I just love a Christmas book. This one did not really give me many warm fuzzy Christmas feels and I didn’t feel as though it fully capitalised on the Christmas setting.

I didn’t love this book. Not a bad book but just not enough happening. Usually a nice feel good romcom uses the good feels to negate the lack of plot but this didn’t really have either.

I liked the sliding doors aspect. I loved the end scene and concept in the canal but the rest was a bit meh.

The book had little hook for me and was too descriptive at the start with very little else other than long winded descriptions.

As I say, not a bad book, I think this one just isn't for me.

A chance occurrence on Christmas eve leaves our heroine Liv in a precarious situation, where her life could take one of two paths...
Here's where the story gets interesting.
Unfortunately, here was where the reading got confusing for me.
I loved the premise of the story. However, the two parallel stories, running side by side, were somewhat confusing as they weren't labelled or separated by chapters.
We hear of the two different paths Liv's life could take, after a chance with death on Christmas Eve, both with the same conclusion, however, I found myself having to backtrack to see which Liv I was reading about.
I still enjoyed the story; nevertheless, I could have done with a little more clear signposting.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

📚BOOK REVIEW📚

Publication Date - 13th October 2022

On The First Day Of Christmas by @faithhoganauthor

I have just discovered @netgalley and it's a reader's dream if you love to read and read alot.

I was absolutely delighted when @netgalley approved me for this read. I love Christmas and I love Christmas books to get this elf in the Christmas spirit.

Faith Hogan is an author I have heard of but have never read any of her previous books until now.

This book follows the story of Liv who is a nurse in a busy Dublin hospital. She is preparing for her Christmas plans and the excitement of a proposal from her long term boyfriend. She's previously found the ring and it's everything she could have hoped for.

When an incident occurs on her way home she has a decision to make should she continue with her plans as normal or should she go and be with the man who just saved her life and is in a critical condition?

Luckily for the reader we get to see Liv explore both options as a sliding doors style then follows. I enjoyed this element of the book and there are some really likable characters in this book but also some really awful and unlikeable ones.

Although, I wouldn't say the book is overly Christmassy, the writer does well to remind you that it is set at Christmas time. The book tugs at the heart strings with a range of emotions following and I think the main heart of this story is relationships.

It was a great read and I feel very privileged to have gotten to read this book ahead of the publication date. I will also be looking to check out this authors other work as I really enjoyed her writing style.

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I didn't enjoy this book by Faith anywhere near as much as her previous novels. I had to start it twice putting down my first attempt to tiredness but even on my second attempt the book just didn't work for me. I found the whole read very disjointed as it jumped about between two parallel versions of the same story, one following the outcome after a certain course of action and the other another. It was very confusing at first, but I did get used to the style. Both stories were well written and easily distinguishable with different type faces plus the characters were. as expected with Faith's books, well drawn. It wasn't particularly 'Christmassy' but there were many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and I didn't anticipate the fantastic unseen ending which was a definite bonus. More a 3.5 as it may work for some people but not for me maybe.

Having read other Faith Hogan novels I found this one to be a bit of a surprise.
A decision made by nurse Liv as she finishes work for Christmas will determine the rest of her life and this novel splits into a sliding doors style format at this point where you see the impact of both choices.
Unlike other reviewers I didn't find the style confusing, I actually enjoyed it as it made you think and focus again.

As ever Hogan's characters are complex and extremely real.
I didn't anticipate the ending.

Don't pick this up expecting a Christmas hug in a book story as you will be disappointed however if you want a well written, thought proving and interesting read I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book hard to follow. It was like sliding doors in written form.2 stories in 1. I found it hard to understand which persona I was reading about. The only way you knew you had swapped from one sinario to the other was the type face. As you got to the end of the book it got more confusing as the 2 sinarios amalgamated. The end did have a conclusion but it left me feeling totally bemused. This was not a book I enjoyed reading.

I was a bit confused with the parallel telling of this story. It happened at Christmas time but is not exactly a feel good romantic story. It is much more. The characters are thought out and multi-faceted as I have come to expect from this author. I did not see the ending coming so there's definitely surprises throughout.

A very cleverly written tale!

As Liv Latimer finishes her shift at the hospital, bidding farewell to her fellow nurses, she is looking forward to returning home for the holidays. But life isn’t always straightforward, and Liv is left with decisions to make – at every turn, it seems. So, what happens next?

Firstly I have to say that I am a great admirer of this author’s work; I have read and loved each one of her novels. As always, this is beautifully written and it definitely tugs at the heartstrings. However, I found it a strange one to follow. With nothing to indicate whether I was following scenario A or scenario B, I found that as soon as I got really into the storyline, the direction changed and I was confused all over again. Either version would have pleased and delighted me, I just wasn’t keen on the merging of the two. Kudos to the author for keeping it all straight in her head – it’s more than I managed! I think a few headings would have made it easier and, while I’m full of admiration for the successful creation of this novel, I have to admit it’s not my favourite. 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Reminiscent of the film Sliding Doors - the same story running simultaneously in different ways but ending up together. Enjoyable and well thought out.

