Overall, I enjoyed this Christmasy novel that features multiple love stories along with a big focus on the enduring power of friendships and how they evolve over time.

During college, the main protagonists Hannah and Finn become friends and start the Christmas Orphans Club and post-grad two other friends fall into the mix and their annual tradition of celebrating Christmas together. Sometimes those celebrations are low-key, but typically they are over-the-top and involve different escapades throughout New York City.

I enjoyed all of the easter eggs of places and events around New York City.

I felt there was some lack of depth around Hannah's past with losing her parents and didn't feel as much emotion with that story as I thought there was with Finn's story. I think overall the book didn't have as much emotion and depth as I was hoping for, but I understand it was the first novel published by this author. Readers are given access to the POV of two of the characters Hannah and Finn - but I wish we got to see more from Priya and Theo.

Some parts of the story really felt more like they were written for a movie script vs feeling like we are inside the story with these characters.

Overall, enjoyable and entertaining.

What a delight! I’ve been a longtime Bad on Paper listener, so it was wonderful to finally read Becca’s novel. Even though I came into this with fondness for Becca, I really enjoyed this debut! Christmas Orphan’s Club has so much heart. The central friendships feel alive and real, the challenges they faced were believable, and their world was filled with quirky side characters and capers that felt like they could have been straight out of Gilmore Girls. There’s a coziness to Christmas Orphan’s Club that left me aching to return for next Christmas.
As a personal aside, I had to smile at Hannah and David being together, as those are mine and my husband’s names. Certainly kept me rooting for them.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I love Becca from her podcast and knew this was a must read no matter what! I’m thankful to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Big fan of stories that involve the families we make versus the ones we’re born into and this was a great read. I cannot wait to read again around the holidays and gift some to friends!

Loved this from start to finish. The characters are endearing and their interwoven storylines kept me reading “just one more page”. I truly hope there will be a sequel because we definitely need more Hannah, Finn, Theo, and Priya!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (Holiday/ Fiction)

Synopsis: Hannah and Finn have been best friends for a decade, and they have spent every Christmas together in that time. They don’t really have another choice, Hannah’s parents have died, and Finn’s cut him off after he came out. They have an outrageous time each holiday. As time goes on, Priya and Theo are added to the group, and add to the Christmas fun. Their friends become found family . In the present, Finn has announced that he will be moving to LA from New York at the beginning of the year. This makes Hannah feel like she is losing her family once again. Can she make one more Christmas extra special?

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book. I have listened to Bad on Paper from the beginning and I could hear Becca’s voice throughout this whole book. I loved the little references to Becca that listeners will enjoy (like Hannah’s love of Chili’s, a love Becca shares). I thought that the character development was very well done, and we could figure out why Hannah and Finn were doing and saying the things that they were. I loved the ridiculous adventures that the friends got up to in the holidays past.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group for allowing me to review this book. I have already pre-ordered and cannot wait to get my physical copy and read it next to my Christmas tree in December.

If you love holiday books or movies and stories about friendship, you’ll love this.

I was excited to read this as I really love the author’s podcast, Bad on Paper. I would recommend this book to anyone who reads Christmas books to gear up for the holiday season. I enjoyed the dialogue in the book and the premise. The characters and situations were realistic but fun. It reminded me a lot of the friend group in Emily Henry’s Happy Place so if you liked that book, definitely give this one a try!

The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
Publisher Penguin Group Penguin Books
Release Date September 26, 2023
Genre Romance


Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Storytelling: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

Hannah and Finn have been close friends for many years. So much so they consider themselves family since Hannah’s parents are deceased and Finn’s father disowned him when Finn told him he was gay. Finn does have a sister though that he talks to. The two have started a Christmas tradition of spending time together each year. Both have had heartache, loss, and emotional trauma. New York City has a lot of surprises for them but the two main ones are Theo and Priya. The four become a strong knit family and call themselves the Christmas Orphans Club. With all four of them becoming each other’s support it is apparent that this was much needed. Until one day when Finn announced that he was moving to LA., it is here that the story starts to captivate the raw emotions rom the characters. The build up to the characters compassion for each other is tender and empathetic.

Hannah now must send her best friend off to LA and deal with her own crumbling relationship with her boyfriend at the same time. The fluidity of the authors writing was amazing and Freeman weaves together stories about loneliness, sadness, and grief. Through all of that Freeman also shows how the group of friends support one another and prove that family does not just have to be blood relatives at all. This is such an eloquent, heart warming, and poignant story about the power of friendship.

