I did a lot of pre reading in July, with the Christmas in July, and here are the rest of the Holiday books I read. Some of these were some of my most anticipated and ones I obviously didn’t get an ARC for so we couldn’t add them in July
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Goodreads blurb: He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge. Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.
Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.
With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?Filled with magic, mayhem, and cozy holiday charm
My take: 4.5 out of 5. BK Borison has been the romance surprise of the year. I liked her previous books but this year has been at another level. Her book First Time caller was one of my favorite, if not my favorite romance of the year (i actually did vote for it in Goodreads Romance category) and now she comes and hits it out of the park with the Christmas hinted (its not 100% Christmas but there is a Ghost of Christmas past so I am calling it a Christmas book) book I needed. I kind of loved everything about it, the banter, the progression, the Christmas spirit. It wasn’t fully predictable and it was beautiful all round.
Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding
Goodreads blurb: Jane Austen’s Persuasion meets the Big Apple in this swoon-worthy holiday romance from the authors of the “charming” (Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author) Elizabeth of East Hampton and Emma of 83rd Street.
Eight years ago, Anne Elliot broke Freddie Wentworth’s heart when she refused to give up her five-year plan for the sake of adventure. But despite big dreams, Anne, now thirty, is still living at home with hardly a plan in sight. Anne tries to be optimistic—she knows better than anyone that regret will get you nowhere—but that goes out when the window when, thanks to her father’s bad spending habits, her childhood apartment in is rented out to the very man still living in her head rent-free.
Freddie Wentworth never thought he would see Anne Elliot again after she dumped him for accepting a job overseas. He spent years trying to forget her, and he’s been mostly successful. So when a job opportunity takes him back to New York, he’s shocked to find out that Anne is not only his new neighbor, but also the former resident of his new Greenwich Village penthouse.
Nearly a decade after Anne and Freddie’s fateful romance, the only thing they still have in common is a desire to leave their relationship firmly in the past. But between a disastrous off-Broadway show and a drunken Thanksgiving dinner, nosey neighbors, and flirtatious friends, Anne and Freddie suddenly find their lives more intertwined than ever before. When old feelings start rising to the surface, they must decide whether to put their hearts on the line or walk away all over again.
my take: 4.5 out of 5. This book is everything that I want for A Christmas read. I have loved the prior incarnations of this series of Jane Austen adaptations: Elizabeth of East Hampton and Emma of 83rd Street, but this is so far my favorite. First of all obviously the Christmas setting helped but apart from that it just was so well done. The adaptation was a kind of perfect and felt completely modern (it also made me want to do a revisit of Persuasion, it has been a while). Great characters, great vibes, NY at Christmas and a lovely romance to boot. Also bonus points in that we get some appearances by the other books characters,, I love that they are friends, like you always felt that the Jane Austen Characters should be friends, and here it is proven.
Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace
Goodreads blurb: Clara Davenport wants to solve Fraser Falls’s biggest problem. According to Jack Kelly, Clara is Fraser Falls’s biggest problem.
All Clara Davenport has ever wanted to do is climb the ladder at Davenport Innovation Creative, her family’s toy business. Everything was going according to plan, until the company was accused of stealing a doll design from an independent toy maker, creating a flurry of bad publicity. With a promotion dangled in front of her like a carrot to a reindeer, Clara is tasked with charming the locals of the small town to solve the PR nightmare, by any means necessary.
Jack Kelly would be happy to never hear the name Davenport ever again. Less than a year after a guy in a fancy suit appeared on his doorstep with a sleigh-full of promises, the company that once falsely claimed they wanted to sign him to their small business program has copied his design. So when Clara prances into town hoping to convince Fraser Falls that her company is not the enemy, Jack is determined not to be fooled by Davenport twice.
But Clara has a plan to win over the community only to realize that beneath Jack’s frosty demeanor lies the key to the town’s heart—and maybe her own.
my take: 3.75 out of 5. Hannah Graces icebreaker series is rally fun so I was definitely going to check out her Christmas book. Is it the best book of the season, no, but it meets expectations and it is a lovely holiday read. This is straight out of the Hallmark small town playbook but it really works beautifully. It has all the holiday feels, a beautiful emotional arc and a gorgeous snowy setting.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Goodreads blurb: From Putnam’s beloved holiday author comes another charming, British wintertime tale following one dejected woman’s trip home to her eccentric great-aunts, her wayward mother . . . and her first love.
