, imaginative and shows us how a little human kindness can bring heaven on earth. After all, the birth of Christ is the promise of peace to the virtuous.
Truly, a wonderful book and I can't wait to see what this incredible writer is capable of creating next. A story I never wanted to end . . .
The title, as you can guess is inspired by the famous Christmas movie, 'It's a Wonderful Life'. The novel follows a similar pattern and follows the lives of Leo and Georgia as the latter decides to play the role of his fairy godmother or the guardian angel. Together they bring back life and the rejuvenating spirit of Christmas to their market street. It is inspiring, imaginative and shows us how a little human kindness can bring heaven on earth. After all, the birth of Christ is the promise of peace to the virtuous.
Truly, a wonderful book and I can't wait to see what this incredible writer is capable of creating next. A story I never wanted to end . . .
November 28, 2018
I had been saving this book for a while, to read when I hopefully had enough time to savour every moment, as I had an inkling between the blurb and the author that it would be something special.
It is more than something special and needs to take pride of place in anyone's festive book collection, or in fact any bookshelf at all.
I have laughed and I have almost cried during the reading of this story - it really gave me all the feels and I was hooked on Georgia and Leo's story.
There are so many strong themes running through this book, mental health, the decline of the high street, nostalgia for Christmas's past, and the film It's A Wonderful Life to name a few. And between them all these story elements combine into a simply wonderful story.
The plot is incredible, it has everything you could want from a book set in December in the run up to Christmas. I loved how although there is a massive lie at the heart of the book it is there for all the right reasons, but equally could blow up in Georgia’s face completely.
There are some completely light hearted moments, the suggestions from Leo about Santa for their big project are hilarious, as were some of their conversations. But other times there was a more sensitive serious tone to the book which just drew me in further.
And the descriptions, well they are fabulous. There is a scene in Hawthorns where I could picture every last thing so, so clearly and the best way I can describe it was like I was reading a description of Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium – I got the exact same feeling from both of those!
It’s a Wonderful Night is without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year, and I would recommend it to just about everyone. It is just that good!
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
It is more than something special and needs to take pride of place in anyone's festive book collection, or in fact any bookshelf at all.
I have laughed and I have almost cried during the reading of this story - it really gave me all the feels and I was hooked on Georgia and Leo's story.
There are so many strong themes running through this book, mental health, the decline of the high street, nostalgia for Christmas's past, and the film It's A Wonderful Life to name a few. And between them all these story elements combine into a simply wonderful story.
The plot is incredible, it has everything you could want from a book set in December in the run up to Christmas. I loved how although there is a massive lie at the heart of the book it is there for all the right reasons, but equally could blow up in Georgia’s face completely.
There are some completely light hearted moments, the suggestions from Leo about Santa for their big project are hilarious, as were some of their conversations. But other times there was a more sensitive serious tone to the book which just drew me in further.
And the descriptions, well they are fabulous. There is a scene in Hawthorns where I could picture every last thing so, so clearly and the best way I can describe it was like I was reading a description of Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium – I got the exact same feeling from both of those!
It’s a Wonderful Night is without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year, and I would recommend it to just about everyone. It is just that good!
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
March 24, 2020
If you’re after a modern holiday romance, “It’s a Wonderful Night” by Jaimie Admans, is a fun, beautifully written, uplifting relationship read, which focuses on the serious subjects of depression and suicide, whilst staying light hearted and entertaining. Anyone who has watched the movie “It’s Wonderful Life” and enjoyed the moral to that story and it’s characters, will certainly enjoy this fabulous story as much as I did. With a nod to the movie in various threads, I admired how the author tackled the issue of suicide and depression respectfully and not heavy handed and how I endeared to the characters instantly and their many quirks.
This is very much a Christmas book but I read over a very distressing period of time during the current pandemic and still enjoyed regardless of being out of season. I found it a wonderful distraction and I would heartily recommend this special book for any time of the year or as a light fun read that has a serious message of ‘it’s okay to not be okay’ and #ItsGoodToTalk. Humorous, witty, emotional, captivating and engaging, it’s a solid 5 stars from me!
This is very much a Christmas book but I read over a very distressing period of time during the current pandemic and still enjoyed regardless of being out of season. I found it a wonderful distraction and I would heartily recommend this special book for any time of the year or as a light fun read that has a serious message of ‘it’s okay to not be okay’ and #ItsGoodToTalk. Humorous, witty, emotional, captivating and engaging, it’s a solid 5 stars from me!
October 12, 2018
This is my favourite book of the whole entire year. I have so much love for this beautiful book. It is simply magical and beautiful and I loved it.
Georgia works in the One Light charity shop, for a suicide prevention charity. One night she gets a call from a distressed man who is in desperate need of help. He has found a leaflet on the side of the bridge which Georgia puts there every morning, in the hope that if someone needs help they will be able to find what they need. Sadly dispite telling headoffice that their numbers are too close together and that a person in need could ring the charity shop, instead of the helpline number, and get through to untrained staff. Georgia’s fears have come true and this is exactly what has happened. Not wanting to give the number, or put down the phone on someone who desperately needs help. Georgia does something that she knows she could get fired for. She stays on the phone and talks to the person at the end of the phone. All about their problems, their lives and about normal every day things. The conversation has the desired effect and the person decides that they are happy to give life one more chance.
Every morning Georgia goes into the It’s a wonderful latte coffee shop (named after the fabulous Christmas movie it’s a wonderful life)on the way to work. To get her morning coffee. As she has been in love with Leo for as long as he has taken over the coffee shop from his father who sadly passed away.
However their morning coffee this morning has Georgia discovering that the man that she spoke to on the phone the night before was in fact Leo. Desperate to help him in anyway she can Georgia formulates a plan to not only help Leo, to save the coffee shop but to also transform the street that they work back into the former glory that it was.
I really don’t want to give anymore information away then this. As it is something that you have to read and fall in love with just as I have. This book is the perfect Christmas read.
This book is truely beautiful. It is so well written and tackles a sensitive subject fantastically. I truely loved this book and it made me feel so christmassy, it was like a big bear hug in book form. It really is my favourite book of the whole entire year and there is no amount of love too big for this book.
Just remember everyone
You are enough
No matter how impossible things may seem, you truely have a wonderful life and the world will always be better with you in it.
