The Christmas Clash is a heartwarming and enjoyable adventure. Chloe and Peter have never gotten along- they come from opposing restaurant families. But when their shared mall home is threatened, they must work together to try and save both restaurants. Along the way, Chloe gets to know the real Peter behind his smiles and Peter sees how deeply Chloe cares for her family. Can they save the mall before it's too late?

The Christmas Clash is a perfect lighthearted read for the holidays. Chloe and Peter manage to balance the struggles of the mall along with the pressures of being in high school and attempting to navigate a future. My favorite part of the book was the nuanced portrayal of their families and how they always did their best, whatever that looked like. Chloe and Peter have plenty of cute moments between them as they advocate for the mall owners, many of whom struggle to understand the legal documents they have been presented with. The Christmas Clash would be ideal for readers who love the holidays, unlikely alliances, and a sweet romance.

Thank you to Suzanne Park, Sourcebooks Fire, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of Suzanne Park - I've read several of her novels (both romance and YA). This new YA Christmas offering, I think is one of my new faves! It's super cute, super sweet, and definitely swoony-worthy!!

Chloe Kwan works at the Riverwood Mall, taking photos for Santa. She's an incredibly talented photographer, even at age 16. She's entered into a contest that could change the entire course of her future... if she could just learn the results already! Her parents run a Korean food restaurant in the food court, which has been there since the mall opened - quite a long time ago. It's very successful and busy! Peter Li works the Christmas-themed VR booth directly across from her. He's smug, annoying - and their families have had a huge rivalry that's been around since before either of them was born, that stems from something to do with their rivalry in the food court (his parents run a Chinese food restaurant in the food court as well), or so they have gathered. They're not supposed to have anything to do with each other, so they try to steer clear.

Unfortunately, the kids discover that the mall landlord has decided he would like to sell and have the mall demolished for condos or something, so they team up, having to sneak around so their parents don't discover their new friendship (and budding relationship - a la Romeo and Juliet!), all the while sneaking each other dinner from their parent's restaurants because they really enjoy the other's, and try to figure out how to save their mall.

This struck a chord with me - the mall that is across the street from my high school, where I had several jobs and holds a special place in my heart, is about to be demolished too! Plus, who doesn't love the whole Romeo and Juliet type of love and teaming up to save something so special! I really enjoyed everything about this one, and having read at least 3 other of her books, this was definitely my favourite. I highly recommend this super sweet, very swoony Christmas YA romance to everyone!! 4.5 stars most definitely (rounded up to 5).

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire, and this is my honest review.

The Christmas Clash 🎄

I was SO excited to be able to read @suzannepark ‘s brand new book (it comes out Tuesday y’all!) as my first Netgalley read.

I loved it.
I love how she writes. Her words are gentle and beautiful. The moments are tender and real. The characters are unapologetically themselves, but still feel authentic.

If you like YA books then you can’t miss this one.

I liked this book. It's a little different from other YA holiday books I've read. It reminds me of other rival restaurant romance novels but with a Romeo and Juliet twist.

Teenagers Chloe Kwon and Peter Li's family's own rival Korean and Chinese restaurants inside the local mall and hate each other. So, it should follow that Chloe and Peter hate each other too, right? Chloe is valiantly trying to keep up her part: Peter is seemingly good at everything; sure of himself; as well as ridiculously photogenic. For an aspiring photographer like Chloe, this poses its own dilemmas. For all Peter's teasing of Chloe, he can't seem to stay away from her. When the mall (and their family's businesses) are threatened with closure, Chloe and Peter have no option but to join forces.

I was immediately invested in this story. Peter and Chloe are hilarious together, but also so sweet whenever they let down their guard and discover how alike they actually are. Both live under the weight of family expectations. Peter was pretty transparent in his appreciation of Chloe very early on, which I liked. If anything, it made him more adorable. Chloe's internal dialogue was hilarious and often sweet, and I loved their dinner swaps. There are a couple of plots running simultaneously, but they work well.

If I have one criticism, it's that the conflict leans heavily on miscommunication, which always frustrates me. I do wish there had been a little bit more Christmassy feel to the story as well, especially as it's right there in the title. I really liked the supporting characters, in particular Elias, Sophia, and the parents of Chloe and Peter, and I LOVED when we finally got to the bottom of the longstanding feud between the families. A cute YA enemies-to-lovers romcom.

**The Christmas Clash is released on 4th October. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review**

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: 😂🙈😬🥰😱💔😢😍💓

(I will upload the same review to Amazon UK on publication day)

This is a sweet high school Christmas romance.

Peter and Chloe are rivals in everything: at work at the mall, they compete for customers, at school, they compete in classes. Their families are also rivals going way back.

They learn that the mall, where they both work and Chloe's family has a restaurant, is scheduled to be permanently closed right after Christmas. Can Peter and Chloe call a truce to determine a plan of action to save the mall and Christmas?

