All About Us

By: Tom Ellen

4/5 Watches

Ben is used to self-pity. In fact, he thrives on it. So after a particularly fraught fight one winter night with his wife, Daphne, he decides the only solution is to go to the pub and get "pissed." He constantly thinks back to 15 years ago, when he met Daphne. He thinks about Alice, the crush and friend he left behind upon meeting Daphne. Ben constantly considers what would happen if he could go back and change the past. Is Alice his true soulmate?

While Ben meets his best friend Harv at the pub, it's a random watch-seller who steals his attention that night. The watch-seller approaches Ben to gift him a watch in order to see when Christmas Day strikes. The only downfall is that the watch is forever stuck on 11:58. A little annoyed, Ben walks home to have some more wine and wait for his wife to return from the company party. But when Ben awakes, he is not in the place, or time period, he went to sleep in. He's 15 years in the past... given a chance to live a life that he thought he always wanted. Will Ben take that chance, or will he discover new information that will reframe his thinking?

This was my November The Book Drop mailing, and it came at just the right time! I had just finished Love Actually and was craving a book to match the movie. While this doesn't necessarily match, it has the same realistic attitude towards love, and it's set in England (which I'm a sucker for!). All About Us is a perfect mix of A Christmas Carol and One Day in December. I was hesitant to start it because I wasn't sure it would actually be romantic - I thought I'd feel heartbroken for one of the characters. While I cried multiple times during my reading, it was a truly romantic story that is more relatable than others.

Again, Ben is no doubt a flawed character, but I'd say most of us can relate to him in some ways. He is the worst parts of us, and in some way, reading about his flaws made me want to better myself. As Ben traveled through Christmas Past, Present, and Future, I felt like I did, too. Tom Ellen writes a romance that's beyond the surface. A romance that makes you think what is true love and is it worth holding on to? I've only been with my boyfriend for four years, but I saw so much of Ben's Christmas Past in our relationship, which made me think of ways we could avoid Ben's present. I'm sure I'm reading too much into it, but I think that's a sign of a good book.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to someone who's in a cheery Christmas mood simply because it can get heavy at times. Don't get me wrong, it's a great Christmas book, but it's not for all. For instance, if you didn't like One Day in December, definitely don't read this one. Or maybe read it after the holidays... Otherwise, buckle in because you're in for a wildly emotional ride that is above all, romantic and happy.