Review: It Happened One Christmas

2023 gifted us with not one but two novels from Chantel Guertin, one of my favourite authors. Not only that, but I’m always happy when a favourite author writes a holiday novel! So, I was really looking forward to It Happened One Christmas, which was published in October. Life being Life, I just finally read it over the weekend and, while I wasn’t blown away, I was still infused with so much holiday cheer by the end of the story.

Here’s the book’s description:

Will magic happen under the mistletoe?
All year long, Zoey Andrews lives and breathes Christmas--not just because she loves everything about the festive season, but because, as the director of countless Christmas movies, she's perpetually (and happily) surrounded by 24/7 holiday cheer. And this year Christmas has come early: After years of making other people's movies, Zoey finally has the chance to make her own. There's just one thing standing in her way of that: Benoît Deschamps, the sexy, bearded, grouchy and utterly frustrating, plaid shacket-wearing tree-farm-owner-slash-mayor who refuses to grant Zoey the permit to film in Chelsea, the cozy and snowy Quebec hamlet at the center of her screenplay.
With just four days left before Christmas, Zoey must change Ben's mind, but not before an unscripted ice storm leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere, with nothing--no food, no phone, no electricity--except . . . each other.
Will Ben's chilly resolve shatter Zoey's Christmas movie wish? Or will Zoey be able to melt through his stubbornness--and maybe even his heart?

Let’s start with what didn’t warm my holiday loving heart. I think I am completely over stories about out of town folks coming into a small town, wanting to change something or wanting to get something out of the town. Now, I know Zoey knew what she was doing when it comes to scouting and was a trustworthy person. I know she would fairly compensate the town. But I just think I’m tired of the same old story and it was hard to set that tired trope aside and focus on the uniqueness to Guertin’s story.

I mentioned above how Zoey was trustworthy so points to Guertin for creating a heroine that, while frustrating at times, was someone I was rooting for. I did like her. I questioned her choices in fashion and relationships and insistence on nostalgia from one single vacation when she was a kid, but I really did want a Happily Ever After for her.

Now, what about the swoons? I have complicated feelings about the romance even though I was wholeheartedly into Zoey and Ben getting together by the end of the novel. I loved their initial meet cute. Wasn’t so much a fan of their interactions about the film permit. But once they were thrown together during la tempête de verglas? Oh, yes. I mean, I wasn’t happy Zoey was out in the ice storm and was kinda sorta the reason she and Ben stayed on the road. But Guertin made it so clear that they were a team and they worked so well. There was sexual chemistry, sure, but they were building the framework for a good relationship. I dig it.

Did you catch the French up there? The novel is set in small town Quebec and I very much enjoyed reading about some of the Quebecois traditions and trying to figure out what Ben and the other townsfolk were saying en français before they translated for Zoey. I don’t live in Quebec but some of the things mentioned were very deeply Canadian, no matter what province you live in. I loved it.

It Happened One Christmas may not have been a huge winner for me but if you want a festive read, Chantel Guertin’s latest novel is one to check out. Despite the ice storm in the storyline, you’ll feel the warm, holiday spirit by the time you’re done.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Doubleday Canada (Penguin Random House Canada) in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Instamom

Full disclosure: I've known Chantel Guertin for a number of years. I've been reading her books since 2011 (um, I did NOT expect it to have been a decade...) and I've seen her at countless book events in the years since. So, it's no surprise that I was THRILLED when I heard she was writing a new adult novel that was going to fall into the rom com sphere. Instamom is out tomorrow and it's a contemporary story that is smart and fun but also really deep as it addresses a lot of heavy and important topics. 

