"Love in Winter Wonderland" by Abiola Bello is a heartwarming and enchanting young adult romance novel that sweeps readers into a charming world of love, holiday magic, and self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of a winter wonderland, the book captures the essence of the holiday season, making it the perfect read for those seeking a cozy and festive escape.

Bello's storytelling is delightful, filled with vivid descriptions that bring the wintry setting to life. The characters are relatable and endearing, and readers will find themselves rooting for their love to blossom amidst the snowflakes. The novel explores themes of personal growth and the importance of seizing moments of joy, making it not just a love story, but also a tale of self-realization.

"Love in Winter Wonderland" is a delightful read that will warm your heart during the coldest of winter nights. Abiola Bello's writing shines in this feel-good romance that reminds us of the magic of the holiday season and the transformative power of love. It's a perfect choice for anyone looking for a charming, uplifting story to curl up with by the fire.

“Love in Winter Wonderland” struck me as a cross between “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “You’ve Got Mail”. The protagonists of the story are Trey, whose parents own an independent bookstore (Wonderland) that is currently in financial trouble due to another store that sells discount books that is taking all their customers (similar to the movie “You’ve Got Mail”), and Ariel, who has a desire to go to a prestigious art school but doesn’t have the tuition. Ariel finagles a job in the bookstore; soon feelings blossom between the two, who try to fight their attraction for each other. The two work together to keep the bookstore from closing on Christmas Eve, but they’ll need all the help they can get if they are to pull off the impossible (hence the “It’s A Wonderful Life” reference).

This was a very cute novel that takes on loyalty, friendships, family, and romance during one of the magical times of the year, Christmas. There’s authenticity in the dialog, and situations are realistic that teens and young adults may be able to identify with and may even get frustrated as Trey tries not to hurt his girlfriend, who comes off as being extremely self-centered. The story comes to a satisfying conclusion. I could see these two in a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This was the perfect start to my holiday reading for 2023. I loved Ariel and Trey and the bookshop. The Christmas magic really sparkled off the page. I hope Bello continues to write YA holiday novels. This was lovely.

Cute YA British holiday romance about books avoids being too simplistic through inclusion of discussions regarding race and body image.

I enjoyed this book so much! I was SOLD at Black love in a Black-owned bookshop. This was everything I didn't know I needed. Initially it gave me Grown-ish vibes, which I loved. The characters were so well written and the overall story was done very well. I couldn't put it down!

I absolutely loved Ariel. She seemed so relatable and I wanted to fight her battles for her which brings me to another thing I absolutely loved - the friends that both MCs had. The way Ariel's friends had her back was just so heartwarming. Both MCs honestly had some really great friends surrounding them. I just truly loved how this was an overall positive and uplifting Black love story.

In full transparency, I was nervous about the love triangle, and this is why it wasn't a full 5 star read for me. I tend to avoid that trope because I feel that it's hard to do without it being icky. While there was no blatant cheating per se, I didn't love that the MMC had a girlfriend (who wasn't the FMC) basically throughout the entire book. And in the beginning, I wasn't sure how I would feel about it. But when I reminded myself that these characters were teenagers, it kind of made the story feel a bit more real. Teenage love and relationships can be so messy, dramatic, and complicated because of the changes people go through at that age. So I got it.

Overall, I highly recommend this one!

I enjoy trying to diversify my reading experience and this was a perfect Christmas romance to add to the mix. I loved that the entire premise was about saving a bookstore. The dual point of view is my fav! Recommend

Love in Winter Wonderland is the perfect winter romance for an older YA crowd. It follows two black college students as they attempt to save a local black-owned bookstore by Christmas Eve.

I thought the characters were both well developed with internal conflicts that fed into the larger conflicts of the book. The supporting character cast was wide but played essential roles to the plot!

Their building romance was cute and their interactions were *chefs kiss*. I love that the author included a playlist.

This was such a cute and loveable romance. Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello was definitely a book that will get you into a romance wintery mood.

I enjoyed this book though I will reread it again during winter time as that would be better suited. I feel like this was a bit young for me and my personal taste but it was still enjoyable. A cute fun holiday story with heavy topics within. Love the heroine. She was an amazing complex character who was a great friend who went above and beyond time and time again. She dealt with so much personally and was still always there. The hero was not my favorite but I have seen worse. He's one I could do without but I love the bookstore setting especially. The writing was done well and it was all easy read

This book made me happy. I love seeing young people find their voice. I love seeing small businesses thrive.

