This is exactly the light, comic chicklit romance that I adore reading around this time of year! A Christmas Date was exactly what I was looking for to kick off the holiday season. Even though the storyline was cliche (Nikki is a holiday scrooge...sister's fiance turns out to be her old old college crush...she hires a boyfriend and we all know the rest), the book was so easy and delightful to read, I didn't mind the trope. Its all about the humor and the holidays and Camilla Isley hit the nail on the head!

A Christmas Date by Camilla Isley is a sweet little romantic comedy. Nikki has never been fond of the Christmas season but this year is a special level of torture. Her baby sister has just announced her engagement to her boyfriend, a man Nikki has longed after for years. Nikki panics during a conversation with her mom and announces that she is bringing her boyfriend with her to meet the family. Problem is, Nikki is single and in her rush to find someone the play her pretend boyfriend she finds Diego, an actor scraping by on commercials and part-time jobs as he pursues his dream of performing on stage.
Nikki’s tendency to revert to juvenile habits when around her sister and parents made me laugh and certainly made her relatable. I’m sure we all have fallen victim to that once or twice as adults. I loved how laid back Diego was and took everything in stride after accepting the job as a fake boyfriend. I can’t imagine how I would react if my new boss’s best friend went to the protective lengths that Blair did.
If I was asked to point out a scene that indicated to me that Diego and Nikki had fallen for each other I would have a tough time choosing any one moment that stood out. This story creeps dangerously close to insta-love and fails to highlight the character’s emotions and the relationship growth from contract to the real deal. I suspect this is due to the very quick pace of the book. I would have liked to see more detailed interactions with Nikki and Diego one on one before going out to meet the parents to allow more time for that relationship to truly blossom and for Diego to become a more three-dimensional character. Overall, the story was awfully cute, if a little predictable.
Even with the few issues I had, I found Ms. Isley’s book to be the perfect seasonal romance to ease myself into the holiday season.

A CHRISTMAS DATE is my first book by Camilla Isley. An absolutely wonderful Christmas romance. With lots of laugh out loud moments. You will love this story! I'm definitely going to go back and read the first two books in this series!

What a fun read! I devoured it in a matter of three days. I really enjoyed this romantic comedy set at Christmastime with all the fuss and family feud it can entail. Granted I thought Nikki’s mother and sister were a bit over the top and quite unfair in the way they treated her, I still liked the way the plot unfolded and the incredible chemistry between the heroine and handsome Diego. It all happens at a quick pace. You can easily visualise the action like your typical Hollywood romcom.

If you enjoy feel-good, heartwarming Christmas romances with the right dosage of humour, comedy and happy-ever-after, then A Christmas Date won’t disappoint. It is part of a series of interconnected novels, but it can be read as a standalone.

This was such a fun and cute read! I really enjoyed the characters, the writing style and I was often smiling as I read this book. Though I enjoyed the couple I wish there was more time to see their relationship develop in this novel. This novel definitely reads like a good Rom-com Christmas movie and it was just what I wanted to read. I would definitely read more from this author in the future.
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3.5/5 stars

Being single at Christmas is always the pits but sometimes the solution might be a fake boyfriend in this hilarious romp! Frothy and fun!Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

This book was very cute and a quick read. I liked the characters, the conflict wasn't over the top, and the story moved at a pace that felt satisfying. The ending felt a tiny bit abrupt but it's easily forgiven when in general it felt like a light, pleasant read for the holiday season.

I wanted to like this book. It was just so predictable and not at all believeable. I feel like the themes presented were recycled and vague. It's fun for a quick read, but it doesn't offer much substance.

A fat-free sweet treat!

Camilla Isley is a new to me author. She is a wonderful new find! I truly laughed and enjoyed this novel. Even though this trope has been done many times over, the dynamics within Nikki’s family made this different. Nikki is enamoured with Paul who is now her perfect sister, Julia’s boyfriend! So Nikki decides to get herself a perfect fake boyfriend (Diego) to make her family leave her be. If it makes Julia jealous, that’s just icing on the cake.

I found this novel a fun, fast read.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Lovely festive Christmas read. Perfect for over the long winter nights. Magical storyline. Great characters that pull it all together

I love Christmas and I am not ashamed to admit that I love reading Christmas books or watching Christmas movies well before December. That being said, A Christmas Date was honestly the perfect Christmas read.