Here's the book's description:

In this #funny, #wise, #emotionally compelling look at modern love and finding your true path, a proudly kid-free influencer meets the ultimate #dealbreaker . . .
It’s the influencer’s golden rule: know your niche. Kit Kidding has found hers on Instagram, where she gets paid to promote brands and share expertly curated posts about her fun, fabulous, child-free life. Kit likes kids just fine, but she passionately believes that women who choose not to become mothers shouldn’t have to face guilt. Or judgement. Or really hot chefs who turn out to be single dads.
Will MacGregor is aggravating, sexy, persistent, averse to social media, and definitely a bad idea. As soon as Kit learns his parenting status, she vows to put their scorching one-night stand behind her and move on. But Will and Kit are thrown together on an Instagram campaign, and the more time she spends with him—and his whip-smart, eight-year-old daughter, Addie—the more difficult it is to stay away, much less sustain what Will so cleverly calls her “Resting Beach Face.” Kit’s picture-perfect career path is suddenly clashing with the possibility of a different future—messy, complicated, and real. Which life does she truly want? Will she have to re-invent herself? And will love still be waiting by the time she figures it out?

Let's get the heavy stuff out of the way first. I, like Kit at the beginning of this novel, am childfree. I do not want kids and have felt this way for probably over ten years but have been super firm in my decision for I'd say about eight. I've had so many people tell me that I'll change my mind (pro tip: never tell a woman that. Ever.) My boyfriend (of sixteen years) also doesn't want kids and people in his world often say "but doesn't your girlfriend want kids?" There are countless other frustrating and nosy questions and comments I've gotten and it all comes down to this: society finds it really weird and hard to understand when a woman does not want to have children. So it was great to hear that some of Guertin's characters were also feeling those frustrations - it was so incredibly true to life and I appreciated it so much. But. This is where it gets tricky. (And slightly spoilery. But this does have a romance at it's core and if you can't figure out that there's a Happily Ever After at the end of this one, well, I can't help you.) I really, really didn't want Kit to change her mind. And I kind of felt like an asshole about that. One of the main points of this story is that women are allowed to change their mind about having children (or not). I truly do believe that. One of my very best friends did and I'm thrilled to bits for her and her little munchkin. BUT. I don't get to see myself and my views on not having kids reflected in fiction very often and the fact that this one was so close and then wasn't? I think I felt hurt. It's been a very complicated time for me to sort out these feelings, let me tell you. At the end of the day, Guertin's novel nails the judgment women receive because of their decisions on motherhood and how they're questioned because of those decisions. I may have felt way too close to the storyline but that doesn't take away from how important it is for stories like this to be out there, that challenge the status quo and explore what it's like to be a woman - with or without children. 

I love that contemporary novels are finding a great balance between fun and light and serious and heavy. Should we be calling them all rom coms? Hmm, maybe not. Romantic comedies are going to have more real life topics to deal with than straight romance novels but they should still be super heavy on the romance and the comedy. Once you add in struggles with, in the case of Instamom, deciding whether you want to completely change your values when it comes to having children? Can it really be a rom com? This one wasn't laugh out loud funny like I expect from those kinds of books but it was still smart and witty - which I love. I don't have an answer for "what should we call these kinds of books?" and I'm still not sure if we really need one. I struggle with it, too, because a book by a man with these kinds of themes would just be fiction. No need to throw a subgenre on there. Anyone else feel like that? 

The other part of the storyline, apart from the childfree business, explored Kit's job as an influencer. I am so small time but I'm still in the influencer world a little wee bit so I understood some of what she was feeling. Authenticity seems to be what people want to see but it also appears they still enjoy the carefully curated photos and captions more than every day views. Influencers feel they have to have a niche so followers know what to expect. And it all gets to be a bit...exhausting. Guertin doesn't hold back in describing how conflicted Kit was and the issues she was facing as an influencer and it was great to read - really real and impactful. I don't know what's going to happen with our influencer heavy world but I think something has to change.

Kit was a really interesting character to read. She's about my age, which I always appreciate, and smart and a book lover. I was pretty sure we would be friends if we ever met in person. I was really emotionally connected to her and her story and I felt all the feelings right alongside with her. I did feel a little differently about Will than she did. Quite honestly...er...well...I didn't like him. I felt he never listened to Kit and brushed off her concerns as if they were silly or hysterical. I do think he truly cared for her but I couldn't help but think he had some shit to figure out before he'd be good enough for Kit. And Addie? She was an absolute delight. I've read three books in the last two months where there's a daughter who's about seven or eight and they've all been so smart (sometimes too smart) and fun to read about.

