Published By: Pan Macmillan
Pages: 400
Released On: 09/11/2023
Wildly different half-sisters Maggie, Simone, and Star have hardly seen each other since their idyllic summers spent in the charming village of Rowan Thorp, the home of their eccentric father, Augustus. Known for the fruitful ways in which his bustling curiosity shop kept the tired town afloat, Augustus was loved by all and known by none, not even his daughters.
Now, years later, the three estranged women are unexpectedly reunited at the reading of Augustus’s will. Maggie, Simone, and Star are shocked to find out that Augustus has engineered a series of hoops through which the three women must jump to unlock their inheritance—the last thing any of them want to do. But Maggie and Star desperately need the money. And who would Simone be to resist?
Spending the Winter months at Rowan Thorp stirs up feelings with forgotten flames, and makes the sisters confront the lives they’ve left behind. As old wounds resurface, and long-buried secrets come to light the sisters must learn to work together if they hope to succeed. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to go back to where it all began. . .
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review and a spot on the book tour.
I will start by saying that – for me – this isn’t a Christmas book. Maybe I read too much into it. When I re-read the plot above, it doesn’t actually say Christmas, it only says winter, so I obviously put 2 and 2 together and came up with 5. The Christmas element doesn’t really come into until about 3/4 of the way through. This isn’t a criticism as to the book itself, as it was clearly my fault. And so that was some self-caused disappointment, rather than disappointment in the book itself.
Okay, so my favourite character was Augustus. Which, considering it says in the synopsis that it is his death that kicks off the rest of this novel, it’s fair to say, he’s hardly in the book, but I still loved him just from the little bit we did see and how everyone else talks about him. There was something so enigmatic and charming about him that I felt I knew him very well.
Then we have the three sisters: Maggie, Simone, and Star.
I found the three sisters’ conflicting storylines a bit confusing at first. They’re all very different characters and I was struggling to figure out who was who and how they all linked together. But it didn’t decease my enjoyment of it at all, I just had to get my head on straight. Having said that, the three separate sisters mean that we get to see three different characters, and we can find the bits we like and dislike about each. It keeps it interesting.
I admit I couldn’t stand Simone at first. I felt she was so…hoity toity (not sure if that’s a real phrase but here we go), and prim and felt she was above everyone else, but still acted like a petulant child. I won’t give it away by saying whether that changes, but let’s just say she didn’t end up wholly as bad as I initially thought, but she is still probably my least favourite of the three. Maggie is the in-between sister. Not necessarily by age, but she’s the middle man, trying desperately to smooth the cracks between Simone and Star, who are constantly at each other’s throats (for reasons I will not spoil). And then we get to Star, who was my favourite of the three. She’s been through some difficult stuff, and not all of it was her fault. Se’s been handed aa rough deal but she is still positive and she just wants to see the best in everyone and everything. She’s a bit alternative as it were, but she just shone on the page.
There’s a lot of secondary characters, some with more page time than others, such as professionals, neighbours, relatives, strangers, and they’re all fabulous in their own way, but for me, they exist only to help the three sisters shine. They hold the fort and they hold every page.
Whilst relationships are not a huge element of the main story, I would still say it’s a love story. But it’s a love story amongst sisters and among families, those we have and those we’ve lost.
It covers some very difficult topics: death, grief, loss, loneliness, relationship problems, possible domestic abuse, controlling behaviour, pregnancy, fertility, housing difficulties….but it doesn’t feel over the top or unrealistic. It felt very human and very relatable, which in turn made the characters relatable.
I love a good antique shop. I used to go quite regularly, rooting through all the tat, hoping you’ll find that golden item. And so the idea of this huge antiques shop, filled top to bottom with historical and vintage curiosities, it was lovely. It leapt off the page, this dusty and beautiful location, that it just strengthened that love I had for them in the first place.
I know I said right at the beginning that I assumed it was a Christmas book, whereas it’s more of a wintery book; having said that, I do wish the festive period had come a bit sooner. I know we are watching these three sisters live their lives and do what hey have to do, and it’s great, building up this story and these relationships, but I just wanted a bit more, just a smidge more, a bit earlier. But that is a personal view, as some may prefer a slow festive burn and that’s fine too.
I also love good epilogue. I wish more books had them. I’m not always ready to leave the world they’ve created.
But regardless of any misgivings I might have had, you can always rely on Jenny Bayliss for complicated characters, complex emotions, and a general feeling of hope amongst the concern. I would definitely recommend it as a multi-layered, deep, but hopeful story that actually could be read at any time of the year. It is very cold and cosy and warming, like a thick blanket wrapped around you and it just gets cosier and cosier as you read it.
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