Some key features that I love in holiday movies/books are: a) a fair bit of shenanigans and a funny/weird/slightly unrealistic situation, b) a cheesy romance, c) a bit of comedy, d) animals, and e) a crazy family. A Christmas Date easily checked off all these boxes. Nikki is 30 and has been dreading the holidays since that means going back home for Christmas and having her family members tell her she should have a boyfriend, get married, settle down, etc. To top it off, her younger sister (also the more attractive and popular one) just announced she is engaged to a man that Nikki has had a crush on for years. The comical situation comes into play when Nikki decides to hire an actor, Diego, to pose as her boyfriend. He also just so happens to be her sister’s fantasy man (dark, tall, handsome, can speak Italian, is a struggling artist, and rides a motorcycle). The romance was cheesy, but cute and lighthearted. The family antics were enjoyable without being too crazy and there were some wonderfully festive scenes. The story also includes a fair number of pets, which always adds a coziness that’s perfect for the holidays.

A Christmas Date was a quick and lighthearted read filled with romance, humour, and holiday spirit.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

Thank you for a copy of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was exactly what was promised, a fun, lighthearted read for the holidays.
I've read another of Camilla Isley's books, I wish for you, and found this one much more gratifying. It helps that there isn’t much unnecessary drama and all the characters you’re introduced to are likeable. Diego, a man who values personality above appearances is a rare gem indeed and is attractive despite his looks, his nature shining through in the dialogue.
In a way it is slightly predictable, however it’s exactly what you need; a happy ending for all involved.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book- it was a light and fun read for the holiday season! The characters were pretty standard for chick lit, but it is wonderful to relax with a book and not have to think too hard about everything. I particularly enjoyed that the drama was not with her romantic interest, as it makes for a more realistic and interesting read.

All of the key characters were fleshed out, which I very much appreciated- Nikki's sister Julia is one of the most realistic characters I've read this entire year! I do wish that the setting had been slightly more detailed (it plays a big role for me in holiday reads especially), but this didn't distract my reading.

I didn't realise until after reading that this was the third in a series until after reading, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything at all! I also went and purchased the first two to save for some snow day reading.

No two things go together quite like love and Christmas! Meet Nikki, a successful woman that is sick of being defined by her relationship status. She has spent one too many holidays with family members giving her flack for being single and is not the least bit excited about her sister's recent engagement. Enter Diego, the *perfect* guy to bring home for the holidays-- straight out of a catalog!

This was a sweet and wonderfully cliche read-- perfect to get you in the holiday spirit! While it is the third book in a series, it works perfectly as a stand-alone. This book was hard to put down and easy to fly through, proving to be a great romance novel! Looking forward to checking out the other books in the series!

**I received this ARC for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So so good! I’m feeling the Christmas spirit in November and this is not like me. Camilla Isley won me over and I’m totally in love with my new book boyfriend Diego (Mr Perfect).

I’m a fan of fake relationships and this one is perfectly executed. Nikki is very successful in her career. She is not very lucky when it comes to love. In fact, her sister is dating the man of her dreams and Nikki just wants to get through the holidays unscathed. In the run-up to Christmas Nikki tries to avoid long conversations with her family in the hope of not being roped into too many unpleasant memories. Unfortunately this year her sister is about to spring the ultimate unbearable news. Paul is coming home for Christmas with her and they are getting married. Nikki wants to make it through the holidays without all the synthetic family members wondering when she’s going to settle down. After the idea is given to her she decides to get herself a little Christmas present. A man for Christmas.

Diego O’Donnell is a struggling actor picked right out of a catalogue. He’s tall, dark and half Italian. He has green smouldering eyes and a badass bike. He’s Nikki’s sister's dream man and perfect for the job. Little does Nikki know he is also sweet, caring and a beautiful person.

A Christmas date is fun, festive and loveable. I was hooked on every minute. Yes, it’s cliche and maybe Diego is too perfect for the real world but isn’t that what Christmas is all about? This is the perfect heartwarming Christmas read and I loved it. I will definitely be looking at this author's other books. I think I’ve just become a new fan. Fingers crossed.

5 out of 5. It’s great.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

I loved this book. It was a cute Christmas read. I couldn’t put the book down. Even though you can guess how it will end, it was still a fun read.

This book is exactly what you’d think: cheesy, over-the-top instalove and yet, incredibly sweet and likeable.

We’ve heard this story before: older sister feels pitiful that her younger sister is engaged before her so she “hires” a boyfriend to accompany her to the family’s Christmas. The author even makes a comparison to The Wedding Date! But with some quick wit, a steadfast best friend and the magic of Christmas, this book deserves 4 stars.

I wish the author developed Diego’s character a little more than just a starving artist. He needed more.

This book was provided to me by Netgalley for an honest review.

I didn't know this book was part of a series, and I don't think it matters if you haven't read the read of them.

An entertaining festive read!