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nikkeyreads's review
3.0
This read was something I didn’t know I needed. It was a breath of fresh air as I witnessed Quincy’s and Tia’s relationship evolve. Quincy a young man with a broken heart taking it day by day. Tia a young lady who is trying to hold on to what she thinks is love with both hands. Now let’s sprinkle in a little holiday magic with family, friends and a couple of hiccups along the way and you have the perfect YA holiday romance. This was a holiday movie in a book and I enjoyed every minute of it.
ninajongkind's review against another edition
3.0
Las erg makkelijk weg en wel een leuke winterse kerstsfeer, was verder niet zo bijzonder.
mishale1's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this.
Tia is mad when her mom surprises the family with a two week trip at Christmas time. It also lines up with her boyfriend asking for space. She’s not sure if it’s a breakup. She doesn’t want to go away, she wants to stay home and work on their relationship.
She’s also not excited to go to the country and be around horses (she’s terrified of them) and other animals.
Quincy is the son of the hotel’s owner. His long term relationship ended not long ago. He doesn’t want his ex back and he wants her to know it. So he absolutely must have a date for the Christmas ball that his family is hosting.
In walks Tia with her family.
And a plan is hatched.
Tia will agree to be Quincy’s date to the ball and be will sneak her out to her ex(?)boyfriend’s birthday party.
As they pretend to date, the feelings start to feel real.
I thought this was sweet and entertaining. I loved the setting. I loved the build up to the Christmas ball. Quincy was a sweetheart and Tia was someone who needed to know she deserved better than her ex.
I love a variety of Christmas and holiday books. There aren’t a ton of them with Black characters in the lead, so it always feels like acknowledging the ones that are out there. And it’s also worth noting that this book was close to 400 pages and I felt like I could have just kept reading!
Tia is mad when her mom surprises the family with a two week trip at Christmas time. It also lines up with her boyfriend asking for space. She’s not sure if it’s a breakup. She doesn’t want to go away, she wants to stay home and work on their relationship.
She’s also not excited to go to the country and be around horses (she’s terrified of them) and other animals.
Quincy is the son of the hotel’s owner. His long term relationship ended not long ago. He doesn’t want his ex back and he wants her to know it. So he absolutely must have a date for the Christmas ball that his family is hosting.
In walks Tia with her family.
And a plan is hatched.
Tia will agree to be Quincy’s date to the ball and be will sneak her out to her ex(?)boyfriend’s birthday party.
As they pretend to date, the feelings start to feel real.
I thought this was sweet and entertaining. I loved the setting. I loved the build up to the Christmas ball. Quincy was a sweetheart and Tia was someone who needed to know she deserved better than her ex.
I love a variety of Christmas and holiday books. There aren’t a ton of them with Black characters in the lead, so it always feels like acknowledging the ones that are out there. And it’s also worth noting that this book was close to 400 pages and I felt like I could have just kept reading!
shannanh's review
5.0
I am one of those individuals that does not wait for Christmas season to begin to read themed stories. So when I got the notice for this tour, I jumped at the chance to read this book (plus I absolutely loved the last book I read from them). I enjoyed this book as much as the first one. It had me laughing many times (and thankfully I wasn't eating when it did), and was such a heartwarming and beautiful story. I think my favorite part was how Tia learned a lesson at a Young age that took many if us older women many years to learn ( and TBH, some of us still haven't taken it to heart at our big ages.) This author is two for two for me and I can't wait for their next book.
lambsbooks's review
I think this DNF is 100% my fault because I didn’t realize this was a YA.
But, Sophie, it’s literally in the first sentence of the blurb?
Your girl is an idiot.
Okay, so this was rushed and slightly annoying. Both MCs were whiny (this is where the YA comes into play because this may not have bothered me 10 years ago) and kinda superficial. Like, I get it, Tia is supposed to be this city girl, but introducing her by having her complain about her nails and then borderline insult her friend in her head while they're talking, yeah, it wasn’t a good start. Also, her boyfriend wants to break up and she says "I still have to host his party, I love him" girl, love yourself more at this point.
Quincy was mostly forgettable, aside from his whining too lmao
I kept thinking his name was Cam and I was like, why?? It’s his brother 💀 I literally couldn’t keep the characters straight in my head, including the POV swtiches (their tones/voices were kinda all the same)
Anyway, take this with a grain of salt because like I said, I thought this was NA/Adult and it threw me off because I had high expectations😭😅
*All this to say I still like YA, but don't reach for YA contemporary aside from a few exceptions*
Thanks to Soho Press and Coloured Pages Book Tours for this eARC and physical ARC
But, Sophie, it’s literally in the first sentence of the blurb?