I enjoyed reading this book and I thought that the plot was very engaging and interesting. One part of the book that I liked was how the main characters were developed in both their own narrated chapters and also by the other character’s narration. The narrator of each chapter switched off every other chapter between the two main characters which allowed for a reader to understand both sides of the story as opposed to only one. This made the story more interesting as the reader often knew more than the characters which led to some moments of dramatic irony that hooked me to the next chapter where the other person would narrate. However I didn’t really like all of the tension that was built and felt that it was sometimes overdone. Some level of tension was needed to keep the story moving smoothly as it is about a bookstore about to close but other parts that were included I thought were slightly unnecessary and overly dramatic. Another thing that was included that I liked and disliked were allusions to different books which were useful to know already although they didn’t have much of an impact on the plot. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed the plot of the main characters trying to save a local bookshop from going out of business.

Told in alternating viewpoints, Ariel and Trey - 2 London teens - work together to keep the doors open at Wonderland, an independent bookstore, amidst the holiday rush. Ariel is an artist who is looking for a project to round out her art school application and is in need of a job to help out at home. Trey's family has owned Wonderland for generations and now he has to hustle to keep their livelihood going. They were not friends when they met, but this shared struggle will bring Ariel and Trey together in unexpected ways.

I really enjoyed the plot (with its many twists) and the characters were well developed. This story felt very grounded in reality, set against the backdrop of Black Lives Matter, with a strong message of hope and community. It was a gift to see Ariel and Trey grow through their interactions with the world and with each other.

The opening of the novel grabs the reader's attention, with the same vibes of You Got Mail. You root for the family to hold on to their bookshop, and really fall for the connection that Trey and Ariel have for each other. What makes the storyline great is that you are introduced to the different storylines of Trey and Ariel, and you are able to see where they intersect and how each of them handle those situations.
Like any true YA romance, this one has you rooting for the main characters the whole time, regardless of the fact that Trey has a "girlfriend". What makes the novel really stand out is the timeline of Christmas, and how each chapter opens with a new playlist based off of what character's point of view it is.

5 STARS!

This was such a sweet, wholesome YA Black romance story! The first couple of pages captured 3 of my favorite things: books, Christmas, and R&B holiday music. I was hooked and couldn't put it down.

Most important note: Often in YA books, teens are cringey and it's really hard to believe some of the romance storylines, but Love in Winter Wonderland is the exception -- the chemistry between Trey and Ariel was very natural.

I feel like this story was so much more than 2 teens coming together and using the power of the internet to save a Black-owned bookstore. A lot of tough topics (but relatable) topics were discussed but they were handled with so much care.

While I feel like this book is targeted at 13-18-year-olds, anyone who wants a sweet and cozy holiday read this year should definitely pick up Love in Winter Wonderland.

Thank you Netgalley and Soho Teen for an advanced copy for my honest review!

Overall this was a cute story. I really liked the two main characters and enjoyed the plot. I liked how it was dual pov. It was nice getting both of their perspectives. I know this is ya but at times it felt too childish/immature. I liked how the story flowed, the beginning was a bit slow but then it picked up. This story was enjoyable and will definitely put you in the holiday mood. #SaveWonderland

DNFing this one! I usually love holiday romances but I am just not vibing with the dialogue at all. YA books are often hit or miss from me so I think I will stop requesting them on NetGalley. Thanks anyway for the ARC and hoping others love this one more than I did!

This is a cute teen rom-com that has many classic tropes, but it all works. The premise is that two unlikely teens team up to save a black-owned bookstore. Along the way, their bond grows beyond that of just their work.

The dual POVs works well to blend various friend groups and experiences. The MCs regularly talk about "college" (as in, I head to the shop after college), which strikes me as a bit weird. They're young--17--but seem younger, too. However, I'm not familiar with UK education systems, so I could be off.

The Christmas element made this more of a feel good story, and it was one that was pretty much one-tracked from the beginning, but still worth the read.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: alcohol, sex, language

**Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Press for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an early copy to review through NetGalley! When I first started reading the book, I was a little confused because the characters were talking about being in college, yet they seemed so young, but then I realized that it takes place in the UK. From then on, it made sense to me. Something about this book just clicked for me, and I feel like I read it at exactly the right time! Who wouldn’t want to read a cozy winter romance when they’re sweating a ridiculous amount right at the start of summer?!😂 Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it!

This was a fun YA British romance set over the holidays as they try to save an Independent, Black-owned bookstore and fall in love. Good on audio narrated by Ben Bailey Smith and Nneka Okoye. A new to me author, this is perfect for fans of All I want for Christmas or Whiteout. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I listened to this one last year when it originally came out with a different cover. Really loving the new cover - so cute!

Dual pov? Excellent. Always a favorite style.

Bookstore at Christmas? Yes please. (Old enough to remember the bliss of Meg Ryan's You've Got Mail.)

Playlist? How can this book possibly have everything I love? Delightful!

And dual pov playlists? So sweet!

To top it all off, this book features Black joy by OwnVoices author with British charm.

Honestly, this is just the perfect holiday story.