10 December 2016

Book Review: A Christmas Day at the Office by Matt Dunn

"One office, five lives, on the most romantic day of the year.

One Christmas party. Two merging companies. Free-flowing champagne. What could possibly go wrong?

With her new billionaire boss in town, Sophie’s determined to swap the No-Jobs she meets on Tinder for her very own Steve Jobs. But will looking like a million dollars be enough to kick-start a Fifty Shades adventure?

A ring in his pocket and dressed to kill, Calum’s planning to get down on one knee. Though if Mia doesn’t say ‘yes’, he’s not sure he’ll ever get back up.

Julie’s got a surprise for Mark—though it’s something she’s not even sure she wants. Meanwhile, Mark’s got another choice to make: the love of his life, or the opportunity of a lifetime?

With his job on the line, and the ex who broke his heart back on the scene, Nathan’s day is becoming a nightmare. But he’s about to meet the woman of his dreams.

This year’s office Christmas party should be a night to remember—but for five of Seek Software’s employees, it might be one they’d sooner forget."

Rating: 4/5

You can buy the book now.

I am a huge Matt Dunn fan, so when I found out he had a new festive book coming, and one that was a sequel to a book I had hugely enjoyed ( A Day at the Office), I couldn't wait to review it! Luckily, it was the time of year where I felt I could enjoy a Christmassy read, and so dove in, ready for a brilliant read. I have to confess that I hadn't hugely remembered much from the previous book as it had been a while, but I soon found my involved in the story, reading on and finding out what was going to happen at the Christmas party!

 There's a merger going on between two companies, and it's making everyone feel a little unsettled, especially at Christmas. Calum is planning on proposing to his girlfriend Mia at the party, but desperately wants her to not reject him. Will he go through with his bold plans? Julie and Mark, colleagues who have been dating on the sly, are about to get a Christmas present they never expected - are they both ready for the next step? Nathan is single, and isn't sure how to feel when his ex reappears in his life - can he keep away from his past? And finally there's Sophie, who is determined to live it up and enjoy every second of the party, perhaps bagging herself a millionaire in the process!

This book was brilliant from start to finish, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I loved that it took place in such a short space of time, it didn't feel at all slow or dragged out as I read it, instead it felt like I was with these people, going through the work day before the dreaded Christmas party. I loved having so many characters to follow as well, all with their own stories, wondering what their own Christmas was going to be like this year, and whether or not they would be happy with the changes at work after the takeover goes through.

My favourite characters were Julie and Mark, both in higher up positions at their company, and both are wanting to keep their relationship a bit quiet from the other staff to remain professional. But I loved the twists in their story, how they misinterpreted each others wishes despite us knowing both secretly want the same thing, they're just a bit scared to admit it! I love the funny relief of Sophie's story as well, sure that turning up pimped and preened in a tight dress will bag her a billionaire and a ready-made happy ever after! There was certainly a character or a story here to hook everyone in, and I enjoyed following them all.

The party itself takes place near the end of the book, and was a fun read too, with lots of different things happening and keeping you on your toes as a reader, never quite knowing what was going to happen next. Sophie's story gave me lots of laughs in this part, I was hoping Nathan would find happiness here and the book chugs along to a nice conclusion, leaving me feeling festive and with a big smile on my face. Matt Dunn balances the more serious stories easily with the funnier, more light-hearted ones, and cleverly links these characters and their tales together through the common link of their jobs. I sat and read this pretty much in one sitting, it was a great read, and I can't wait to read more from Matt Dunn, definitely one to recommend over the festive season!

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