I also absolutely loved that this book was set in Toronto. We're seeing that more and more in contemporary reads from Canadian authors and I'm SO HAPPY. Next we need to have more cities and towns represented from across the country. Publishers may have some backwards notion that readers in other countries (cough, the USA, cough) don't want to read books set in Canada but I think that assumption is slowly changing. 

Instamom had me feeling all of the feels and I think Chantel Guertin's latest novel is going to stick with me for a long while. It's a perfect book to throw in your beach bag or dive into while sitting in your backyard. It'll make you think and smile the entire way through.

*Am egalley was provided by both the Canadian (Doubleday Canada/PRHC) and American (Kensington Books) publishers and a print copy was provided by Doubleday Canada in exchange for review consideration. All opinions and honest and my own.*

Review: Golden Hour

It seemed like I had been waiting forever for the next book in Chantel Guertin's Pippa Greene series. But now that Golden Hour is finally here, I'm a bit sad. It's the fourth and final book in the series and I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye to Pippa.

Here's the synopsis:

It’s senior year, and the college countdown is on. But instead of getting accepted to Tisch’s photography program, Pippa’s been waitlisted. Without a backup plan, and with the pressure from everyone around her to live up to her father’s legacy, Pippa sets out to prove herself worthy of the program by doing the opposite of everything she did to try to get in. But when she runs into her ex, and first love, Dylan McCutter, Pippa has to finally decide if she should follow her head or her heart.
Written with the same humor and heart that made Chantel Guertin’s first three Pippa Greene novels instant favorites, Golden Hour offers a fresh and charming perspective on friendships, family, and first love.

The book had a bit of a Jenny Han feeling to it. I think it reminded me a lot of Always and Forever, Lara Jean because Pippa and Lara Jean aren't too different in character. Also, both of the final books in each series had the main characters figuring out what life after high school was going to look like. So, basically, what I'm saying is: if you like Lara Jean and Jenny Han's books, you'll also like Pippa.

Pippa is a smart girl but she's still a teenager so she makes some questionable choices. I put myself into a mindset of a grade 12 student (a senior for you Americans) and went along for the ride. She knows what she should be doing but that doesn't necessarily mean that's what she wants to be doing. Pippa figured out a lot about life in this one and how being true to yourself is going to make for such a better life than trying to be someone or something you think you should be.

I kind of laughed at myself when I realized I was questioning the motivations of the adults and wondering where the hell they were when they didn't realize that Pippa had only applied to one college. But then I remembered that I'm supposed to be an "adult" and I probably would have trusted Pippa too and moved on to worrying about my own life. But, seriously, Pippa? One school?

I almost wish Dylan hadn't reappeared because I wanted Pippa to focus on her own life and figuring her stuff out. I know that's not what life is like sometimes (hello, I started dating someone two weeks before graduation and decided to try the long distance thing so clearly I was doing both the romance and life figuring out at the same time. We're still together, btw.) but I do wish that novels didn't always have to have some sort of love story. Is it really necessary to sell books?

All in all, I liked Golden Hour. I adore Pippa and kind of really want to find out what she'd be like as an adult because I'm pretty sure we'd be friends. I'm looking forward to whatever Chantel Guertin writes next even though I'll be missing Pippa for awhile. Now that the whole series is out, it's a perfect time to read all of them back to back. And they'd make a great gift for any teen readers in your life for a summer reading project!

PS Definitely check out my friend Jess' review of this book as well over on her blog, The Paper-Trail Diary. She has a lot of the same thoughts I did and puts them together much better than I think I did.

*A copy of this novel was sent by the publisher, ECW Press, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Blog Tour: Leading Lines

Welcome to my stop on the ECW Press blog tour for the latest Pippa Greene novel, Leading Lines. I haven't reviewed the first two of Chantel Guertin's YA series on the blog (though I did write a review for book two, Depth of Field, for Niagara Life Magazine), I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. I jumped at the chance to be a part of the tour for the third book in the series. Not only did I really like the book, but I also loved the chance to ask Chantel a few questions.

