My romantic comedy Not Just for Christmas opens with the heroine, Charlie, grumbling about the onslaught of Christmas on a mizzling wet December day. She is hung over from an excess of mulled wine, her boyfriend has dumped her for his personal trainer, and her mother has absconded for the holidays, so Charlie is definitely not in the spirit. We’ve all been there, but Charlie is the ultimate Scrooge, so one aspect of her narrative journey is that she must learn to love Christmas as much as she should! The book opens with a list of Charlie’s "10 Things I Hate About Christmas". Here is my seasonal antidote:

Natalie Cox writes an exclusive piece for Female First

Natalie Cox writes an exclusive piece for Female First

10 things I love about Christmas

  1. The smell of pine. Holiday aromatherapy! Breathe deep and let it carry you all the way to the North Pole.
  2. Wreaths. Gracious and convivial, why not let your door speak for you? Let it shout Welcome! Good Tidings!
  3. Rudolph. Who knows what reindeers are really like, but the cartoon versions are adorable.
  4. Twinkly white lights. So simple. So transformative.
  5. Mince pies. Melt-in-your-mouth perfection in a tiny foil tray.
  6. Candy Canes. Great taste. Iconic design. And perfect for a hangover.
  7. Television. When else are we given carte blanche to simply park ourselves in front of the screen and binge?
  8. Carols. For those of us who can’t carry a tune, this is the one time of year when no one really cares. Especially if we’ve all had plenty to drink.
  9. Stockings. Forget the rest, I would crawl to the end of the earth for a fat Christmas stocking stuffed with practically anything. Please bury me with one.
  10. Family. Even mine.

Not Just For Christmas by Natalie Cox is out now (Orion, £6.99).

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