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17th Oct 2019

Review: Emma Heatherington’s Rewrite The Stars is the Christmas love story you won’t be able to put down

Keeley Ryan

Christmastime is one of the most magical times of the year.

And for Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Taylor, it’s also the time that she first meets Tom Farley, her brother’s best friend – who she also quickly falls head-over-heels for.

But as Tom is taken, Charlie quickly realises that she has to let him go and she tries to move on.

It takes another five years before their paths cross again. This time, a secret from the past pushes Charlie to make a choice she never thought she would have to make.

Charlie tries to move on, with a new love story starting to blossom when she meets the dashing doctor Jack. But she still finds that Tom is always there; always whispering ‘What if?’.

Can Charlie leave the life she has built for one last chance with Tom?  Or is the one that got away not really the one at all…?

Rewrite The Stars is the kind of cosy, feel good book that you won’t want to put down – especially in the lead up to the holidays.

A love story set in Dublin around Christmastime, I was drawn in from the very first word and couldn’t let Charlie’s story go until the very last page.

Each one of the main characters was well written. The characterisation of the two male leads, Jack and Tom, made it impossible not to get invested in who Charlie would choose.

And while exploring a little more of Charlie’s relationships with both Tom and Jack would have definitely helped, readers will definitely end up picking a side (I’m definitely #TeamJack).

Charlie’s wrestling with her questions of ‘what if’ – as well as her feelings for both men – was incredibly relatable: who hasn’t, at some point, wondered what would have happened if their life had taken a different direction?

The will-they-or-won’t-they aspect of the book was really enjoyable, particularly as Rewrite The Stars heads towards the end – and a plot twist that turns the entire novel on its head (which I’m not going to spoil here; don’t worry).

All in all, it’s an incredibly emotional read that will tug at your heartstrings – and the perfect book to curl up with on a wintry weekend day.

Rewrite The Stars also inspired an incredible song by the award-winning singer-songwriter Gareth Dunlop, who has previously written for the TV series Nashville and some of the Nicolas Sparks movie adaptations. 

You can listen to the track, ‘You’, below. 

 

A good book can do just about anything; from taking you on a wild and fantastical adventure to making you feel like an all-knowing super sleuth (if you figure out the killer twist).

But what’s good to read? Each week, #Bookmarked will help you out – with an insight into the best novels hitting shelves right now and other faves that everyone needs to read at least once in their lives.

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Bookmarked,books