TGIF, readers! How dare my work require me to actually work instead of book blogging and reading this week! 😱 I’m here today with my first NetGalley ARC review so I’m super excited! I read some creepy and disturbing books in October so I needed a palate cleanser. I thought a Christmas book would lighten the mood and get me ready for November so that’s why I chose this one! 🎄
🔮 Genres: Contemporary romance, fantasy, holiday
💫 My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
📅 Release date: November 8, 2022
QUICK PLOT: Lyla loathes Mason, the co-owner of the company she was meant to inherit 100% stake in after her father retired. He’s an absolute THIEF OF JOY, canceling the company Christmas party at the last second and planning to cancel holiday vacation time for the team too. Much to her dismay, Lyla finds herself agreeing to a deal with the devil – everyone can keep their paid holiday time, IF Lyla agrees to spend her holiday visiting Mason’s family with him.
THE GOOD: I was totally surprised by the full on alternative universe North Pole town where Mason grew up. I didn’t know there was a heavy fantasy aspect to the book when I picked it up so that was really cool and interesting. I liked the author’s vision for Christmas magic and it put me right in the mood for more cozy holiday reading. Also, if you’re a contemporary romance trope fan, you have so many represented here. We have fake dating, enemies to lovers, slow burn, and forced proximity.
THE CRITIQUE: There were a lot of things here that just weren’t believable for me as a reader – and no, I’m not referring to the flying reindeer! Outside of the fantasy aspects, the pacing and dialogue made this book difficult to become fully invested in. The dialogue feels stiff and unnatural to the point that I couldn’t feel any real chemistry between Lyla and Mason. I also go whiplash from how quickly this book went from “normal office holiday party” to “we’re magically stuck in the North Pole together” with no plot or character development in between.
FINAL THOUGHTS & RATING: My rating for this one is somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. It was a cute, fun palate cleanser after all of my spooky October reads. I loved all the romance tropes and the fantasy twist was interesting too. I didn’t love the relationship between the main characters though, and the pacing didn’t keep me running back for more. I’m all ready for snowy days and cozy reading now though!
Thanks to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!
Do you have any favorite holiday books or any on your TBR for this year?
BookBabeNails 
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