Remy and Aria are about as opposite as two people can be. When they are thrown together for a road-trip, sparks fly. ARC from NetGalley.

Opposites attract in this fun holiday rom-com. Remmy is recently out of the military and doesn't do anything without a plan, and a backup plan. He loves structure and sticks to it. Then there's free spirit, make it up as you go Aria. Stuck together on the long ride to Texas gives Remmy and Aria just enough time to go from driving each other crazy to becoming crazy for each other! You'll love this 12th book in the series.

Remy and Aria are the couple that dreams are made of! A wonderfully written romance that takes place in the town of Twilight, Texas. A strong willed ex military man and a strong willed wedding planner battle it out and fall in love. A fun read!

Too Hallmark Christmas for me. In the beginning it dragged and was a bit annoying. The road trip was kind of fun getting to know Remi and Aria. After the trip dragged again when they were moping. The ending was cute with the grand gesture. This one wasn’t my cuppa.

I did not finish this book. I found out the hard way that home town country type books aren't my thing. Right off the bat I was not into the storyline, but tried to make myself get through it. The main characters bothered me so that also did not help. I thought the writing style was good, and the story did have promise... it just wasn't for me.

This book was awesome!!! I could not put it down! Lori Wilde is an amazing author. Her books never disappoint! Can not wait for the next one!

“The Christmas Backup Plan” is a great read with an “opposites attract” plot. I love books that are set during the holiday sense and this was a heart-warming, feel good read. I enjoyed the plot, characters, and writing.

Thank you NetGalley for my digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas Backup Plan by Lori Wilde is a story that is part of two long-running series and I’m absolutely tickled that she combined them. She brings characters from Cupid, Texas together to travel to Twilight, Texas for a wedding. Aria Alzate is the wedding planner for her best friend and is getting married close to Christmas. She suffered a concussion and needs help getting there and Remington Lockhart is recruited to drive her there. That could be a problem since they don’t like each other. Remington and Aria have known each other all their lives since her family works for his family on the Silver Feather Ranch. Unfortunately, they’ve always butted heads and don’t think highly of each other.

He’s too stodgy and rigid according to Aria and he sees her as too flighty and whimsical. The trip offers them a chance to get to know and understand each other a little better and learn to accept their differences. It also gave them a chance to have a little road trip fling since they could feel a strong attraction between them. You know the saying, what happens on the road, stays on the road? They wish they could but they didn’t count on falling in love on the road.

These two characters are as opposite as two can be and couldn’t see how the other functioned in life. Remington had been in the military for the past 12 years and was a rule follower and always had contingencies to go by. Getting medically discharged has him floundering for direction and he gets some clarity after an impromptu art class for veterans in Twilight. Aria was glad that Remington was there to help her with the wedding preparations since things fell apart at the last minute and she had his guidance to make the wedding a success. I guess it is a lesson learned to have backup plans just in case. Falling in love wasn’t something they thought would never happen to them and had Aria running scared. Once they both realize they are meant for one another they put plans into action. I love happy endings and grand gestures and this had it in spades. Better yet there is an epilogue! The author brought two unlikely characters together, with the legend of one series with the charm of the other one, and created a heartwarming, sweet and funny romance that will delight all readers this holiday season.

Really nice story set at Christmas time. I really like the opposites attract storyline and Lori Wilde did a great story with this story. I found it well written and with realistic characters.

Heartwarming, sweetly sexy, action packed holiday journey filled with witty and engaging charters, exciting twists and emotionally thrilling passion. Really enjoyed this highly entertaining adventure from beginning to end.

sorry for being late catching up after having COVID!
I loved this Twilight, Texas story of Aria and Remington and the famous hum has struck again and these 2 fight the call and even after the tell tale kiss cannot get along due to their complete opposite sides of life!

ARC for honest review with no compensation Received from NetGalley 4.5 stars

The Christmas Backup Plan is book 11 in the Twilight, Texas series by Lori Wilde and a great addition to this series!

Up next is Remington Lockhart former military and now back on the family ranch trying to adjust to civilian life and Aria Alzate, wedding planner who works for his stepmother. These two butt heads... as he has plans and backup plans for every contingency while she flies by the seat of her pants!

