Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this book and share my thoughts.

Lets start with the cover, STUNNING! It screams Christmas and romance. This book is full of Hallmark vibes and I loved it! I really enjoyed this book and it makes me so excited for Christmas!

Wrapped with a Beau is a fun spin on the small-town Christmas romance. I loved the town and how it held up the legacy of the “Christmas House” from the movie, Sleighbells under Starlight. Now it is coming up on the 50th anniversary of the movie’s debut and the film company wants to make a sequel.

That was a great plan until the owner of the legendary house passes away and her very grumpy great-nephew comes into town to sort her estate.

Elisha is grieving the loss of her neighbor who was also her grandmother’s best friend. She is shocked to see some random guy rifling through her things. Elisha is also the film liaison for her small town and she needs the random guy, aka the great-nephew, to agree to the film company using it.

Ves just wants to sell his great aunt’s house and get out of town, but the longer he is in town, the more he remembers being happy there many years ago. He also is having trouble resisting Elisha but is certain he does not want a relationship.

This Christmas romance was sweet and steamy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 35%. The 3rd person style and pacing made this one really hard to get into & follow. I will not share reviews on any retailers or book review sites.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

One of my fave *fave* romance things is when a lead finds a home by the end of the book & that journey for Ves in Wrapped With a Beau is so heartwarming.

I’ve never actually watched a Hallmark holiday movie but the vibes of this book felt similar to what I imagine with the very welcome addition of steam.

From Elisha & Ves’s inauspicious meet-cute when she assumes he’s a burglar & threatens him with a candy cane yard decoration to their fake dating / just for the holidays romance to his big gesture at the end, it’s charming & sweet. Not to mention Elisha’s adorable town which celebrates the holidays in a very big way.

This book is just cute & also emotional in some ways, like when Ves contemplates his past & the found family he has now.

Other things of note? A book-loving hero who is at times self conscious (very refreshing IMO), a heroine who gets things done , and a welcoming community.

There’s at least one spot where it verges on being a bit too cutesy for my taste but overall, this is a lovely book that made me feel those warm & happy sensations.

4.25⭐️. Out 09/26.

CWs: loss and grief; references to parental manipulation, parental fighting, parental emotional neglect, parental cheating.

[ID: Jess’ white hand holds the ebook in front of open green doors & a wall of plants behind them. The pic is from Biltmore Gardens.]

I loved this and it was the perfect holiday story in September! I don’t really watch Hallmark movies, but it reminded me of a spicy version of one of those. Of course, it’s predicable but all the Christmas references and characters make it fun.

Elisha was the epitome of Christmas spirit and she had such a sparkly, unapologetic personality. Her ex boyfriend and new wife show up and hilarity ensues. 😂 She also has an amazing family and friends unit and I enjoyed that cast of characters, as well.

Ves was a little bit more complicated. First, I had to get over the fact he was bleach blonde. I am usually not attracted to blondes and like a dark and broody MMC. However, Ves kind of grew on me. He had some serious family issues and trauma, but he had some solid character growth and found his family in Elisha.

Add in the whole house being left to Ves by his great aunt that the town cherished and the movie being filmed and it added a nice touch!

I think you would enjoy this story if you like holiday romcoms with a touch of spice and fun well-rounded characters.

This was cute!! Not a super cringy/cheesy Christmas book.

Things I enjoyed: the two main characters and their personalities, small town vibes, poconos setting!!, the fact that it wasn’t super “insta love-y”, found family vibes, there wasn’t an intense 3rd act breakup

Things that could have been better: the writing for the *intimate* scenes, the pacing, the pining, and the lack of emotional feeling

Read if you like:
❤️ Holiday Romances
🎄Holiday Season Vibes
📺 Hallmark Movies
🏘️ Small Town Settings
🔥 Slow Burn Romance

Oh my gosh, this one was sooo good!!! I absolutely loved the slow burn romance this one had with all the tension! The banter between Ves and Elisha was top tier and truly made the story!!

