This relationship would not work because Evie is one of the most insufferable humans I have ever read about. And I get it, she has her issues from her childhood, but girl, why are we so rude to EVERYONE? Also, I didn’t fully vibe with the writing style. It felt like an info dump a lot of the time when I just wanted the plot to move along. I did like Duke. He felt more normal, despite being a movie star. But I definitely wish he got a happily ever after with not Evie. I love fake dating and enemies to lovers so at least there’s that.

A cute and cosy fake-dating romance set in Bavaria, Germany during Christmas on a movie set. My favourite festive ingredients in a rom-com.
This was a quick, sweet read full of cosy vibes. I liked the first half and there were interesting points raised from Duke’s POV, who I’m so relieved was not a toxic male lead and had a nice character arc. Evie, unfortunately, did not. I found her okay but didn’t get understand her compulsive shopping habit and felt it didn’t psychologically relate to her self-esteem or mental health. Instead her motivation and reasoning for this flaw came across as indulgent and I found her rather vapid and shallow.
Also I think the problem for me was that there wasn’t really an obstacle in the couple’s relationship and they fall for each other too quickly. I just wasn’t invested enough. Additional it has my least favourite trope where the problem is that the protagonists won’t talk to each other, instead they misinterpret things in such a ridiculous way.
Overall this was okay. A strong start let down by a weaker second half.

If you are looking for a sweet, cheesy, Christmas read then look no further. This book is very Christmassy, very sweet and way too cheesy for me. It is an okay read and I enjoyed it but there was something missing for me and I did not love it. The characters are okay although I did not really feel anything for them. The setting is absolutely stunning.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

A cute, festive fauxmance.

It took a bit of time for me to get into this one, I didn’t initially like the main character Evie, although she did grow on me! Duke was definitely the standout character for me in this book.

Honestly, this book fell a bit flat, which is such a shame as I usually love Laura Jane Williams books. Unfortunately this is my least favourite of hers so far!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but it got better later.

Just For December

Evie Bird is a successful romance writer who travels to Bavaria where one of her books is being made into a Christmas movie.
Duke Carlisle is the world famous British actor who she immediately clashes with on set, but due to some publicity issues ends up having to fake date, just for December!

This was such a lovely read, and ticked all the boxes of what you’d be looking for in a romantic festive read …. roaring fires, Christmas markets and bratwurst!! 😆

Definitely one for the Christmas list, especially as it’s only 99p on Kindle at the moment.

Just For December took a little while to warm up for me and ultimately it
fell a little flat for me I’m afraid. The overall storyline was quite enjoyable - enemies to lovers trait was fun to follow and the German setting sounded perfect for the festive read. The main characters of Duke and Evie never really captured my imagination or emotions and it was only at the end of the story did I feel we saw their true characters.

This is riding the line between just okay and wonderful... and I can't quite make up my mind. There were some wonderful wholesome lovely parts which are reminiscent of the cutesy Hallmark films, but occasionally Evie can be so mean and it detracts from the heartwarming as its like a shot of frost to the heart...

It was an amazing read, honestly i think it's my first time reading something by this author and it was really good, the way she sold me the fake dating, chef kiss.

I really enjoyed Laura Jane Williams book The Lucky Escape, but this one was not it. It was alllll over the place. So many plot points happened and some were important and some were not. You’d think something major just happened and then boom, scene change and it’s just glazed over.

While I enjoyed seeing the characters grow I didn’t love them. Evie not understanding her books helped people seemed odd. Duke seemed the best character out of everyone and yet no one treated him well.

I just couldn’t get into it and probably should have DNF’d.

Evie is standoffish and afraid to give too much of herself. When her book gets turned into a movie and she has to be on set her life changes….. a fun story develops when Evie and the star of the movie agree to fake date. A fun must read to get you in the holiday spirit.

Evie Bird, a Romance writer, leaves her comfortable, anonymous life to spend the month of December in Germany on the movie set of one of her books. Evie gets upset at Duke Carlisle, the male lead and fan of Evie's books when she finds out he put the obligation in her contract so he could meet her. The fight gets caught on camera and becomes International news. To fix the publicity issues of the upcoming film, they agree to have a fauxmance during the month of December. Somehow during their pleasant, predetermined outings, they go from being enemies to lovers.