This is a beautiful book and it is so amazing, the story is so lovely and very enjoyable to read. i loved everything about this book and i would recommend to anyone who loves reading to give this book a go. it is a lovely book and i will read other books from this author.

This book was a bit confusing because the author is writing two entirely different versions of the story. The book alternates between the two ways the story could go for the entire book. It seems as though the author aimed for a mystical ending, but failed. I usually enjoy Ms. Hogan's books but this one fell a bit short. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook for an honest review.

Wow! This story really got under my skin and I was galloping to read faster to get to the end to find out what happened. Very rarely read in daytime hours, but I didn't want to put this book down. Loved the “Sliding Doors” element and couldn’t imagine how the author could conclude the strands of the story, but she did! Thought-provoking, poignant and emotional. I have loved Faith Hogan’s other novels and this one was superb too.

I have loved reading Faith Hogan's books in the past, but my utter favourite is 'What Happened To Us?', which was set at Christmas, so I was pretty delighted to see another festive read from her.

This is a sliding-doors, festive romance about how your life could change if you decided to do something slightly differently.

A sparkly, warm, hug-of-a-book; absolute trademark Faith Hogan. Loved it.

Have enjoyed previous books by Faith Hogan, so knew I would love this. Seemed strange reading a tale about Christmas during an English heatwave, but I soon got lost in it, beautiful characters, lovely plot

Liv is an A&E nurse in Dublin. She has lived with her boyfriend Eddie since her sister died six years ago. As she leaves the hospital on Christmas eve to join him and her family at her parent's house she is nearly involved in an accident. Liv now has a decision to make.
Dies she go home to Eddie for Christmas or does she stay at the hospital?
We then see the two different scenarios played out before us and don't yet know which one Liv really chooses.

Wow! I don't know how to review this. I don't think the blurb about the story is accurate. I dont remember Liv getting a phone call and being called back to work but maybe I missed it.
As for the story ......it was hard at the start to get used to the two different tiers but once I did I loved it.
The book had a few more characters playing their part in the story but I'm not giving away any more spoilers.

The last chapter had me captivated while at the same time I didnt understand or really know what was happening.
I had to just go with the flow and believe, but boy do I have a lot of questions. I would love to talk to someone who has read this book too.

The Epilogue was lovely and had me in tears and then I couldn't get to sleep and it stayed in my mind for days.
I'm going to have to read the last few chapters again just to try to get my mind around it.

So Faith Hogan, you have made me laugh ( at Barbara)
and kept me guessing ( at what was real and what wasn't) and wondering and believing and at the end crying, so you've done your job well.
A page turning family love story set around Christmas. Well worth a read as are all the books by thus author.

This is one book that will really stay with me for ever, Loved ever page, not sure I can do it justice it was just brilliant from start to finish, would ve amazing to be turned into a movie. Its very different from the authors other books, it really makes you think life really is for living grab all the chances you can,while you can.
A FULL-THROTTLE TRUMPET TOOTING EXTRAVAGANZA .

What a fantastic read. This was a different Christmas novel ,but it was amazing and beautifully written by Faith Hogan. When Liv who is a nurse leaves hospital after her last shift on Christmas eve she is thinking about going home for the holidays and spending time with her family and long term boyfriend Eddie but something happens and she returns to the hospital and eventually everything changes. It's a story of friendships, family and relationships and most of all love at the heart of the story and how the story is woven together and the emotional ending when it all comes together is breathtaking .A must read and highly recommended it's a masterpiece

To begin with, as many others have said, I found the 'Sliding Doors' theme quite difficult to get used to. But once I'd read more, it began to make sense. The story centres round Liv, an A & E nurse, with very dozy boyfriend, Eddie. Frankly I did wonder why she put up with him. On her way home at Christmas, her life is chamged at the scene of an accident. It's very readable, but I didnt find it terribly Christmassy!
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy, which I enjoyed.

This was a really interesting 'what if' story showing the two lives that originate from a choice in time.
Watching both versions of Liv come to see the truth of her life and what happens after that revelation made for an interesting read. The ending was lovely and gave the characters the closure that they probably weren't aware they needed in their life.

If you love Christmas movies like The Holiday and The Christmas Prince, this is the read to warm your heart with this December. The queen of feel-good fiction, and this Yuletide yarn certainly ticks all our boxes. A seasonal romance as warm and welcome as a mug of mulled wine. You’ll want to curl up with a hot choc to read this warm hug of a festive book.