Georgia works in the One Light charity shop, for a suicide prevention charity. One night she gets a call from a distressed man who is in desperate need of help. He has found a leaflet on the side of the bridge which Georgia puts there every morning, in the hope that if someone needs help they will be able to find what they need. Sadly dispite telling headoffice that their numbers are too close together and that a person in need could ring the charity shop, instead of the helpline number, and get through to untrained staff. Georgia’s fears have come true and this is exactly what has happened. Not wanting to give the number, or put down the phone on someone who desperately needs help. Georgia does something that she knows she could get fired for. She stays on the phone and talks to the person at the end of the phone. All about their problems, their lives and about normal every day things. The conversation has the desired effect and the person decides that they are happy to give life one more chance.
Every morning Georgia goes into the It’s a wonderful latte coffee shop (named after the fabulous Christmas movie it’s a wonderful life)on the way to work. To get her morning coffee. As she has been in love with Leo for as long as he has taken over the coffee shop from his father who sadly passed away.
However their morning coffee this morning has Georgia discovering that the man that she spoke to on the phone the night before was in fact Leo. Desperate to help him in anyway she can Georgia formulates a plan to not only help Leo, to save the coffee shop but to also transform the street that they work back into the former glory that it was.
I really don’t want to give anymore information away then this. As it is something that you have to read and fall in love with just as I have. This book is the perfect Christmas read.
This book is truely beautiful. It is so well written and tackles a sensitive subject fantastically. I truely loved this book and it made me feel so christmassy, it was like a big bear hug in book form. It really is my favourite book of the whole entire year and there is no amount of love too big for this book.
Just remember everyone
You are enough
No matter how impossible things may seem, you truely have a wonderful life and the world will always be better with you in it.
December 10, 2018
This was a fantastic read with one of the most unique premises and "meet cutes" I have ever encountered.
Georgia Bailey is on the receiving end of a misplaced call by a man contemplating suicide on a bridge in her small town of Oakbarrow and who accidentally didn't get through to the charity line intended.
Georgia feels an immediate kinship as she keeps the man on the line and talking and discovers that she might actually know him...well.
He's Leo, the owner of It's a Wonderful Latte, the humorous and sunshiny barista who makes her smile each morning.
While Georgia hides her secret from Leo who looks and cherishes the woman who saved his life through a kismet-of-a-phone call, they both start to change the town high street back to the nostalgic magic it knew during Christmases of yore.
There is a marvellous sense of place here and a truly lovely nod to the film it pays reverent homage too.
While the novel can plod in a few too many dialogue-heavy scenes, I understand the author's intention to let us get to know Georgia and Leo and their kindred spirit connection to the point where they winnow into us and steal our hearts.
To add, the theme of the story is strong enough without author invasion to remind us of it, but I read that as the author being overly cautious as she explores mental illness and suicide through the lens of a Christmas novel.
I really loved the premise to this -- one of those one in a million premises-- and I will definitely read more by this author. This is a sweet uplifting romance about a woman who saves a man through a kismet phone call but more so every subsequently alive night after as she helps him find something to live for again.
It's all very Bedford Falls and all delicious as a mince pie latte.
Georgia Bailey is on the receiving end of a misplaced call by a man contemplating suicide on a bridge in her small town of Oakbarrow and who accidentally didn't get through to the charity line intended.
Georgia feels an immediate kinship as she keeps the man on the line and talking and discovers that she might actually know him...well.
He's Leo, the owner of It's a Wonderful Latte, the humorous and sunshiny barista who makes her smile each morning.
While Georgia hides her secret from Leo who looks and cherishes the woman who saved his life through a kismet-of-a-phone call, they both start to change the town high street back to the nostalgic magic it knew during Christmases of yore.
There is a marvellous sense of place here and a truly lovely nod to the film it pays reverent homage too.
While the novel can plod in a few too many dialogue-heavy scenes, I understand the author's intention to let us get to know Georgia and Leo and their kindred spirit connection to the point where they winnow into us and steal our hearts.
To add, the theme of the story is strong enough without author invasion to remind us of it, but I read that as the author being overly cautious as she explores mental illness and suicide through the lens of a Christmas novel.
I really loved the premise to this -- one of those one in a million premises-- and I will definitely read more by this author. This is a sweet uplifting romance about a woman who saves a man through a kismet phone call but more so every subsequently alive night after as she helps him find something to live for again.
It's all very Bedford Falls and all delicious as a mince pie latte.
November 24, 2018
Oh wow, I have absolutely fallen in love with this book, it was perfect in every way. I was literally glued to it's pages from start to finish. It was full of Christmas festive moments, plus heartwarming and entertaining, not to mention a few giggly moments throughout the story too.
I loved the setting and getting to know all of the characters was such a joy, all of whom were so very well written. How the film 'It's a Wonderful Life' plays a huge part in the story throughout and is so cleverly woven into the story, it really was fantastically written. I should probably mention here that I've not even seen the film before, well that will have to change now lol.
This book struck a chord with me as some of the things that Georgia said about life really did ring true, and I could totally relate to them as I have the same feelings within me. So because of that I felt as if I had a pretty close connection with Georgia throughout the whole of the story.
Random fact about the book: Being a bit of a flavoured coffee lover, I absolutely loved the sound of the Christmas coffees on offer at It's a Wonderful Latte shop, warm apple pie, caramel pecan, chestnut praline, gingerbread biscotti, mince pie, orange and cranberry. I'd be doing exactly the same as Georgia, visiting every morning so as to try a new flavour each day until I'd decided on my favourite one. Coffee heaven for sure.
I absolutely adore this author's books and I can't wait to read her next one already.
I loved the setting and getting to know all of the characters was such a joy, all of whom were so very well written. How the film 'It's a Wonderful Life' plays a huge part in the story throughout and is so cleverly woven into the story, it really was fantastically written. I should probably mention here that I've not even seen the film before, well that will have to change now lol.
This book struck a chord with me as some of the things that Georgia said about life really did ring true, and I could totally relate to them as I have the same feelings within me. So because of that I felt as if I had a pretty close connection with Georgia throughout the whole of the story.