Your girl is an idiot.
Okay, so this was rushed and slightly annoying. Both MCs were whiny (this is where the YA comes into play because this may not have bothered me 10 years ago) and kinda superficial. Like, I get it, Tia is supposed to be this city girl, but introducing her by having her complain about her nails and then borderline insult her friend in her head while they're talking, yeah, it wasn’t a good start. Also, her boyfriend wants to break up and she says "I still have to host his party, I love him" girl, love yourself more at this point.
Quincy was mostly forgettable, aside from his whining too lmao
I kept thinking his name was Cam and I was like, why?? It’s his brother 💀 I literally couldn’t keep the characters straight in my head, including the POV swtiches (their tones/voices were kinda all the same)
Anyway, take this with a grain of salt because like I said, I thought this was NA/Adult and it threw me off because I had high expectations😭😅
*All this to say I still like YA, but don't reach for YA contemporary aside from a few exceptions*
Thanks to Soho Press and Coloured Pages Book Tours for this eARC and physical ARC
lauxlau's review
2.0
I think this is a wonderful book for teenagers. As a 25 year old it was a bit too much teenage drama for me. I liked the idea of this story but the execution was very boring.
Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
ellielouise's review against another edition
5.0
Immediate 5 stars! This was soooo good and had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole way through.
I loved Tia and Quincy and adored the development of their relationship, it felt very natural. The setting was great, the descriptions of the farm were lovely!
Got me right in the mood for Christmas and I look forward to reading more!
I loved Tia and Quincy and adored the development of their relationship, it felt very natural. The setting was great, the descriptions of the farm were lovely!
Got me right in the mood for Christmas and I look forward to reading more!
lit_vibrations's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
This was a fun, cozy, and adorable YA Christmas read and while the book was super cute why was the drama so juicy lol. Kali and Simon would have never been forgiven let alone been able to speak to me again and everything about Mike screamed toxic Tia deserved better.
I loved the holiday theme and atmosphere the author created with the horseback riding, ice skating, the snow storm, and winter ball. The pacing started a bit slow but the build up to that magical night at the winter ball was perfect.
I think the author perfectly captured the complexities of teenage relationships exploring themes of trust, betrayal, miscommunication, personal growth, and letting go. The way Tia drove herself mad after Mike asked for space did annoy me. But what really got me was how he tried flipping things on her in the end. Quincy was the nicest guy in the book and him meeting Tia when he had was obviously fate. There wasn’t an instant connection between the two MC’s but I did enjoy the alternating perspectives and watching their connection build.
Overall, I liked the book and think it’s the perfect holiday read. If you enjoy fake-dating, opposites attract, he falls first, or burdened-ex tropes you’ll like this book. Special thanks to @hearourvoicestours @soho_teen for my gifted copy‼️
Rating: 3.5/5⭐️
I loved the holiday theme and atmosphere the author created with the horseback riding, ice skating, the snow storm, and winter ball. The pacing started a bit slow but the build up to that magical night at the winter ball was perfect.
I think the author perfectly captured the complexities of teenage relationships exploring themes of trust, betrayal, miscommunication, personal growth, and letting go. The way Tia drove herself mad after Mike asked for space did annoy me. But what really got me was how he tried flipping things on her in the end. Quincy was the nicest guy in the book and him meeting Tia when he had was obviously fate. There wasn’t an instant connection between the two MC’s but I did enjoy the alternating perspectives and watching their connection build.
Overall, I liked the book and think it’s the perfect holiday read. If you enjoy fake-dating, opposites attract, he falls first, or burdened-ex tropes you’ll like this book. Special thanks to @hearourvoicestours @soho_teen for my gifted copy‼️
Rating: 3.5/5⭐️
yesiolvera's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
📖 Tour Stop: Only For The Holidays by Abiola Bello
💕Cute Cute Cute & fun Christmas time read!
🎄I was definitely a Tia at her age head over heels for a boy 🙄. I wish I had a book like this when I was younger to help me realize that the first boy that gave me attention was NOT “the one” even though it felt like it at the time. This was also the first book that I feel had an open ending. Open for interpretation. & I liked it. I think it went with the theme of the book in the sense that things change and are not always as we expect them to be.
🎁Overall, I recommend this cute and light read for the upcoming holiday season!
🎅🏼 thank you @hearourvoicestour @abiolabello for the #Gifted digital copy!
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#HearOurVoices #HearOurVoicesTours #OnlyFourTheHolidays #HOV #HolidayReads #Holidays #Christmas #ChristmasTime #LatinaBookstagramer #BookRecommendations #Bookstagram #BooksBooksBooks