Teen rivals to lovers romcom set at Christmas, what’s not to like!

I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it as a quick fun holiday read with a very sweet romance!

Suzanne Park writes the sweetest romance and slice-of-life stories and this one is no exception. I love her storytelling sprinkled in with Asian-American nuances and issues.

When the Riverwood mall is about to be sold to a developer, Chloe Kwan and Peter Li have to put aside their differences and work together to try to save the mall where their parents own restaurants. Can two teenagers save the mall, their parents livelihoods and their holiday season?

This novel is fun and lighthearted while working through how communities change and how difficult family dynamics can be. It shows how food, friendship and the holiday season can help solve problems.”

Rival restaurant families are being evicted after years of being at the local mall. Their teen children come together to try to save their restaurants but also fall for each other.

This was a cute enemies to lovers, YA clean romance. I really enjoyed it and felt like it was a good pallet cleanser between two heavier books. It was cute, short, and I was able to read along with the audiobook which was performed wonderfully by the narrator. All in all, definitely one I could see myself recommending to a younger reader (teens) for a holiday read!

3.5 rounded up.

"The Christmas Clash" by Suzanne Park is a delightful and multicultural romance that captures the magic of the holiday season and the challenges of navigating cultural differences. Park's storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a tale of love, family, and the joy of the festive season. The book's relatable characters and heartwarming plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with young adult readers. Park skillfully addresses themes of identity, tradition, and the power of connection, adding depth to the narrative. "The Christmas Clash" is a heartwarming reminder that love knows no boundaries, and that the holiday season has a way of uniting people from different backgrounds, leaving readers with a warm and uplifted feeling as they follow the characters on their journey of love and cultural discovery.

This was a quick + easy read with a good plot + likable characters. As a Christmas lover myself, I wouldn't say this book was all that Christmas-y. It had some holiday vibes for sure but with Christmas in the title I did expect more on that front. Overall an enjoyable book.

3.5 Stars

***

Chloe Kwan hates Peter Li, and she always will. Their families have feuding food court businesses at Riverwood Mall, the Kwons make Korean food and the Li's make Chinese food. Add in the fact Chloe and Peter are now working at rival mall entertainment businesses, Chloe photographing children with Santa and Peter running a virtual reality Santa game, Chloe wants to avoid Peter, and his annoying photogenic presence, at all costs. But, when she finds he inspires her entry for a major photography competition and the two of them learn the mall may be demolished, they have no choice but to work together, rivalry or no. Maybe with a bit of holiday magic these two might be able to find common ground and...love?

This was a lovely holiday romp featuring mall life, especially around the holidays. But, while there were gushy, cute, romantic moments, the best parts of the book focused on the racism and discrimination that both Chloe and Peter faced as Asian Americans. I especially felt it was important that there are two perspectives included in the narrative. Chloe's parents are immigrants and know only a little English, whereas Peter's parents are American and have lost a lot of their Chinese heritage. So, you have two different Asian diaspora which helps to centre the ways in which racism targets many different people.

Chloe's speeches were very inspiring and pushed the reader to really think about their own prejudices, racism, and biases. It asked the reader to see the people behind the businesses, to understand more than just the mall experience and to acknowledge the dedication of all those who work and toil for the American dream.

I did not like how negative Chloe was towards herself, but I had to remind myself she is a teenage girl and that often means self deprecation and doubt stemming from societal standards. However, she also continuously talked about Peter's good looks, objectifying him. So, I did not vibe with those aspects of the book, but truthfully it feeds into the Young Adult literature engine (good or bad).

I would have also liked a bit more fleshing out of the side characters. The friends of both Chloe and Peter seemed very two dimensional and could have used more depth. Chloe's friends seemed limited to the boy they both lusted after and their art. Peter's friends were jocks who loved video games. All the depth seemed to be saved for Chloe and Peter.

Overall, I thought this was a cute story that did what it meant to. It pointed out inherent bias, it talked candidly about racism, it showcased a cute romance between a girl and boy who come from rival families. If you are looking for a sweet holiday romance, which also asks you to think every once in a while, than this book is for you.

A fun holiday story which you can devour in one sitting with enough banter and rivalry you can live for! If you're looking for your next quick read, make sure to consider adding this to that list!

Two competing family restaurants, and the kids that don’t hate each other, despite the tension between their parents try to save the mall from being sold before Christmas.

This is definitely less rivals to lovers than I expected from the description(I feel like it was more annoyance than anything!) I feel like it’s hard to be rivals when you don’t even know the reason your parents are fighting. I get the competitive spirit between them, but the grudge lasted so long!