Random fact about the book: Being a bit of a flavoured coffee lover, I absolutely loved the sound of the Christmas coffees on offer at It's a Wonderful Latte shop, warm apple pie, caramel pecan, chestnut praline, gingerbread biscotti, mince pie, orange and cranberry. I'd be doing exactly the same as Georgia, visiting every morning so as to try a new flavour each day until I'd decided on my favourite one. Coffee heaven for sure.
I absolutely adore this author's books and I can't wait to read her next one already.
January 3, 2024
Depressing, British version of a G-rated, Hallmark, small-town romance
Georgia Bailey is a beautiful, 34-year-old woman with an art degree, who has been working the past four years as the manager of the One Light Charity Shop (similar to a non-profit thrift store in the USA) on High Street (similar to Main Street in the USA, a typical name for the central street in a small town), in the fictional village of Oakbarrow, in Gloucestershire, England, where she has resided her whole life. She expresses her artistic talent by creating attractive window displays. Georgia lives (apparently rent free) in her 79-year-old father's house. He retired 10 years ago from his position working for the Oakbarrow Council (similar to the City Council of towns in the USA, which is the elected, political ruling body). The favorite film of Georgia's mother, who died some years ago, was the classic, American Christmas movie from 1946, It's a Wonderful Life (IAWL). Her mother loved it so fanatically, in fact, she was absolutely delighted when she fell in love with and married a man whose last name is Bailey, and it was a foregone conclusion that her first child would be named after the MMC of that movie, George Bailey (GB). Similar to Georgia's mother, her father has always been a huge fan of the Christmas season, and he was in charge of Oakbarrow's Christmas decorations every year until he retired, a tradition that has, sadly, fallen by the wayside without him to maintain it.
Leo Summers is the handsome, 37-year-old owner of a coffee shop called, It's a Wonderful Latte. Coincidentally, Leo's parents also adored the movie IAWL, hence the name of his coffee shop. Leo went into debt to buy the coffee shop two-and-a-half years ago, six months after his father died. This was not his personal dream, but his father's, and he did it to honor his father's memory. His mother, who is currently 77 years old, is the baker for the coffee shop, which has no other employees.
Leo's coffee shop is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, and many other shops on High Street have closed up during the past two years. The only businesses that have continued to barely eke out a living are: the non-profit One Light Charity Shop, a tanning shop, a lingerie shop, a TV repair shop, and a bank called the Building and Loan (BAL), which is another coincidental echo of IAWL, in that GB ran a small savings and loan called the BAL. A retail park, with multiple big-box stores (similar to Walmart or Target in the USA), is the reason that almost all of the small, privately owned businesses on High Street have precipitously died out.
Leo's mother is presented as mentally alert, besides being physically spry enough to be on her feet over eight hours a day baking and, presumably, she is in touch with reality. But Leo has convinced himself that she has no inkling that their customer-free coffee shop is going bust. However, he has had no direct conversation with her about it, nor she with him, in keeping with a major theme throughout this novel of the FMC and MMC never initiating the type of basic, significant conversations that mature, proactive adults regularly engage in. In addition, because Leo always "puts on a happy face," as the famous song lyric proclaims, no one, including his mother, has noticed that he is suicidally depressed, entirely because he blames himself for the collapse of his father-honoring business.
In the opening scene of this novel, Leo is contemplating killing himself by jumping off of the old steel bridge that leads out of the village of Oakbarrow, and he phones Georgia's charity shop under the assumption he has called a suicide hotline. This occurs because, coincidentally (coincidences, combined with failures to communicate, are a major staple of this novel), that very day, Georgia had placed One Light flyers on that same bridge, in anticipation of just such an event. The flyers provide both the phone number for the charity shop and the One Light Suicide Hotline right next to each other. Georgia had previously complained to upper management of One Light that, someday, someone was going to get the numbers mixed up between the charity shop and the suicide hotline, but they blew her off. And now what she feared has come to pass. Georgia has no formal training in talking someone out of self-harm, but she also has no means to transfer this desperate caller (whom she does not know, at this point, is Leo) to the proper number, because the shop has an ancient, rotary phone. As a result, she ends up talking to her desperate, anonymous caller for hours. In the process, they both blurt out many personal facts about themselves that would make it imminently possible for virtually anyone who has worked on High Street for years, and especially someone who is also a lifelong resident of this extremely small town (which is true for both Georgia and Leo), to decipher who the anonymous person they are talking to is in the real world. And of course, it is inconceivable that they wouldn't both, the first time they spoke to each other in person, recognize the voice of the individual whom they talked to extensively on the phone.
Georgia does, in fact, within less than 24 hours, figure out that her caller was the man she has always referred to as, "coffee shop Leo" (she has never bothered to discover his last name). Both because she recognizes his voice and puts that together with the multiple clues he provided about his life. However, Leo is more than ordinarily clueless, because he does not unravel the mystery of who the woman was, who talked him out of killing himself, until nearly the end of this book.
For me personally, this G-rated, small-town romance is a failure on two important counts. First, as an extremely blatant homage to IAWL and, second, as an engaging romance.
I do understand that there is no ironclad, literary rule that states that an homage story has to match up, point by point, to its progenitor. However, this story makes such a huge deal of repetitiously spewing (often wildly unmotivated) references to IAWL out of the mouths of multiple characters, much more is expected in the way of a meaningful correlation than when a story is subtle in its homage. These are the issues I had with it:
(1) The bleak descriptions of this novel's chief setting, High Street of Oakbarrow, is a Bizarro World version of Bedford Falls (GB's home town), which is, essentially, a claustrophobic version of Pottersville. (If you've ever watched IAWL, and this novel certainly assumes that the whole world is familiar with that movie, then you will know that, after GB's guardian angel, Clarence, saves him from death, he then shows GB what Bedford Falls would look like if he never existed. It is magically transformed into Pottersville, a nightmare town presided over as his personal fiefdom by the villainous banker, Mr Potter.) In this novel, Oakbarrow's decayed High Street looks nothing like the bustling little town of Bedford Falls. In only a handful of years, the deserted streets, sidewalks, and buildings have implausibly, physically deteriorated to a degree that, in the real world, would take at least 75 years, or the equivalent of an overnight apocalypse, to achieve.
(2) The BAL in Oakbarrow is a corporate satellite which, unlike for GB in IAWL, is managed by neither Leo nor Georgia. Worse, neither Georgia nor Leo is even a customer of that bank, which makes no sense, given that it is conveniently located right there on the same block where their businesses are. In addition, in general, it is unbelievable that this bank branch is still open. Banks close their branches all the time when a particular branch no longer generates sufficient income to be self-supporting, and there is no indication that this BAL has any regular customers.
