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Published 2024 by Odyssey Media (I received an advanced copy)

Soundtrack: I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Leona Lewis

For fans of made-for-TV movies with holiday haters turned Christmas enthusiasts, 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶 felt equal parts sweet and predictable. 

Christmas-obsessed Noel (yes, this level of cheese) Anderson has been striking out on the job front and very broke rents out her apartment while she goes home for the holidays. Unfortunately, she never booked a flight, and now they are expensive, so she attempts to cancel the reservation. It is made apparent she did not, in fact, cancel when business mogle with the movie star looks no-time-for-Christmas-because-he-has-a-deal-to-close, Kanton Joseph walks into her apartment. They agreed to stay together for the week… You can probably guess the rest.

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book. The spicy parts were very descriptive, and I feel the instant lust worked well in the scenario, given the meet-cute. While taking place the week of Christmas, the book didn’t feel too overly festive, and I loved watching the MCs compare their holiday experiences. Noel’s best friend brought some hilarious, if sometimes a bit crass, humor to otherwise simple dialogue. I did appreciate the other secondary characters as they added some dimension to our main characters, and I would love to see a book about Kanton’s executive assistant, Shelby. 

If you are a fan of spicy holiday romance with grumpy-sunshine (aka grinch and holiday lover vibes) you will likely enjoy this book! Similar books include The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score and The Mistletoe Bet by Maren Moore

Ultimately, this was too cheesy for my tastes without enough exploration beyond surface-level chemistry. It would be more enjoyable for those seeking a light, warm holiday read with a bit of festive fraternization. 

ps. I am just about obsessed with this gorgeous cover!!