The Christmas Clash is a lighthearted young adult holiday romance that contains an enemies-to-lovers trope and explores feuding families, restaurant life, friendship, and being true to yourself. Overall, I enjoyed this one! I always enjoy reading the alternating perspectives. I also loved the wonderful cast of characters. Highly Recommend! 5/5!

-I received a complimentary copy. All opinions, thoughts, etc., are entirely my own.-

Oh my goodness, this was so CUTE!! And the timing of when I read it couldn't have been better. I went on a road trip earlier this summer, and this was the PERFECT book to counter the desert heat of the drives. Call it Christmas in July (or August, haha), but it was just the right book for the long drives.

The only criticism that I really have (not much of a criticism though, haha) is that I kept forgetting that the main characters were in high school. Their ages fit the storyline; no complaints there, but they acted older, or at least they acted more mature in different scenes throughout the book. So it was a bit of a mental exercise to remind myself that they were in high school, not college. But that didn't take away from my enjoyment, so there's that.

There was so much to love about this. I loved the pacing and that it stayed the same throughout the story. I loved that Chloe wants to become a photographer (and is in fact a photographer), and that's one of the reasons why I wanted to read this book in the first place. I'm a big fan of female leads with creative careers/pursuits. I loved that we, the readers, got more insight into Chloe and Peter's cultures (Korean and Chinese, respectively), and those insights were woven so naturally into the story. Altogether it was great, wonderful even. And while I thought Chloe overreacted a little too much to her friends whenever Peter was nearby early on in the book, watching her warm up to Peter and the two of them getting closer was adorable. Made it all worth it. I would absolutely read a sequel of them in college and continue watching their growth together and as individuals.

I've already pre-ordered my copy because I just know it's one I'll want to read again and again.

A tale of 2 restaurants with a Christmas twist - what a fun concept! As usual, Suzanne Park's books should come with snacks. I'm craving that spicy pork and shrimp noodles she described, but wouldn't complain about an almond cookie being thrown in (quite literally). This is a cute and fun YA book with just a taste of the Christmas spirit, being as it's set in a mall with Santa's Village. Peter and Chloe are caught in the middle of a Hatfield and McCoy style feud, but can't deny their chemistry. And when they band together to save the mall? Priceless.

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

3.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Christmas Clash is a cute, fun YA holiday romcom. I was instantly drawn to the premise of the children of rival mall food court vendor families teaming up to save the mall from demolition, especially with the additional Chinese vs. Korean culture war (and perhaps more?) angle. And while I did have some issues with it, I liked it overall.

I’ve pretty much learned that anything involving Chinese or Korean food will inevitably (and inexplicably, given my weird relationship with these cuisines in real life) make me hungry. And this time was no exception. I don’t even like some of the dishes mentioned, yet I had an intense craving for them while reading.

Chloe and Peter are pretty great characters. I like how each of them is loyal to their respective families and businesses, and while that does somewhat distort their views of the other (especially on Chloe’s part), I appreciate how quickly they’re willing to put aside their differences for the greater good and save their families’ livelihoods. They truly are very similar once they get over their preconceived notions, and while this is not “enemies to lovers” in the conventional sense, I think the kids being conditioned to think they don’t like each other because of their parents’ feud classifies it as such, and I appreciate how they realistically grow past that.

The story does get a little crowded at points, because of the myriad half-developed subplots. One I really liked was the exploration of the respective families’ pasts, but it didn’t really develop to its full potential. Chloe is also shown to be particularly ambitious, which is not unusual for the child of Asian immigrant parents, participating in things like painting, her other after school job, and more. I did like that it was an attempt to give her depth, but it just ended up feeling a little muddled. There’s just a lot of unrealized potential that got mixed into the pot, when cutting some of them and developing the few that remained may have made for more realistic characters and a more impactful story.

Despite my critiques, I like the story overall. If you’re looking for a fun Asian YA romcom to read for Christmas, you might want to try this one.

This book was cute and cheery. It's a fun YA holiday romance. I love that the characters are Asian, and it's a really cute premise. The dialogue and actions felt a little stilted at times, and it was of course fairly predictable, but if you want a feel good holiday read, this is the book for you.

DNF

Very slow start. I couldn't get into it. Yes it is YA, but is very teenagey. The characters all seemed very similar and I just couldn't get into the story.

THE CHRISTMAS CLASH was such a cute read about two teens whose families are rivals. There are not enough Asian American holiday stories out there, so this makes me happy. And now I’m officially excited for the holidays!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Who knew that sworn enemies with a family feud that runs as deep as blood (well, at least for 15 years) would become partners to save the mall in which their families do business? Better yet, who knew they would grow closer than they thought?

This was a cute, sweet story, but there were several things that bothered me about the story. First of all, the title of this book is "The Christmas Clash", and although the main characters work at Christmas-themed kiosks in the mall, it almost seemed like an afterthought. This book was also marketed as a romance, and it seemed as if the romance/relationship aspect was secondhand to the story.

