First conclusion of the holiday reading season? Definitely the books I read for Christmas in July were the by far standouts of the year. Go there first to get your options. If you are looking for more options however, I recount here the rest of the holiday books I read during the year .
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
Goodreads blurb: From bookfluencer and host of the BAD ON PAPER podcast, a riotous holiday rom-com about four friends in NYC who hold onto their unconventional Christmas tradition even when their paths diverge—but the changes they fear might be exactly what they need… Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together since college. Neither has anywhere else to go—Hannah’s parents died, and Finn’s disowned him when he came out. Their tradition of offbeat holiday adventures only grows more outrageous with time. When the pair starts their adult lives in New York City, they add stylish Priya and mysterious Theo to the group, solidifying a found family and sense of belonging they’ve always craved. But now, when Finn announces a move to L.A., this Christmas may be their last. Hannah is terrified of losing the family she’s built for herself, even as her boyfriend nudges her toward commitment. Meanwhile, Finn struggles with the things he’s about to leave behind—namely, his unexpressed feelings for Theo. Does growing up mean growing apart? This Christmas the changes these friends fear may be exactly what they need. . . .
My Take: 4.25 out of 5. Such a lovely book. Tears were shed and the friendships represented were so wonderful. The books show the power of how friends can be your chosen family and how remarkable that could be. This is one to read if you want your heart to be happy and some wonderful innovative Christmas celebrations.
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
Goodreads blurb: A sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas. Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show. While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.
My take: 3 out of 5. This was a good book it just was not great for me. It had a little too much instant chemistry , we really don’t know why he likes Melanie. Also for your reference it is very steamy, maybe a little too much steam for a Holiday book? I like the ending because it was all about the reunion, however we get so little of it, I wanted so much more. What happened after how were the combined Christmas ? That was so much more interesting to me, I needed at least better epilogue. Also it being a Christmas book is a bit of a stretch, its claim to it is that it happens in December.
Tis the Damn Season by Kimi Freeman
Goodreads blurb: A Hollywood starlet caught in a scandal. The boy she never got over. A Christmas season they’ll never forget…Aspen Moore is living proof that money doesn’t buy happiness. At twenty-three years old, the singer-actress has it all. Fame. Fortune. Her own headlining tour. And yet something—or someone—is missing. When a scandal rocks Aspen’s carefully constructed Hollywood life, she’s forced to return to her Pennsylvania hometown, where she reconnects with her first love, Roman Torres. Aspen knows they must keep their relationship strictly platonic. This game of push and pull, catch and release she plays with Roman is bad for her. She’s not staying in Fertsville, and he’s not moving to LA. But their chemistry is undeniable, and amidst rumors and drama, the bright lights of Hollywood begin to pale in comparison to the dark brown eyes she fell in love with all those years ago. Could Aspen be willing to give up everything she’s ever wanted for the best thing she’s ever had?
my take: 3.5 out of 5. A really sweet, yet also very predictable Christmas love story. It is the perfect plot for a fabulous Hallmark Movie, and you know how much I love those. I know I enjoyed it, I also forgot all about it very shortly after, so the characters were not very memorable to me.
Home for Christmas by Courtney Cole
Goodreads blurb: From New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole, the Magic of the Christmas Season sends a woman back in time to the 1940s where she meets her own grandmother and learns the true meaning of family and the holiday. Piper McCaulley doesn’t know which way is up or down. Her gran, her last remaining family, died two weeks before Christmas, leaving Piper to reevaluate her life. Did she really want to stay chained to the family business just to hang on to this old house? She didn’t care that her great-great-great grandpa had built it with his own hands. How could she make huge life decisions if she’d never even been outside of Alaska? She needs to leave the snowy wilderness that’s her backyard and see the world, and since her gran left her a battered old compass, Piper takes this a secret message from her beloved grandmother: to follow her heart. But before she is even a foot outside the door, Piper finds herself caught in a blizzard and wakes up in 1945 in the original home that her ancestors had built–a time when her gran was just a girl Piper’s age. Once she has gotten over the shock, Piper has the joy of getting to know her grandmother in a whole new way, a way that sheds light on everything Piper had come to know and not know about her own past. Over the course of one magical holiday season, Piper must go on a journey through time to learn the meaning of real love, home, and how a family legacy can connect one another forever.
My take: 3.75 out of 5. A lovely Christmas story, very much in the magical power of Christmas sort of variety. What you would have in the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel, and not the main channel. I loved the growth of the relationship that Piper has with her grandma . And even though the magic is a tad absurd, I’m all about it and loved how this worked out in the end, even though I had many a doubts.
The Wake Up Call by Beth O’Leary
Goodreads blurb: Two hotel receptionists–and arch-rivals–find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way. It’s the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through. The hotel won’t stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel–and their jobs. As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there’s more at stake here than the hotel’s future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?
my take: 3 out of 5 This is one of those Christmas Adjacent books but not really Christmas books, but it happens during the season so lets say its a Christmas book. Its cute, it just has too much miscommunication for my taste. Also the main miscommunication was just to dumb for me. SPOILER: A bad writing of Lucas and Louis (I did the audiobook so i assume that’s how it is written) seems very farfetched for it to go to all this trouble. However they are a cute couple and you are very much rooting for them at the end. I also love the fact the concept of finding the owners of lost gifts. Definitely would recommend reading in print, not in audiobook.
A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Goodreads blurb: Kallum Liebermanis the funny one™. As the arguably lesser of the three former members of the boy band INK, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then moved home where he opened a regional pizza chain called Slice, Slice, Baby! He’s living his best dad bod life, hooking up with bridesmaids at all his friends’ weddings. But after an old one-off sex tape is leaked and quickly goes viral, Kallum decides he’s ready to step into the spotlight again, starring in a sexy Santa biopic for the Hope Channel. Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself—and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie? With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars…especially Winnie who can’t seem to fake on screen pleasure she’s never experienced in real life. She’s willing to do the pleasure research—for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there’s no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum’s teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself. They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?
My take: 3.5 out of 5. This is a continuation of A Merry Little Meet cute. As Merry Little Meet Cute is is very steamy and open door, but it still is quite a cute story of making of a Christmas Holiday Rom Com Movie. I love that some of the characters come back, and very much looking forward to the third book, I men we need the final INK member right?
Tati's Tidbits 