Along Came Holly is a fun, festive read that is sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

This book is quite the addictive holiday romp. It just scratched that festive itch I’ve been having lately. This is my first Codi Hall book, but it won’t be my last. Along Came Holly is the third book in the Mistletoe Romance series, but like most rom-com series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Fans of this series will love that past MCs make plenty of appearances in this book. This book is for you if you enjoy rom-coms with wild antics, lots of laugh-out-loud moments, and sizzling chemistry. I love a book that can make me laugh, and this book did that on multiple occasions. The rivalry and all-out prank war between Holly and Declan was utter perfection. I had to keep reading because I wanted to know the next prank they would pull on each other. I had to re-read parts of this book because I just wanted to soak up all the crazy goodness that was happening. The story has a nice flow to it. At first, you are entertained by the rivalry between Holly and Declan, and then you become hooked on their growing attraction to each other.

I liked Holly; she has this larger-than-life personality with this crazy, chaotic energy. You’d think her character would be this hot mess, but that was not the case in this book. Holly has her life together; she runs a successful social media platform, owns her own store and house, and knows what she wants out of her life. Her chaotic energy is what makes her successful and so damn likeable. Her only “flaw” is how she jumps to conclusions about Declan and his grumpy attitude towards Christmas. She really gives him a hard time about it and tries to push Christmas on poor Declan.
Declan is a great broody MC. He is just grumpy and prickly, and I loved it. He isn’t an asshole, there are times when he says dickish things, but it’s often because he speaks before he thinks. He has a kind heart underneath that prickly exterior. Also, Declan’s prickly attitude comes from being knocked down in life, which has left him a bit jaded. I loved watching that prickly exterior melt when he was around Holly.

I love a good grumpy sunshine romance. For whatever reason, that trope just hooks me in and takes my heart on a swoonastic ride, which is what happened to me when I read this book. Codi just knocked the romance out of the park with this story. There was this wonderful blend of the grumpy sunshine and rivalry/enemies-to-lovers tropes. They just worked together to create this entertaining love story. There are a lot of cute and quirky moments between Holly and Declan. But there were also some quieter and deeper moments when they really started to form that deeper romantic connection. Their chemistry and banter just worked for me. I loved it all.

If you are looking for a book to get you into the holiday spirit, then you should pick up Along Came Holly.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca, for giving us an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Along Came Holly is a perfect light holiday read! Grumpy meets sunshine in Declan and Holly, and the enemies become lovers in the idyllic small town of Mistletoe. I didn't realize this was the third in a series until I started it, so I'll be going back now to read the stories of the other Winters siblings. A Hallmark movie with a side of spice: just right!

It's been a while since I read the other two, but I think this might be my fave of the series! We have enemies to lovers, which I always enjoy, and this time it was a grumpy sunshine duo doing a prank war. Amazing! The group of friends was still around, which I liked. There were a couple word choice that made me frown but that are still part of common vernacular, so I can see why they were missed (calling someone crazy, calling men sissies). Both were as jokes and not actual insults, but I feel like they could have been eliminated. Because it interrupted my reading experience with disappointment, I knocked it down a half star.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I didn't get to it before it came out on Sept 26 but finished it a few days later. This review was also posted as a story on my Instagram @chronically_KD and saves under the story highlight called ARCReviews.

Holly Winters is a quirky YouTuber who runs a holiday shop located next to her grumpy nemesis Declan’s hardware store. Their increasing hostility towards each other ends up starting an epic prank war, but when Holly desperately needs help setting-up her Christmas lights display, she is forced to hire Declan, the only handyman available on such short notice. Forced proximity from working together and then being in Holly’s sister’s wedding party together causes the pair to form a truce and develop a temporary “enemies with benefits” agreement. However, the pair starts to doubt the temporary status of their arrangement when real feelings start to emerge…

Along Came Holly is the third installment of Hall’s Mistletoe Romance series and I highly recommend reading the three books in order as Nick and Noel’s from Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist and Merry and Clark’s from There’s Something About Merry stories continue here. This is a contemporary Christmas romantic comedy featuring the “enemies to lovers”, forced proximity, and grumpy with sunshine tropes. Themes and topics present include family roles, marriage and divorce, Alzheimer’s, social media and privacy, growing up, miscommunication, appearance versus reality, and loneliness and isolation. This would of course be perfect for fans of Christmassy rom-coms like Jingle Wars by R. Holmes and Veronica Eden, The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox, Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison, and Booked for the Holidays by Chelsea Curto.

This was fairly light-hearted and very Christmassy; Holly had an Elf-like vibe whereas Declan was more like The Grinch, which made for a humorous read. The prank wars definitely added a touch of comedy to their story, and I liked their spicy “will they, won’t they” relationship. In my opinion, it would be the perfect book to read by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate during your Christmas vacation or to listen to whilst doing your holiday wrapping or baking.

