Cover Image: The Certainty of Chance

The Certainty of Chance

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Member Reviews

Thank you Bookstagrammers.com and Jacquelyn for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

The magic of the holiday season is in the air, and it’s captured perfectly in this book. I loved the story, and getting to know each character.

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The Certainty of Chance by Jacquelyn Middleton
Rating: 4 stars

This heartwarming Christmas tale intricately weaves themes of love, loss, serendipity, and the enduring magic of the holiday season. Set against the backdrop of a snow-kissed London, this novel takes readers on a journey of rediscovery, healing, and unexpected connections.

Madeleine Joy's life takes an unexpected turn when an Icelandic volcanic eruption disrupts her plans to reunite with her sister in Paris for Christmas. Stranded alone in London, Madeleine finds herself disconnected from the festive spirit. Enter Julian Halliwell, a charismatic London cabbie with a heart full of optimism and a love for the city. The unlikely pair is brought together by fate, and as they navigate the snow-covered streets of London, they discover a profound connection.

The characters of Madeleine and Julian are well-developed, each carrying their own scars and hopes. Their conversations, filled with music and pop culture references, lend authenticity to their growing bond. The pacing of their relationship feels natural, and readers will root for their happiness as they navigate their shared grief.

This book captures the essence of London during the festive season, painting a vivid picture of its landmarks and traditions. Through this backdrop, Middleton skillfully showcases Madeleine and Julian’s growth, resilience, and the transformative power of love and companionship.

Overall, “The Certainty of Chance" is a delightful holiday read that captures the warmth and magic of the season. With relatable characters, heartfelt exploration of grief, and a romance that blooms against all odds, this novel is a gift that keeps on giving.

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If you love all things London and all things Christmas then Certainty of Chance is the book for you. As a Londoner, I loved reading about lots of familiar landmarks and was surprised to find that I found myself learning quite a bit about London myself!

The characters felt very real and relatable and I was rooting for both characters from the beginning. Madeleine is a little lost and my heart went out to her as she grieved the loss of a friend she made on the Internet and struggled with her purpose in her career/life. Meanwhile, there’s Julian who is a former writer turned taxi driver who is still dealing with the breakup from his horrible ex whilst trying to make ends meet.

BUT it’s not all doom and gloom for the pair as there are also lots of heartwarming moments and ultimately it’s a story of connection, reunion and new beginnings 🤗

I absolutely loved that Madeleine was obsessed with the films Love Actually and The Holiday and was a film location hunter like me. Plus, Julian has a corgi and you guys know how I love corgis!! 🐶

All in all, I’d recommend this festive read for people who want to escape to London this Christmas with a heartwarming romance 🥰

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It's cute, it's festive, it's slightly emotional and it's London at Christmas time. It has all of the elements to be a wonderful story and it truly delivered. I read it in one sitting, just couldn't put it down!

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I got sent an arc of this book, and i must admit it was very different from what I thought it would be, in a good way.
This is an adult contemporary romance, but the huge focus it has on grief and how it affects you was outstanding and beautifully portrayed. I personally related so much to some of the conversations held in this book, and it will certainly hold a special place in my heart.
Also, this is the first time I’ve ever read a book showing online friendships and how intense and REAL they are, and I loved it.
Also, there was tons of dogs and A CORGI. That basically makes the entire book worth it.
The romance was SO cute, and I loved how it was mentioned and emphasized that you can be sad and grieving while also being happy and having fun, and both things are not mutually exclusive. You can fall in love and find joy in your life, while also being down at times because of your losses. I definitely recommend this book.

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This book had me feeling all the feels! It was sweet and romantic with wonderful characters. Would recommend reading during the holidays!

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This the perfect read for the holidays. I always love when books are set in London and this one is no different. I loved the interaction between Madeleine and Julian and loved how their relationship developed. Definitely one I will read again!

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There is nothing I love more than a feel good Christmas themed read. There’s just something about the holiday reads that give me all the warm & fuzzy feelings!

Madeline is steel reeling over her best friend’s tragic death, she’s separated from her sister and now stranded in London.
And then we gave Julian, who is a notorious optimist even though life hasn’t always been good to him. He’s had his fair share of life’s rough experiences.

The characters were thoughtfully written out with pasts that I can relate to. They are the type of characters that you root for and want fate to bring them together. And that’s really the best way to describe it- as fate! I couldn’t put this down and I was totally in love with both Madeline and Julian.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review!

Highly recommend!

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Really enjoyed this book! Such a fun read with great character development! Such a fun one and great to grab!

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While I liked Madeleine and Julian enough, this book was not for me. The writing style was not my favorite but it was still a good story.

