This has become hands down my FAVORITE Christmas book of all time! I loved this debut novel, and even though the premise reminded me of the movie" The Night Before", I fell in love with these characters. I wish I had a tradition like this!

I had really high expectations for The Christmas Orphan's Club after seeing all the glowing reviews on Goodreads, but ultimately this fell flat for me and it was a struggle not to DNF.

Hannah and Finn have spent the last several Christmases together as a part of their own "Christmas Orphans Club" - both do not have immediate families to spend the holidays with - and have picked up secondary characters Priya and Theo along the way to round out their group. Told in a split timeline, the reader navigates between present day and Christmases past, as we explore what could potentially be the Club's last Christmas together.

I truly think this story idea and plot line had SO much progress - but it fell flat with unlikeable characters and friends who maybe shouldn't have been friends after fighting over something so petty they didn't speak for a year. I think I went into this looking for that character depth and development and what I got was a YA, kind of snarky and painfully unlikable main characters who are friends who definitely needed (and should have kept) their friendship break. I think it would have served them better to realize that sometimes group grow apart - vs. the painful need to force the characters back together.

Thanks to Becca Freeman, Penguin Books, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.25 out of 5. Such a lovely book. Tears were shed and the friendships represented were so wonderful. The books show the power of how friends can be your chosen family and how remarkable that could be. This is one to read if you want your heart to be happy and some wonderful innovative Christmas celebrations.

So heartwarming and perfect for the holiday season. Really loved the diverse characters and journeys each went on. Recommending this to all of my friends that want a Christmas story that is not too typical

This was the perfect book to kick off my holiday season. I enjoyed that it was a slightly different format than most romances (alternating POV between best friends.). I loved all the little details Becca included for Boston in New York and was delighted that many were places I had been before in college and my early 20s. It felt like it was written just for me. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the advanced copy!

One of my favorite books of the year! It was advertised as a Christmas romance but the romance is really not the main focus of the story. It is more about found family and making your own traditions. I loved all of characters, (although Hannah got a bit annoying at times.) and the plot never felt predictable which I always find can be an issue with contemporary romance books. Overall, a great read for the holiday season!

I really, really enjoyed this. Found family, the holiday season, just the right amount of romance, and a group of close, realistic best friends.
It's a Christmas themed book that's actually not majorly Christmassy. The flashback sections to past Christmases had the potential to be extremely cheesy, but Becca wrote them in a way that gave insight and heart to the characters.
As a Boston girl I loved that it opens at Boston College and that the first ever meeting of the Christmas Orphans Club involves eating at Lower Dining Hall - I could picture it all.

Becca Freeman knocked it out of the park with this debut novel. Initially, I was hesitant about the story since I wasn't the biggest fan of Hannah but the ultimate lessons shared about friendship, adulthood, growth, and change made this a memorable book that I'd happily recommend to others. The different Christmas adventures were so vividly detailed and the dialogue so fluid, I often felt like I was in NYC with the group (this book would make for a perfect holiday film adaptation!!).
I'm so eager to read future novels of Becca's!

Ever since their sophomore year of college, Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together. Hannah, because she isn’t very close to her older sister Brooke and they both lost their parents when they were young, and Finn, because his father cut ties with him when he came out. They’re both self-proclaimed “Christmas orphans,” and though they’ve added Priya and Theo to their crew over the years, the two of them are still the OGs.

With a new job and a cross-country move to L.A. on the brink for Finn, however, could this be the gang’s last Christmas all together? And if so, can they make it the best ever?

Though this gem is holiday-adjacent, the real story lies in the found family, strong friendships, coming-of-age, and even the romances of this dynamic group. Their loyalty to one another was truly heartwarming, and the way they tackle grief is beautiful. I absolutely loved being along on their journey, and let’s not forget the nostalgia this book invokes! I was transported back to my college years a million times over, and it was the best ride!

If you’re looking for a heartwarming holiday-adjacent novel, pick this one up! Thank you so much to @netgalley @beccamfreeman and @penguinrandomhouse for my complimentary ecopy and the opportunity to read and review it! ❤️❤️

A group of friends without families for the holidays gather together every year. When one friend is moving across the country for a dream job, a final orphan Christmas spectacular must happen. Such a cozy, Christmas read from a debut author. The warm friendship with a Christmas New York backdrop is a dreamy setting for a holiday read.

This modern Christmas story about found family uses both dual narrative stories and split timelines to show the development of deep friendships. I really enjoyed all four of the main characters and you see them grow through the years. I did feel the book leaned more YA than it is marketed largely because the lead, Hannah, seems so immature throughout most of the story. Overall, this book gives a fresh take on family, love and complicated feelings during the holiday season. It makes for a great festive read during the Christmas season, and I highly recommend this one. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this soooo much! As a longtime BOP-er, it was amazing to finally see Becca's hard work come to fruition. A refreshing change on the Christmas rom-com, this story of found family was heartwarming AND funny. Highly recommend! 4.5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up to 4! I am a long-time fan of The Bad on Paper podcast, so I was very excited to read Becca's debut! It was a cute holiday read and I laughed out loud at numerous parts. The book was so New York and I really enjoyed all the pop culture mentions throughout. I thought the writing was solid but struggled to like the two MCs the story focused on. I am not a huge fan of "found family' types of books, but for those who do and liked Happy Place by Emily Henry, I would recommend this one to them!

I adored this story, possibly my favorite Christmas book of all time. Much like Hannah said- I wished I could have read it at 0.5 speed to savor it longer and stay in the lives of the characters. Perfect ending!

The Christmas Orphan Club focuses on the two main characters and friends Hannah and Finn. It follows them from the beginning of their friendship to present day, jumping from Christmas season to Christmas season. I found this to be a delightful and cozy Christmas read about chosen family.

Hannah's parents had both tragically passed and Finn's disowned him related to him coming out as gay. In the book they grow and change, gather more friends on the way, fall in love and out, and become each others people. I loved this book! I found it to be the perfect book to cozy up to this Christmas season, and enjoyed the development of the characters of Finn and Hannah. I'm a sucker for a cheesy Christmas book, but this one felt more contemporary and I loved the side characters of Priya and Theo as well. Definitely recommend this book, would be a perfect gift for a book loving friend this season as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This book is so fun!!! A fantastic mix of nostalgia and holiday magic. Holidays can be tough but so can friendships and families. This story represents all of this so so well.

How is this a debut novel?!?!?! I have to be honest; I went into this book not knowing much about it except for a Christmas theme, which I am a sucker for. Heck, I thought it may be a tearjerker about a bunch of orphaned children. I was blown away!! Just like people have those go to holiday movies they watch every year, this can easily become one of those go to holiday books to read every year.

This had so much in it for me to love. The 90s, gen x-er in me thought of some of my favorite movies... Reality Bites, Singles, Love Actually, and more. Loner 20 somethings finding family and more in friendship.

As much as I adore sappy Hallmarkish Christmas books and the traditional Rom Cons, this just had so much to offer on so many more levels.

I highly, highly recommend this be your next holiday read! Also, the audio version is fantastic.

This was a super cute book! I loved that it was more friend-centered with a little romance as well in the book. Great ending and a good amount of self-growth.

I’m a fan of author Becca Freeman’s podcast, Bad on paper and a follower of her social media, so I was really excited to get approved for this book. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. Lacked any kind of interesting characters or discernible plot. The first 10 percent was a slog.

Found family is my favorite trope, and this one has it in spades. Add in the holiday element, and you have a fun and endearing read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.