Christmas Past: A Ghostly Winter Tale is a romantic holiday novella by John Adcox. Released 9th Nov 2021 by The Story Plant, it's 169 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a sweetly romantic story featuring a cultural anthropologist trying to finish her doctoral dissertation whilst battling deep grief from a bereavement and the isolation which comes from living as an expat in another country. She begins following an unusually specific urban legend back to its source and her experiences unraveling the mystery has parallels to her own story.

Despite the heavy themes of grief, loss, and isolation, this is a surprisingly sweet and uplifting story. It's admittedly a bit sweet and sappy in places and there aren't a whole lot of surprise twists; but it's nevertheless satisfying and well written.

The book is capably and beautifully illustrated by Carol Bales (the wife of the author), and the collaboration between the art and text is lovely, with a synergy which lifts the whole to another level.

Four stars. Definitely one for romantics. Paranormal elements and magical realism are central plot points, so readers should bring the requisite suspension of disbelief.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Can a Christmas story avoid quaintness? That’s a difficult question. It seems some quaintness is innate. And most of that tends to veer into schmaltziness. It’s just ever so twee, the heartwarming aspects of it all. Even with ghosts, you ask? Yes, even with ghosts.
But then again, I do love to read thematically. I actually got this book through Netgalley a while back and deliberately saved it for Christmas and sure enough if you read it exactly on Christmas day it does take care of some of the overwrought emotional heartstringtugging. Especially, since it’s actually a fairly decent book in and off itself – a decent story, well written and featuring some very nice photorealistic sort of original art.
Like so many stories, this is a love story, specifically a story of love interrupted, abbreviated all too soon by tragedy.
A cultural anthropologist specializing in urban legends uncovers one she can’t resist – primarily because it hits too close to her, a story of a young Navy man named Sam who desperately tries to get to his new wife on Christmas day only to vanish right before midnight. Seen by many London cabbies over the years, he becomes something of a local legend. One our protagonist, devastated by the recent tragic loss of the man she had just married, is determined to figure out.
Can two lovelorn lonelies help each other on Christmas day? Well, what do you think? Tis, after all, the season.
This book, appropriately enough, is a love child of a married couple, and is on its most recent reincarnation and it somewhat reads as such, which is to say it reads like a shorter story that’s been padded up. Which implies a certain level of drawn-outness and repetition (does the protagonist really need to tell us three times that she’s an ugly crier sort of thing), so it’s leisurely paced and the investigation of Sam’s story takes an inordinate amount of time for someone who’s meant to be an expert. And yes, it is overtly emotionally charged. But other than that, it’s perfectly readable and indeed perfectly suited for Christmas.
Thematically, it’s a book that’s determined to tell you there’s no place like home. Determined like it’s heel-clicking Dorothy. Or a cheesy holidays commercial.
Which is to say, that throughout the book the protagonist’s father (whom she as an adult woman calls Daddy), who continues to call her from Alabama to London at all times of day and night (because he apparently doesn’t understand the time difference) and emotionally manipulate/guilt her into coming home for Christmas. Which is to say that all Sam wants to do is to go home to his wife for the holidays. And also, (NON-CRUCIAL PLOT GIVEAWAY ALERT. BEWARE) the main character’s husband literally dies driving in a storm to get home for the holidays.
You’d think one of the best things about the last two nightmarish years has been the fact that people no longer HAVE to get home (as designated by their blood family) for the holidays and endure all the concomitant tedium of that. But no, guess where the protagonist winds up at the end of this story? (NON-CRUCIAL PLOT GIVEAWAY ALERT. BEWARE). That’s right, in her home, in Alabama.
There, the cheesy moral of social convention driven home with a subtlety of a freight train. Job done.
Anyway. HoHoHo and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. May you celebrate where your heart is. Thanks Netgalley.

Jessie Malone is a graduate student living in London while studying folklore and how to trace the history of a myth back to it's source which is what she is trying to write her dissertation on. The Christmas 🎄 holidays are coming up and her family is pleading for Jessie to come home (U.S.) for their yearly tradition of being together with all the aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins etc., who all come together at her parents house every year on Christmas 🎄 day, but Jessie can't bring herself to go home this year not without her husband who tragically passed away a year ago on Christmas 🎄 eve. Jessie is so heartbroken she just wants the holidays to quickly be over and doesn't want any cheerful reminders of her one true love being gone forever. Then, Jessie learns of a story about a.hitchiking sailor named Sam who made a promise to his new wife (Emily) that he would be home on Christmas 🎄 eve and every year on this day someone gives Sam a ride and he supposedly disappears at midnight..

Jessie soon becomes obsessed with this story and learns of a few people who have given a ride to this supposed ghost name Sam and realized this would be perfect material for her dissertation, an actual source to talk to about this unusual ghost story. In the meantime, Jessie doesn't realize that she is still suffering from depression since she has never grieved properly nor does Jessie believe in ghosts so this tale to track down a source would be the opportunity of a lifetime and also help her out of her holiday depression. While Jessie doesn't believe in ghosts, she doesn't believe in miracles either, although this Christmas 🎄 she may witness several events that will change her mind and heart forever.

This was a lovely and bittersweet Christmas 🎄 ghost story. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery of Sam that spun over sixty years and the tale was almost always the same every time. Jessie was a wonderful character to follow through the book with all her emotions bottled up and trying so hard not to believe in a ghost story yet deep inside of her she had hope that it could possibly be true. The storybuilding and characterization were well done and really breathed fresh quality to this little book. I also wanted to comment on the lovely artwork that was included within the book and the beginning of each chapter. It was a wonderful and thoughtful surprise treat to find in a digital book. The author "John Adcox" brought to life a tender story of lost loves at Christmastime 🎄. I highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a good mysterious ghost tale about Christmas🎄.