What happens next is...opposites attract, butting heads, unexpected passion and the magic that is Christmas! Loved this story and you will too!!

A fun read set at Christmas time. If you like the trope enemies to lovers this story will satisfy that niche. Aria and Remington bring out the worst in each other but along the way they fall in love. Each one brings baggage but together they overcome it and begin bringing out(recognizing) the good qualities harboring deep in their hearts. If you like a gentle steam to your romance books you’ll get that as well. #TheChristmasBackupPlan #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who has more than dipped their toe into the romance genre, I was so excited to finally get to try one of Lori Wilde’s books! I’ve heard her name and praises all over the book community, and was so thrilled to get to experience a little of her magic for myself.

This book started off as a breath of fresh air after my last read. It was a straight forward, to the point, Christmas romance that I could not wait to curl up in bed and devour.

When the story begins, our main male character had just been medically discharged from the army after a paratrooping accident. He is readjusting to civilian life, and dealing with the lingering effects of PTSD. Our female lead is a wedding planner who had just suffered a minor concussion, and was in need of a ride out of town for her best friend’s wedding.

These two are total opposites, and as the story progresses they butt heads on more than one occasion. Despite their differences, they have been a part of each other’s lives for as long as they can remember. The Christmas Backup Plan is book number four in a series, leaving our two main characters as the only unmarried siblings of the bunch.

It’s easy to see how Wilde was able to create such an expansive universe when it felt like every character we were introduced to came with enough of a backstory to fill their own novel (and maybe they already have). Wilde was able to introduce each new character briefly enough that I, as a first time reader, never felt lost or confused, despite reading the fourth book in this series.

I knew we were in for a wild (hehe pun) ride when by the 25% mark our main characters had already made out. This novel got s t e a m y people. Wilde did not disappoint or give us the dreaded fade to black. This novel also required me to suspend disbelief when it came to their fated hum that would announce when our characters had found the one, which is why we had the kissing so early on in the story.

I really only had two hangups with this novel. The first being that our male character was so clearly written by a woman that it sometimes took me out of the story, and the second being the dreaded inner monologue I can’t seem to escape.

If our male point of view had sounded more like a guy, I think this novel would have been a complete hit for me. I really loved the mental health representation, and how the characters openly talked about therapy options like art therapy, animal therapy, meditation therapy, and others.

I tried to let this story sweep me off my feet, but would only get a few inches off the ground before I was bogged back down to earth with internal monologue. I don’t know why I dislike it so much or why it’s so prevalent in the romance novels I’ve been reading. While I didn’t love these sections of the book, I will give Wilde some credit here. Wilde’s monologues were not just repetitive information, but included changes in the character’s way of thinking or seeing the world around them.

Overall I do see why Wilde has the fanbase she does, and think she’s created a really smart universe for these characters. So much so, that I think this series would do incredibly well as a smutty television series on HBO or Starz. I also thoroughly enjoyed just how much Christmas there was in The Christmas Backup Plan. The chemistry between the characters leaped off the pages, and their connection did keep me interested until the very end.

I also loved how two characters who started off not able to understand each other at all, recognized that their differences were things that could be appreciated and valued. While this book may have just been a steamy okay read for me, I do think a lot of people will fall in love with Wilde’s setting and her characters. If you love men from a small Texas town, and women who are too strong and independent for their own good, you should definitely check this series out.

The Christmas Backup Plan is one a feel-good, opposite attract, stranded together Christmas story that was exactly what I needed to read during these strange COVID isolating time.

The story starts out simple as opposites attract story, but Lori Wilde creates genuine character depth and heartfelt connections that push the reader into the Twilight, Texas world. To say, I fell in love with this story is an understatement. I found myself swept away and did not want it to end. I especially loved Aria’s free spirit and how Remy was just the perfect grounding she needed in her life, and Aria was just what the rigidly structured Remy needed as well.

Wilde did not skimp on the heat when writing The Christmas Backup Plan. Let us just say Aria’s and Remington’s chemistry could ignite a forest fire even during the coldest and iciest conditions.

