REVIEW: Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello

"Love in Winter Wonderland" by Abiola Bello is a delightful romantic escape that will warm your heart even on the coldest winter days. Set against the charming backdrop of a Christmas-themed bookshop, this young adult novel delivers a sweet, engaging love story with just the right amount of holiday magic.

Bello's writing shines in her vivid descriptions of the bookshop and its festive atmosphere, making readers feel like they've entered their winter wonderland. The main characters are well-developed and relatable, with enough depth to keep readers in their journey. The author skillfully weaves themes of family, friendship, and personal growth throughout the romantic plotline, adding layers to what could have been a simple love story.

While some plot points may feel familiar to avid romance readers, Bello's fresh voice and diverse characters bring new life into the genre. The pacing is generally good, though a few sections in the middle could have been tightened for more flow.

Overall, "Love in Winter Wonderland" is a heartwarming read that captures the essence of young love and the spirit of the holiday season. It's perfect for YA romance fans looking for a cozy, feel-good story to curl up with on a winter's night. Abiola Bello has crafted a charming tale that leaves you with a smile and a craving for hot cocoa and twinkling lights.

Love in Winter Wonderland is kind of a Hallmark Christmas Movie, but book version. (I love Hallmark movies especially the Christmas ones. Happy endings galore.)
It is definitely YA which I didn't mind one bit, but for others that may be an issue.
Black owned Bookstore and trying to save it from closing? Sign me up.
Honestly I enjoyed the depth of Ariel's character while Trey...Let's just not talk about him. He is the other MC, but Ariel is why I kept reading. She was relatable and I wanted to know her thoughts/perspective.

I LOVED this book! It's so festive, funny, fast-paced and brimming with emotion. The characters worked well together, and there's a great mixture of personalities which makes the story entertaining. Glad I applied for this one!

amazing ya book! and so cute because its just so cozy and love it so much I felt so cared and loved in this book. perfect cozy read

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Teen for the advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me a little while to get into. It takes place in London, and a bit of the conversation was a little different than in the states. For instance, the use of the word "college". It was a bit jarring to frequently encounter comments such as "see you at college", rather than the more familiar, "see you at school" or "see you in class". However, as the main characters' lives intersected more and more and their relationship developed, my investment in the story increased.
Trey and Ariel are students at the same college, but they travel in different circles. He moves with the popular students, in a relationship with the most beautiful girl in the school. Ariel is an art student, her hands more likely to be covered with paint than perfectly manicured. Trey works at his family's struggling bookstore. Ariel is trying to figure out how to come up with funds to pay for a prestigious art program. When their paths cross, who knows what the future will hold?
Filled with characters with diverse interests and abilities, as well as family struggles and relationship challenges, this book manages to cover a variety of issues, while also celebrating a community and Black writers and artists. And there may just be a love story in there as well.

While initially excited to delve into the heartwarming world of "Wonderland," I was underwhelmed by the overall story. The premise of a London Black-owned bookshop setting the stage for a hate-to-love journey is promising, but it was a miss for me. Despite this, the festive backdrop and themes of community and resilience still make it a cozy read for the holiday season.

This book is being voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and Abiola Bello.

Love in Winter Wonderland is a great story about Trey and Ariel. Trey's family owns a bookshop that is going through a difficult time financially. Ariel needs a job and joins the bookshop and volunteers to organize more press to help the shop. Through all the ups and downs Trey and Ariel realize they have feelings for each other more than friendship.

this was SO GOOD. I loved that each chapter had a different song rec! I loved that this was a Christmas miracle/romance that saved an indie bookshop! It was such a delightful slow burn.

The only thing I didn’t like was how hard Ariel was on herself and her body.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Are you looking for a gift-wrapped escape, perfect for curling up by the fire during the holiday season? Or at any time of the year, really. Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello transports readers into the enchanting world of a London Black-owned bookshop called Wonderland.

Meet Trey Anderson. Charming and handsome, he juggles the pressures of school popularity with his job at the beloved local bookstore. Meet Ariel Spencer. Quirky and creative, she dreams of attending the prestigious art program but lacks the necessary tuition. When an opportunity arises at Wonderland, Ariel sees it as her chance to make her dreams come true.

However, there's a twist: Wonderland faces imminent closure due to neighbourhood gentrification. Trey and Ariel join forces to prevent the doors from shutting forever before the Christmas Eve deadline. As they work together, will their relationship evolves from animosity to something deeper?