If you are looking for your next holiday read, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (Romance/ Holiday)

Synopsis: Piney Peaks, a small town in Pennsylvania, was the location for Sleighbells, everyone’s favorite Christmas movie. 50 years later, Elisha Rowe, has lived in his town almost her entire life. And she is now the liaison between the town and the film crew. Unfortunately, the owner of The Christmas House, has passed away, and her great nephew, Ves Hollins, is not the biggest fan of the holidays. Or Piney Peaks. Elisha manages to convince Ves to let the film crew use the house before selling the house. But will Piney Peaks become more important to him? And will Elisha?

My Thoughts: I really liked the story. I thought it was cute. There were some moments where it kind of dragged along, but generally, it was good. It was definitely 🌶️🌶️ about half way through. I really liked the atmosphere of the small town and the different characters that live in Piney Peaks. The ex boyfriend’s new wife, the best friends, the nosey neighbors. I loved all of that. I want to travel to a place like Piney Peaks and spend a week there in the lead up to Christmas.

If you love holiday stories and enemies to lover romances or small town romances , you’ll love this.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Usually when I love a Christmas rom-com, I have to tack on a disclaimer when I recommend it.

“I loved this even though…”
“Yes, it’s totally cringy but hear me out…”
“Okay, I know how this sounds…”

Not Wrapped with a Beau. I loved this book. Period. It’s romantic, it’s cheerful, and the banter is great. Also, there’s no random drama that doesn’t make sense or obstacles that are unbelievable and our FMC and MCM know how to communicate!

Read if you love: holiday cheer, small town romance, grumpy x sunshine, bookish MCs (he’s a middle grade fantasy author!), and found family.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this grumpy/sunshine Christmas story. It has lots of holiday spirit, explicit sex, and fun side characters as well. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, spicy, and festive read!

The premise was cute, but the writing style was not my favorite - I kept realizing I wasn't paying attention as I read. I wanted to like it so much more than I did.

I really wanted to love this but unfortunately is was too slow for me. It didn't really hold my attention as well as I was hoping it would. That being said, just because the book didn't work out for me doesn't mean it won't for you! I recommend giving it a try :)

Wrapped with a Beau basically transported you to the movie set of a Hallmark movie... say less, I am here for it! I am a sucker for the grumpy-sunshine dynamic, and Ves and Elisha did not disappoint. There were so many lighthearted moments between the two where I found myself smiling even from the first chapter. I loved how passionate Elisha was about her hometown, but better than that I enjoyed the found family Ves found in Piney Peaks.

Very very cute Christmas romance with exceptionally loveable characters falling in love in a more diverse stars hollow type town. The spicy scenes are well done and while I found a couple logistical pieces a little confusing, the superb flirting more than made up for it.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Wrapped With A Beau is a small town Christmas romantic comedy. Vesline is a bit of a grump who inherits the Christmas house in the small town of Piney Peaks from his great-aunt. Elisha is a film liaison who moves back to her hometown to prepare for The Sleighbells sequel. He doesn’t do relationships during the holidays but she needed a fake boyfriend to prove to her ex-fiancé that she truly moved on. Their fake dating turned into a no strings attached relationship until he moves back to New York. Throughout the holiday festivities, Ves not only learns stories about his great aunt but he falls in love with Elisha.

I truly enjoyed this story. I found it to be festive, witty and a heartwarming story of second chance at love and finding the true meaning of home. I highly recommend.

Elisha Rowe is desperate to have the sequel to a classic Christmas movie, Sleighbells under Starlight, filmed in her home town Piney Peaks, set in the romantic and rural Poconos. After the fame of the first movie filmed 50 years ago, her town could use the popularity from the sequel to boost the tourism and economy to the area. Standing in her way is the great-nephew of the owner of the quaint Victorian home that was featured in the first film. It has been made clear by the director of the sequel that this house MUST be in the second film as well or its a no go on production.