(3) Though Georgia shares the same name as GB, even having the nickname, "George," she is nothing like her namesake. Neither is Leo, other than the fact that both he and GB contemplated committing suicide by jumping off a bridge. Bernard, a homeless man, who is a significant subcharacter throughout this novel (and, coincidentally, is extremely familiar with IAWL), refers to Georgia multiple times as, Clarence, in order to make it absolutely clear to the reader which character of the movie she is, in spite of her name, supposed to represent. Georgia does share the similarity to Clarence of preventing Leo from leaping to his death and a determination to motivate him to keep on living. Unfortunately, she cannot show Leo what the world would be like if he did not exist, because she is not an actual angel. And even if she were an angel, unlike GB, Leo has done nothing remotely significant that has strongly impacted Oakbarrow for the better. For that matter, neither has Georgia. She is portrayed throughout this novel as someone who has a habit of trying, in small ways, to assist unfortunate, helpless people and animals. But she doesn't get inspired to try and repair her decrepit hometown until she is trying to (codependently) rescue Leo, and any help to the town itself is merely a happy, (additional) coincidence.
Which brings me to the romance that, from my perspective as a longtime romance fan, has the following, disappointing flaws:
(1) Though Georgia and Leo are only four years apart in age, there is no indication they ever met each other or even ran into each other until Leo opened up his coffee shop 2.5 years before--yet another dubious situation, in a story rife with flimsy premises, because Oakbarrow is a very small town.
(2) Georgia has not dated for the past six years, since she refuses to leave Oakbarrow, in which, we are meant to presume, no man of an appropriate age is single and available except Leo.
(3) Georgia has had a crush on Leo from the moment she met him, but nothing has ever come of it, because neither of these apathetic people has been interested enough in the other to make an effort to spend time with each other outside of the two minutes every working day that Georgia stops into Leo's shop to purchase an expensive cup of coffee. Georgia hasn't even bothered to mention to Leo the most conspicuous thing they have in common, IAWL, as an obvious conversation opener.
(4) Though Leo is quite sweet natured, and the farthest thing imaginable from being an Alpha, he is prevented by the structure of this Big Lie plot from performing the role of the Alpha's opposite number, a Cinnamon Roll, who sacrifices all to make the FMC happy. Ethically, he believes he cannot allow himself, during the vast majority of this novel, to view Georgia as anything but a very nice lady, who feels sorry for him and wants to save his business for him, since he has strong romantic feelings for the anonymous woman who saved him from himself on the phone. As a result, Leo relegates himself, and Georgia encourages him in doing so, to the one-down position of just another pathetic, passive individual, whom Georgia feels strongly drawn to save. Not exactly inspiring, romance-hero material.
(5) It is not a spoiler to say that this novel exhibits the inevitable, overall structure of a Big Lie romance: The FMC must lie to the MMC (and occasionally the reverse, such as when the MMC has made an obnoxious, infantile bet about the FMC prior to their Meet Cute), for basically the entire book so that, when the truth is finally exposed to the deceived MC at the dramatic climax of the story, the MC can become self-righteously enraged at the liar. This creates the Dark Period, when all seems lost, which is an essential feature of all popular fiction. I think from now on I need to avoid Big Lie romances (unless they are 40,000-word, teen romcoms, in which emotional immaturity is more acceptable). Similar to the deceived MC, I always find that particular romantic conflict both morally bankrupt and pathetically passive on the part of the liar MC, and I am not as forgiving of the liar as the deceived MC always is in these stories. Over and over and over again, we are told that moral-coward, Georgia, is never going to confess her Big Lie to Leo, because it will threaten her job, and maybe she'll get into legal trouble for violating his privacy and becoming a benevolent stalker, and she is afraid that Leo is going to get mad and hate her forever, and she will lose his platonic friendship, which is all they can ever have, since the Big Lie means they can never have a romance. Blah, blah. Blah. This is the sole romantic conflict of this story, and it gets really old, really irritating, and really boring, long before the book is over.
To be fair, I have raised up my rating of this story from 2 stars to 2.5 stars, because it does deliver the expected schmaltzy HEA, with no sensual contact throughout other than a kiss or two, that readers of G-rated, small-town romances expect. I have rounded up that 2.5 to 3 stars.
Georgia Bailey is a beautiful, 34-year-old woman with an art degree, who has been working the past four years as the manager of the One Light Charity Shop (similar to a non-profit thrift store in the USA) on High Street (similar to Main Street in the USA, a typical name for the central street in a small town), in the fictional village of Oakbarrow, in Gloucestershire, England, where she has resided her whole life. She expresses her artistic talent by creating attractive window displays. Georgia lives (apparently rent free) in her 79-year-old father's house. He retired 10 years ago from his position working for the Oakbarrow Council (similar to the City Council of towns in the USA, which is the elected, political ruling body). The favorite film of Georgia's mother, who died some years ago, was the classic, American Christmas movie from 1946, It's a Wonderful Life (IAWL). Her mother loved it so fanatically, in fact, she was absolutely delighted when she fell in love with and married a man whose last name is Bailey, and it was a foregone conclusion that her first child would be named after the MMC of that movie, George Bailey (GB). Similar to Georgia's mother, her father has always been a huge fan of the Christmas season, and he was in charge of Oakbarrow's Christmas decorations every year until he retired, a tradition that has, sadly, fallen by the wayside without him to maintain it.
Leo Summers is the handsome, 37-year-old owner of a coffee shop called, It's a Wonderful Latte. Coincidentally, Leo's parents also adored the movie IAWL, hence the name of his coffee shop. Leo went into debt to buy the coffee shop two-and-a-half years ago, six months after his father died. This was not his personal dream, but his father's, and he did it to honor his father's memory. His mother, who is currently 77 years old, is the baker for the coffee shop, which has no other employees.
Leo's coffee shop is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, and many other shops on High Street have closed up during the past two years. The only businesses that have continued to barely eke out a living are: the non-profit One Light Charity Shop, a tanning shop, a lingerie shop, a TV repair shop, and a bank called the Building and Loan (BAL), which is another coincidental echo of IAWL, in that GB ran a small savings and loan called the BAL. A retail park, with multiple big-box stores (similar to Walmart or Target in the USA), is the reason that almost all of the small, privately owned businesses on High Street have precipitously died out.