The cozy London bookshop, with its shelves of stories and secrets, becomes a character in itself. Bello weaves in critical topics such as the importance of indie bookstores, the impact of gentrification, body diversity, and grief over losing a parent. This story perfectly captures the magic of love, community, and the power of a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Soho Press for the gifted e-book ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read if you like: Dual POV, coworkers

This was cute and sweet at many parts. I don't love cheating, though. That ruined it for me, and it's a major part of the book. They tried really hard to make his gf a villain.

A cozy Christmas read! Like sipping a cup of hot cocoa with a wonderful cast of characters that you just had to root for and a setting that felt like home

Really appreciated how we get to see the two protagonist grow and develop as people apart from the relationship but also become friends. The messiness is true to form for teenagers and has incredible messaging for young readers about doing what makes your heart sing and not being okay with complacency.

This book was good! It had a wholesome story surrounded by YA Romance drama.

This book is about so many things. Saving the family bookstore that is Black owned and operated, Trey and his love life, finding your voice and having courage to make your dreams come true are the main ones.

As expected, Trey - a popular and attractive young man dates the popular and attractive young woman. When he realizes that there should be more than a shallow relationship with a hot girl, he realizes he has a decision to make. Torn between what’s familiar with his “mean girl” girlfriend of two years and what’s new - Ariel, the talented artist that’s helping him save the family bookstore he doesn’t always do the right thing but he’s not perfect. He’s 17 years old.

Ariel is the thick girl who lost some weight but still doesn’t love her body. She hasn’t found her voice yet and is constantly bullied by the mean girls for being bigger. She wants to get into an art school that her dad attended and having recently lost her father to cancer she’s determined. She has a crush on Trey but thought she was over him until she starts working at his families bookstore and decides to help him save it.

I fully enjoyed this story and thought it was beautifully written.

This was such a charming winter romcom. I loved the setting and character relationships throughout the story.

Actual Rating 3.5

Ariel needs to make money to pay for her tuition to a prestigious art program and stumbles into a job at a local bookstore. Trey’s parents own the bookstore, and he often works there, though they haven’t been honest with him about how poorly the store has been doing. When Trey and Ariel both learn about the store’s trouble, they want to save it but for different reasons. They soon realize that the only way to save it is working together, no matter how they might feel about each other.

One of the cool things about this read was that the beginning of each chapter listed one Christmas song by Black artists, which also played into the story. This was a fun way to incorporate Christmas music, and I found many new songs to explore this season. The author also did a good job incorporating the setting and the Christmas spirit throughout the read in a way that brought it to life.

Of course, having a cozy, independent bookshop as a setting is a sure way to make me enjoy a read. I liked the ideas that Ariel and Trey came up with to drum up business, and that whole aspect of the read was quite fun. Another thing I appreciated was how present their families were throughout the read, rather than simply focusing on their romantic relationship.

I do have a small complaint relating to the cover – throughout the read, Ariel’s larger size is mentioned in both positive and negative ways. But to me, the girl on the cover looks much thinner than we were led to believe from the writing. I would have loved to see the representation be present and accurate on the cover. This book is also advertised as “hate-to-love” or enemies to lovers, but I don’t think that’s really accurate either – it was much more of “one-sided-indifference/annoyance to lovers.”

If you’re looking for a cozy YA romance set around Christmas, then you’ll likely quite like this one. It was predictable and straightforward, but that will likely make it a solid seasonal comfort read for many folks. My thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book has no right to be this adorable. 🧡

Two black teenagers who can’t decide if they like each other are trying to save a black-owned bookstore at Christmas? Just stop. Stop it right now.

This was a super cute story, but it also had some really deep feelings and handled grief, money troubles and bullying with care. So be careful if any of that is triggering to you. 🥰

Also, who says you can’t read holiday books in January? It was snowing & cold & this book warmed me right up.

Special thanks to @soho_teen for the ARC and @recordedbooks for the ALC!

I had a hard time getting into this book. Dnf’d around 30%. Nothing against the book itself, I just need to stop applying for arcs just because and start actually reading the description 😐

This one sounded cute and I wanted to love it. But the two main characters spend the majority of the book getting on my nerves. And I didn’t really get any you’ve got mail vibes from this one.

I loved this book. Wonderful characters, small town charm, indie bookshop. You won't want to miss this really cute read.