Here's the synopsis:

After two drama-filled weeks in Manhattan, Pippa Greene is back. Despite a romantic reunion with boyfriend Dylan, she can’t seem to shake the emotional aftermath of New York. As she navigates parental drama at home and her charged dynamic with Ben Baxter at school, Pippa finds that Dylan is more wrapped up in his post-high-school life of bands, shows, and new friends than in their relationship. Will it survive?

I absolutely flew through this novel. It's not very long but the story still packs a punch that will keep you turning the pages until you're done (which, in my case, was just a couple of hours). Don't you just love those kinds of books?

I found that this one, compared to the first two books, focused more on Pippa's romantic relationships. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I really liked how the other titles had Pippa exploring herself a little bit more. The latest book was less about her family and figuring out her path in life and photography, and more about her relationship problems. Like I said, it's not a bad thing. I like romantic storylines as much as the next girl, but part of what I really loved about this series was the nice balance of life and love Guertin had created.

This is a really great YA series for the teen in your life, plus those YA adult readers who like good stories. That being said, if you sometimes struggle with younger protagonists, this one might not be for you. Pippa is just 16 years old and she acts like it. This is both awesome and a tad annoying. It's awesome because Guertin completely nails what it's like to be a 16 year old girl. I found myself remembering what I was like when I was 16 (that was a trip down memory lane...thanks, Chantel ;) haha) and the feelings I had were oh so similar to Pippa's feelings. Of course, I'm no longer 16 and it's hard, sometimes, to tell my 28 year old brain to really immerse myself in the teenage brain.

I'm really excited there's going to be one more novel in this series. I really do love reading about Pippa and getting the chance to go back to Spalding is always fun. Leading Lines was such a delightful addition to the series and I already can't wait for the final book!

A huge thank you to Chantel for answering a few questions for me!

Books Etc.: How did you come up with the Pippe Greene series?

Chantel Guertin: I wanted to write a story that blended sadness with funny moments--one of my favourite types of novels. The idea of a girl whose father had died came to me from experience, as when I was about Pippa's age, my own mom died of cancer after a lengthy battle. That balance -- of dealing with death and trying to be a normal teenager with your own life became the starting-off point for the series, and then with each book, I thought "Now What would Pippa Do?" 

BE: Pippa is really interested in – and skilled at – photography. Is that a hobby of yours or did you have to do a lot of research to be able to use appropriate terminology?

CG: A few years ago I was looking for another creative outlet so for my birthday I bought myself a Canon Rebel camera (same as Pippa!) and hired a photographer to teach me how to use it. My new hobby inspired me to create a character who liked photography. 

BE: You've written chick lit in the past – my favourite genre! What made you want to try your hand at writing for and about a younger crowd?

CG: My publisher for my chicklit novels went out of business right after they had promised me that they'd publish one of my books every year (a novelist's dream!). I had a very bad year of feeling sorry for myself, eating ice cream, and having no confidence in my writing. Then one day I started writing again, but I wanted a change. I'd read YA books my whole life, and I thought it would give me a fresh start, to write in a new genre. That first book I wrote became The Rule of Thirds, which my new, amazing publisher ECW bought, and then expanded the deal to a four-book series as well as buying my two chicklit books and re-releasing them so that readers could buy them once again. Things couldn't have turned out better. 

BE: What's it like writing for the YA market (I don't want to say teenagers since so many people read YA, yay!) compared to adults?

CG: I love how honest YA books can be--and how you can explore scenarios (like a love triangle!) that in YA can be so exciting and awesome, whereas were it a novel for adults, there would be some moral ramifications to deal with. Not to say that writing about a love triangle (or reading about one) in an adult book isn't exciting, but it needs to be treated in a very different manner.  

BE: What's your writing process like? Do you like to write at a certain time of day or in a certain place? Do you outline or write by the seat of your pants?