Leo's mother is presented as mentally alert, besides being physically spry enough to be on her feet over eight hours a day baking and, presumably, she is in touch with reality. But Leo has convinced himself that she has no inkling that their customer-free coffee shop is going bust. However, he has had no direct conversation with her about it, nor she with him, in keeping with a major theme throughout this novel of the FMC and MMC never initiating the type of basic, significant conversations that mature, proactive adults regularly engage in. In addition, because Leo always "puts on a happy face," as the famous song lyric proclaims, no one, including his mother, has noticed that he is suicidally depressed, entirely because he blames himself for the collapse of his father-honoring business.
In the opening scene of this novel, Leo is contemplating killing himself by jumping off of the old steel bridge that leads out of the village of Oakbarrow, and he phones Georgia's charity shop under the assumption he has called a suicide hotline. This occurs because, coincidentally (coincidences, combined with failures to communicate, are a major staple of this novel), that very day, Georgia had placed One Light flyers on that same bridge, in anticipation of just such an event. The flyers provide both the phone number for the charity shop and the One Light Suicide Hotline right next to each other. Georgia had previously complained to upper management of One Light that, someday, someone was going to get the numbers mixed up between the charity shop and the suicide hotline, but they blew her off. And now what she feared has come to pass. Georgia has no formal training in talking someone out of self-harm, but she also has no means to transfer this desperate caller (whom she does not know, at this point, is Leo) to the proper number, because the shop has an ancient, rotary phone. As a result, she ends up talking to her desperate, anonymous caller for hours. In the process, they both blurt out many personal facts about themselves that would make it imminently possible for virtually anyone who has worked on High Street for years, and especially someone who is also a lifelong resident of this extremely small town (which is true for both Georgia and Leo), to decipher who the anonymous person they are talking to is in the real world. And of course, it is inconceivable that they wouldn't both, the first time they spoke to each other in person, recognize the voice of the individual whom they talked to extensively on the phone.
Georgia does, in fact, within less than 24 hours, figure out that her caller was the man she has always referred to as, "coffee shop Leo" (she has never bothered to discover his last name). Both because she recognizes his voice and puts that together with the multiple clues he provided about his life. However, Leo is more than ordinarily clueless, because he does not unravel the mystery of who the woman was, who talked him out of killing himself, until nearly the end of this book.
For me personally, this G-rated, small-town romance is a failure on two important counts. First, as an extremely blatant homage to IAWL and, second, as an engaging romance.
I do understand that there is no ironclad, literary rule that states that an homage story has to match up, point by point, to its progenitor. However, this story makes such a huge deal of repetitiously spewing (often wildly unmotivated) references to IAWL out of the mouths of multiple characters, much more is expected in the way of a meaningful correlation than when a story is subtle in its homage. These are the issues I had with it:
(1) The bleak descriptions of this novel's chief setting, High Street of Oakbarrow, is a Bizarro World version of Bedford Falls (GB's home town), which is, essentially, a claustrophobic version of Pottersville. (If you've ever watched IAWL, and this novel certainly assumes that the whole world is familiar with that movie, then you will know that, after GB's guardian angel, Clarence, saves him from death, he then shows GB what Bedford Falls would look like if he never existed. It is magically transformed into Pottersville, a nightmare town presided over as his personal fiefdom by the villainous banker, Mr Potter.) In this novel, Oakbarrow's decayed High Street looks nothing like the bustling little town of Bedford Falls. In only a handful of years, the deserted streets, sidewalks, and buildings have implausibly, physically deteriorated to a degree that, in the real world, would take at least 75 years, or the equivalent of an overnight apocalypse, to achieve.
(2) The BAL in Oakbarrow is a corporate satellite which, unlike for GB in IAWL, is managed by neither Leo nor Georgia. Worse, neither Georgia nor Leo is even a customer of that bank, which makes no sense, given that it is conveniently located right there on the same block where their businesses are. In addition, in general, it is unbelievable that this bank branch is still open. Banks close their branches all the time when a particular branch no longer generates sufficient income to be self-supporting, and there is no indication that this BAL has any regular customers.
(3) Though Georgia shares the same name as GB, even having the nickname, "George," she is nothing like her namesake. Neither is Leo, other than the fact that both he and GB contemplated committing suicide by jumping off a bridge. Bernard, a homeless man, who is a significant subcharacter throughout this novel (and, coincidentally, is extremely familiar with IAWL), refers to Georgia multiple times as, Clarence, in order to make it absolutely clear to the reader which character of the movie she is, in spite of her name, supposed to represent. Georgia does share the similarity to Clarence of preventing Leo from leaping to his death and a determination to motivate him to keep on living. Unfortunately, she cannot show Leo what the world would be like if he did not exist, because she is not an actual angel. And even if she were an angel, unlike GB, Leo has done nothing remotely significant that has strongly impacted Oakbarrow for the better. For that matter, neither has Georgia. She is portrayed throughout this novel as someone who has a habit of trying, in small ways, to assist unfortunate, helpless people and animals. But she doesn't get inspired to try and repair her decrepit hometown until she is trying to (codependently) rescue Leo, and any help to the town itself is merely a happy, (additional) coincidence.
Which brings me to the romance that, from my perspective as a longtime romance fan, has the following, disappointing flaws:
(1) Though Georgia and Leo are only four years apart in age, there is no indication they ever met each other or even ran into each other until Leo opened up his coffee shop 2.5 years before--yet another dubious situation, in a story rife with flimsy premises, because Oakbarrow is a very small town.
(2) Georgia has not dated for the past six years, since she refuses to leave Oakbarrow, in which, we are meant to presume, no man of an appropriate age is single and available except Leo.
(3) Georgia has had a crush on Leo from the moment she met him, but nothing has ever come of it, because neither of these apathetic people has been interested enough in the other to make an effort to spend time with each other outside of the two minutes every working day that Georgia stops into Leo's shop to purchase an expensive cup of coffee. Georgia hasn't even bothered to mention to Leo the most conspicuous thing they have in common, IAWL, as an obvious conversation opener.