The post work dinner swaps were so cute, and I loved that they worked together to save the mall. I do wish there was more about the mall community and other tenants, and I appreciated that it wasn’t too Christmassy!

This was a very fun holiday story. Having this set in the food court of the mall was such a fun idea that really gave this a fresh feel and gave so many creative ways to add in conflict and side characters.

Rivals to lovers stories are always so fun when the two falling in love have just always known the rivalry but never really known the full story behind it. It adds such a layer of conflict as they fight the urge to go against what's been ingrained into them and deal with the confusions and feelings of guilt that brings up and then all the feelings of having the truth come out and what that means for them and the rivalry they've always known.

This story is full of fun characters, a great setting, and a really fun plot.

This was an adorable read but I had hoped for more holiday vibes than what was here. The rivalry between the two characters was entertaining and it was a breezy and lighthearted read.

Chloe has never liked Peter. Really, she comes by it naturally as their parents own rival restaurants in the mall and don’t get along either. However, their holiday season jobs at the mall are very close and they can’t avoid seeing each other. As a new developer begins to send out eviction notices to businesses in the mall, Peter and Chloe team up to try to save the mall.

This is a cute teen romance filled with a bit of angst, family drama and the most delicious food descriptions. It’s a fast paced read and very sweet. I really enjoyed how Chloe and Peter’s relationship shifted from rivals to friends to more over the course of the story. My only complaint was that I was hoping for a bit more Christmas.

I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Jay Lai and Jennifer Sun Bell. They did a great job bringing the story to life.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Dreamscape Media,and NetGalley for the advanced copies.

Sending my apologies for not being able to provide a review. I am unable to offer a review for this book - I had sent it to my kindle to read and the file did not download properly. Unfortunately the book has been archived and I'm unable to re-send it.

An absolutely adorable family rivals to friends to lovers story. And the fact that it takes place at a mall during Christmas? An excellent choice.

Chloe and Peter’s families own rival food court restaurants at a mall. When they discover the mall is going to be sold and turned into condos, the two team up to try and save it. Naturally, they start to develop feelings for each other along the way.

There are moments in this book that have stayed with me, and every single one involves Chloe and Peter meeting for post-work dinners, where each one brings the other food from their own restaurant. These moments are so quiet and simple. This is where the heart and soul of the story really is for me. There is nothing more high school than this, that learning about someone by doing something that becomes a friendship ritual. It is sacred. That for me really helped sell this entire book.

4 stars.

This was such a sweet book. The representation of Asian American characters is long overdue and it was such a nice feeling to be able to read about Asian American teens and the adventure that Chloe and Peter go on together to save the mall.

Chloe's family runs a restaurant in the mall. While at work one day, Chloe realizes that they are closing the mall and her family will be forced out of business. Her family's rivals, the Li's, also run a restaurant in the mall and are facing the same situation. When their son, Peter, joins with Chloe to save the day, their rivalry becomes more.
Opinion
This book has just the right amount of romance for a young adult book. (Though, for those that care, there is a small amount of foul language.) I think Chloe has a lot going on for her between the rivalry with the Li's, her blooming romance with Peter, trying to live up to her older sister and the art competition. I think it was a bit much to fit into a book of this length. The story was great but at the end, I felt that one of these ended up being set to the side.
I think this book would be appropriate for any child as young as upper middle school.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC of this book.

It’s April so obviously that means I’m working my way through Christmas books 😂

The premise of this book was cute! Two teens from rival families working together to save the mall! It didn’t mention Christmas as much as I was anticipating. It felt like a standard YA novel that just happened to be set during the Christmas season.

Reading how Peter and Chloe come together to help the mall and their families was really nice. It happens relatively quickly, they don’t stay enemies/rivals for long, but it was still enjoyable to watch their perceptions of each other change.

If you want a cute YA novel that just happens to be set during Christmas this is the one for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Can’t help it, Christmas stories are my jam. In especially rom-coms. This book had Al the qualities I look for in this genre.

I’m going to be honest, it took me a really long time to get through this book because every time I put it down I struggled to pick it back up again and I’ve been putting off this review because I really wanted to love this book.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, the romance was cute and the characters were likeable enough. I totally empathised with the whole rivalry between siblings going even if mine was more with a cousin! It’s heartwarming in all the right places and certainly Christmassy, it just felt a little dragged out and I only kept reading because of the mystery surrounding the feud and what would happen to the mall!