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themaxdog's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
patchworkbunny's review
4.0
I loved the heart-warming message behind The Great Christmas Knit Off. Whilst many of these festive books focus on romance, this sees a community banding together to help an old lady out of financial difficulty, but without doing anything to make her feel embarrassed.
It might be far-fetched for a stranger to take so much interest in a stranger but Sybil and Hettie bond over their love of knitting. Once the locals see someone doing something practical to help her out, they are all eager to join in. I’m not sure people would be willing to give up s much time for free, but it’s the kind of fuzzy book that you just have to not think too hard about.
There’s a hint of a romantic story too. Sybs is quite expectedly burnt by her experience with Luke, who even left her with the bill for the Star Wars themed wedding that never happened. On her train journey to Tindledale someone leaves her an invitation to call written on a newspaper and she’s sure it must be the handsome man whose muffin was nearly eaten by her dog.
There’s plenty of false starts and a gentle bit of romance, but the main focus is Sybs refinding her confidence whilst creating a Christmas miracle for one old lady. It’s sad to think there are people in the world more interested in the inheritance than making sure their relatives are happy.
It’s set in December in a snow filled village and there’s plenty of Christmas jumpers being knitted. So I would give this a big thumbs up if you’re looking for a light festive read for the holidays.
It might be far-fetched for a stranger to take so much interest in a stranger but Sybil and Hettie bond over their love of knitting. Once the locals see someone doing something practical to help her out, they are all eager to join in. I’m not sure people would be willing to give up s much time for free, but it’s the kind of fuzzy book that you just have to not think too hard about.
There’s a hint of a romantic story too. Sybs is quite expectedly burnt by her experience with Luke, who even left her with the bill for the Star Wars themed wedding that never happened. On her train journey to Tindledale someone leaves her an invitation to call written on a newspaper and she’s sure it must be the handsome man whose muffin was nearly eaten by her dog.
There’s plenty of false starts and a gentle bit of romance, but the main focus is Sybs refinding her confidence whilst creating a Christmas miracle for one old lady. It’s sad to think there are people in the world more interested in the inheritance than making sure their relatives are happy.
It’s set in December in a snow filled village and there’s plenty of Christmas jumpers being knitted. So I would give this a big thumbs up if you’re looking for a light festive read for the holidays.
dawniewh's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
dwm_1040's review
2.0
I do often like a Christmas book but it's hard to find one that's well-written. I was somewhat bored by the time I was half-done but carried on to a predictable finish.
jo_bookworm's review
4.0
Sybil has found a saviour in her knitting. She has always done it, but when she finds herself at her wedding with no groom and no sister, she realises that perhaps it is safer to stick with the knitting and not to get all tangled up with love.
When in her boring job at the council office, something seems to go amiss, Sybil thinks that maybe she could have been the cause, and therefore fakes illness and sidled off to Tindledale to see her best friend, Cher.
Tindledale is a village, picturesque no doubt in the daylight but not on a main bus route and when Sybil arrives by train she has to get her and Basil, her dog through the snow to find her friend. It is from this moment on she starts to meet the village's host of many characters.
They all take Sybil into their community, their homes and even their hearts. Sybil feels at home and when she suddenly finds Hettie's House of Haberdashery she realises that she really is in a heavenly place. With her love of knitting, Sybil finds solace there and in return Hettie finds something of the future life the place could have.
When a demand for a novelty jumper starts Hettie and Sybil, knitting and nattering. When one order suddenly becomes a lot more it seems that Sybil and the villagers are going to have to all pull together and knit as if their lives and the village depended on it.
As the knitting soothes, it seems to repair Sybil in a way she did not realise and the love and warmth of the locals seep into her soul and all of a sudden she finds she might fit in, she might belong and she might have really found love!
This is the first in what is to be a series of tales from Tindledale and if they are as good and as heart warming as this one, then they are going to be a sure-fire hit!
When in her boring job at the council office, something seems to go amiss, Sybil thinks that maybe she could have been the cause, and therefore fakes illness and sidled off to Tindledale to see her best friend, Cher.
Tindledale is a village, picturesque no doubt in the daylight but not on a main bus route and when Sybil arrives by train she has to get her and Basil, her dog through the snow to find her friend. It is from this moment on she starts to meet the village's host of many characters.
They all take Sybil into their community, their homes and even their hearts. Sybil feels at home and when she suddenly finds Hettie's House of Haberdashery she realises that she really is in a heavenly place. With her love of knitting, Sybil finds solace there and in return Hettie finds something of the future life the place could have.
When a demand for a novelty jumper starts Hettie and Sybil, knitting and nattering. When one order suddenly becomes a lot more it seems that Sybil and the villagers are going to have to all pull together and knit as if their lives and the village depended on it.
As the knitting soothes, it seems to repair Sybil in a way she did not realise and the love and warmth of the locals seep into her soul and all of a sudden she finds she might fit in, she might belong and she might have really found love!
This is the first in what is to be a series of tales from Tindledale and if they are as good and as heart warming as this one, then they are going to be a sure-fire hit!
tidybex's review
3.0
SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT. . .
Not a bad old yarn, and sew easy to read. A bit of a shame that the underlying plot wasn't really a plot at all, and the explanation which came at the end of the book was a bit of a damp squib. Probably shows us that we should confront problems head on, as they are usually not as bad as we think. A lovely, warming read, and who doesn't live a happy ending? 😊
Not a bad old yarn, and sew easy to read. A bit of a shame that the underlying plot wasn't really a plot at all, and the explanation which came at the end of the book was a bit of a damp squib. Probably shows us that we should confront problems head on, as they are usually not as bad as we think. A lovely, warming read, and who doesn't live a happy ending? 😊