The Twelve Days of Christmas….Day 6

Book the Sixth…

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Juliet Joyce loves Christmas and she loves her exasperating family… sometimes, to a fault. Her deadbeat adult son Tom never wants to grow up and has moved himself back into the house where Juliet can still make him tea and toast at 3am when he gets home from the bars, and where he can bring his many sexual partners traipsing through as well. That’s not all though. Living at home is also her daughter Chloe and her son Jaden… her again PREGNANT daughter, that is, who never seems to want to take care of the child she already has and is perfectly willing to leave him at home with Juliet and her husband Frank to go out and party with Tom even at her very advanced stage in pregnancy. Also, joining the clan is Juliet’s mother who is either surly and antagonistic or can’t even seem to remember her own name, and her father, who late in years after an unadventurous life, decided that he is gay and now has his partner Samuel. All in all a hard brood to care for.

All Juliet and Frank long for is a little time to themselves… and the one thing they will probably never get is.. a little time to themselves.

I loved this book! Heartfelt and lovely, it had me laughing out loud at some points, and my eyes tearing up at others.

“I lean forward, ready for my big finale. Undoing the hook of my bra I plan a theatrical fling, showering Rick with the Christmas confetti, vigorous love-making will ensue and we can both still be asleep by 3. But, as flinging commences, I somehow trip on the duvet and slip forwards. My bra comes off in more of a fumble than a fling, but the Christmas confetti is still jettisoned over Ricks head… lots of it. How did quite so much fit into my bra? Some of it flies into his mouth, which has now dropped open in surprise. Rick starts to sputter, and I start to fall. He lunges to catch me, but misses, and I scramble to make purchase on the duvet, but its no good, I’m slipping, sliding sideways off the bed taking the duvet with me…”

It is a story of a family that, no matter what they go through; temptation, death, and just plain growing up, they will do it together. They are a family with a huge heart, and a family that just keeps growing as the story progresses. It’s just full to the brim of crazy antics and heartbreaking drama.

I think Juliet says it best when she states,

“We’ve had a death, a birth, and engagement, a possible new romance, a potential new business liaison, I’ve narrowly avoided food poisoning, and witnessed a pond dunking, and both my car and Rick truck are crumpled wrecks, as is the garage door. In my joy I’d almost forgotten that. Well, you can’t say it hasn’t been interesting.”

And it definitely has!

With Love at Christmas is Best Served With

A Snowball

For those of you who have read this novel, or plan to, they mention a liqueur called Advocaat a lot. They describe it as an off-putting yellow, syrupy sweet liqueur. Well, I had to find this stuff for myself

It is a Dutch liqueur that is made from eggs, sugar and brandy, in the vein of eggnog. And, honestly?? It’s not bad! But, it’s WAY BETTER when you use it to make a Snowball!! Now, don’t look at the ingredients and pass on this. I thought it sounded really strange as well…. IT’S SO GOOD!!! It tastes like a Creamsicle!! HONESTLY!! …I apologise for my lack of a garnish in my picture. I was at my family Christmas at my parents’ house when taking this picture and had to work with what I had. At least it proves that I, myself drink all of these things that I recommend to you! I’m nothing if not Honest!!

Ingredient

• Half Advocaat
• Half Lemonde
• Sliced Lime

Directions

1. Fill shaker with ice, add equal parts Advocaat and lemonade
2. Shake
3. Pour into glass
4. Garnish with Lime Slice
5. CHEERS!!