I want to thank the publisher "The Story Plant" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this captivating book a rating of 4 BITTERSWEET, CHRISTMAS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

Loving Christmas, loving reading Christmas books and I enjoyed this one too. It is all about Christmas spirit but for the main character Jesse it is a sad time until she follows a story of a ghost from the past.

This is a sweet story, a short story and a story of love, life and loss. This book I read in one sitting and I enjoyed it for being an easy read but still having the emotion and even mystery of a longer more drawn out book.

Christmas Past is about Jessie Malone, a student living in London, who is doing research on an urban legend of Sam who is an English sailor trying to make his way home to his beloved wife Emily..... Just in time for Christmas as he promised.

Jessie is trying to track down the origin of the legend while dealing with the loss of her own beloved husband, David.

At first I had a little trouble getting into the story but after a few chapters I was hooked and couldn't put it down. It was a fantastic Christmas read. I definitely will recommend it.

A romantic, poignant and engrossing Christmas story that mixes romance, urban legends and ghosts.
I liked Jessie and wanted the best for her.
The novel kept me reading and I liked the plot and the characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Christmas Past A Ghostly Winter Tale has both sad and happy moments. An eerie, heartfelt, heartbreaking yet heartwarming story. Jessie hears a story of a WW2 Navy man attempting to complete his promise to his wife to be home for Christmas unfortunately he doesn’t make it. Jessie uses this story for her University Thesis so begins to find those who are part of the story. Due to the research and quest to find out more about Sam and Emily, she’s finally able to grieve for her own loss. This is a great book and ideal for readers who love to read ghostly tales, however if you have suffered the loss of a loved one this tale might cause a traumatic setback. If you do read and have an emotional reaction please seek help.

#ChristmasPast #NetGalley

I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Story Plant via NetGalley for my honest review of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.

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A modern twist on ghost stories of the past. Original and clever and enjoyable. Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and The Story Plant for eARC.

This is a very sweet story of Jessie who hopes to be one of the first folklorists ever to trace an urban legend back to its original source. At the same time, she is still mourning the loss of her husband.

This is a modern twist on the idea of traditional Christmas ghost stories and Christmas miracles, while the main focus of the story is grief, and coming to come to terms with grief, this is a story that shows that miracles can happen.

I enjoyed this read (more so towards the end), and actually found myself in tears at the end of the story.

The stilted writing made this book extremely difficult to follow and I struggled to finish it. Save your money and see if your library has it in stock.

This is a sweet Christmas ghost story with an unusual take on the traditional hitchhiking ghost genre. The characters are not exactly deep or developed, but they don't need to be for the story, which is a nice homage to the English tradition of ghost stories at Christmas. It's a quick and easy read, perhaps best done with a cup of tea on a winter night.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

This purpose definitely a surprise in a good way for me but I enjoyed every second of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Story Plant for the eARC in return for an honest review.

The winter holiday season is a time for gifts and music, for snow and miracles, and for family and going home. For Jessie Malone, it's a time for sorrow.

Jessie is a graduate student living in London, where she hopes to be one of the first folklorists ever to trace an urban legend back to its original source. She's also a grieving young widow unable to heal from the agony of her life-shattering loss.

In the bleak midwinter, Jessie learns of an urban legend about a lonely, wandering ghost, a British sailor named Sam who promised his bride that he'd be home for Christmas. The legends say he's been trying to make it back to her since World War II.

As she investigates, Jessie learns that Sam's story defies the patterns of how urban legends are supposed to work. It's a puzzle she can't let go. To solve the mystery, she must confront the impossible and, just perhaps, discover a miracle of Christmas love that survives beyond the grave.

A story that will engage all your emotions, Christmas Past bursts with wonder, enigma, romance, and the unquenchable spirit that comes from promises that must be kept.

This book was a DNF for me. I tried several times to pick it up and read it and just couldn't get into it. I really loved the concept of chasing down older Ghost stories or legends to see where they originated from. Unfortunately, that's where the magic ended for me.

The character didn't have much emotional output for me. The main character didn't interest me at all. I really felt nothing for her at all. It annoyed me how many times she reminded us that she cannot get distracted from her main purpose of writing her dissertation. Her memories were lovely but again, no emotional reaction from me.

I did love the ghost stories and how the legends were relayed. it's such an interesting concept of how a legend is born and how it travels from place to place. I also enjoyed reading about the affect each story has on folks as it gets passed down from generation to generation.

I wish I could have loved this but I didn't.

A great, modern twist on the idea of traditional Christmas ghost stories and Christmas miracles.
Although it deals with the concept of grief, it is an ultimately uplifting story and one which makes you want to believe that love transcends all, miracles can happen and all we need to do is keep an open mind and heart.

Christmas Past A Ghostly Winter Tale by John Adcox
Had not realized this was the next in a series I had read.
Story takes place in London during the Christmas holiday and she keeps David's picture on her night table, still NOT being able to say goodbye to him.
An urban legend of the holiday and she delves into the clues she's heard from others.
We also get exclusive information about David and his promise to return for Christmas Eve so they can hang their First Christmas ornament together and dance.
Feel like I've gotten two stories in one in this book, woohoo. Even if you are not familiar with Jessie and David you do get the story over a course of chapters that alternate about the ghost.
She hopes to reunite Sam with his Emily... Love that she bonks your hand on her head about the year of the uniform. She was looking so closely, too closely to even realize the year of the uniform.
Love how she takes matters into her own hands and makes things happen. Wow what a trip where the stories combine and to continue to her happy ending...
Great story, can't wait to read more from the author.
About the author and about the illustrator are included at the end.
Received this review copy from The Story Plant via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#ChristmasPast #NetGalley