This book is stressful and sweet! Not every book can pull off SO MUCH of each of those characteristics. It's got one of my fave romance tropes that doesn't really have a good title--people working together for a common goal, ideally to overcome corporate interests. Does anyone know that trope name? Anyway, a sweet holiday romance, like if a Hallmark movie was young and Black and British.

This would be good in a high school library--even a middle school one, but some middle schools would not be into the amount of substance use.

I loved this book! I would definitely recommend having it in our store, it’s a nice and cozy Christmas Romance that is filled with inspiration. Although I do wish that Trey wasn’t such a dummy sometimes, he still has my heart (Boogs #1 though).

Sweet As Candy

This was such a feel good story. It felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie. Trey was absolutely adorable and lovable. He was the cute, popular boy, but still managed to be so sweet. He even struggled with stage fright which made him feel so relatable. Ariel was so smart and talented. She had the skinny model girls feeling shook. It was so easy to root for her. The storyline of saving the bookstore was the perfect backdrop to their budding romance. For fans of a traditional rom-com, this will check all of the boxes. I just loved how it highlighted these two amazing Black kids pouring back into their community. This will be the perfect holiday read when it is released.

I ended this feeling so warm and fuzzy. This was a solid four star read for me. Thank you to NetGalley, SoHo Press, and Abiola Bello for this advanced copy to review. #LoveinWinterWonderland #NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was such a lovely read. I really enjoyed this and thought it was adorable.

I received a free copy of this book, but all opinions are my own!

I really enjoyed this read! I wouldn't compare it as much to the romcom You've Got Mail except in terms of it taking place in an underdog family-owned bookstore pitted against a corporate monolith. Instead, what Love in Winter Wonderland really is is a cozy teen romance with a decent dose of drama and a lot of feel-good moments with not only the two leading characters, but their friends and family and community. It's smart enough to be able to handle some of the more intense twists and turns of the dramatic elements while never truly losing the feeling of a literary cup of cocoa. Definitely recommend this one to fans of romance who don't mind the implications of sex without graphic depictions and an emphasis on family wherever it is found.

It was just OK. A pretty cute offering, but just OK. I cant explain what was missing, but it was something. Maybe there was a cultural disconnect somewhere

1 star but extra point for the cover, it's cute.
The community rallying around the bookshop was the best part of this book, everything else was meh. I know this is YA but the main characters still acted extremely immature for their age. Great idea for a plot, loved the premise, I just don’t think it was executed very well.

I 100% recommend this adorable romance. Trey and Ariel are believable, relatable, wonderful main characters; the bookstore setting and family dynamics just make the book even better! I can't wait to get this in the hands of our teen patrons!

3.5 stars - Nobody loves books set in bookstores more than myself, so a YA Holiday one that also features diversity? Sign me up! That said while I really did enjoy the bookshop setting a lot and the social commentary on gentrification, and power of social media for good; I really, truly disliked Trey, the male MC here a lot and didn't appreciate the love triangle. I also didn't care for some aspects of Ariel's character, while I do appreciate size inclusiveness but not fat phobia and I also didn't like the "mean girls" vibe, either. So "Love in Winter Wonderland" is a mixed bag for me. I'd sincerely like to thank Net Galley & the publisher for granting my wish to read this title & wish them well.

3.5 Stars rounded up

CW: fat shaming, death of parent

Trey Anderson is popular, handsome, and also a bookseller at his family's shop, Wonderland. Ariel Spencer is an upcoming artist that needs money for the art program she's been dreaming of. When Wonderland threatens to go under, Ariel and Trey must work together to save the bookstore. Will they find love along the way?

I love a book surrounding a bookstore and it's a Christmas romance with Black love. It's such a cute book, and I love the character development of both main characters throughout the book. The one thing I didn't like was the pettiness of other girls. I think there were different storylines that could have also been explored, but this is definitely a feel good romance.

This was a lovely book. The kids are in college, but I think it would be okay for older teens to read. There are serious relationships and talk of sex, so if you don't want your teen reading that. The writing is good, everything is told in details where you can picture yourself there too.
But this is ultimately a book about a family trying to save their bookshop. I loved the talk of books and music. I liked the friendships and side relationships too. Boogs is a good friend to Trey and his girlfriend Santi is too. The family is really wonderful too, they help and support each other and really want their bookshop to succeed and stay open.
I liked seeing Ariel's side of the story too and her relationship with Trey develop. I could picture her art and loved how much she loves the bookshop just like their family.
A really lovely holiday book set in a bookshop!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

While I enjoy Christmas romance novels, the majority of them still feature all white characters with the occasional token "diverse" character. This trend is changing, thankfully, and I was excited to see this YA holiday novel featuring two Black teens from a northern part of London. Trey's family owns Wonderland, an independent bookstore established by his great-grandfather, and when he discovers that the bookstore is on the verge of closing and being sold to developers, he wants to find a way to save the shop. One of his fellow students, Ariel, ends up working at the shop with him and offers to help save Wonderland, and their time working together helps build the attraction between them.

I do enjoy bookstore settings as well as the theme of trying to save a small business, especially when it brings a community together. I liked Ariel as a plus-size Black character who has insecurities but is dedicated to pursuing her passion for art. (I also really appreciated the mum, brother, and friends who supported her!) I think Trey was a decent guy, but the whole plot thread about his off-and-on relationship with Blair was cringey, especially when the main romance of the book was clearly meant to be Trey and Ariel. He made some questionable decisions throughout, including emotional cheating, and I just don't really believe in even a HFN for the two of them after such a disastrous relationship. I also didn't care for how Blair was portrayed: she seemed to have no other characteristics other than being a self-centered, petty, jealous piece of work, and I really think we can do better by female characters in 2023.

Overall it was nice, but some things really missed the mark for me. 3 stars.

CW: bullying, eating disorder, emotional cheating, fatphobia

Thank you, Soho Press and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.