This is a charming, but slow-moving story. I really liked how Evie and Duke were complete opposites and how they worked together to make things better. The "dates" they went on were full of fun. I really liked the ending to the book that disproved Evie's mindset that "...life isn't like an Ed Sheeran song or a mad dash through an airport."

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in return for an honest review.

This book reminds me a bit too much of a Hallmark movie, but with a 'heroine' who never really becomes likeable. While I know that romance books tend to follow a trend, this was just a bit too obvious of a path and I found myself zoning out rather than reading certain scenes. Maybe I'm burnt out on holiday romances already and will give this another shot in the future, but as of now I can't recommend this title.

Film star Duke plays the hero in a new film adapted from reclusive author Evie’s best selling book. In an attempt to meet Evie, Duke manipulates the contract so that Evie has to go on location in Germany whilst they film. However, in an attempt to avert a scandal, Evie is persuaded to be Duke’s fake girlfriend but is mortified when pictures of them go viral and her reclusive image is destroyed.
I found all the information about filming on location very interesting, it seems glamorous but in fact is very hard work.. In parts I wished that the storyline moved along a little quicker, but overall I enjoyed this very much.

Evie Bird is a romance writer who’s latest bestseller is being made into a Christmas movie. Duke Carlisle is a famous actor who’s landed the role of leading man. The two bump heads when they first meet but have to push that aside to help the film.
This book took me awhile to read and I’m usually a quick reader. It’s cute and festive but I just didn’t love it. It was a solid ok from me. I think the main problem was that I didn’t really care too much for Evie. She was overly mean to Duke and for a holiday rom-com type read it was unnecessary. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for an ARC copy.

Love love loved this. LJW just gets stronger and stronger with every book. If you love Emily Henry vibes then this is the book for you.

Cozy Read with winter vibes

We have a Hollywood-ish setting, enemies to lovers, fake dating situation going on... Do I have you hooked yet?

I was drawn to these characters right away. They each have their own set of baggage, which always makes a story more interesting. And I loved the side characters especially Magda, her honestly was what I hope for from my friends.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a cozy romance with winter/christmas vibes!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think Evie was a very hard character to like. I do think this was the sunshine/grumpy trope with Evie and Duke. Duke was a very emotional, soft character, and very easy to read about and enjoyed getting to know him. Evie just never grew on me and even though she was the "grump" I felt like it was a little extreme at times.

Evie is an author who's book is being made in to a film. Duke is playing the leading man - the more time they spend together the closer they get, but what will happen when filming is over? A great read - loved the setting of the book as well.

From the first chapter, I didn’t like Evie much. I understand her past is the reason for her disdain for film sets, I just felt like she was a little too ungrateful for the amazing opportunity that lay before her. But I knew this was just the beginning and couldn’t wait to read more.

My opinions and feelings towards Evie changed as the story developed as I started to understand her more, and my dislike changed to love. She is a fantastic character. Possibly a little too cynical, but isn’t everyone who goes through pain and heartache?
Duke, I adored from the outset. He is a hopeless romantic, and that is so endearing. I loved that he (as the male main character) was the fantasist with ideals of true love, and Evie (the female main character) was the realist. It’s a refreshing change.

It is a sweet rom-com, but as with real life, there are darker elements too! The story highlights alcoholism, abusive relationships and neglectful parents. But fear not because there is plenty of laughter, love, joy and hope. Everything you want and expect from a Laura Jane Williams book.

I have to be honest and say this isn’t my favourite LJW.
The exact reason is difficult because its to do with a particular pet peeve of mine. And that pet peeve is Pop Culture references.
I get the odd mention of singers, movie/book scenes etc…, but too many take me out of the fantasy. And the references in this book just made me roll my eyes. And before you scream, “he’s a movie star”, I get that, I do, but as I said, I want to get lost in a fictional fantasy world. It’s that simple.

Another thing that bugged me was the miscommunications. Now, it’s not because I hate the trope but because there was no conflict or prolonged moments of agony. The miscommunications are resolved too quickly, so much so that they are almost redundant.

It might not be my favourite, but I enjoyed reading the book. From the stunning Bavarian Christmas backdrop to enemies to lovers, it all makes a gorgeous chicklit that’s perfect for the festive season.

Thank you, NetGalley & Avon, for the arc ebook in return for an honest review.