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The cover and description of this book hooked me for sure! A Christmas book set in London? Yes please! I have had some other books by Jacquelyn Middleton on my Want to Read list for a while, but this was actually my first book by her. And after reading this, I will definitely be checking out other books by her! Reading as Madeleine is being shown the town by Julian, a cab driver who's cab she found herself in, was such a fun way to spend a winter day reading! I felt like I was trying in the city with them! I really enjoyed the story and writing in this book!

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Thank you @greyspromo for sending a copy of The Certainty Of Chance by Jacquelyn Middleton for review. This Christmas in London romance is available today!

One thing I love about this author’s books is that she includes mental health struggles and has her characters have real conversations about them. She also includes trigger warnings at the start so you can be in the right headspace when you read them. This one focuses mainly on grief and is a closed door romance, DM if you want more information or a list of the other content warnings.

The Certainty of Chance was a cute romance set in London in the days leading up to Christmas. Plenty of holiday magic and lots of London history. I found some of the conversations a little stilted but overall a fun holiday read.

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Cute romance set in London during Christmastime! I think it's just the thing if you are looking for something romantic to read this holiday season. Makes me want to visit London while its decorated in fairy lights and find a cute tour guide too :)

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A twist on the typical Christmas rom com. In this one we get a traveler stranded in London days before Christmas and a cabbie who just won't shut up. I had been getting to the point were I was tried of Christmas rom com's having read so many this year. But this one was a welcome change from the cookie cutters we tend to get each year. It was sweet without being cheesy.
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A wonderful Christmas story set in London.

This warm and cosy story brings new beginnings whilst also dealing with the challenges of grief and loss without feeling too heavy.

I loved so many of the characters (especially Winnie) and the descriptions of London were so beautifully detailed.

If your a fan on Love Actually or The Holiday pop it on your list. In fact this story would also make a great movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to review this.

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The absolute perfect Christmas book! I love the characters and how they lean on each other. The side characters were fantastic. An all around great book for this time of year.

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**spoiler alert in review**

Basic plot: Madeleine (Maddie) finds herself unexpectedly in London right before Christmas. Due to previous circumstances, this is a less than ideal situation for her. She was supposed to be meeting her sister in France. Still groping with the pain of losing a close friend almost a year ago, this is not where she wants to be.

Rating: 4/5

What I enjoyed the most: I liked getting to know Julian from Madeleine’s eyes. The way they connected and got to know each other was wonderful. While it seemed inevitable from the beginning that they would end up together, their journey was a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for granting me permission for an advanced copy of this great book!

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I DNFed The Certainty of Chance by Jacquelyn Middleton at 29%. It started out really promising, but then nothing interesting was happening. I loved all the little tidbits about London up to a point, but then it started reading like a guidebook instead of a romance. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not what I want in a Christmas book. I didn't like reading all of Madeline‘s italicized inner thoughts, and the weight of her grief is something I’m just not up for emotionally right now after experiencing multiple personal losses of my own in the last couple years. I read to be happy.

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The Certainty of Chance is a beautiful book about accepting and overcoming grief, whatever form it comes in. This book takes us throughout beautiful London at Christmastime, the perfect read for the holidays!

Both our main characters had their flaws, but regardless were beautiful characters and their love story taught us how to love no matter what. They were both wonderful MCs! I enjoyed the descriptions of London, but I did find it a bit overkill at points, as well as all of the random facts and trivia throughout the book was just a little too much. I also found there was way too much unnecessary dialogue between the characters that took away from the story and away from connecting with the characters on emotional levels.

As I mentioned, this book was beautifully written to describe and overcome the grief experience. I loved that it explored online friendships, as a lot of us have discovered new friends online throughout the last 2 years of a pandemic. It explored the experience of it, and how to deal with it, and accept it. Overall, it was a cute Christmas read that many will enjoy!

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Madeline has been through a lot the last year. She met her friend online and they made a plan to meet in London in December, Kel was out for a run and developed a clot and passed away before she could make it to London. Madeline was devastated, which many didn't understand as they had never met in person. She postponed her trip for a year, and here we are finally in London, where she's postponed due to volcanic ash. This could be the best or worst thing that could have happened to her. She meets Julian who is her cab driver and offers to be her tour guide, on many of the tours he actually goes in with her so she doesn't have to go alone. He doesn't know but she's been fascinated by him for many years - they share a love of music. She keeps getting delayed, keeps spending more and more time with Julian all the while working through the guilt and loss she feels for Kel. They bond over their loss, as he lost his mom in the same sort of manner, no chance to say goodbye, no closure. Love after loss is a real thing and they develop those feelings for each other.

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