(4) Though Leo is quite sweet natured, and the farthest thing imaginable from being an Alpha, he is prevented by the structure of this Big Lie plot from performing the role of the Alpha's opposite number, a Cinnamon Roll, who sacrifices all to make the FMC happy. Ethically, he believes he cannot allow himself, during the vast majority of this novel, to view Georgia as anything but a very nice lady, who feels sorry for him and wants to save his business for him, since he has strong romantic feelings for the anonymous woman who saved him from himself on the phone. As a result, Leo relegates himself, and Georgia encourages him in doing so, to the one-down position of just another pathetic, passive individual, whom Georgia feels strongly drawn to save. Not exactly inspiring, romance-hero material.
(5) It is not a spoiler to say that this novel exhibits the inevitable, overall structure of a Big Lie romance: The FMC must lie to the MMC (and occasionally the reverse, such as when the MMC has made an obnoxious, infantile bet about the FMC prior to their Meet Cute), for basically the entire book so that, when the truth is finally exposed to the deceived MC at the dramatic climax of the story, the MC can become self-righteously enraged at the liar. This creates the Dark Period, when all seems lost, which is an essential feature of all popular fiction. I think from now on I need to avoid Big Lie romances (unless they are 40,000-word, teen romcoms, in which emotional immaturity is more acceptable). Similar to the deceived MC, I always find that particular romantic conflict both morally bankrupt and pathetically passive on the part of the liar MC, and I am not as forgiving of the liar as the deceived MC always is in these stories. Over and over and over again, we are told that moral-coward, Georgia, is never going to confess her Big Lie to Leo, because it will threaten her job, and maybe she'll get into legal trouble for violating his privacy and becoming a benevolent stalker, and she is afraid that Leo is going to get mad and hate her forever, and she will lose his platonic friendship, which is all they can ever have, since the Big Lie means they can never have a romance. Blah, blah. Blah. This is the sole romantic conflict of this story, and it gets really old, really irritating, and really boring, long before the book is over.
To be fair, I have raised up my rating of this story from 2 stars to 2.5 stars, because it does deliver the expected schmaltzy HEA, with no sensual contact throughout other than a kiss or two, that readers of G-rated, small-town romances expect. I have rounded up that 2.5 to 3 stars.
November 11, 2018
This was a lovely feel good read and my first festive book of the year. Loved the main characters and how their relationship slowly developed during the course of the book. And of course everyone loves a happy ending. I have admit to having never seen the film in question. I can read books for hours but don't have the attention span to watch an entire film. This us my second book by this author and i'm unsure if she has written any.others but it's something I will be looking into. Thanks to TBC and to the author for the chance to read this title in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2018
Sweet little book, kind of predictable plot, but sweet. I kept thinking the main character (Leo) was a 14 year old boy instead of a 37 year old British man, but maybe the author watched too many Hugh Grant movies.
December 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. The idea of restoring the love for and custom of the high street was really well written. It is a topical problem here in the UK unfortunately and this book portrays how the decline in this type of business can ruin lives. Mental health issues are sensitively covered as is homelessness and grief.
I loved all the characters and the bubbling chemistry between the two main protagonists. Some parts in the middle felt a little far fetched, however this did not detract too much from the lovely romance whilst also raising awareness of important issues.
Definitely a lovely read for Christmas time
I loved all the characters and the bubbling chemistry between the two main protagonists. Some parts in the middle felt a little far fetched, however this did not detract too much from the lovely romance whilst also raising awareness of important issues.
Definitely a lovely read for Christmas time
November 5, 2018
Loved it. My favourite book this year. I had read Kismetology by Jaimie a few years ago and really enjoyed it, but this was even better. If you are a fan of It's A Wonderful Life (and I've only seen it once) you truly are in for a treat with all the references.
October 14, 2018
‘It’s a Wonderful Night’ proved to be a wonderful book! However, don’t assume from the cover that it is a cosy romance, it actually deals with the issue of suicide and depression as well as community spirit and working together as part of a heartwarming romance.
When someone phones the charity shop where Georgia Bailey works by mistake she can’t just tell him it is the wrong number - the caller is on a local bridge considering suicide. As she talks to him, she feels he’s familiar but isn’t sure just who he is - until she buys a coffee at her local coffee shop. That’s when she realises it was the person always greets her with a smile and happy comment, the person who has served her coffee for the last two years, Leo. She doesn’t want him to realise it was her he spoke to and so begins a series of escapades as she endeavours to help him whilst not letting on about speaking on the phone….. Get ready for fun, friends, mad dashes, secrets and romance as well as helping regenerate the local high street for Christmas!
For anyone who enjoys the film with the same title, this will definitely appeal as there are references to it throughout the story. Whilst it does deal with difficult issues, and I really wished the lying and deceit had stopped earlier, it is well balanced and has a heartwarming, positive ending. The characters are all well developed - there are so many of them worthy of mention as well as the main couple. I really hope this will be the start of a new series based on the High Street and new community spirit which develops through this story. I’d love to learn more about some of Georgia’s friends and supporters in the Bank and, of course, Bernard! It is a magical Christmas read full of the spirit of community, hope and love.
I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.
When someone phones the charity shop where Georgia Bailey works by mistake she can’t just tell him it is the wrong number - the caller is on a local bridge considering suicide. As she talks to him, she feels he’s familiar but isn’t sure just who he is - until she buys a coffee at her local coffee shop. That’s when she realises it was the person always greets her with a smile and happy comment, the person who has served her coffee for the last two years, Leo. She doesn’t want him to realise it was her he spoke to and so begins a series of escapades as she endeavours to help him whilst not letting on about speaking on the phone….. Get ready for fun, friends, mad dashes, secrets and romance as well as helping regenerate the local high street for Christmas!
For anyone who enjoys the film with the same title, this will definitely appeal as there are references to it throughout the story. Whilst it does deal with difficult issues, and I really wished the lying and deceit had stopped earlier, it is well balanced and has a heartwarming, positive ending. The characters are all well developed - there are so many of them worthy of mention as well as the main couple. I really hope this will be the start of a new series based on the High Street and new community spirit which develops through this story. I’d love to learn more about some of Georgia’s friends and supporters in the Bank and, of course, Bernard! It is a magical Christmas read full of the spirit of community, hope and love.
I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.
