Published By: Boldwood
Pages: 296
Released On: 11/08/2025
When Lili sends a jokey ‘knock-knock’ message to her best friend Em, she doesn’t expect to hear back. Because – as Lili notices the chill in the air, and the little robin in her garden – she realises Christmas must be just around the corner once again. A whole year since she last saw Em.
But then this time someone replies. ‘Who’s there?’ It can’t possibly be Em, but Lili wants to believe it could be, and she hastily suggests meeting.
However when she gets to the meeting place, there only one other person there waiting. A man. And not just any man. The most handsome man Lili’s ever seen, Dylan… And he is also waiting for someone he’s been missing.
As the days get shorter and Autumn turns to Winter, will two lonely hearts spend another Christmas without their loved ones? Or can they welcome an unexpected friendship? Or maybe even more, if they can just help each other to focus on not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve found…
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I mean, it’s a romance book and a Christmas book, what more could you possibly want?
Amazingly, I think this is the first of Samantha’s books that I’ve read.
I read this during the spell of 31 degrees heat which made it feel a bit naughty – almost like going to bed while it’s still light outside.
I remember after my Dad died, I just wanted to text him all the time, hopeful that it might have been a mistake and he was actually alive, so I felt for Lili throughout this book.
It’s a great look at grief and how it can affect us. Grief in terms of death yes, but also in terms of loneliness It’s so sensitively done and none of it feels too morose.
Lili is an interesting main character. She’s very real. She’s been burned in the past and tries to keep herself to herself, not wanting to risk heartbreak, but is that really living at all? Dylan I quite liked. Again he has his flaws and he’s clearly hiding something but I really felt for him, as he seemed unable to talk honestly about his feelings.
There are many other characters, some more prominent than others, but they all work well. They all have their own story, but also work well to further Lili and Dylan’s story.
My one tiny little issue is that I would have liked more Christmassyness. It’s probably enough for most people, but as a 24/7/365 Mrs Claus, I wanted more. It is not until about halfway through that there’s mentions of Christmas and that’s not a negative look at what is there, because what is there is fabulous. But with the festive cover and title – and my constant love of the festive season – I’d have like just a bit more a bit earlier.
It’s a really beautiful book, a really beautiful story, with such real and gorgeous characters that are flawed but familiar. There’s highs and lows, happiness and sadness. I really loved it. Yes I’d have liked a bit more Christmassyness but that’s just a personal opinion. But it is still a brilliant book and I really did enjoy it and thoroughly recommend it.
Books By Your Bedside 