Cute and sweet - a super easy read perfect for the holidays!

I really enjoyed the setting of DC as I used to live there and could easily imagine all of the places the author descried.

I also liked the sweet, brothers best friend type romance and the light twists and turns the author wove in to this novel.

An easy, quick read that will satisfy your need for light romance and Christmas at the holidays!

My rating: 3.5*
Thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy. I purchased a copy of the audio for myself. All opinions are my own.

Starr Lewis heads home from New York to Washington, DC for Thanksgiving feeling like a failure. She’s lost her job, and her sister is marrying Starr’s ex-boyfriend. Starr reconnects with family friend Waylon Emmerson, who is also wondering what he should do with his life. He’s inherited his mother’s Christmas store, and isn’t exactly making a go of it.

Noel, Starr’s older brother, suggests he befriend Starr – she’ll need a friend, given the family’s attention will be revolving around Angel’s upcoming wedding. Waylon is more than happy to agree.

(Noel, Starr, Angel … Yes, I loved the Lewis family’s Christmas names: there is also Eve and Gabe. Maybe they’re a little cliché, but we’re talking about a holiday romance, which means we’re allowed to have clichés.)

Waylon is more than happy to volunteer to spend time with the grown-up Angel, and the feeling is mutual. I enjoyed reading a romance novel where the romance started relatively early on and without any huge complications (although they both acknowledge there will be complications given Waylon lives in Washington and Angel supposedly lives in New York). I loved the mature way they handled themselves and their issues – it promises for a long and happy relationship.

I loved the fact Waylon ran a Christmas store. It’s the kind of business that’s a rom-com staple (along with cupcake stores, ice cream stores, and bookshops) but it’s great to see the twist on the trope, as the owned and run by the hero rather than the heroine.

Everyone loves a good romance set around the holiday season, and You Make It Feel Like Christmas manages to span both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I thought the story felt familiar from the beginning but assumed that meant I’d read the Kindle sample or similar. Actually, I had read the novel before: You Make It Feel Like Christmas is an expanded version of Toni Shiloh’s self-published short novel, I’ll Be Home.

I enjoyed I’ll Be Home, and I enjoyed You Make it Feel Like Christmas even more. I hope this means we’ll see expanded editions of the rest of the Lewis Family series as well.

Recommended for fans of Christmas romance and contemporary Christian romance.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

What a fun, cozy little story! It’s chock-full of family, traditional values, trying to save a business, snowy-cold moments, and all of the little ingredients that I look for when I pick up a good Christmas novel. Then there’s the additional bit of a brother’s-best-friend and odd-woman-out trope, where she naturally ends up spending time with him because the rest of her family already functions in pairs. I loved both characters and will definitely be reading more by this author!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

I thought this was well-written, but it was not for me! I will keep it in mind if future readers ask for clean, Christian romances, and it was nice to read around the holidays.

Merry Christmas in July! 🎄🎁🧸
I wanted to do a few Christmas book reviews for Christmas in July!
Starting off we have "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" by Toni Shiloh.
This was published by Bethany House Fiction and was published September 2023. Thank you to Bethany House for my copy of the book for review.
My rating: 🦄🦄🦄

Thoughts:
There was some good things and some bad things with this book. We can start with the good.
🎄It was a cute story and an easy read.
🎄BIPOC representation
🎄Falling for the brother's best friend trope
🎄It's set at Christmas (which is a win)
Now for what I didn't care for:
🎄It's only a novella, so it didn't give you time to get to know any of the characters
🎄It seemed a bit too easy
🎄It wasn't the most memorable
Again, I know a lot of this is due to the fact that it's a novella. It's hard to cram a full story with character development into 208 pages.
All in all, it was a cute and clean Christmas romance.

4.5 stars

Y’all know how much I love Christmas books. And books by Toni Shiloh. Combining the two leaves me giddy with bookish joy!

You Make It Feel Like Christmas is a delightful blend of sweet romance, gentle-but-solid faith, close-knit family, and holiday fun. We start out on Thanksgiving and follow Starr and Waylon through the Christmas season in DC, a city that’s bustling with things to do and see – and shop – for the holidays. I loved experiencing a taste of it through the Lewis family’s eyes; it was the perfect setting to get me in a festive mood! I somehow missed reading this story in its previous life as a novella (I’ll Be Home) released independently by the author, but I’ve read other books in the Lewis family world so I already had an affinity for this group of siblings that make me smile big whenever they share page space. I laughed out loud at brothers Gabe and Noel’s antics on Christmas morning, as well as the way the whole group and their mom hijack a certain special occasion. Lots of fun banter between the siblings, but also some tender moments where they show just how deeply they love each other.