Freeman is an amazing storyteller who was able to capture the emotions, styles, and creativeness of each character and share them with us flaws and all. Be prepared though…..you WILL experience an emotional rollercoaster ride. Sharing the tears and laughter with not only the characters but the readers as well. I hope that you will run…. Not walk to your nearest bookstore on September 26th to get your copy. I PROMISE you will not be disappointed.

Can Hanna and the Christmas Orphans Club stay together and share many more Christmas’s together?

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

I knew this was a story of friendship going into the book. As a long time listener of Bad on Paper and hearing Becca's voice throughout, really helped bring Hannah to life for me. This is the perfect Christmas-time book. I loved how Becca was able to play the characters off each other to show their depths and their flaws. Hannah & Finn being the main characters, I love their relationship. I love how they know each other so well and how loyal they are to each other even when they are in a bad place during the course of their friendship. Mostly, I love the depiction of family and what it means and how the definition changes for Hannah and Finn throughout the book. The characters evolve slowly but surely and Hannah's growth is the most noticeable. I could definitely see this as a Netflix movie or series.
I can't wait to read Becca's next book!
Also, I cried at the acknowledgements and laughed at the Terrence reference.

Thanks to @netgalley @pameladormanbooks and @beccamfreeman for the early chance to read The Christmas Orphans Club. It will be released on September 26, 2023.

This story follows four friends as they navigate the tricky time of early adulthood. The two POV characters—Finn and Hannah—spend every Christmas together since a fateful meeting during college. Along the way, they add Theo (a wealthy, mysterious hook up of Finn’s) and Priya (a glamorous roommate of Hannah’s). They all have one thing in common—they don’t have anyone to spend Christmas with. So, they create their own traditions and become each other’s family in the process. Over the years, heartbreaks, career changes, and unrequited love threaten to tear their foursome apart. But when Finn takes a job in Los Angeles, they have one last perfect Christmas together in NYC.

This was a heartwarming book full of the wit and whimsy that regular listeners of the @badonpaperpodcast would expect from Becca Freeman. I loved that it’s a holiday story about the love you share with your chosen family.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam: 🔥 (closed door)
Tropes: found family, unrequited love

I loved this book SO much. I knew from listening to her podcast that Becca Freeman is an engaging and thoughtful storyteller, but I was blown away by how quickly she made me fall in love with the whole (extensive) cast of lovable characters in this book. The balance of big-picture story and quirky, highly-specific details was so fun, and I raced through the second half in a couple hours, desperate to find out what happened. Can’t wait to listen to the audio when it comes out, and reread every Christmas😭😭😭

The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman is a heartwarming contemporary holiday fiction that I really enjoyed.

This was a heartfelt, heartwarming, and inspiring story that is really a “collection of stories” per say of Hannah, Finn, their friends, and their respective friendships and all that they have gone through, their experiences, and all told relating to their Christmases that have brought them together throughout the years to where they are today.

It was interesting to read the development of time and the relationships through a specific holiday and I really enjoyed the genuine emotional pull that was created through the narrative.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books, Penguin Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/26/23.

Figured reading a Christmas story in July made a lot of sense. Nothing like a good fill of nostalgia and hopefulness to end the summer months and move into the fall season. This was a truly delightful read! The Christmas Orphans Club tells the story of Hannah and Finn who met in college on Christmas and have spent the holidays together ever since. They started this Christmas orphans club and later the additional characters of Priya and Theo joined their group. Despite being in different stages throughout their lives/book, they always come together to celebrate Christmas.

Told from Hannah and Finn's point of view and bouncing between present day and Christmas's of the past, Freeman does an excellent job of navigating a story of friendship and love, while weaving in strong pop culture references and funny banter. You understand why Hannah becomes scared when Finn announces that he got a new job in California, and this Christmas may be the last they will spend together. She wants to make it the best ever and in turn, she learns to release a little control and allow herself to see that family is more than just spending the holidays together.

