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taetahlia's review
2.0
SUMMARY: Contemporary Holiday romance. Dual POV. Standalone novel.
TROPES: Enemies to lovers, Second Chance Romance, Forced Proximity, Miscommunication.
SPICE: 1 star (Very tame, on the page kissing, 1 closed door/fade to black s*x scene)
* * * * *
PLOT: Lily moved across the world to Sydney, Australia to escape a bad breakup with her high school sweetheart, Tom. 7 years later, she decides to return home (to a village near Manchester, UK) for Christmas to surprise her Mum and discovers that her mother is dating the man next door, who also happens to be the father of her ex-boyfriend Tom. Tom is also visiting his Dad for Christmas and given the new parental relationship, Lily and Tom are asked to live together and need to get along for the benefit of their parents.
* * * * *
MY THOUGHTS: This was just a 4hr quick holiday read on Audible. It was a light, predictable read but strangely felt longer than 4hours (not in a good way). Some parts dragged out, all of the plot is based on miscommunication between why Lily and Tom broke-up (which could’ve all been resolved with a conversation) and unfortunately I think it just fell flat in some parts. The comedy was cringe (the reindeer bite was just not funny to me at all and the author kept using it as the punchline which was tiresome). Also, given the teenage break-up, I felt like the couple was just being unnecessarily dramatic / just very YA type behaviour i.e. angst, pulling faces, mumbling insults etc. which made the Lily very unlikeable in my eyes and Tom just took a lot of the abuse, which I didn’t like. I did like hearing about Lily’s time in Sydney though as she felt out of place and trying to work out her life’s purpose, it was a great message about doing things that make you happy and being true to yourself. I also liked the ending. In conclusion, if you’re after a free, quick, okay holiday read, this one is for you. This is no criticism to the author but I also thought the Audible narrator choice was a bit strange too, the voice seemed very mature for a 25year old character.
TROPES: Enemies to lovers, Second Chance Romance, Forced Proximity, Miscommunication.
SPICE: 1 star (Very tame, on the page kissing, 1 closed door/fade to black s*x scene)
* * * * *
PLOT: Lily moved across the world to Sydney, Australia to escape a bad breakup with her high school sweetheart, Tom. 7 years later, she decides to return home (to a village near Manchester, UK) for Christmas to surprise her Mum and discovers that her mother is dating the man next door, who also happens to be the father of her ex-boyfriend Tom. Tom is also visiting his Dad for Christmas and given the new parental relationship, Lily and Tom are asked to live together and need to get along for the benefit of their parents.
* * * * *
MY THOUGHTS: This was just a 4hr quick holiday read on Audible. It was a light, predictable read but strangely felt longer than 4hours (not in a good way). Some parts dragged out, all of the plot is based on miscommunication between why Lily and Tom broke-up (which could’ve all been resolved with a conversation) and unfortunately I think it just fell flat in some parts. The comedy was cringe (the reindeer bite was just not funny to me at all and the author kept using it as the punchline which was tiresome). Also, given the teenage break-up, I felt like the couple was just being unnecessarily dramatic / just very YA type behaviour i.e. angst, pulling faces, mumbling insults etc. which made the Lily very unlikeable in my eyes and Tom just took a lot of the abuse, which I didn’t like. I did like hearing about Lily’s time in Sydney though as she felt out of place and trying to work out her life’s purpose, it was a great message about doing things that make you happy and being true to yourself. I also liked the ending. In conclusion, if you’re after a free, quick, okay holiday read, this one is for you. This is no criticism to the author but I also thought the Audible narrator choice was a bit strange too, the voice seemed very mature for a 25year old character.
krystina_gail11's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booknerd93's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ashlynmholt's review
3.0
Eh. It was a cute story. At the end when you find out the parents are pretending to date so the two main characters (Tom and Lilly) had to spend Christmas together was a little too weird of an ending for me.. but other than that it was a good story.
alyshadeshae's review
4.0
Who knew that I would learn about reindeer teeth while reading a Christmas story... Hahaha! But for real, apparently reindeer do not have top teeth! Fascinating!
This story was cute enough. It helped boost my holiday mood overall.
This story was cute enough. It helped boost my holiday mood overall.
tsetse's review
3.0
This sweet, simple Christmas story was exactly what I was looking for. I enjoyed it much more than I had expected to because it was quite cute without being cheesy and even had some laugh out loud moments. I found Tom somewhat of an unlikeable guy but otherwise it was a near perfect Christmas romcom if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining holiday love story.
iheartbooks72's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
smalltownbookmom's review
3.0
This was an okay second chance at love holiday story. I wasn't too invested in the beginning but as the MC revealed why he ghosted his girlfriend I felt more sympathetic and started to root for them to get back together as they end up forced to stay together over the holidays because of room shortages. The mental health rep in this one is strong and surprisingly powerful for such a short book. That was definitely what drew me in at the end. If you enjoy stories with a little more emotional depth this one was a quick but moving read.
jussiewuzzie's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0