Title: A Happy Christmas Ceilidh (The Shrouded Isle)
Author: Zoe Tasia
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: December 1 or 23, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Holiday, Romance, Contemporary
Length: 82 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the author.
Rating: 3 stars
Blurb:
Review:
Nobody should be alone for the holidays.
This novella had a wonderful sense of community. That is to say, the characters genuinely cared about their neighbours and went out of their way to not only ensure that everyone’s needs were taken care of but that many of their wants were as well. This is one of those things I love about Christmas-themed stories given how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel to hear about everyone being treated with kindness, inclusion, and compassion. After all, isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
I found it a little confusing to jump among multiple narrators while reading this, especially given the subplots that only some narrators were interested in exploring. No sooner did I adjust to one perspective than someone else would show up in the following chapter to talk about something that may or may not be related to what had just happened. As much as I wanted to give one a higher rating, these issues were an obstacle to doing so.
With that being said, the fantasy subplot was subtle during most of this piece and fit the characters and setting well. There’s something amusing about needing to figure out if something otherworldly is actually happening or if the characters are somehow misinterpreting uncommon but plausible events. As much as I’d love to dive into this subject even more deeply, it’s best for other readers to discover for themselves what was really going on here.
A Happy Christmas Ceilidh was full of holiday cheer.