Even though many of the plot points were predictable, I enjoyed the storyline and the development of Hannah and Finn's friendship. It felt like a very realistic portrayal of young twenty-somethings in New York City. The dialogue was great as well and had me laughing at various points. Would recommend checking this one out if you are interested in a heartwarming story centered around Christmas, but about more than Christmas.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Becca Freeman’s debut book. This book is a far cry from the typical Hallmark-esque troupe with holiday centered fiction. The Christmas Orphans Club weaves between the past and present seamlessly while introducing to the main characters and the complexity of their friendships. The book was light hearted and a quick read that made me want to finish it in one sitting. The four main characters Hannah, Finn, Theo and Priya are well developed and multi-faceted. The transitions between past and present show the four friends and how their Christmas traditions developed over the years. Each of the four are “orphans” in the literal and not so literal sense and how a friend group can become your chosen family. .

I received a free copy of, The Christmas Orphans Club, by Becca Freeman, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Hannah and Finn are orphans and friends, but this is there last Christmas together, because Finn is moving. I could not imagine being an orphan at any age. I enjoyed this story, it was sad at times, but good.

An incredible feel good debut novel. Even in the heat of July summer this book joyfully sets a holiday scene, set across many years. The character development and friendships felt both relatable and at times aspirational. I could have kept reading for another few hundred pages. Bravo -- can't wait to read all of Freeman's future books.

Look, I am not a Christmas loving person. Christmas is fine, I just don't get into the hype EXCEPT FOR WHEN THIS BOOK IS INVOLVED.

Freeman has so beautifully displayed the misgivings of growing up, the growth and pains of adult friendship, all while maintaining a sheen of hope and love. I loved this friend group, I wanted only good things for each of them. Freeman drew me into not only Hannah and Finn's friendship, but their individual growth as well.

Five stars for a book I can't wait to see everyone reading this holiday season!

This isn't really a genre I usually read, but am a loyal listener of the author's podcast, so was excited to check out this book. I liked the dynamic of the characters, and the specificity of the places and activities around NYC. Definitely would be a fun, cozy read for the holiday season, and I liked the structure of telling the friendship story through their Christmases together. I did find the stubbornness of the two point of view characters a little frustrating at times, but they are supposed to be pretty young, so I guess that could be understandable.

This is such a fun Christmas read.

It's very easy to differentiate between the two point of views you see in the story.

All the main characters I really well developed and flushed out. And it was really fun to read from the perspective of how as you grow. Your friendships and relationships do as well, but that doesn't necessarily mean you grow apart.

And all of this change happens with a Christmas backdrop was just makes this so much more fun and impactful.

Reading about their adventures around New York at Christmas time with such a delight. This is the kind of book where you really just want to grab a hot drink curl up under a cozy blanket and read until you finish.

Loved every second of this . It definitely gets you into the Christmas mood. 🎄🎅❄️💕

A charming story of found family and friendship centered on spending Christmas together.

No matter how their respective years are going, Hannah, Finn, Priya, and Theo are committed to spending Christmas together. This year feels different though as Finn is leaving New York for LA. Hannah is desperate to make sure Finn gets a proper send off even as her own relationship seems to be falling apart…

This is a cute and enjoyable read! The friendship aspect felt more important / developed than the romances but it all meshed well together (though I do wish the central romance did not feel so rushed at the end).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Ok, I did not expect to love this as much as I did, but Becca’s debut novel was an absolute delight!!!

I love Christmas, but I’m not a Hallmark Christmas movie person, I don’t typically read Christmas books, and I always say that I prefer my rom-coms heavy on the com, since I often find that romance can skew too cheesy for me. Basically, I’m not the ideal target for this book.

However, a while back I decided to try listening to Becca’s Romcom Pods since I enjoy her other podcast, and I absolutely loved every season, so I knew if someone could write a rom-com that I liked, it would be her.

I’m starting to think that my views on the genre are shifting, or I was too dismissive in the first place, and may need to broaden my horizons a bit when it comes to rom-com reading since there are likely others I would enjoy!

Anyways, back to The Christmas Orphans Club (COC for short - IYKYK 😆)

It was so incredibly well-written! It was funny, it was sweet, and I was rooting for romance.

I enjoyed the format of the entire story being told through each Christmas spent together from alternating perspectives. I will say that because they don’t go in chronological order, I got confused a couple times when I took breaks from reading when I’d come back and try to remember what had happened when.

I really loved the character development of Hannah and Finn and their friendship. They were able to help each other grow, and their dynamic and the way they cared about each other felt so real.

The secondary and tertiary characters were so fun too and I felt like I could really picture exactly who Theo, Priya, David, Clementine, and Keith were.

This book is a love letter to friendship, New York, and the early 2000’s (so much nostalgia that brought me back!) I can’t wait to see what Becca does next!