First things first: I tore through this incredibly fun and big-hearted story. This is friends-forward with love playing side character, which feels fresh and enjoyable. I adored the flawed characters and what they mean to each other as their life trajectories start pulling them away from meaningful traditions and they go through ups and downs together. Becca Freeman’s writing goes down so easy—I read the whole thing over two afternoons—and is believable and relatable. The pop culture references sprinkled throughout are fun too. Tuck in and read this funny and sweet Christmas-y book any time of the year for all the warm feels.

Cheers to THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB by BECCA FREEMAN, which I finished today and am feeling all the warm and fuzzies.

The book centers on best friends Hannah and Finn, who met their sophomore year at Boston College. They were both hunkered down in the dorms over Christmas break, as neither had a family to go home to. A ridiculously fun night follows and just like that THE CHRISTMAS ORPHANS CLUB is born.

The 10+ year tradition has stayed strong, following their move to NYC where they welcomed two more people in the club - Priya and Theo. The four friends became a fast family, but as they edge into their 30s and their lives start to veer in different directions, and to different coasts, Hannah is worried that this Christmas will be their last.

Think found family + playful humor + crazy Christmas hijinks blending with some weightier moments of grief + hurt + the complications of being in love. The friendships definitely take center stage in this book, with some romance on the side.

The book is told from Hannah & Finn’s POVs and mixes present day with chapters of Christmas past. We see how these friends came together and the complications of their dynamic. I found a lot of relatability to that time in life where the people you spent every minute with gradually become people you struggle to schedule time with as life starts to happen. Growing up and growing apart is a hurt and a struggle that felt all too familiar 🖤

There are definitely some sharp comedic moments and, me being me, I of course shed a few tears. I also found myself craving champagne + pancakes + hunkering down on the couch with my bestie for a movie marathon.

I’m a massive fan of the BAD ON PAPER podcast which Becca co-hosts and have been following her writing journey on the pod. I feel oddly like I’m celebrating a friend’s debut (which I mean in the least creeper way possible!). Congrats!!!

Huge thanks to @netgalley and @penguinbooks for the eARC.

I loved this book! The Bad on Paper Podcast is one of my favorites so I was so excited when I was able to get an ARC for Becca Freeman's debut book! I was glad I listened to the episode when they discussed it so I set my expectations correctly - this is a story about friendship. There is romance in the book but the main theme is of friendship. I feel like most of the Christmas books I read are romances so it was fun to have a different take on a Christmas book. I really enjoyed their friendship journey.

This takes place over 10 years, with Hannah and Finn meeting one Christmas day and deciding they were both Christmas orphans and started the tradition of getting together every Christmas together. Their group grows with the addition of Theo and Priyah. Through different POVs over the different years, we go through the journey of friendship with these four and its amazing. I love all the characters and I really appreciated that while Hannah is flawed, she wasn't annoyingly so but more relatable. There was also a few romances in here and I loved them. I even cried a little bit at the end, ha!

I really enjoyed the author's writing style and I can't wait for more books from her. This was such a treat and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to recommend it to everyone this holiday season.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

This book uses a nonchronological narrative to move throughout each of their Christmases and years together. It was fun to watch each Christmas get more and more elaborate, while also seeing how each character and relationship matures. This was a really great story of found family, growing up, and finding your way. This book really touched upon what it’s like to be in your 20s and 30s not quite living the life you expected, but having people to go through it with you. This novel meaningful and joyful.

This book is just so sweet and I enjoyed it so much! Friendships, found family, Christmas setting? All of my favorites in one. Also really enjoyed the multiple povs.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I really really enjoyed this book. As a long time listener to Bad on Paper, I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book. I absolutely devoured it. I think the character development was fantastic, as well as the two different points of view. I really enjoyed the flash backs to previous Christmases and the way this book was told, but it was difficult at points to keep track of whose perspective and what timeline we were in at points - I read this on a kindle, so it would be much easier to flip back and see had I read a hardcopy. I have never been a seasonal reader, but this book makes me want to pick up more Christmas books. An unexpected joy of this book was the friendship aspect. I find myself reading lots of romances, but I absolutely loved the found family trope (if you can call it that). It's very rare to find a book about friendship that makes you fall in love with their relationship and friend group without a major romance storyline - although I absolutely loved Finn and Theo. I think the depth of friendships is underrated in general, but especially in books. Friends who are like family is so important and I think this book does a fantastic job of showing how important these relationships are.

