Review: The Certainty of Chance

I’ve been reading Jacquelyn Middleton’s novels for a number of years now and one of the things I love about her work is how her books can feel so different and yet familiar all at the same time. Her latest, The Certainty of Chance, reminded me of why I fell in love with her books so many years ago and why I’ll continue to read her novels as long as she keeps writing them. They’re entertaining and heartfelt with characters I can really relate to.

Here’s the book’s description:

There’s something about December...
Madeleine Joy is feeling more meh than merry. When an Icelandic volcano erupts six days before Christmas, hazardous ash congests European airspace, canceling flights indefinitely—including the thirtysomething's connection to Paris. Stranded alone in London, separated from her sister, and with the devastating one-year anniversary of her best friend’s tragic death just days away, Madeleine has never felt less festive. And as if things couldn’t get worse, the cute guy driving the cab to her hotel won’t shut up about carolers and tinsel…
Julian Halliwell is one of life’s sunny optimists. A former music journalist, he’s embraced his love for London by starting his own black cab business, enthusiastically ferrying passengers from one historic landmark to another. But life hasn’t always been easy for Julian. Having navigated several life-changing setbacks including a cruel betrayal by his former fiancée, Julian remains hopeful that he’ll meet somebody kind, who shares his love of music, his corgi named Winnie, and of course, the magic of Christmas time in London.
Despite being an unlikely match, fate seems determined to throw them together. But can the grieving American find joy again in a world where the lights have all but dimmed?

One of the things I loved about this book was a fairly simple thing: it takes place in London. At Christmas! I loved this for a couple of reasons. The first is that I, like many, many others, have not traveled much outside my own city in the last two years. Armchair travel to anywhere right now is great! The second reason is that my sister was in London while I was reading it (she's back home in Canada now). So as I was reading about Madeleine and Julian’s adventures in the city, I was able to picture my sister there too. She also read the book recently and I loved getting her messages as she got to certain parts. I got a number of “I’ve been there!” messages as well as photos showing exactly what Middleton was describing. Especially fun was that Middleton was also in London in November/December 2019, which is when my sister first landed in the city so they saw many of the exact same Christmas events and decorations that year. And, boy, was it magical. It really felt like I was experiencing the magic of Christmas in London and I really hope one day I can see it in person.

It’s not all Christmas joy, either. Madeleine suffered a loss a year prior when one of her closest friends passed away (perhaps a minor spoiler but I think this is an important warning, especially around this time of year). She slowly begins to find the joy in the festivity around her and it was lovely to read as she opened up over the course of the novel.

Speaking of warnings, I love that Middleton is always super clear and descriptive about the potential triggers in her books. Many of her characters deal with mental health struggles and it’s fantastic that we, as readers, can see those characters in contemporary romances. Plus, Middleton is writing from experience and treats those storylines with the utmost respect. Triggers aren’t mentioned as often in romances - though that’s changing - and it’s impossible to mention them all (I have a very particular one that’s hardly ever mentioned) but Middleton makes sure to thoughtfully think about what her readers might find difficult and mentions them at the beginning of the book.

And the romance! It was such a lovely story as Madeleine and Julian randomly met and had to decide if they’d give into the feelings they clearly had for each other even though Madeleine was only going to be in London for such a short period of time. Julian might be my favourite of all the male characters Middleton has written and has been added to my (long) list of book boyfriends.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Certainty of Chance sometime before the holiday season ends. Jacquelyn Middleton’s latest novel will have you feeling all the feels, including wanderlust and Christmas spirit.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*