I also thought that the pacing of the story was a little slow until I got about halfway through. Keep in mind, I am used to an adult contemporary romance that is a little more...provocative in its language and tend to be more fast-paced in the main character and his/her love interest "acting" upon their feelings. The demographic for this story seems like it's somewhere in a grey area as well. I'm not sure a 14-year-old would like this and it seems a little juvenile for a 16 to 18-year-old to read this.

I will say that I liked Chloe's character growth in coming into her own (those teenage years aren't the greatest for searching for one's personal identity) and the fact that she approached the racism that she has experienced as an Asian-American. I also liked how the author touched upon the fact that malls have become a dying breed. Other than this, it was a sub-par story for me.

The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park
Genre: YA holiday rom-com
Rating: 4 stars

What a cutie YA holiday rom-com! This was such a fun, light-hearted read. It's not super holiday/christmas-y, but it does take place around the holidays. Our main characters are high schoolers who hold a grudge against each other. Chloe Kwan and Peter Li are nemeses and their parents have competing restaurant businesses in the mall. They have been rivals since birth due to the nature of their parents relationships. Unfortunately, both restaurants received eviction notices which leads Chloe and Peter to come up with an idea to save the mall and their parent's restaurants.

-enemies/nemeses to allies to lovers
-forced proximity
-coming of age
-sweet characters
-funny one liners

I totally wanted this story to be more christmasy, but it was still fun and cute.
Thank you Sourcebooks, NetGalley, and the author for an ARC!

The Christmas Clash, by Suzanne Park, is a cute enemies-to-lovers novel dealing with two teenagers trying to save each of their families restaurants, which are located inside a mall that is scheduled to be demolished. This was a fast, easy read and while I think the title is a little misleading - it’s a solid 4 stars for me.
I really enjoyed The Christmas Clash but did feel it could have had some more romanticism since it’s billed as a romance and that things turned out a little bit too perfect for real life! I really liked Chloe though and felt she was a real person; I was able to connect and empathize with her. I loved the Korean and Chinese influences on the novel - influencing everything from the food to the ways the family interacted with those around them. Excited to see this published next week!

I really enjoyed this story! The characters were really engaging and I laughed quite a bit. I ended up listening to the ALC. I really didn't want to turn it off and finished in 3 days! I love a good "enemies" to lover trope (though were they really enemies or was it residual stuff from their families? hmmmm) and I really liked the progression of their truce to friendship to romance. There was also really great banter and funny moments! I would recommend this book to people no matter the season but will definitely talk it up for the holidays! This was overall a feel good book that evoked the right feelings at the right times (I may have gotten a little watery eyed at times, call me sentimental)!

I absolutely loved The Christmas Clash. It is a great YA story about two teens whose families are rivals, who come together to save the mall and their parents' businesses. Along the way, they fall for each other. The story is easy to follow with fantastic characters and an interesting problem that needs fixing. The characters of Chloe Kwon and Peter Li were so well written, I thought they were both excellent. Generally, in a enemies to lovers type scenario, there is always the one who is more likable, but in this case, they were both adorable. I thought it was the perfect mix of YA romance with Christmas spirit thrown in. The author's writing style really worked for me and I look forward to reading more by them. It is a great holiday romance, read it!

A Christmas read on September? Sign me up!

This was a cute and lighthearted Christmas romcom that I need after a stressful month. Though this book doesn't feel very Christmas-sy, it still gave me the satisfaction and enjoyment that I needed. It made me in the mood for some hot chocolate while reading this book. It also has a lot of tropes that I really love (i.e., dual povs, childhood enemies, and family rivals). Not only are the characters realistic and relatable, but it also gave me the comfort and nostalgia about Christmas.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe Kwon and Peter Li are rivals. Not only do they work at competing holiday businesses, their parents operate restaurants in the same food court at the local mall. The Lis and the Kwons do not get along, and it’s expected that the kids don’t either. But when the kids learn that the mall owners are selling the building, and evicting all the tenants to tear down the building, they team up to try to save their families’ businesses.

This book was cute. There wasn’t a whole lot of a holiday theme other than their jobs. Instead it was more about learning to trust each other, and working together toward a common goal. Some of it just seemed a bit unrealistic to me though. First off, it seemed like they both had a lot of responsibilities at their respective jobs, for only being high school juniors. Chloe’s friends even went above and beyond to create new Instagram-worthy backdrops to help generate more business, for a business they had no responsibility over. Also, I love the idea that Peter and Chloe would be able to help their families to run their business. But the idea that two teenagers would be able to save the mall just didn’t seem realistic. In my experience, people involved in business real estate decisions like that do so based off monetary rewards, not emotional connection to the businesses and people involved.

I liked the idea of it, and I could enjoy the characters and their growth and development, but overall I just didn’t really feel like the whole package came together for me.