Review: 'The Christmas Project' by Maxime Morrey (2016)

Professional organiser Kate Stone has never – NEVER – been tempted to hit a client over the head with a snow shovel, but Michael O'Farrell is the most obnoxious – and heart-stoppingly gorgeous – man she has ever met. If he weren't her best friend’s brother, she would not have waited on his doorstep in the freezing cold for five minutes, let alone an hour.
Kate knows, however, that her job isn’t just about tidying up, sometimes she needs to be part therapist too, and Michael clearly needs her help to declutter his heart as well as his home.
But with the festive season just around the corner there isn’t much time to get Michael’s house ready for the O’Farrell family celebrations, but everyone knows that at Christmas anything can happen…
Last year I didn’t get the chance to read Maxime Morrey’s festive novel ‘Winter’s Fairytale’, so when I was approved to receive a NetGalley review copy of ‘The Christmas Project’, her 2016 winter release, I was really excited to finally have the chance to check out her writing. Even though I didn’t hear too much about this novel before I stumbled upon it on NetGalley, I immediately liked the blue festive book cover and the description of the novel. I’d already had a good dose of festive stories this year when I got the time to pick this up, but there’s no such thing as too many Christmassy reads, so I looked forward to checking it out!
Kate Stone loves her job as a professional organiser but Michael O’Farrell is her first client that actually has her risking her career because she can’t help but want to hit him on the head whenever he opens his mouth. Kate promised her friend Janey to help out her brother Michael, who is supposed to host this year’s family Christmas but desperately needs some organising in his home and personal life. Yet, Michael isn’t the easiest person and him and Kate only seem to clash whenever they’re in the same room. But Kate has never turned down a challenge and she’s determined she can help Michael. As Christmas comes closer and Michael’s home becomes more organised, Kate can’t help but slowly start to warm to Michael. Could this Christmas perhaps have something more than just an organising project in store for her…? 
‘The Christmas Project’ has quite a classic storyline at its core and I personally really enjoyed how author Maxine Morrey gave it her own December twist. Professional organiser Kate can’t stand her latest client Michael, but she can’t break her promise to her friend Janey so she needs to take a deep breath and assist Michael in getting his home in order before Christmas, no matter how annoying she might find him. As the days go along, Kate can’t help but warm to Michael, and I really enjoyed reading about the two of them, specifically their banter. The story also includes an incredibly cute dog who I couldn’t get enough of, and the dialogue between mainly Kate and Michael was really entertaining. 
I have to admit I didn’t really think this was a real Christmas read. The title of the book suggested a project focused on Christmas, but I missed the descriptions of decorations, festivity planning, the Christmas atmosphere… In my opinion it is a read that can be picked up any time of the year, not specifically the December season. Next to that, while I did definitely enjoy it, I couldn’t help but feel that the story was a bit slow-paced and didn’t have enough going on to keep my attention at all times. Yet, my interest has definitely been sparked by author Maxine Morrey and I hope to read more of her work in 2017. Overall, ‘The Christmas Project’ is a lovely and entertaining read for any time of the year, and a read I personally quite enjoyed!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.