January 26, 2021
I think I’m probably going against every other review on this book but.... I thought this book was awful and I struggled to finish it. It’s started off well. The theme was emotive and made you want to read on. However, very quickly both the characters and plot became contrived and predictable. There was a lot of repetition in the book and the humorous parts felt clumsy and forced . It really wasn’t for me at all but I’m sure lots of people will value this as a seasonal, light read. Not one that I will be revisiting.
July 29, 2019
3.5 stars
This reminded me of a Hallmark movie--cute and clean. (Not super cheesy like some of the Hallmark ones.) It is probably enjoyed more during Christmastime; I didn't realize how Christmas-focused it would be. The romance was built well, and I enjoyed the characters. I was prevented from loving it more because the foundation of the romance was a lie that went on for much longer in the book than I anticipated; lying in a relationship for that long just bugged me.
This reminded me of a Hallmark movie--cute and clean. (Not super cheesy like some of the Hallmark ones.) It is probably enjoyed more during Christmastime; I didn't realize how Christmas-focused it would be. The romance was built well, and I enjoyed the characters. I was prevented from loving it more because the foundation of the romance was a lie that went on for much longer in the book than I anticipated; lying in a relationship for that long just bugged me.
November 28, 2018
I loved this, from the moment I started reading it I was sucked in and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. It made me feel all cosy and it seemed so magical. I've never actually watched Its a Wonderful Life and because of this book this Christmas I'm going to watch it.
I cant wait to read more of Jaimie's books, I loved the Wedding Island aswell. Five stars
I cant wait to read more of Jaimie's books, I loved the Wedding Island aswell. Five stars
October 21, 2018
Jaimie Admans’ books are always a joy to read. They’re fun and funny and always have a magical quality and something about them that makes them feel different from anything else I’ve read.
It’s a Wonderful Night had that magical quality I’ve come to love in Jaimie’s books, but the thing that really set it apart was something completely unexpected: the fact it dealt with mental illness. Honestly, take a moment to let that sink in: a romantic comedy that deals with mental illness. I love romcoms and have read many of them, most of which are light, fluffy, feel-good stories. An escape from reality. When you think of those things, you don’t associate them with mental health issues, right? But that’s one of the things that sets It’s a Wonderful Night apart and makes it a must read. Jaimie Admans struck the perfect balance between fun and funny romcom and serious, true-to-life, relatable issues.
March 11, 2019
4,5 starsThis is such a wonderful book! From the first chapter on, I really liked Georgia. She is such a good and caring person, a real heroine. I also felt for Leo, a sweet and good-natured guy. But as Georgia says: "Sometimes the people that smile the widest are suffering the most."
I didn't even care if the two become lovers or just good friends. The latter would have been fine for me, since this book is not about 'boy meets girl' (as the short description on the back might indicate) but about helping others, staying positive, finding solutions. Georgia is extremly good at all three. She is almost too good to be true! But at the same time she seems so authentic. (ok, the 'hide & seek' in the bank is getting ridiculous...) I really loved the talks between Georgia and Leo - it was a pleasure to be a silent observer of their conversations.
It's also a book about the economic situation in many (smaller?) towns, and not only in the UK. Independent shops on former high streets don't attract enough customers to survive, and with the failing of one or two businesses, others soon follow like dominoes. From the very beginning I though about options how the "Wonderful Latte", and actually the whole high street, could be saved. I couldn't think of anything feasible. But thank God for Georgia!
In the last quarter the book turns a bit unrealistic, but thankfully I've already fallen in love with the story and all its characters by then and so I simply put that down to Christmas magic. And I really, really should finally watch "It's a wonderful life". Next Christmas! I promise!
November 29, 2018
This is a very sweet story with a lot of laugh out loud humour. Though it has romance, emotions and aChristmassy theme what stands out is the light, feel good nature of the story.
I could very well imagine that I was watching the characters on a screen in front of me.. So vividly described is it!
Georgia Bailey works as a charity shop manager in the fictional small town of Oakbarrow and working late one night, she takes a call that should never have come to her. On learning that the caller is about to jump off the bridge just a little distance from where she is, she throws rules and protocol to the wind, determined to talk him off the bridge.. And she does, amazed to discover that she has a lot in common with him, including her feelings about Christmas and her favourite movie, the one she is named after.
Only to discover the next day when she goes into her usual coffee shop on her way to work, that the broken stranger on the bridge the previous night and the ever cheerful, smiling coffee shop owner Leo Summers, who is responsible for her caffeine addiction, are one and the same.
Wanting to help Leo out of his dark place, knowing he would never let her into his life if he knew she was the one he had spoken to, Georgia chooses to not tell him, instead befriending him more and getting him to open up about his problems.
Of course this means Leo cannot know where she works and so she tells him a white lie about working in the bank next door and thus begins a hilarious run around involving most of the people working on the businesses in that street, to keep him from finding out.
To revive Leo's coffee shop, It's a wonderful latte, named after their shared favourite movie, It's a wonderful life, Georgia enlists his help to revive the establishments on the high street of their town, to awaken memories of glorious Christmases of the past and get people to come back to shop there.
As Leo's problems start getting solved, Georgia knows there is one she has created and has to find a solution for.. telling him the truth!
This story has a lot of characters who are totally involved in each others lives and evokes nostalgia for that kind of environment in a modern day setting.
A really refreshing, positive read.
I could very well imagine that I was watching the characters on a screen in front of me.. So vividly described is it!
Georgia Bailey works as a charity shop manager in the fictional small town of Oakbarrow and working late one night, she takes a call that should never have come to her. On learning that the caller is about to jump off the bridge just a little distance from where she is, she throws rules and protocol to the wind, determined to talk him off the bridge.. And she does, amazed to discover that she has a lot in common with him, including her feelings about Christmas and her favourite movie, the one she is named after.
Only to discover the next day when she goes into her usual coffee shop on her way to work, that the broken stranger on the bridge the previous night and the ever cheerful, smiling coffee shop owner Leo Summers, who is responsible for her caffeine addiction, are one and the same.
Wanting to help Leo out of his dark place, knowing he would never let her into his life if he knew she was the one he had spoken to, Georgia chooses to not tell him, instead befriending him more and getting him to open up about his problems.
Of course this means Leo cannot know where she works and so she tells him a white lie about working in the bank next door and thus begins a hilarious run around involving most of the people working on the businesses in that street, to keep him from finding out.
