Tag: Christmas romance

Book Review: Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 361 pages
Author: Kristen Bailey
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: October 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One woman, two Nicks, and a Christmas season that’s about to get very complicated.

When librarian Kay bumps into her ex-boyfriend Nick at a Christmas market, she thinks fate is finally giving her a second chance with her first big love. But then she gets spectacularly tangled in a Christmas tree-netting machine and meets another Nick entirely. One who cuts her free, dresses her wounds, and makes her pulse race in ways that thoroughly confuse her.

Finance Nick is successful, settled, and ready to talk five-year plans. Farmer Nick makes handcrafted furniture, supports local charities, and sees the creative spirit Kay has kept hidden behind her library desk. But how is a girl to choose?

Soon she’s spending her days delivering books to children’s hospitals and care homes with farmer Nick, before dashing home to whip off her reindeer onesie and glam up for romantic dates at the ballet with finance Nick.

But the countdown to Christmas is on, and Kay can’t keep this up forever. Somehow she must navigate London’s most complicated love triangle, avoid getting any more pine needles stuck in her hair – and work out once and for all which Nick has her heart.

A laugh-out-loud festive rom-com that fans of Love Actually and The Holiday will adore.

NOT IT.

I’ve enjoyed Kristen Bailey’s previous holiday romances but this one bugged me too much to love it.

My biggest gripe was that the FMC, Kay, was incredibly frustrating. She calls herself a “special kind of idiot” when she finally clues in [at 95%] and I was like YEAH YOU HAVE BEEN GIRL. WHY WERE YOU WITH THE WRONG MAN FOR 95% OF THIS BOOK.

If the break up had come much sooner I might have gotten more on board. It just left the other side of this love triangle lacking in a lot of ways because she wasn’t technically single even though she tried to maintain that thought process throughout the book. It became increasingly frustrating.

There’s good holiday cheer and themes that I did like. But as a romance, it didn’t work.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary holiday romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: A Little Holiday Fling by Farah Heron

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Christmas Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Farah Heron
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: October 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

There are two things that Ruby Dhanji loves with her whole entire Christmas and anything to do with the UK. For Ruby the holiday season means joy, generosity, and warm memories with her late mother. And now she’s on the verge of realizing the dream she and her mom always moving to England and opening a cozy inn. The only problem, Ruby needs some hotel experience first. 
 
Rashid just doesn’t get all the holiday hype. But when he meets a woman dragging home a Christmas tree alone from the Winter Market, he has to offer to help—even if he soon finds Ruby adores all the things he dislikes. When Ruby discovers that Rashid’s family owns a luxury boutique hotel chain in Britain, she offers him a she’ll help him give his young nieces an amazing Christmas if he’ll facilitate an introduction to his family. 
 
As Ruby and Rashid get closer, she realizes that the great big grump loves his large, eccentric family fiercely. And when their friendship turns to something more, she’s afraid she’s falling for someone weeks before she moves across the Atlantic and she’ll soon have to decide which dream she wants to chase. 

PRETTY GOOD.

This is my first book by this author and I liked it! I especially appreciated that this wasn’t spice forward and provided a lot of relationship build up and self growth in the midst of the holiday moments. Also, the audiobook was good too.

I struggled with the FMC at first because of a general personality clash, but decided to continue and the longer it went on the more I did like Ruby and backstory and overall why for this book. I liked her connection with Rashid and the enemies-ish banter as they both realized there are many layers to each other and started opening up.

The third act did make me a bit cranky but that was my only big complaint. I would love to read another book from Farah Heron.

Overall audience notes:

  • Holiday Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 2ish quick open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: mention of breast cancer (and losing a parent), emotional abuse

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Book Review: That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe (Abieville Love Stories #4) by Julie Christianson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 338 pages
Author: Julie Christianson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

My holly jolly Christmas just went up in smoke. Literally …

Playing nursemaid to Bradford “Three” Fuller is the last thing I need for Christmas.

But for the next few days, I’m stuck in charge of my ex’s sparkling eyes, his ridiculous abs, and his (mostly) accidental kisses.

I don’t have a choice.

You see, Three’s only hurt because of me. And not like he hurt me a decade ago. Like … I literally concussed the man with a fire extinguisher.

Still, a make-or-break mission for my parents is what brought me back to the small town where he crushed my tender heart in the first place.

And if I screw up, I risk my mother’s approval plus the job at my father’s law firm I’ve worked for my entire life.

So I sure hope Santa stuffs my stocking full of self-control. And a defibrillator.

Because my heart just may be broken by this second chance with Three …

That Time we Kissed Under the Mistletoe is a full-length, closed-door romantic comedy in the Abieville Love Stories series, but the book can be enjoyed as a standalone.

As with all Julie Christianson’s romcoms, you’ll find plenty of sizzling chemistry, but no content beyond kisses.

CUTE AND LIGHT.

Sometimes what you need is a cute holiday romance and this hit that spot for me. I enjoyed the audiobook too (though I struggled with the FMC narrator a little). I haven’t read the other books in this series and had no issues loving on this one. It can easily be read as a standalone.

I loved all of the forced proximity moments for this second chance duo. The small town atmosphere with the holiday cheer was sweet and made for a nice listen. I loved that this was soft. Sara and Three were clearly into each other [again] from the moment they saw each other and I was smitten with the quiet scenes between them.

The lack of third act break-up was perfect. I loved that there was still character growth and tough conversations and the slight build of tension you need, but without the drama that can be oh so frustrating. I was charmed and another great read for my Christmas romance list.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: 12 Days of Mistletoe by Jen Atkinson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 328 pages
Author: Jen Atkinson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 14th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

How to end up in Christmas kissing lessons with your downstairs enemy…

Break apartment rules? Guilty.
Send holiday cards to the downstairs neighbor’s grandma? Done.
Accidentally become said neighbor’s fake girlfriend for a family Christmas photo? Wait, what?

I, Bonnie Miller, am no troublemaker. I’m just an anxious girl trying to keep my emotional support pup in a no-pets apartment building. But my downstairs neighbor is determined to be my personal Grinch and get us both evicted.

Just when I think things can’t get any worse, Elliot Eaton offers me a deal I can’t refuse. Suddenly I’m playing girlfriend and giving mistletoe kisses to my sworn enemy, all to keep my home.

Who knew that breaking one little rule would lead to a fan-mistletoe-tastic holiday?

12 Days of Mistletoe is a closed door, laugh out loud, warm your wintery heart romcom. If you need a book with all the feels, some mistletoe kisses, and lots of holiday spirit, look no further!

LOVED THE ANXIETY REP.

This was my first book by this author and I think I would read another one! I was spouting genuine laughter during those opening scenes and chapters. I loved the fake dating plot and the wildness of Elliot’s family. It’s light and holiday themed with a nice whimsical feel to it.

I don’t always love a meddling grandmother so that one bugged me here and there. Let people kiss on their own terms, ya know?? But I did enjoy the family dynamics on a larger scale.

The anxiety representation was heartfelt too. I connected to many thoughts and feelings from Bonnie and appreciated those dynamics woven into the story too. Not mad at all that I added this to my holiday reads this year.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content Warnings: anxiety attacks (on page)

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