On the downside, I didn’t feel as connected to and invested in Holly and Declan’s story for some reason, especially in comparison to the other two books in the series. In some moments, it kind of dragged, but this may have been because this was very much a slow burn (which isn’t my favourite) and I personally found the ending to be a little cheesy for my tastes.

Overall, Along Came Holly was a fun and humorous slow burn romance that’s perfect for the upcoming holiday season!

Holly Winters has always loved Christmas - with a name like that and a life spent in a town called Mistletoe, it was a given. She even owns a holiday store; unfortunately, it's next to Mistletoe Hardware and it's owner, grumpy holiday-hater Declan Gallagher. Holly and Declan clash over his aversion to Christmas music, which escalates to a prank war that leads them to start spending more time together. As they get to know each other better, they both realize there is more than meets the eye.

I liked this one! It was definitely a slow burn, and I wish we got more time of Declan and Holly actually together in a romantic way. I did enjoy the banter and pranks between them, it's always fun when there is a little edge that we see turn to more. I'm glad that Declan was able to work through his issues with his parents and let go of the resentment he had been harboring towards them. I loved seeing him finally embrace joy and his life with Holly.

TW: Mention of cheating, dementia

I adore this series. It makes you want to live in Mistletoe. This grumpy/sunshine really grown on you. How can anyone be a scrooge when they are with Holly.
This series is great not just for Christmas season. I love Christmas stories year round.

I generally don't tend to ready Christmances before the end of October but I thought I'd give this one a shot because it sounded too darn cute not to! The best thing about this book may have been the adorable cover, but it was still pretty cute and an easy read for a Christmas rom-com. I'd expected the writing to be better since it was an Audible original first, but I think I'm holding AOs up to an even higher standard after listening to the amazing The Rebound by Leeanne Slade. Definitely still one to add to the Christmas round up though!

I'm generally a seasonal reader so reading a Christmas rom-com at the start of fall was an adjustment for me, but this book was so fun! I loved the banter between Holly and Declan, at least when Declan wasn't in full-on Scrooge mode. As the story went on, Declan's attitude begins to make more sense, and both him and Holly come to understand each other a bit more. In the end, if you're looking for a light, slow burn holiday rom-com this is worth the read.

Along Came Holly is the third book in the Mistletoe Romance series by Codi Hall. While it can be read as a standalone, I'd recommend starting from the beginning to fully appreciate each sibling's story. This installment focuses on Holly, who adores Christmas, thanks to her Christmas-themed hometown and her family's Christmas tree farm. When she enlists her grumpy office neighbor, Declan, to help with her holiday display, sparks fly, and they begin to explore a deeper connection.

The book offers a cute Christmas story with delightful banter between Holly and Declan. Narrators Veronica Worthington and Skyler Hutchinson capture the chemistry between them perfectly. The holiday-themed competitions in the story add an extra layer of charm.

However, I found the book's middle section to be a bit slow, and I was eager for Holly and Declan to finally come together. There were also quite a few miscommunication moments, which I personally felt were a bit overused.

ALONG CAME HOLLY ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Third book in the Mistletoe series. Holly is a TickTok star who also owns a gift/seasonal gift shop in Mistletoe Idaho. Next door to her shop Declan has started to watch his father’s hardware store after his dad fell ill. They do not get along, as she is a Christmas Junkie and he’s a grinch type. Prank Wars ensue, so does love. A okay predictable holiday romance. This fell flat to me compared to the first one I read on the series, for whatever reason I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters. Overall though, an easy holiday read that will put you in the spirit of Christmas. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC. #alongcameholly #arcread #kindle #bookstagram #netgalley #bookbinge

Along Came Holly is the 3rd book in a series but could be read as a stand alone (a lot of the sibling relationships would have been established in previous books, however, there is enough in this book to read on its own).

Holly loves Christmas. She runs a holiday shop on Main Street and things should be festive and happy, however, her neighbour Declan is a Grinch. Holly begins a prank war with him that turns awkward when she realizes she needs Declan's help putting up her Christmas display at her house. As Holly and Declan begin to get to know each other outside of their prank war and disagreement on the holiday, sparks fly and it becomes obvious that they have an undeniable chemistry.

Highly recommend for Christmas romance fans. There were so many laugh out loud parts, but also finding out about Declan's home life kept a realistic tone to the book that not everything is perfect and fun.

I’ve been enjoying the Mistletoe Romance series from Codi Hall - each of the three releases a year earlier exclusively on audio and then as an ebook version. It’s sort of opposite of the usual! I waited with books 2&3 to read along while listening, and still plan to go back to do the same with book 1.