The Christmas Backup Plan
By Lori Wilde

What a lovely Christmas read that is perfect for the season. I enjoyed reading this book and swooning over characters Lori Wilde gifts us this holidays was just what I needed. What a fun character to read about a true opposites attract between wedding planner Aria Alzate and ex-Army man Remington "Remy" Lockhart who were both stuck together on a road trip from Cupid, Texas to Twilight, Texas for a wedding.

This was a great read that I enjoyed - a sweet romance, light hearted, funny and a delight to read.

I love when books combine Christmas and my favorite tropes. The Christmas Backup Plan by Lori Wilde is a sweet, somewhat steamy holiday romance set in both Twilight, Texas and Cupid, Texas. Thus this book is a crossover between two of Wilde’s series. I found myself reading this book so quickly over the weekend and ending up quite satisfied with what I had read.

Aria Alzate is the wedding planner for her best friend Oliva’s wedding. She just wants the day to go perfectly without a hitch. And so, she’s about to make her way from Cupid to Twilight, an eight hour road trip. Only, there’s an issue. She was recently concussed and so cannot drive for about eight days. Remington Lockhart who she gets along with like oil and water has been volunteered by his stepmother Vivi who also is Aria’s boss to drive. The trip with Aria is going to last four days. It seems inevitable that Aria and Remington will get together, after all, their siblings are all paired off.

While on the road to Twilight, an ice storm hits. And TROPE ALERT!! Remington has made reservations along the way at different towns in case of emergency and luckily has a reservation in Armadillo. As it turns out though, there’s only one room that he reserved. And in that one room? You guessed it, one bed. Everyone knows exactly what is going to happen and yes, the journey is worth it. However, can what is between Aria and Remington last or are they just too different?

I thought The Christmas Backup Plan was really cute. I genuinely liked both Aria and Remington and could understand their different motivations. Aria is someone younger me could relate to, in that she’s impulsive and not much of a planner. However, older me can relate more to Remington as now life has made me much more of a planner. There’s a side focus on wounded veterans which I also really gelled with. This book is an enjoyable entry into the Twilight Texas series which I have read a book or two from. You don’t need a whole lot of context to enjoy.


ON A SCALE OF ONE TO BUDDY THE ELF, HOW MUCH CHRISTMAS SPIRIT DOES THE CHRISTMAS BACKUP PLAN HAVE?
Well, The Christmas Backup Plan is set during the holiday season. There’s a winter wonderland wedding. There are also armadillo statutes dressed up in Santa hats. I would say that yes Christmas is important to this book, but it isn’t like the central pivot of the book. All of it takes place during the time leading up to the holiday season, but we don’t get an overabundance of holiday traditions. I would say that if you’re someone who wants your books with a HINT of Christmas but not overpowering FA LA LA LA you should pick up Lori Wilde’s The Christmas Backup Plan.

The Christmas Backup Plan (Twilight, Texas #11) by Lori Wilde
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Genre: Romance | Women's Fiction
Release Date: October 27, 2020
❄️❄️❄️❄️
The Christmas Backup Plan is the eleventh book in the Twilight, Texas series by Lori Wilde. I had not read any of the other books in the series, but that was fine. This worked wonderfully as a standalone book and has inspired me to read the other books too!

This is such a beautiful story about love and family. It's fun, flirty, & spicy...and definitely a bit naughty! This had a wonderful Christmas theme to it! ☃️ Also, I loved the small town Texas theme.🌵

I love the focus on Wounded Warriors and the effort to normalize prior service members getting help for the PTSD caused by their service.

I really enjoyed this book and watching the chemistry build between Aria and Remy. Sooooo much chemistry! ❤️
I'm so grateful to Lori Wilde, HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Vivi is fun as stepmothers go. It's a little creepy that he's her age.

Poor guy. No wonder he's rigid.

People suck.

He was being nice. Why did she run away?

He really is sweet.

Cute restaurant.

I like the proposal.

The Christmas Backuip Plan by Lori Wilde

A regimented ex-Army man drives an irresistible wedding planner from Cupid to Twilight. You are cordially invited to a Twilight, Texas Christmas wedding. The town is decorated, the cookies are made, and the stage is set.

I enjoyed this romantic story. It was well-written and had many enjoyable characters. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.