Ves Hollins is in town from NY to settle his great-aunts estate and is in a hurry to have the house he has inherited cleaned up and on the market to sale as soon as possible. He has no interest in prolonging his visit so that a movie can be filmed at the house he is eager to be rid of. He is also faced with the memories of his less than perfect childhood while he sifts through the contents of his aunts house.

Enter the adorable meet cute of these two main characters. Can Elisha change Ves's mind about the house being used in the film while also smoothing away some of his rough exterior? Does it even matter when Ves has made it clear he will be returning to NYC as soon as he sells the house?

I adored this grumpy/sunshine Christmas love story. It gives all the cozy Christmas vibes while still delivering on a little bit of spice! Plus it mentions The Holiday and Love Actually, need I say more?

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the E-book in exchange for a review.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for providing me with an e-arc!

Welcome to Piney Peaks, a very charming small town that is home to the famous and beloved Christmas movie Sleighbells. The town holds Sleighbells and it’s legacy near and dear and are thrilled at the prospect of a sequel being filmed there, especially Elisha Rowe, Christmas lover and film liaison for the chamber of commerce.

Sleighbells is especially important to Elisha, as she and her family were very close to Maeve Hollis, whose house, known as the Christmas house, was used for the filming of the original movie. Maeve unfortunately passed away, leaving her house to a family member to do what they please with it.

Ves Hollins is Maeve’s great nephew from New York City, determined to sell Maeve’s house as quickly as he can so that he can return to his city life. In true grinch fashion, he does not want anything to do with the town or the filming of the Sleighbells sequel…until more time spent with Elisha causes his icy demeanor to unthaw.

This book is such a fun Christmas story and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The author’s writing is so descriptive that I really felt like I was in Piney Peaks- this sounds like the perfect Christmas destination and I wish I could actually go! I really appreciated her attention to detail- even the food and drinks that Elisha and Ves enjoyed were festive and sounded wonderful! I could definitely see this becoming a Christmas movie someday- it’s fun, interesting and heartwarming. I was smiling from the very first chapter, looking forward to what festive shenanigans Elisha and Ves would get themselves into.

I had such high hopes for this book! First, the title didn't fit the story at all and I found it somewhat random. This could have been such a fun book since the setting of the small town was adorable but it just missed the mark. I thought the plot would be focused on Ellisha convincing Ves to let them shoot the movie sequel at the Christmas house, but that was taken care of in the first 25% of the book so the rest was just awkward relationship issues with a couple who had zero chemistry and nothing in common. The writing fell flat and felt mediocre, and the romance was often cringeworthy. The pacing dragged to me and I kept waiting on something interesting to happen but it never came.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very cute and Hallmarky.
I wanted a little more from the book.

The dialogue was very cute and well written.
The slow burn was a little too slow for me. I’d still recommend this book though!

This was, in one word, "interesting". While the first 50% of this story reads very much like the screenplay of a Hallmark movie, once you hit the 50% mark, the writer ups the ante significantly. It shifts swiftly from sweet to spicy, while still maintaining its endearing nature.

Elisha is bubbly and sweet and completely loyal to the town that she grew up in. When she loves, it's clear that she loves hard. She and her family are the typical adorable close-knit family that you find in any small-town. Add on the rest of the interesting characters from Piney Peaks and its Christmas-centric locations, and it's almost as if you're transported to a movie set.

Ves is meant to be the antithesis to all of the syrupy goodness that is small-town life. But, upon closer inspection, it's pretty evident that he's not as shallow or stiff as he seems. His character has so much depth that it even surprises him to learn how far he will go for someone that he cares about.

Considering their instant attraction to each other, Elisha's romance with Ves is inevitable. What neither of them expects is how deeply their lives become intertwined through the course of their "relationship", so much so that it seems like they've known each other forever.

I will definitely be re-reading this one. 4/5 ⭐️ because the shift in tenses was distracting.

NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.