Once Upon a Christmas Carol

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I liked the premise of Rachel being a pop star, her career taking a nosedive as new younger talent take her place and she’s close to losing it all. After receiving a card to come back to her hometown Crystal Falls for a surprise, she instantly thinks it’s her Dad trying to get her to come home. He didn’t send the card, so the mystery begins. Who wanted her home? As she sees familiar faces, there’s her high school sweetheart Matt that has surprisingly moved back to Crystal Falls from New York with his daughter. Is there a chance they could rekindle an old flame?

This was a short cute story. I was surprised with the full cast for such a short story and it had the setup similar to a play. I liked Matt more than I did Rachel. Whilst everyone else was focused on family and the holiday season, Rachel only wanted to be ready for her next record deal. She had so many good people and a nice environment to be in, and didn’t see the importance of what was surrounding her. The good thing she did was helping Matt’s daughter gain in her confidence, which was heartfelt and warming.

The Christmas mashup song was fun and cheesy. The ending was predictable, which you’ll get with these Christmas reads, though that’s why we like to read them right? It would have been nice if Matt and Rachel had more time to explore their feelings, as it felt a bit rushed from Rachel’s POV. I definitely believed Matt’s feelings more as he was a kind, sweet person overall, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

This was a good short Christmas read with small town second chance romance and it’s focused on what’s important during the holidays.

The Holiday Switch

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I read this book as part of a read along. It’s very much YA and innocent love.

For me, I didn’t overly connect with this book to begin with, but then I had to embody my 13 year old self, to appreciate the story. I did feel like Lila’s POV did seem younger than 18, as she spoke more like a 13-15 year old, rather than someone going off to college. This could have been attributed to the restrictive nature of her family, but Teddy also seemed younger, rather than someone already in college.

I liked the idea of Lila having a book blog. That was fun and interesting. The vibes of the town was cute with their most famous bookstore being part of an iconic (made up) movie attracting tourists to their quaint town. The BIPOC representation was good allowing us to be part of some cultural elements that we may not be exposed to. It also highlighted how expectations can be placed upon us, but sometimes we just want to go our own way.

This was definitely a sweet, high school romance with some cute interactions between the MCs. There was a strong influence of how family is important and keeping secrets from them aren’t necessarily a good thing.

Let it Snow

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This was a short romance and great for those that love the forced proximity trope.

Nia and Andrew are snowed in at an airport together. Nia wants to get away from her family for Christmas, yearning for her Jamaican holiday whilst Andrew isn't overly looking forward to an awkward Christmas with his family, when his ex is now with his brother. All passengers are stuck at the airport Christmas Eve, but they try to make the most of it for not only the children but for themselves.

Everyone learns a bit more about themselves as the passengers interact with one another, giving each other support in various ways. Nia and Andrew can't believe they've somehow stumbled upon their next love interest, whilst also wanting to be better people in their own lives.

I enjoyed the spirit of people making the most out of an unexpected situation. People can always come together to make light when things go wrong. The Christmas spirit was definitely high for the characters and it highlighted how random acts of kindness goes a long way.

I think there was one part where I cringed a little when Andrew said "you're not vegan are you?" - it was as if this was a bad thing and a deciding factor on whether Nia was good enough to be on the date with him. I just found it odd - like who cares about people's lifestyle choices?

I thought it was an okay read... Just my opinion. The MCs grew at the end after getting to know each other, giving life advice that helped them want to be better and that was good. I didn't overly connect with them and it was their love for Boyz II Men that brought them together in the end, which I can totally relate to. Boyz II Men are awesome!

The Best Worst Christmas

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I loved the narrator on this story and thought it’d be a cute Christmas read.

Lily has come home to England after being in Australia for 10 years. She wants to surprise her mum for Christmas but because her town gossips so much, her mum finds out prior! Lily has come home to find her mum dating her ex’s dad, who is also their neighbour. She also can’t stop thinking about her ex Tom. All the feelings and memories come back. Tom is now a doctor and Lily feels like he succeeded more in life. But Tom also has all his feelings rush back. Did they miss their chance? A lot of time has passed and they could be different people.

Though it’s a short story, I felt like it had enough depth for us to know the MCs. As they go through their feelings, we get to understand why events occurred and how it impacted each character. Lily going away was her chance to grieve her situation but also find herself. Tom was going through some mental health issues and hid that, thinking he had to deal with it himself, which I imagine many people do because depending on those around them, they may feel judged.

This definitely bad Christmas spirit bringing people together and realising what is important in life. These two MCs never lost their love for one another and they just had to find themselves first before exploring what could be again.

Definitely a wonderful second chance romance story. Would love to check out more from this author.

A Cat Cafe Christmas

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This was so much more than just a sweet, cuddly read. I was attracted to the book because it had cats. I listened on audible but probably should have followed a written copy because each chapter has an intro to a different cat and I would have appreciated a cute drawing of said cat.

We are introduced to Kara who owns a cat cafe with her best friend Charity. They are wanting to eventually expand so it includes a vet hospital. Kara has been keeping a low profile after her ex had a run in with the law and her name got dragged through the mud with it. That means no social media to stay away from any publicity. In comes Ben who is part of a marketing firm highlighting the cat cafe as one of the things to do in town. He’s run away from his hometown because his girlfriend left him for his brother. He’s starting a new life and renovating his new home when he stumbles upon a kitten. He’s not a cat person, so takes it to the cat cafe to give it up. Kara convinces… no, she forces him to care for the kitten before they can look at it being fostered. They both keep having situations where they run into each other and this allows them to get to know each other over time. They both have walls up, but are they willing to let their guard down?

Ben and Kara are two grumpy individuals but their past trauma has made them cautious in this way. It’s hard for them to trust other people based on the hurt of the past. Do they have likeable personalities? Not at the start. Both of them had to grow into better people and they both brought out the best in each other. I think that’s what I liked about this story and how relatable it can be to own our character and personality.

I liked how Ben grew into loving cats - well his particular kitten who warmed up to him from the start. I can understand why Kara could be hard to read, but she’s that way for a reason. I liked all the cats and their personalities. The ending was great because it centres around taking a chance and seeing where it leads you. Christmas can bring people together and allow people to set aside differences. I also enjoyed how simple acts of kindness can also help inspire others.

This is a sweet, opposites attract, grumpy x grumpy romance.