Tag: contemporary holiday romance

Book Review: A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Josie Silver
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A young chef stumbles on a secret family recipe that might lead her to the love—and life—she’s been looking for in this stunning novel.

When Iris decides to move to New York to restart her life, she realizes she underestimated how big the Big Apple really is—all the nostalgic movies set in New York she’d watched with her mom while eating their special secret-recipe gelato didn’t quite do it justice. 

But Bobby, Iris’s best friend, isn’t about to let her hide away. He drags her to a famous autumn street fair in Little Italy, and as they walk through the food stalls, a little family-run gelateria catches her eye—could it be the same shop that’s in an old photo of her mother’s?

Curious, Iris returns the next day and meets the handsome Gio, who tells her that the shop is in danger of closing. His uncle, sole keeper of their family’s gelato recipe, is in a coma, so they can’t make more. When Iris samples the last remaining batch, she realizes that their gelato and her gelato are one and the same. But how can she tell them she knows their secret recipe when she’s not sure why Gio’s uncle gave it to her mother in the first place?

Iris offers her services as a chef to help them re-create the flavor and finds herself falling for Gio and his family. But when Gio’s uncle finally wakes up, all of the secrets Iris has been keeping threaten to ruin the new life—and new love—she’s been building all winter long.

IN MY FEELS.

I didn’t expect this book to take over my entire day, but this audiobook and I hung out until I was finished because it was SO GOOD. I loved this book!! If you’re looking for something a little bit heavier for a holiday romance, this could be it.

Iris and Gio really just hit me over the head with the feels. For a fast paced romance, the chemistry was there. I genuinely enjoyed them as a couple and seeing how both were working through some dark moments of their past and allowing this light to shine between them. The little bit of flashback chapters squeezed my heart and helped bring a better understanding to the present day plot.

My one little gripe was that I felt Iris could have been open about a few things sooner and would have saved some of the unnecessary drama. I didn’t totally mind how it has handled after the fact which led me to feel positive about the whole situation. Especially some of those ending scenes as Iris was finally able to lock the door on who was haunting her past.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: fade to black/vague open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: abusive ex (recounted), loss of a spouse (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: The Christmas Letters by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance Novella
Length: 191 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 28th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can an old letter spark a new flame?

When Tess Ravenel gets herself stuck inside a bathroom stall in one of Charleston’s most historic buildings, she isn’t exactly thinking about her dating life. But then the paramedic who comes to her rescue has a voice that sounds like butter and enough charm to make her forget she’s seconds from having a panic attack.

If only he were interested.

Andrew McKay has a mysterious Christmas pen pal, a woman who replied to a newly found letter he sent to Santa back when he was a kid. After weeks of correspondence, it’s clear she’s funny, smart, interesting…and an awful lot like Tess Ravanel—the woman he’s already blown off twice for good reason.

Tess and Andrew couldn’t be more different, but when their worlds collide, fate (and a little Christmas magic) set them on a crash course for love.

The Christmas Letters is a closed door sweet holiday romance with lots of chemistry but no spice. This book was first published in 2019 but has been heavily revised and updated.

Thank you to Jenny Proctor for an eARC.

HOLLY JOLLY.

I thought this was a lot of fun. It’s fast paced with that instant connection kind of vibe that (if written well) works beautifully in a novella. And all of those things came together for me here. I adored Drew and Tess. Yay for dual POV’s that help give sides to both stories.

The letter writing was a cute quirk and I liked how it was approached vs. all the ways miscommunication could have ruined it. The grand gesture was wonderful. This was perfect for the season and just gave me all the best warm fuzzies.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance Novella
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents (recounted)

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ALC Book Review: Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne and Anthony LeDonne

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 250 pages
Author: Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne
Publisher: Blackstone
Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne–and her real life husband and high school sweetheart, Anthony LeDonne–comes a new holiday romcom that is sure to warm even the coldest heart.

Katherine, an ambitious NYC attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for 48 hours to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Unfortunately, she forgot to update her emergency contact so the person they call is her ex-husband, Tom. Unable to be left alone, Katherine reluctantly agrees to travel to Chicago with Tom for the holidays. But thanks to a blizzard, what should have been a quick plane ride turns into an antagonistic overnight misadventure that stirs up old feelings even as Tom prepares to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.

A delightful meet-cute between The Proposal and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Emergency Contact is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the ALC.

OH SO WITTY.

The nods to Planes, Trains and Automobiles was absolutely at the forefront of this book and had my chuckling throughout. Not one thing going right in the midst of a divorced couple forced to hang out for the holidays is a romance combination I have never read and completely devoured. I love how unique this felt in the genre and it gave a sense of hope of reconciliation (in the right situations).

Reverse grump x sunshine was the most prominent factor and I liked the flipped script. Both Katherine and Tom had to come to terms with how their marriage declined and what were the truly important aspects of their lives. I feel like all of the traveling chaos allowed them to come together and realize what they both had been missing.

It’s a short book, filled with just enough holiday antics to call it a holiday romance and one I will definitely be recommending this year.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce, car accident, loss of a parent (recounted)

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