The Christmas Orphans Club is your ticket to a whirlwind friend com adventure through the magical streets of New York City during the holidays. This story captures the feeling of finding your place in a new city where friends become your chosen family. As Hannah, Finn, Priya, and Theo navigate late twenties life, you'll find yourself immersed in their world of camaraderie and heartfelt friendship. It is a reminder that in the midst of life's changes, our chosen family remains a constant source of love and support. The Christmas Orphans Club will leave you with a warm heart and gratitude for friends who make any city feel like home. This is a must add to your holiday reading list!! Can’t wait for this read to be the BOP Podcast book club pick in November!!

Thank you, NetGalley, Becca Freeman, and Penguin Group Penguin Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Christmas Orphans Club releases September 26th, 2023!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grab a comfy cozy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa. This is the perfect book to read by the fire this holiday season! I live the premise of 4 lifelong friends and their tight knit bond, facing the reality of life changes and holding on to friendships. Wish this had been released closer to the holiday season but I just might find myself re-reading this for the cozy vibes! A must for your holiday TBR!

I was so excited to read an early copy of this heartwarming friendship story after following Becca on her writing and publishing journey from the beginning! Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for a digital copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is about a group of four friends who spend a decade of Christmases together when they, for different reasons, don’t have anywhere else to go for the holidays. The story flips back and forth from the present day, where the main characters are trying to come to terms with their last holiday season all living in the same city, to holidays of years past to fill in the group’s history. If you liked the dual timeline element of PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION-type stories, then I think you’ll like this one, too.

I loved the way Becca captured the closeness of friends who are like family and the often complex growing pains of long-standing friendships. The characters felt deeply developed to me, and I thought the friend group as a whole had a very realistic web of individual and group relationship dynamics. I know we haven’t even had the pumpkin or turkey holiday times yet, but trust me when I say it’s not too early to read this Christmas book! It takes place leading up to and during the winter holidays, but honestly, it didn’t feel like an overwhelmingly Christmasy book to me.

This is a new favorite, hands down.

I loved The Christmas Orphans Club from the opening chapter. It's charming and cozy, with enough substance and reality to keep it from becoming overly saccharine or trope-y.

Becca captured the remorse and confusion that accompanies changing friendships so well. The story is also hilarious, though, and you definitely won't be able to stop yourself from laughing out loud.

If you only pick up one Christmas-y book this holiday season, make it this one!

I had really high hopes for this! The premise is cute and it has all the makings of a fun holiday read but in the end just fell really short for me. My biggest problem is that the POV characters sounded too similar. I got mixed up with whose POV I was in and that's a reading red flag for me. I'm very picky about first person so it could just be me. I also wasn't feeling particularly invested in any of the characters. For a story with a lot of inherent emotion, there wasn't a whole lot of emotion on the page. This isn't bad, just really not for me.

The lead up to Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year! The weather is cozy, you're coming off that turkey or tofu turkey glow and feeling thankful after Thanksgiving. One of my favorite thing to do starting December 1st was to watch Christmas movies with my cousin. She absolutely loved the Hallmark channel but I loved movies with a little more..substance and drama! This book reminded me of the perfect blend of Elf and Love Actually. It really gets you into the holiday spirit but also centers around friendship, love, and has that substance.

There is a friend group that reminded me so much of my friends from college. Hannah and Finn meet in their freshman year. I related to and had some much in common with Hannah. She is a Jersey girly and loves music, the movie Garden State, and read Goosebumps as a kid. She is also fiercely loyal and quite the worrier. Finn loves fantasy novels and the tv show Parks and Rec and is a bleeding heart. They both are alone on Christmas and come together to celebrate every year. Later on they meet Priya and Theo and their holiday adventures become more outrageous!

While this book revolves around this quirky and endearing friend group celebrating Christmas each year, there are more deeply layered themes surrounding found family and how friendship can change over time. I really can relate to this and to be honest, struggled a lot like Hannah.

