Reviewed by Emma Crowley
The most magical time of the year...
For the first time in ten years, Freya is back in the little village of Middlemass for Christmas. The streets might be twinkling with fairy lights, but after the recent loss of her mother, she's never felt less festive.
Forced to sleep under the same roof as her handsome neighbour Finn, Freya realises she's going to need a distraction - fast! So she sets herself a challenge: to cook the '12 Days of Christmas'. Her delicious food soon brings the villagers together, and as each day passes, old friendships are renewed, memories stirred and there's even the flickering of romance...
She was only meant to stay for the holidays, but could Middlemass - and Finn - steal her heart forever?
Many thanks to Orion via NetGalley for my copy of The 12 Days of Christmas to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Poppy Alexander’s first Christmas book, 25 Days ‘til Christmas, published back in 2018 has to be one of my favourite Christmas books ever. I have been eagerly awaiting this new story, The 12 Days of Christmas ever since I saw it pop up on pre-order on Amazon a few months ago. Well, let me say given I had such high expectations for this that it didn’t disappoint in the slightest and is definitely in contention for my Christmas book of 2021 (I say contention as at the time of writing I haven’t made a significant dent into my Christmas TBR for this year). This is a glorious feast of all things Christmas and if this doesn’t get you in the festive mood then nothing will. I loved every minute of it and it was so bittersweet to reach the end and it’s rare that I want to go back to the beginning and start a book again, given there are so many books waiting out there to be read, but that’s how I felt about this one. I know I will return to the wonderful story of Freya and her life changing experiences when fate means she has to return to the place that she has been avoiding for many years.
It’s Christmas Eve and Freya is wandering amongst the food stalls at the market in Portneath. Food is a soothing thought for her. It has been her passion for as long as she can remember and her working life in a Michelin starred restaurant in Paris for the last ten years has allowed her to indulge this even if chef Andre can be quite harsh. But Freya is not herself and even though it is the most magical time of the year she is trying to avoid an emotional breakdown. The reason for which doesn’t become apparent too soon and when it does I just felt total empathy with her as I had been in the situation in the past and the way she was written throughout the book well I felt those feelings, although I wasn’t as secretive as her.
I didn’t like that she didn’t come straight out and say what had happened to her when she meets Finn. I think he would have really understood her. But I suppose Freya had barriers up and let’s be honest she had so much emotional baggage both to do with her personal and professional life that really she was trying to avoid talking about anything that meant she would have to deal with her problems. She was evasive and didn’t let her emotions show all to easily. You hoped Finn would be the one who could get through to her and help her to express how she really felt but if you are afraid to feel emotions and hold back a lot then opening up is more than likely the thing you least feel like doing.
Right from the outset the descriptions of food and festive treats and drinks etc were just mind blowing. So much care and attention went into researching all the different types of food and I loved that there was an emphasis on local produce which only increased the sense of community spirit and everyone working together throughout the book. Everything was truly mouth-watering and as Freya ventures further into her cooking of the 12 days of Christmas your taste buds are tantalised even more. I have to say it was brilliant to reach the end and discover the recipes there in detail for anyone wishing to try them out. So much thought and attention to detail went into all aspects of this story and that’s what it makes it so special and an all-round excellent book. When Freya meets Finn, she remembers the times she used hang around with some of his pals alongside her best friend Hattie and feelings are stirring within her. But she says to herself that she has hurt so many people and her life is in ruins that really she is no good for anyone.
I really loved Finn, he was such a well developed character and I loved how he took Freya under his wing. It was all done with the best of intentions with never an ulterior motive underneath it all. Yes, he regrets not previously declaring his interest in her and now ten years have passed but he knows now is not the right time just yet to make a move or express his feelings. He senses Freya doesn’t need to be pushed unnecessarily. She needs time to heal and find acceptance and her place in her new world that is emerging. For Finn his business running an artisan deli is one of the most important things in his life and once again the descriptions of this deli were just brilliant and I loved once Freya set upon the idea of cooking the 12 days as a way of thanking Finn for letting her stay that she went and used products from the deli or local products. By doing all this cooking it was like Freya was telling her story as when herself and Finn ate together they had time to talk. I could picture them in that cosy flat above the deli with it cold outside and lights twinkling on the high street. It seemed like a refuge far from what troubles Freya and it was the place she needed to rest and recuperate as going back to Paris considering the way she left didn’t seem that much of an option.
Finn was so kind, caring and creative and his bid to show Freya that Portneath could offer a good life was just brilliant but still she kept one thing from him that I really did wish she could have been more open about. Finn really was giving Freya the tools to have a new start in life but she was so down and harsh on herself I don’t think she could see fully what he was trying to do nor was she is the right place to embrace what he was offering. But will Portneath work its magic or is Freya too deep into skirting around issues that need to be confronted?
There are just the right amount of supporting characters that really add to the overall fabulousness of this book. Finn’s brother Ciaran and his wife Martha that live with their children at Holly Tree Farm. Well, I hope they get a book all to themselves in the future. Diana, Freya’s godmother, was just amazing and so supportive and it was only halfway through that it clicked with me that she featured in Poppy’s previous book The Littlest Library so it was brilliant to see characters crossing over. The only character I really didn’t warm to was Hattie, Freya’s best friend. I thought her reaction to Freya’s return was just too over the top and giving her the cold shoulder the way she did, well she really didn’t deserve that. She just came across as being very jealous and unforgiving. Yes, she helped Freya get a job in the pudding factory but I felt then that she abandoned her and if she had given Freya time things would have been a lot clearer and perhaps forgiveness would have arisen sooner rather than later. All these people help Freya learn lots of life lessons and help make this book such a lovely, engaging and engrossing read.
Poppy Alexander has another winner on her hands with The 12 Days of Christmas. It’s a cracker of a read which provides the perfect slice of escapism which pulls you into the plot from the very beginning and leaves you entranced and even more excited for the most wonderful time of the year than perhaps you already are. The unique concept of cooking the 12 days of Christmas added that little bit of extra sparkle and magic to a genuinely lovely story with characters you root for, a setting which is filled with community spirit and friendship and least I not forget all the food and treats mentioned were so richly and vividly described that this book will leave you hungry. So just make sure you have something nice to nibble on beside you whilst you indulge in this magnificent story.
’Christmas was a golden time away from normal life, a magical hiatus where the world held its breath’. These words are perfect to sum up both how I feel about Christmas and how I felt about this book. It really did give me the break away from the real world that I needed. Please say in future books we will return to the villages of Portneath and Middlemass as Poppy Alexander has created a unique community with warm, lovable characters that I really do just want read more and more about them.
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