Starr and Waylon are an adorably sweet couple whose chemistry is obvious from the beginning. I loved the moments when Starr’s sassy side showed up, and I equally loved how they fit easily into each other’s worlds and supported one another’s dreams. The fact that they essentially grew up together lets their romance progress fairly quickly in a way that still feels reasonable, while still allowing room for them to get to know each other as adults. Ohhhh and the epilogue gave me all the feels! I was rooting for this couple from the first chapter and did a little internal happy dance at their found contentment.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a book to get you in the Christmas spirit, then you must read You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh. It’s full of all the things that fill you with festive thoughts – family togetherness, a tree lighting, a Christmas store, love, laughter, faith … and of course sweet romance! In fact, I’d love to see this made into a Christmas movie one day! It’s not without some drama, though, and there’s one character in particular that needs a good purse whomping – but, not to worry, it’s just enough conflict to keep things interesting and add a bit more depth to the story. Shiloh’s writing voice is engaging and warm, her faith threads are deep without being preachy, and her fun characters settle easily into your heart. A definite must-read for your holiday reading season – or any time of year!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a great Christmas romance!

This is a nice Christmas story, but I’m learning that I am not a romance book person. This book didn’t give me the mushy feelings I would expect for a romance book, but I’m sure for those who love romance novels, will love this one.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas is a holiday romance novel written by Toni Shiloh.

Summary: Starr is returning home for the holidays, but she’s not looking forward to it. Can she keep the secret that she’s been laid off from her corporate job from her high-performance family? Can she grit her teeth and survive her sister’s upcoming wedding to Starr's own ex-boyfriend? None of this sounds like a good time.

But when her brother’s friend Waylon needs some help re-branding his Christmas shop, Starr finds it to be the perfect distraction from the troubles in her life.

Can she be honest with herself about what she really wants from life? And could Waylon play a part in her happiness?

Maybe being home for the holidays isn’t so bad after all.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. This is really a book of self-discovery and learning that what you want out of life may not always be what others had planned for you.

The characters were interesting, and I especially liked the relationships between some of the siblings.

The romance was sweet too, and I enjoyed how things worked out in the end.

Probably my only complaint with this story is how short it was. At 208 pages, it’s really more of a short story than a novel, and I would have loved to have had it be longer!

Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read, and I recommend it.

I would like to thank Bethany House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Such a sweet Christmas story! A quick read and inspiring to be true to yourself and your family! I loved the family traditions and descriptions in this book just brought everything alive! A great way to kick off the Christmas season!

This is the 4th book that I have had the pleasure of reading by Toni Shiloh and I must say that I do so enjoy her books. What can I say other than this was an entertaining read that has that holiday-oriented vibe. The characters are awesome and the plot is great. Starr findings herself returning home for the holidays jobless, single and preparing for her sister’s Christmas marriage to her ex-boyfriend. Oh, my could there be some sibling drama? The Lewis family is down to earth and the bantering is old so good? Waylon is Starr’s brother’s best friend and the two have awesome chemistry and love coming their coming together. The two find themselves spending time together after the family Thanksgiving holiday and enjoying every second of it. Starr finds helping Waylon makeover his mom’s Christmas shop a much-needed adventure in her life. This book will bring hours of enjoyment as you maneuver around the Lewis family. Looking forward to reading more of Toni Shiloh books. Can’t wait to see she has in store for her readers next. Loved the Christian atmosphere in “You Make It Like Christmas”.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

This book was adorable! It’s my first Christmas book of the “season” and I’m so thankful I waited u til the weather was a little cooler. I had my hot chocolate today while ready about Starr and Waylon in DC saving each other from their potential Christmas blues.

This is my first book of Toni’s and I cannot wait to read another. Her storyline was adorable, sweet, and I loved the Christian elements included. I haven’t read many books that purposefully include those elements and I didn’t realize how much I missed them.

Thanks Toni for allowing me to be on your ARC team and for the complimentary arc copy! A positive review was not required but totally worth it!

