choicepotatoes's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book is “curled up in a blanket beside a lit fireplace savoring a cup of hot cocoa” vibes.
zoeymik's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
mediumyellow10's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.0
This was a really fun read to round out my holiday reading with since it does extend outside of the ~christmas season~ and I'm glad I was able to fit in another Jewish centered read! Miriam.... ouch oof ow owie. We love to see pieces of ourselves in books!! We love to work on our family trauma when we decide to read a cute little seasonal romance!! And we love a fat butch romantic lead, hello!! Obsessed with Noelle. Their love... *slams fist on table*. And the way Cass played matchmaker to bring Miriam and Noelle together, so camp so funny to me!! I love a plotline with post-humous goofs!!!
siasprout's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aliciasplendeur's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars. I enjoyed this but it was different from what I was expecting. The narrator's were great. It was easy to know which character was speaking.
I thought I was getting a rom-com but this read a little more like women's fiction. The story was still interesting and I honestly wondered how the two would become a couple with all the grumpiness Noelle threw at Miriam.
After the passing of her great aunt, Miriam Blum is preparing to return to her Christmas tree farm. A place she absolutely loved but hasn't return to in almost ten years. She plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents and return to her life as usual.
She soon learns that aunt Cass have left her a quarter of her business and the business is in trouble. She must work with her cousin Hannah and the tree farm's grumpy manager to begin to turn things around.
But Noelle wants Miriam gone. Miriam has great ideas but Noelle doesn't want her to hurt the family she's found at Carrigan's.
Thanks so much the author and Hachette Audio for this ARC to review.
I thought I was getting a rom-com but this read a little more like women's fiction. The story was still interesting and I honestly wondered how the two would become a couple with all the grumpiness Noelle threw at Miriam.
After the passing of her great aunt, Miriam Blum is preparing to return to her Christmas tree farm. A place she absolutely loved but hasn't return to in almost ten years. She plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents and return to her life as usual.
She soon learns that aunt Cass have left her a quarter of her business and the business is in trouble. She must work with her cousin Hannah and the tree farm's grumpy manager to begin to turn things around.
But Noelle wants Miriam gone. Miriam has great ideas but Noelle doesn't want her to hurt the family she's found at Carrigan's.
Thanks so much the author and Hachette Audio for this ARC to review.
mbene502's review
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
kendraskurrentreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 rounded down.
I liked this book, I just feel like it’s suffering a bit from branding. From the cover and blurb, I was expecting a low stakes, queer, holiday romcom. But it’s definitely more serious and tackles much heavier topics than I was expecting (alcoholism, abusive parents). It took me a while to reconcile what I was expecting with what the actual plot is, but once I got there, I did enjoy the story. My only other pet peeve is this book has strong millennial vibes and a ton of pop culture references, which is not something I generally like in books because I feel like it dates them.
I liked this book, I just feel like it’s suffering a bit from branding. From the cover and blurb, I was expecting a low stakes, queer, holiday romcom. But it’s definitely more serious and tackles much heavier topics than I was expecting (alcoholism, abusive parents). It took me a while to reconcile what I was expecting with what the actual plot is, but once I got there, I did enjoy the story. My only other pet peeve is this book has strong millennial vibes and a ton of pop culture references, which is not something I generally like in books because I feel like it dates them.
shira243's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
a_ab's review against another edition
DNF at 55%. I could not finish this book, it moved slower than molasses and the characters are going back and forth along the same emotional circles over and over without revealing anything new about themselves or the situations they are in.
eme20's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a minute to get into this one but by the end, I loved it! It was exactly what I needed out of a sapphic romance, and I loved all the characters dearly. It was a bit more drama than comedy, but I liked how everything wasn’t resolved in a Miracle Conversation, and that things took time and the characters acknowledged needing therapy. I did wish more of the secondary characters’ problems were resolved at the end, but maybe we can hope for a sequel one day?