As the holiday season sparkles around us, I’m excited to share my thoughts on three Christmas books I recently read:

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
Publisher: Avon
Pub Date: 10/10/2023

Thank you to Avon for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Holly Jolly Ever After is the second book in A Christmas Notch series and can be read as a standalone, but it’s enjoyed more if you read the first book. This sexy Christmas romance follows Kallum Lieberman, a former boy band member turned pizza chain owner, who seeks to reclaim fame by starring in a Sexy Santa biopic after an explicit tape leak. Meanwhile, Winnie Baker, a former child star with a crumbling perfect life, aims to reinvent herself as his costar, leading to a rediscovery of passion. As the two navigate their roles, they possibly discover more between them.

Overall, this was a cute read, but it wasn’t my favorite. I absolutely loved Part 1 of the book and loved that it had the similar style of A Merry Little Meet Cute, but Part 2 introduced a trope I absolutely hate, which wasn’t mentioned in the summary, yet it surprisingly fit the narrative here. However, I felt that the storyline took an odd turn. I had mixed feelings about Kallum and Winnie as the main leads. First, I loved how distinct their voices were and it was great that Julie and Sierra switched writing characters (Sierra wrote Winnie and Julie wrote Kallum from what I remember saying during a book event last year). Kallum and Winnie frustrated me as they didn’t give each other enough grace. Kallum was a bit too laid back which fit his personality and Winnie was a bit too uptight which fit too, but I didn’t really see them as being fit for each other. This ended up being a 3.5 star read for me but I rounded up to 4 on GoodReads out of appreciation for the authors’ styles and the narrators’ excellent audio rendition that truly brought the story to life.

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Avon
Pub Date: 10/3/2023

Thank you to Avon Books for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Wreck the Halls, Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins reunite their mothers’ rock band amidst chaos and rekindle a romance. Their journey faces a scandal that risks the band’s reunion and their newfound love. However, I struggled to feel the spark between Melody and Beat. While Melody was endearing, I found Beat to be off putting and desperate.

Tessa Bailey’s books are a mixed bag for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect for Wreck the Halls. The cute plot, unique characters, enjoyable banter, and the mystery surrounding the band’s breakup kept me engaged with the story. Their teenage crushes were sweet, but their insta love as adults didn’t seem believable due to the lack of communication. I was expecting the book to have more of a holiday vibe, but it felt like the only festive element was its December setting and a Christmas Eve deadline. Overall, this was a 3-star read for me.

Love Holly by Emily Stone
Publisher: Random House
Pub Date: 9/26/2023

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

”Some people you know for a lifetime, but they never really make an imprint on your soul – and some people you only have to know for an instant to know they will be part of you forever.” – Love Holly by Emily Stone.

In Love Holly by Emily Stone, Holly’s journey with the Dear Stranger letter-writing club leads her to a deep connection with Emma and a spark-filled romance with Jack, teaching her lessons in love, healing, and forgiveness.

I’ve been a fan of Emily Stone and her holiday novels are a must-read. I bought Love, Holly a couple of months ago and decided to finally pick it up. Love, Holly delves into strained relationships, beauty of unexpected friendships, healing, and forgiveness. I loved the building of Holly and Emma’s friendship along with unraveling how other characters that are involved in the process. The romance is a bit secondary at first and l a slow burn which works well for the storyline. Highly recommend picking this up if you love Emily Stone’s work, but keep in mind it tackles some intense themes, so check StoryGraph for content warnings!