Hi y’all,

I hope this post finds you well. While it’s a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, I have a fun review to share today of a recent read of mine: A Carol for Mrs. Dickens by Rebecca Connelly. This was such a sweet, Christmas novella! Such a bright, hopeful story about the power of Christmas and the beauty of serving others.

This book releases today, September 23, 2025!
I received an ARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Book Summary: “Catherine Dickens, wife of Charles Dickens, experiences her own Christmas Eve transformation as she magically travels through her cherished memories to rediscover her lost love of Christmas.

By 1851, all of London has fallen in love with A Christmas Carol, heralding Charles Dickens as “the man who invented Christmas.” But for his wife, Catherine, Christmas is less of a reason for celebration and more of a burden. Between hosting lavish parties, decorating her home, and caring for her eight children—with one more on the way—she feels more like Scrooge than herself this year.

But everything changes after a chance encounter with a kitchen cook, who reminds her that Christmas can be a time of miracles and magic, if she is willing to open her heart.

Armed with a magical sprig of holly, Kate embarks on three transformative journeys into her past, hoping to reconnect with the love she once felt for the holiday—and with herself. But can these memories be enough to reignite her Christmas spirit? Or are such miraculous transformations only meant for the characters in her husband’s beloved tales?

Inspired by real individuals, A Carol for Mrs. Dickens reminds us that the true spirit of the holiday lies in love, faith, and the joy of giving.”

I enjoyed the clever premise of Mrs Dickens experiencing her own Christmas Carol moments. Her memories were engaging and sweet. I liked seeing her experience her memories years later — an early memory of her young children, a memory when she was engaged to Charles, and a memory as a child herself. Each experiences builds on the last to brighten her Christmas spirit and bring the joy back into her holidays.

I enjoyed Kate’s character and felt she was a relatable one. She has experiences intense grief and loss right before this story occurs and she feels overwhelmed by her responsibilities as wife and hostess of Charles’ ambitious holiday parties. And she’s pregnant! That’s a lot! I found her story easy to connect with, and I enjoyed seeing her regain her enthusiasm for the holiday season through her experiences.

I really enjoyed the ending of the story and how Kate shares her newly rediscovered Christmas spirit with others. That beautiful scene on Christmas morning with Charles is really lovely. I would have liked to see an author’s note about the history of Kate and Charles Dickens’ marriage. Although they are quite happy together in this story, their marriage eventually fell apart which I think is so tragic. I always appreciate when author’s give a bit of historical background for stories like this one.

Overall, a lovely Christmas story perfect for the holiday season!