To revive Leo's coffee shop, It's a wonderful latte, named after their shared favourite movie, It's a wonderful life, Georgia enlists his help to revive the establishments on the high street of their town, to awaken memories of glorious Christmases of the past and get people to come back to shop there.
As Leo's problems start getting solved, Georgia knows there is one she has created and has to find a solution for.. telling him the truth!
This story has a lot of characters who are totally involved in each others lives and evokes nostalgia for that kind of environment in a modern day setting.
A really refreshing, positive read.
January 17, 2019
Procrastination at its best! But that's not the only force that drove me to the very last page of this book. I am just simply a sucker for this kind of genre. Simple, cute couple and not too much conflict.
Georgia was changing the clothes for the mannequin when Leo accidentally called the charity shop she worked at for a suicide prevention line. A pure heart as she is, convincing Leo not to jump off the bridge is one thing she had to do.
The next morning, as usual, she went to the It's a Wonderful Latte cafe to get a cup of coffee but she got surprised to come into realisation that voice is actually the same voice that called the charity shop. The friendly appearance of Leo from the outside, she never thought he would thought of suicide. So she decided to help Leo but at the same time she did not want to reveal that she's actually the woman at the other end of the call.
My thought of this book? I fell in love instanty. Knowing this a British book, I thought it would help me with the sentence structure as well. Staying in the UK for 3 years, I really need to learn all the inside jokes right? This book sort of helping me to achieve that. At least I'm not learning it in a tedious way.
This book is highly recommended to those who need some kind of light reading in the moment. I read this during my exam week and it didn't drain my energy at all, but giving me more hope to get through the exam period. Lots of loves!
Georgia was changing the clothes for the mannequin when Leo accidentally called the charity shop she worked at for a suicide prevention line. A pure heart as she is, convincing Leo not to jump off the bridge is one thing she had to do.
The next morning, as usual, she went to the It's a Wonderful Latte cafe to get a cup of coffee but she got surprised to come into realisation that voice is actually the same voice that called the charity shop. The friendly appearance of Leo from the outside, she never thought he would thought of suicide. So she decided to help Leo but at the same time she did not want to reveal that she's actually the woman at the other end of the call.
My thought of this book? I fell in love instanty. Knowing this a British book, I thought it would help me with the sentence structure as well. Staying in the UK for 3 years, I really need to learn all the inside jokes right? This book sort of helping me to achieve that. At least I'm not learning it in a tedious way.
This book is highly recommended to those who need some kind of light reading in the moment. I read this during my exam week and it didn't drain my energy at all, but giving me more hope to get through the exam period. Lots of loves!
November 4, 2018
It's a Wonderful Night took me by surprise. I was expecting light and Christmas and mulled wine. And it is all those things, but so so much more too. It deals with male depression, expectation, pride, and suicide. It wraps them all up in a brilliant read that warms you with romance and Christmas spirit.
I really connected with this book. Leo was a man I couldn't help but connect with. His obsession with making a coffee shop a success, his drive, and his many masks, well, Jaimie Admans really hits the nail on the head with how men can see themselves, and the world.
I live in a town much like Oakbarrow, where shop after shop is closing down. Independent shops can't survive, and the high street (we call ours the town centre) is all but dead. A few well-placed branded shops do well. But my town is Oakbarrow. I think Jaimie Admans knows the economic situation of our country and she has weaved that into this charming story.
I loved this book. Easily her best yet, and I'm certain there is much more to come.
I really connected with this book. Leo was a man I couldn't help but connect with. His obsession with making a coffee shop a success, his drive, and his many masks, well, Jaimie Admans really hits the nail on the head with how men can see themselves, and the world.
I live in a town much like Oakbarrow, where shop after shop is closing down. Independent shops can't survive, and the high street (we call ours the town centre) is all but dead. A few well-placed branded shops do well. But my town is Oakbarrow. I think Jaimie Admans knows the economic situation of our country and she has weaved that into this charming story.
I loved this book. Easily her best yet, and I'm certain there is much more to come.
September 28, 2018
This was a lovely read and perfect for fans of snowmance. Felt the ending was a slight bit rushed but the book as a whole was so enjoyable that I didn't mind.
Please write more about this town and the characters that live in it! I'd love to read about each of the shop owners and definitely Bernard's story.
If you are a fan of It's a Wonderful Life then you will want to curl up with a mug of tea and give this book a go.
Please write more about this town and the characters that live in it! I'd love to read about each of the shop owners and definitely Bernard's story.
If you are a fan of It's a Wonderful Life then you will want to curl up with a mug of tea and give this book a go.
September 24, 2018
Lovely! Sweet! Fun & festive!!!
January 9, 2021
Not often you read a book that makes you smile and want to cry at the same time. It's a lovely story with a really important message and has been written so well
November 11, 2018
This was a lovely seasonal read. A sweet romance mirroring the story of Its a Wonderful Night. It is up-to-date in context addressing issues that small businesses face in the modern world. Friendship and kindness abound, as you would expect in a feel-good Christmas story. I liked it.
November 7, 2019
Seriously can't give this book enough stars. It caught me right at the very start and it made me want to laugh and cry with the characters in it. It made me think about my own life, and my own Christmassy feelings. And I didn't want it to end!
October 9, 2018


Member Review

It’s a Wonderful Night
by Jaimie Admans
Pub Date: 05 Oct 2018
Review by

Shirley J, Reviewer
Last updated on 09 Oct 2018
I Recommend This Book
Strongly
It's a Wonderful Night is the perfect book to read this Christmas, it's full of endearing characters, an absolute heart warming story that I absolutely loved every minute of, and what a beautiful cover too.

Member Review

It’s a Wonderful Night
by Jaimie Admans
Pub Date: 05 Oct 2018
Review by

Shirley J, Reviewer
Last updated on 09 Oct 2018
I Recommend This Book
Strongly
It's a Wonderful Night is the perfect book to read this Christmas, it's full of endearing characters, an absolute heart warming story that I absolutely loved every minute of, and what a beautiful cover too.
December 19, 2022
A heartwarming, romantic festive read! Although a romance, it is not gushy or over the top, which makes the detail into the events of the characters really stand out, so much so that I felt I could imagine the story play out in my head. A really easy and cosy must read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews