Without a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand, Ellie Summers needs more than a pumpkin to impress her gorgeous boss. She works hard, not as a scullery maid but as a super sassy saleswoman, but he doesn't notice her. Their company's lavish Christmas party is the opportunity Ellie's been waiting for to make a big impression. And she doesn't intend it to be winning the mince pie eating competition.
With the help of fellow dieter Sam, a sleigh load of will power and a sprinkling of Christmas magic, Ellie knows finding her Prince Charming is just a mistletoe kiss away.
But is her prince really so charming? Or is Christmas romance closer than she thinks?"
Rating: 3.5/5
You can buy Weight Till Christmas as an eBook now!
This is another novella which has been released through the newly formed Notting Hill Press, and is by author Ruth Saberton, who has previously published with Orion and under a few other pseudonyms too. I knew it was only a short story heading into it, and I've really warmed to those lately, it's nice sometimes to settle down with something you know won't take you days to read, and being a festive read is even better! I really enjoyed Weight Till Christmas, and certainly think it's worth a read this Christmas.
Ellie Summers knows she needs to lose weight, but if she's honest, she can't be bothered. It's easier just to grab lunch on the go, and her job as a car saleswoman doesn't lend itself to being hugely active. Ellie also has a bit of a thing for her rather handsome boss, and is sure if she can lose a few pounds by Christmas, she can make him see her in a different light. Together with her best friend Sam, the two are determined to lose some weight before Christmas, so Ellie can woo her boss in her dream dress at the company Christmas party. Will Ellie have the willpower to see it through to the end and get her Mr Right under the mistletoe?!
I really liked the characters in this book. They are all quite real, and you can certainly imagine meeting them at a car dealership or elsewhere, they are believable people. Ellie in particular is funny, she knows she's a big girl, and I didn't like that she felt she had to lose weight in order to seem attractive to someone. It seems a popular theme in books these days that the main female character has to lose weight to get her dream guy, and it's a shame perception is still like this. Ellie was hilarious whether she was a big girl or not, and if a guy wants you to lose weight to be attracted to you, he isn't worth it really, and I wished Ellie could see that. Ellie had really low self-esteem, and in that respect you have to feel sorry for her, she genuinely does believe she isn't good enough for him as she is.
Sam was a great character, such a kind-hearted man and I hated his girlfriend with a passion! It seemed no matter what Sam did, he was in the wrong! He was great for Ellie and the friendship between the pair was so sweet. There aren't too many other characters in the book as these two are the main ones, but suffice to say Ellie's boss was a pig, and I couldn't stand him. The setting of a car dealership was different, and it was clear that Ellie had a passion for her job and was pretty good at it too. I'm not really a car buff (my little boy is though!) but even I enjoyed reading these scenes. The only thing I have to say in this book is that it just wasn't really festive enough, it didn't strike me as a particularly Christmassy read, I prefer my Christmas to be laid on nice and thick lol!
Overall, this was a funny short novella to read in an evening, and will certainly give you a few laughs along the way. It's a pity it's main focus is a girl losing weight to attract a guy because that isn't something I support, but the sweet romance within the book is worth reading, and I loved the ending as well. Ruth's writing is very easy to read, and she writes both the more emotional moments and the comedy ones just as well, and the narrative was very easy to get into. If you fancy something funny, then I would recommend Weight Till Christmas as a short read for you, and I look forward to reading more from Ruth Saberton.
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