Need a short, sweet Christmas book to get you in the mood that has a huge family preparing for the first child’s wedding over the holidays, an inheritance not really wanted, quaint Christmas shoppe, and a brothers best friend romance? Then this is your next book!

A fun Christmas read that has me in the mood for snow even though it is the middle of summer.. I loved how it was a feel good novel with cute romance.

You Make It Feel like Christmas by Toni Shiloh is the best Christmas sweet romance. The characters in this book were so vivid and real— I really could not stand some of them! Ms Shiloh has written such robust characters that you will quickly find yourself absorbed in this book. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

Starr is headed home for the holidays, but it's not all candy canes and twinkle lights for her. She was laid off from her big NYC job and now as the youngest of 5 kids she's keeping that a secret to try and maintain the status quo. Especially since this holiday season includes her sister marrying her ex-boyfriend.

Waylon shows up to his best friend's family Thanksgiving and is immediately enamored with his baby sister. Starr has grown up and he feels a magnetic tug towards her. That tug only gets stronger as she gets involved in trying to save his late mother's Christmas store with him.

Waylon and Starr have to navigate their feelings for one another as they also figure out what are the next steps in their careers. Will they walk those next steps together or apart?
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What a fast and fun novella. I always appreciate rom coms where the leads feel like they are having conversations that someone in a real life relationship would have and you can find that here. And Starr and Waylon navigate their relationship and three next steps in their careers they deal with big feelings, but they don't act like petulant children about them.

I also appreciated that the faith elements in this one were front of mind while feeling organic. A fine line to walk in Christian fiction.
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This is a closed door, kisses only romance.

When Starr has to travel home for her sister and ex-boyfriend’s holiday wedding, she was not expecting to fall for her brother’s best friend, Waylon.

This was a quick listen - I jumped between the audiobook and my Kindle. It was just too cheesy and not for me.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh will make you feel like it's the holiday season and all the festivities even if you read it when it's 95 degrees outside like I did. LOL. You will laugh out loud, cry, smile, and feel all the feels you would expect in a cute heartwarming Christmas tale. Starr Lewis comes home for the holidays. Unfortunately she's jobless and has her sister's Christmas Eve wedding to HER ex. How much more can Starr handle? Thankfully, her brother's friend comes to Thanksgiving dinner and befriends her. She helps him with his late mom's store and he helps her get through all her sister's obnoxious wedding preparations. She didn't count on falling in love and neither did Waylon Emmerson, but feelings start cropping up. Will Starr return to NYC to pursue another job or will she stay and pursue a new dream?
As I said before, this will definitely have you humming Christmas tunes and wishing for some snowflakes falling outside. I think it has the potential of being a Christmas GAC movie. At least I'm hoping for one. And it has the cutest epilogue EVER! I was crying and smiling the biggest smile when I read it. If you love Christmas stories like me then I think you should give it a go. I can't imagine you wouldn't like it! I was given a copy of this book, but all opinions are my very own.

I love that the title encompasses the feelings the characters have throughout the book. Both are struggling with the holiday season for different reasons, but they find that love and family really do make the holidays!

The Grinch says it perfectly “Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!,’ ”

Her family really, truly bothered me. It always makes me sad when families chose to turn a blind eye to an awful person. I’m just thankful there was redemption for them. And it was a great reminder that we are not always likable people, but God still extends grace and forgiveness. (Even when we 10,000% don’t deserve it.)

It was a super fast, light Hallmark read. If you’re looking for that this season with wonderful prayers, this is the book for you!

This is a sweet contemporary romance! Incorporating wonderful Christmas things about its Washington, D.C. setting, this story sees Starr returning home amidst some family tension and life restructuring. In walks Waylon, her older brother's best friend, and their childhood-peers-to-lovers story is perfectly timed. Throw in some wedding planning schemes; holiday celebrations, ice, and lights; and one special Christmas-themed store, and you have a recipe for a charming story.

I appreciate SO MUCH how the faith portrayal of Shiloh's characters is always organic and highlighted. In this story, both Waylon and Starr have to make decisions affecting their immediate futures and, possibly, their future as a couple. They approach these challenges with a natural trust in God's sovereignty, attitude of prayer, and honest conversations about emotions and choices. I think this was my favorite aspect of the story.

Thank you to the publisher for the ebook review copy. This is my honest review.