“Lately it feels like we have so much less time for each other. It used to be a given that the four of us would spend our weekends together. We didn’t need restaurant reservations or concert tickets to bind us to a date and time. If we didn't have something to do, we’d find something to do. But now it takes thirty emails and a Google Calendar invite each month in advance to lock in a date, and even then there’s a fifty percent chance at least one person bails.”

Like Hannah, Finn, Theo, and Priya, I spent nearly every day with my friends from college and my early twenties. They were more than just my friends, a lot of them have become my family. As we have gotten older and life has become more complicated, the shift of time spent and getting together every day has changed. I think so many people go through these changes and I love the way Freeman explores this. I also really enjoyed her writing style.

There is so much funny banter, alternative points of view, and a non-linear timeline that really keeps you laughing and invested in the story. I also loved all of the pop-culture and music references. Freeman also explores sexual identity and grief in a relatable way. There were so many sweet and funny and also more serious and heartfelt moments in this amazing book!

If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit with a little more depth than a Hallmark movie, this one is perfect and one I highly recommend!

Also I did not know Becca Freeman has a podcast, Bad on Paper, but I do now and WOW! I started listening on my way into work today and I now can't wait for Becca and her co-host Olivia Muenter to become part of my daily routine!

I heard about this book because i’ve been a listener of the bad on paper podcast for a few years. This book did NOT disappointment, had me smiling throughout and it was a pure delight to read.

As a huge fan of Bad On Paper podcast, I have been not-so-patiently waiting to read co-host Becca Freeman's debut novel. I was truly blown away by the humor, warmth, and brilliant writing. Becca is tremendously talented and I will be gifting this book to many friends this holiday season and beyond, as well as counting down the days to her next book's release.

5 Stars

I loved this book so much!

Becca Freeman truly had me at 14% when she mentioned Konstantine by Something Corporate which was the hyperfixation of my adolescence. And the great references didn’t end there! A Ben Affleck/Dunkin reference had me cackling through my welled up eyes because it was during a very climatic moment. I want to be her friend and need to check out her podcast ASAP.

The Christmas Orphans Club was a sweet story about growing up and friendship with humor, romance & grief all mixed in. I loved Hannah, Finn, Theo, Priya & David so much. I also feel like this would make a really good movie.

Thank you to Net Galley & Penguin Group for the ARC of The Christmas Orphans Club in exchange for an honest review!

This was cute and would be a great read while traveling for the upcoming November and December holidays. Most of the characters were pretty unlikeable - Finn reminded me of someone I know who drives me crazy, Hannah was extremely single-minded and self-absorbed (although I think she just really needs some therapy) - but their flaws made them all more realistic.

I don’t always love timeline jumps, but I think it worked for this book. I also didn’t need as many references to specific songs and pop culture pieces as there were, but I can see why most other readers would enjoy that.

Overall I liked this book, but I don’t think I would read it again. I hope to read more by this author, though!

Congratulations to Becca Freeman on her debut novel, The christmas Orphans Club. Add this to your list of Christmas reads for 2023. It's a story of friendship, family, and romance. Best friends Hanna and finn have spent every Christmas together since they were both alone on campus in college. They have made fun traditions and memories and over the years added two other friends, Priya and Theo to the mix. However, this year might be their last Christmas together and Hanna insists it must be the best one yet.

Expected publication date is September 26, 2023.

Thank you to Penguin Books and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

I really loved this book! The writing was great--witty, thoughtful, and just fun to read. It was a realistic story about how friendships evolve, and had so much heart present throughout. The combination of the story being told from two viewpoints and the timeline jumping worked really well; it kept me wanting to continue to the next chapter and overall gave a full picture of the group's dynamic. I laughed and cried and really enjoyed the ride. Will read anything Becca writes in the future!

I love stories about groups of friends. Throw in friends from all walks of life, and you got a page turner. Alternating chapters where we get to know each friend on their own is icing on the cake. Their traditional Christmas together, and how hard they tried to keep the traditions alive while their lives go in different directions.

The story does start to drag in the middle, but picks up in the end. Overall a cute story.

I picked up The Christmas Orphans Club as a Bad on Paper listener, who was excited to read the book Becca's talked about for a while. It had an interesting premise but it had a bit too much going on for me. Though it gave us some background, I didn't feel that the jump between timelines was necessary. I was also disappointed by the multiple uses of the word "lame" to mean uncool. I did find some of the characters and situations relatable.