The Christmas Orphans Club title sounds like the book would be too sad however this was such a heartwarming story of four friends, their struggles, and fun Christmas memories in NYC. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Christmas Orphans Club! I really enjoyed this cozy coming of age story to start off the holiday season. The author did a great job balancing the heavy, real-life drama the characters were dealing with along the fun and festive holiday traditions the characters were experiencing.

"The Christmas Orphans Club" is a heartwarming and uplifting tale that embodies the true spirit of the holiday season. Through its compelling narrative and well-drawn characters, the author beautifully portrays the transformative power of kindness, compassion, and the sense of community. This book will tug at your heartstrings and fill you with hope as it reminds us all of the importance of coming together to support one another, especially during the most magical time of the year. It's a touching and enchanting story that is sure to leave readers with a warm and festive glow, making it a perfect read for the holiday season.

I enjoyed The Christmas Orphans Club - anything with found family is an instant love for me and this really covers that and the complicated feelings behind it. As someone who often finds themselves alone during holidays, this book may be my new best friend.

Freeman captured so many of the modern millennial coming of age challenges with her sometimes flawed but always lovable cast of friends. I wanted to laugh and cry right alongside all of them at their next Christmas celebration.

A cute story about friendship and friends as family. Loved the pop culture references as the story hopped around in time. A fun, fast read that’s a perfect beach read for Christmas break.

I have been a fan of Becca's since starting her podcast Bad on Paper, and have had this book on my TBR since the day it was announced. I was not disappointed!

At last, a Christmas book that acknowledges the difficulties of what many consider to be the best season. Becca portrayed the holiday in a very modern, realistic way. You don't have to like Hallmark movies to like this holiday read.

I would not consider it a romance book, but it is a love book. The love of friendship, family (chosen or otherwise), and New York is at the center of this novel and is everything I could have hoped for. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll recommend to a friend.

I liked this book. I loved the concept of found family and what happens when your found family begins to expand. I love the complicated friendship dynamics. It's very much a book of hope for those who sometimes feel alone at Christmas.

This was so cute! I'm a long time fan of Becca from Bad on Paper Podcast and I couldn't wait to read her book. I think it's an excellent entrance into the Christmas novel cannon and will be something I recommend this holiday season. I'm very excited to see how she grows as an author. While I loved this book, I do think she has some room to grow on characterizations and depth. I will pre-order any book she writes and I've loved to see her growth as a creative person!

Thank you for the advanced copy of The Christmas Oprhans Club. I thought it was really fun and sweet.
It took me a few chapters to get used to the flow of the past/present Christmases but over all it was great. I listen to the Bad On Paper podcast that Becca Freeman hosts and I was so happy for her when I found out she was writing a book (2 book deal apparently). Anyway, you could absolutely tell Beccas voice was all over this.

Can't wait to see what else she come up with.
Thanks again for the advanced copy.

3 stars

I love a good found family book but this one was rather mid. The timeline and POV jumps made it confusing to follow the arc of Finn and Hannah's friendship (the two POV characters) and why Christmas mattered so much to them. They also didn't seem like friends. Even in the years they allegedly weren't fighting it seemed like they hardly spent any time together? And barely knew each other? I don't know but it was a weird vibe.

This is another book that is being categorized as "romance" when it is more about the friendships. There is SOME romance but it's mostly at the end and not very impactful to the overall plot. I wish there was more focus on Finn and Theo getting together because a queer romance between two people in the Christmas Orphans Club seems like it would have some intriguing dynamics but it was glossed over completely because they get together at like 97% and have a happy ever after in the epilogue. Boring.

I also did not care at all about Hannah's boyfriend and him being such a baby about spending Christmas together with his family. I do not know why they can't, like, spend Christmas apart or do multiple Christmases in one day or give one Christmas Eve. This should not be that much of a problem but it took up like half of the book.

Overall, it was a fun read but there are better Christmas books out there.

