Author K.L. Crear delivers a delightfully modern spin on Dickens’ timeless tale with A Christmas Caroline, swapping Victorian London for contemporary Britain and replacing the elderly miser with a young woman whose relationship with money is less about hoarding wealth and more about extreme couponing and yellow-sticker shopping.
Caroline emerges as a thoroughly engaging protagonist – a millennial Scrooge whose penny-pinching ways feel both relatable and ridiculous in equal measure. Crear has real fun with the character, painting someone who treats the reduced section like a competitive sport and views Christmas spending with the kind of horror usually reserved for tax bills. The author’s sharp wit shines through Caroline’s internal monologue, delivering genuinely laugh-out-loud moments as our heroine navigates her supernatural evening with the same skepticism she’d apply to a full-price purchase.
The writing flows beautifully, with Crear striking that Sophie Kinsella-esque balance between humour and heart. The contemporary setting works wonderfully – instead of counting coins by candlelight, we have Caroline, the Queen of Mean with her over the top and outrageous methods of conserving money.
Where the book differs from its source material is in its treatment of the ghostly visitors. While Dickens gave his spirits distinct personalities and memorable moments, Crear’s ghosts feel more like plot devices than fully realised characters. They drift through their scenes efficiently enough, showing Caroline what she needs to see, but they lack the gravitas and distinctiveness of their Victorian counterparts. This isn’t necessarily a weakness – by keeping the focus tightly on Caroline, Crear maintains narrative momentum and allows her protagonist’s transformation to take centre stage.
The emotional journey feels authentic despite the compressed timeframe. Caroline’s eventual awakening to life beyond bargain-hunting doesn’t happen through grand revelations but through small, perfectly observed moments that accumulate into genuine change. The feel-good ending arrives right on schedule, warm and satisfying as Christmas pudding.
A Christmas Caroline succeeds as both a clever homage and an entertaining story in its own right. While it may not have the depth of Dickens’ original, it doesn’t need to. This is comfort reading at its finest – funny, heartwarming, and perfectly pitched for anyone who’s ever felt their heart sink at the approach of expensive December festivities. Crear has created a Christmas story that acknowledges modern financial realities while still believing in the possibility of transformation and generosity.
Perfect for fans of romantic comedy and anyone who appreciates a good redemption story with their mulled wine.
I award 5 stars.