CG: I have a varied schedule because of the other things I do (I teach magazine writing to post-grad students at a local college, am a beauty expert on the Marilyn Denis Show, and I have three children who have various activities after school and in the evening), so I've had to throw any sort of writing schedule out -- which has been a good thing. I write whenever and wherever I have time. Sometimes that means while sitting in the car before a soccer game is about to start. I like that because if I'm not writing, there's no one to blame but myself. As for plotting vs pantsing, it depends on the stage I'm at. Some of my best and favourite scenes are ones where I've been inspired by an idea or event and I let myself write that scene out in detail even if I don't know where it's going to fit into the book. But at some point before I get too far into the book, I plot it out to make sure there's a real point to the book.  As a result, some of those earlier scenes will make the cut, and sometimes they won't. 

BE: Finally, now for something completely different: What's your favourite treat? Cupcakes? Candy? Something alcoholic? 

CG: Jujubes. 

Check out the other reviews that are part of the tour...there are even some giveaways happening!

September 5: Tour kickoff, Review, and Giveaway, Booking it with Hayley G

September 6: Giveaway, Chapter byChapter 

September 7: Review, Books Etc (that's me!)

September 8: Review, Read my BreathAway

September 9: Review, One More PageReviews

September 10: Review, Sukasa Reads

September 11: Guest Post, DearTeen Me

September 12: Review and Excerpt, Brains Books and Brawn

September 13: Review, Musings of aWriter

September 14: Review, Ramblings of aDaydreamer

September 15: Review and Giveaway, TheBook Bratz

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, ECW Press, in exchange for a review for the purposes of this blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourites of 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

I love looking back at my year of reading. I'm lucky to have been able to read a lot of books (98 at the time of this post) and it's honestly really hard to keep track of them! So, these recap/best of posts are great to remind me of all the fabulous (and not so fabulous) books I read over the year. Thanks to my handy "read in 2014" list on Goodreads, here are my ten favourite books from the past year! Note: I was completely shocked that only two chick lit books (by the same author) made it on this list! I wonder if it's because I tried to branch out more this year? Because you'll also note quite a few YA books on this list! You'll also note that I've cheated a bit...there are two authors who have two books on my favourite list so I combined them! What were some of your favourites this year? Links lead to my review or Goodreads.

How Do You Know? and Just Friends with Benefits - Meredith Schorr

The Rule of Thirds - Chantel Guertin

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins

To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han

My Life With the Walter Boys - Ali Novak 

The Orenda - Joseph Boyden

Burying Water and One Tiny Lie - K.A. Tucker

Hard Hats and Doormats - Laura Chapman

The Heiresses - Sara Shepard

I Don't Know What You Know Me From - Judy Greer

Favourites with Chantel Guertin

I started this "favourites" feature because wanted a way for readers to get to know the authors attending BookBuzz Toronto, an event I'm helping with. I hope you enjoy learning a little more about these amazing women and I hope you can attend the event! Learn more about BookBuzz Toronto here.

I read Chantel's novel Love Struck ages ago (you can read my review here) and her new YA novel, The Rule of Thirds, is getting a lot of great buzz!

About Chantel...

Chantel Guertin is the bestselling author of two chicklit books—Stuck in Downward Dog and Love Struck—and one YA novel, The Rule of Thirds, which came out October 2013. She's also a beauty expert on The Marilyn Denis Show. She likes rollercoasters, notebooks and dressing up her cat, Mr. Baz, on special occasions, like Wednesdays. She also really likes jujubes, but never eats the green ones. She lives in Toronto.

Chick flick - Can’t buy me love. “Donald? Is that you Donald?” “It’s Ronald. Ronald Miller.”

Alcoholic beverage - Chardonnay. What am I, a desperate housewife?

Warm beverage - café mocha

Junk food - jujubes. Sometimes when I’m crazy, sour jujubes

TV show - The one that I’m watching and only two episodes from completing at the moment. Whatever that one is when you’re reading this. As I write it, it’s House of Cards.

Store - Kate’s Paperie

Ice cream flavour - Tiger Tail.

Author - David Sedaris.

Actress - Rachel McAdams

Animal - Koalas, if only they weren’t so sleepy

Pet - Mr. Baz

Literary character - Mr. Darcy

Book boyfriend - Dex in Something Borrowed

Connect with Chantel...

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