I recently read this book after it was recommended to me by @TheVintageGirl on Twitter.
I bought the book on my kindle while I was on holiday and it was the perfect book to relax and read. It was published last christmas and is very festive so I would recommend reading it in the run up to christmas. I took the following synopsis from Amazon…
Dreams can come true – it could happen to you…For the past two years, Evie Taylor has lived an invisible existence in London, a city she hoped would bring sparkle to her life. But all that is about to change. For winter has brought a flurry of snow and unexpected possibilities. Hidden away in the basement of Hardy’s – once London’s most elegant department store – Evie manages the stockroom of a shop whose glory days have long since passed. When Evie overhears that Hardy’s is at risk of being sold, she secretly hatches a plan. If she can reverse the store’s fortunes by December 26th – three weeks away – and transform it into a magical destination once again, she might just be able to save it. But she’s going to need every ounce of talent and determination she has. In fact, she’s going to need a miracle.
The book was the perfect read for me as it’s jam-packed with vintage fashion and oodles of nostalgia. I also used to work as a visual merchandiser in a department store, so the book brought back loads of happy memories from a job I really loved. As a Londoner I love the descriptions of the city and the role it plays within the book.
The characters are easy to relate to and the relationships between the characters are both funny and touching be it family, colleagues or love interests. The book has the right balance between the romance and the overall plot of the book, although you may find yourself shouting at the pages as Evie makes all the wrong choices! It was easy to get absorbed in the story and to really care about Evie and the fate of Hardy’s. The main focus of the story is on the department store and the story it has played out within the characters lives which works really well.
I’d recommend this book to vintage lovers, chick-lit lovers and anyone who gets very excited about Christmas. It has definitely inspired me to have a very vintage christmas this year.
Ali Harris’s new book The First Last Kiss is out early next year and I’m really looking forward to giving it a read.
You can buy the book on Amazon here
You can visit Ali Harris’s website here
No Comments