One of my giddy thrills during the run-up to Christmas are Christmas romance novels. These books spring up in newsagents and bookshops from October to December. They often have “cupcake” or “castle” in the title. And because there are so many available throughout winter (and they are often fairly cheap) I have read a lot of these books. However, many of them are not ….good. So I want to highlight some of the ones that I enjoyed and that you might like too.
So today we are looking at Baby It’s Cold Outside by Emily Bell.
Without giving away the entire plot the novel centres around Norah Jones. (She is a singer but not the famous singer, this will be important). Norah is a music teacher who is facing a lonely Christmas after her mother uninvites her to Christmas.
Whilst visiting her childhood friend Joe, Norah remembers a holiday she had ten years prior. On this holiday, she met and fell for Andrew, a talented musican from Dublin. Andrew and Norah made a pact that if they were both single in ten years time, they would meet again in Dublin on Christmas Eve. And that deadline is arriving this Christmas. Norah convinces Joe, who is also alone for Christmas, to come with her to spend Christmas in Dublin. And so their Dublin adventure begins.
Before we go any further, I don’t know why Emily Bell named this book after the Christmas song. The song is mentioned but is not that relevant to the story. Bell does this with another book too, so it may be a device she likes.
But this is a great book. Norah is a well-written lead with flaws and understandable motivations. Her backstory helps us understand why she would impulsively fly to Dublin to reunite with a summer fling. She is afraid of the future but unhappy with her current circumstances. All of this leads Norah to romanticising the past. And this all sounds very bleak but the writer keeps it light enough that it never becomes overwhelming.
As you may have guessed, Norah has two love interests here. Andrew, the romantic musician and Joe, Norah’s supportive childhood friend. We spend more time with Joe because he came to Dublin with Norah. We get to know Andrew through Norah’s recollections of him. Both men are likeable characters so we understand Norah gravitating towards them.
My favourite aspect of the novel was how the different cities were written. Norah and Andrew spend a week together in Florence. Bell easily captures the romance and charm of the city.
“The alcove opened into an ancient, brick-walled courtyard, where a slim bronze statue of Juliet, rubbed smooth by the hands of generations, stood before a wall that was thickly covered with tumbling, glossy vines”
Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Pg 99
Even better is her depiction of Dublin. Romances set in Ireland can often read like “Erin MacIreland has to return to her family’s pub named the Emerald Blarney Stone Inn”. But here Bell focues on the Georgian architecture of Dublin, landmarks such as Bewleys Cafe and the Shelbourne Hotel and the cultural side of the city. I find that far more engaging than a generic and gimmicky village setting. Emily Bell grew up in Dublin and was a tour guide and this really comes across in her writing.
Final thoughts on Baby It’s Cold Outside.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The plot won’t surprise you but it runs a bit deeper than you might expect. There is a bit of family drama and we can see that there is a lot more to Norah’s quest than finding an old fling. The characters are likeable and the locations are gorgeous. Bell captures the magic of Dublin at Christmas so well. So go read this book.
(On a side note, the chapters are dated as they count down to Christmas Eve. I tended to overlook the dates so I didn’t notice that this was all happening in December 2019. And things changed quite dramatically after December 2019. So Bell includes an epilogue all about COVID-19 and lockdown. I found this very jarring and it soured what is a fun read. So be aware of this if COVID-19 or Lockdown is a tough subject for you. But otherwise, happy reading!)
Resources used.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Emily Bell.
She Kept Christmas 