Fred Hallow-Hart isn’t in love with the idea of returning home to Pine Bluff. But after a bad breakup and a subsequent eviction, she’s fresh out of options. God knows she loves her mum and her eccentric aunts—and who could forget their Christmas Cracker family business?—but she’s always felt a little out of place in her small town.
Quickly roped in by her mother to help with the cracker shop, Fred decides throwing herself into work might actually be what’s best for her. Until she reconnects with her old best friend Ryan, who is suddenly making her heart flutter in ways she’s never known; and unexpectedly finds a spark with Warren, a charming journalist covering the Pine Bluff Christmas Market for the Daily News.
But as these connections slowly lead Fred back to her heart, she’s forced to confront some harsh truths, which, if she doesn’t find a way through, might just ruin the holidays for those dearest to her. Can Fred let go of the past enough to recognize real love? And when she does, how far will she go to protect it?
my take: 3.75 out of 5. Jenny Bayliss wrote one of my favorite Christmas books last year, Kiss Me at Christmas, and I always look forward to her Holiday outing. This was a totally satisfying incarnation, if not her best, definitely a thoroughly enjoyable one. I am in love with the aunts, and kind of love the concept of a family run Christmas crackers business, like how more of an English Christmas setting can you get? A little too much miscommunication for my taste but the Christmas vibes still won out.
Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk
Goodreads blurb: ‘Lindsey is the Taylor Swift of romance writing’ DAISY BUCHANAN
Laura and Callum have met exactly three times – once at a mutual friend’s wedding (Laura doesn’t remember), once at a baby shower (Callum doesn’t remember) and once right now – when Laura lets herself into his flat to find him exiting the shower completely naked (they both remember).
When Callum’s parents walk in and mistake Laura for his mystery girlfriend, Laura has no choice but to play along, accepting their invitation to spend Christmas at home in the Scottish Highlands.
But then Laura’s best friends show up pretending to be her family, and Callum’s ex is invited, and as Laura gets closer to Callum, she can’t tell if the increasingly sizzling chemistry between them is real or just a very convincing part of the act…
my take: 4 out of 5. It is kind of wild that this is the second holiday book with a fake dating trope that is set in in Scotland that I have read this season. The meet cute is so absurd and the miscommunication so stupid I should hate this book. However, Lindsey Kelk proves why she is so great because I actually loved this and ended up not dying with all the miscommunication, which is strange for me. A really cute holiday read!
Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh
Goodreads blurb: A second chance with your first crush.
Doesn’t happen often.
For Liam Fisher, that first crush was his next door neighbor, Olive Witherby.
Childhood was lazy summers, treehouse stargazing, and endless games of hide and seek at Pine Creek, the Christmas tree farm that’s been in Liam’s family for generations.
When Liam moves away, he and Olive say goodbye the only way they know how—with a fumbling first kiss neither of them will ever forget.
Even though twelve-year olds’ promises of keeping in touch feel eternal, time and distance eventually make Olive and Liam practically strangers.
Twenty years later, Liam’s parents announce they’re retiring and selling the tree farm.
Twenty years later, Pine Creek is the last place grown-up Liam wants to be. Inherit this legacy? Not on your life.
And twenty years later, grown-up Olive is stuck.
Her work life is a lot like her love life—floundering. After a humiliating business failure, loads of debt, and one too many laughable first dates, she’s in no hurry to put herself out there again, in business or in romance.
When Olive is hired by Liam’s parents to rekindle the lost magic of the farm one final time before it’s sold, she sets out to make this the last, best Pine Creek Christmas, for the town and for a very cranky, not-so-talkative, surprisingly attractive Liam.
Part of her mission? Convince the crank to fall in love with Christmas.
The other part? Not fall head over heels in the process.
my take: 3.5 out of 5. Thank God for google. I was about to absolutely hate this book, because I listened to it in Hoopla and it was about to have the worst ending in the history of romance and Christmas books. Then in went online to see if i was crazy an rant and found that hoopla is missing the last chapter. So also thanks to Spotify where I could listen to the last chapter and actually have the appropriate ending this really cute Christmas story deserved. I was a big fan, it was cute, nostalgic and had all the appropriate Christmas feels. Its as Hallmark as you can get, also in how chaste it is.
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