Usually a fan of the festive season, this year Ben is struggling. His relationship with his wife is on the rocks and he is stuck in a rut. When an old friend gets back in touch, Ben can’t help but wonder, was she the one he was meant to be with all along. Drowning his sorrows in a bar on Christmas Eve, Ben never imagines a chance encounter with a mysterious watch seller will send him back to the very beginning. Now Ben must make the biggest decision of his life - if you could turn back the clock, would you choose a different life? I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. I was aware it was a rom-com but was going to take a little suspended imagination, which I must admit isn’t usually my thing. However, this turned out to be a nice, easy, and somewhat festive read. The time travel element was intriguing, being able to look upon your past decisions with fresh eyes is certainly an alluring thought and does make the reader question what they would do in this situation. Sadly, I found most of the characters to be a little bland, and therefore I didn’t feel any great connection to them or empathise with their circumstances. Ben actively annoyed me at times, and I wanted to give him a good shake, but I did begin to warm to him towards the end of the story. A Sliding Doors-esque version of A Christmas Carol with a lot of promise but didn’t quite deliver. If you are looking for a straightforward and perhaps predictable winter read, this could be the one for you. But if you are after something thought provoking and more in depth, perhaps give this one a miss. * Thanks to HQ, via NetGalley, for this ARC *
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