I was really confused at times with the time jumps and different character POVs, but I think it was just a "me" thing. I would recommend this to others looking for a sweet, friendship filled holiday book! I will likely try this book again at a later date. Overall, cute read and perfect for the holiday!

If you watched Friends like I did, then you expected to live in New York with a group of friends and have amazing adventures.

Enter The Christmas Orphans Club by @beccamfreeman. I finished this book in 24 hours which is always a sign of a winning story for me. Add this one to your holiday reading.

I loved Hannah and the way she wanted to hold on and never let go of those she loved. I also couldn’t stop rooting for Finn to just get the guy!

This is a book for all those who have had to balance significant others, friendships and everything else in life.

Would recommend for fans of…
🎄 Emily Henry (specifically PWMOV and Happy Place)
🎄 Elf
🎄 NYC
🎄 Chain restaurants (specifically, Olive Garden)
🎄 Broadway

I’m not a huge holiday book person, but each year I try to read a few that stand out. The Christmas Orphans Club was the first on that list and has set a high, high bar for the rest of the titles on this year’s list.

In short, this might be the best holiday book I’ve ever read??? It is supremely heartfelt and emotional without ever venturing into cheesy territory. I was really hooked by the premise of an untraditional holiday tradition with a group of friends that are more like family and found myself trying to read slower so I could savor the story.

The flashbacks to previous Christmas celebrations were perfectly incorporated and gave context to the present day at exactly the right time for maximum emotional impact (kind of like the vacation chapters in PWMOV), and fun references to past adventures, NYC restaurants and landmarks, like the Times Square Olive Garden, provided the perfect amount of levity. One scene involving homemade jean jackets had me actually laughing out loud.

The Christmas Orphans Club is destined to become a holiday classic, so add this to your reading list now! You won’t regret it!

Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delight! The story of four friends who are really family, who celebrate Christmas together each year — until maybe life sends them in different directions that won’t allow traditions to continue as they have. I love that this story contained romance but was really about friendship. I’m so interested in books that look at friendships and place the same value on them as romantic relationships. Also — this is a great Christmas book, but could be read anytime! Not too over the top themed or trope-y.

This was such a great friend group / found family book! I loved the ins and outs of Hannah & Finn's relationship, and that they each got their HEAs. The New York setting was fantastic, and I loved all the different Christmases. It's one of those that is a Christmas book at Christmastime, but when it isn't Christmas, it doesn't have to feel like a Christmas book, which I really love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Books for the ARC!

“A riotous holiday rom-com about four friends in NYC who hold onto their unconventional Christmas tradition even when their paths diverge—but the changes they fear might be exactly what they need…”

I’m a biased reader because I listen to BOP and love Becca, but this book was so great! Love the friend-mance vs. romance angle and the importance of friendship. Loved this so much.

This book was a great holiday read without being too Christmas focused. I loved the found family aspect, all the different characters, and the flashbacks in time. I can’t wait to read Becca’s next novel.

The Christmas Orphan’s Club is a heartfelt novel about the fear of change. Hannah has valued her Christmas traditions with Finn—and by extension Priya and Theo—above all else, and now facing the prospect of her found family changing, everything else seems to crumble alongside it. Finn, has been desperately in love with his will-they-won’t-they best friend Theo, finally has the chance to tell him, even if it means changing their beautiful friendship for the worse. Changing tried and true traditions and relationships can be extremely overwhelming, emotionally exhausting, and downright terrifying—and Freeman handles it with such grace and honesty. The back and forth timeline lends itself well to the storytelling of where relationships diverged and reconnected, and how each character ended up at the ‘final christmas’. Overall, a touching story about a wonderful group of friends.

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced review copy of this title.

Such a great, feel good holiday read. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I loved the story and characters and it got me in the holiday spirit

This was a cute feel good holiday book. I enjoyed reading it and wanted to keep picking it up. I thought the characters had great depth. It was a little tricky to remember what had happened in previous Christmases but I also enjoyed the multiple POV. It had a little more swearing that I like but overall I would recommend!