I really liked Holly and Declan’s story - the grumpy work neighbour, who returned to Mistletoe to help his father run the hardware store when he fell ill. He had no Christmas spirit, and Holly had plenty for them both. The pair used to go to school together but Declan couldn’t wait to flee town for college, and stayed away until his family needed him.

Holly’s family is all about Christmas - with all the kids having festive names, a Christmas tree farm, a holiday store, it’s hard not to notice. Holly decided to decorate the Scrooge’s empty shop windows one night and instead of just sprucing up the block, she brings a bigger problem upon herself… even larger when Declan, as the handyman in town, helps out with her family decorating the house and winds up getting in harm’s way and Holly has to play nurse.

The two in forced proximity and Declan in forced happy Christmas makes for a fantastic romcom, and one I definitely recommend to all, especially those looking for a quick, sweet and swoony Christmas read! The audio is great to go along with it.

I received a copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, and this is my honest feedback.

Cute cozy Christmas read 🎄

Holly is an adventurous social media influencer/Christmas shop owner, and Declan is her grinchy hardware store working neighbor.

These two have a fun relationship from the beginning. I really enjoyed their back and forth prank war, that eventually developed into a sweet friendship. The steamy moments were on point, I have zero complaints about them! Some parts of the book were a little slow, and I felt like a lot of it was filler we didn’t need. Pro was the dual POV.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

The books in Codi Hall’s Mistletoe Romance series were first released annually as an audiobook special and then the print/eBooks were published a year afterward. Since I’m not a big audiobook person, I have been (im)patiently waiting to read Along Came Holly. And it was so worth the wait!

Along Came Holly is a perfect enemies-to-lovers story backdropped by a small-town full of Christmas cheer, literally named Mistletoe! There’s laughter, hijinks, everything Christmas and a love story so powerful, it’ll melt the iciest of hearts!

Declan has been such a mystery and in Along Came Holly, we get to peel back his layers, seeing why he hates Christmas. It’s heartbreaking, bittersweet, and endearing. There’s so much more to Declan than his gruff disposition and his constant scowl. I just want to give him a big hug!

Holly is a firecracker and larger than life. She’s passionate about everything she does and I admire that about her. Holly is also a fierce protector of her family and those she calls her own. She’s courageous, confident and has the most wicked sense of humor! I would totally be BFFs with her because I definitely don’t want to be on the receiving end of her ire or that fiery temper she brandishes as easily as her love and loyalty.

I absolutely LOVE this story! Holly and Declan are business neighbors and have been feuding since the beginning of the series. I love their banter and their chemistry is off the charts! It’ll take a Christmas miracle, and some help from the gang in Mistletoe to keep the peace between Holly and Declan and… help them discover that what they both needed was always right there in front of them. Each other.

This story has ALL the feels and will have you laughing, crying and falling in love right alongside Holly and Declan. I highly recommend this and every book in the Mistletoe Romance series! It’s got everything you need: Christmas, small-town, family, fun, crocheted peens, loveable pets, a Christmas tree farm and so much more!

This was super cute! Which I knew it would be! This whole series has been nice and cozy for winter reading and has me wishing it was Christmastime already! 🥰🎄

I loved the characters- the banter between Holly and Declan as well as all of the siblings was great! The pranks were a hilarious addition! It was just altogether a fun read! It’s filled with quirky, flirty, and witty characters that you’re guaranteed to love! It is on the slower burn side so keep that in mind while reading- but once the romance does blossom it’s super sweet 🫶🏼😘

My only complaints were the slow burn just because it’s not a favorite of mine (it’s not you, it’s me) and that Declan was so mean to the point of being rude sometimes. I know everyone deals with personal life stuff differently, but he was kind of all over the place with his feelings for Holly. I felt like he would show a tiny amount of affection and (literally) run in the opposite direction. 😕

Read if you enjoy:
Enemies to lovers
Prank wars
Small town
Holiday feels
Light steam

'Codi saved Christmas...in September! A truly trope-tastic grumpy + sunshine holiday romance to jolly anyone who reads it, along.' - The British Bibliophile


Along Came Holly s the third book in Codi Hall's Mistletoe Romance series. This is an ebook & paperback publication following the pre-existing audiobook version previously released on November 17th 2022--narrated by Veronica Worthington & Skyler Hutchinson.

If you've already listened to the audiobook, you'll know what happens in this story but stick around if, like me, you got to know this story for the first time with this ebook copy.

Codi was first brought to my attention thanks to Sourcebooks sending me a small stack of books way back when in 2021, with Codi's then soon-to-be-released paperback ARC copy of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist nestled nicely in the box. This is book one in the series and still to this day has pride of place on my bookshelf. It set the series up nicely with a very well-earned five star rating with book two, There's Something About Merry, following-up with a respectable and coveted four stars. Since then, I've been looking forward to reading more Codi and specifically, making a return once more to Mistletoe. My wish was granted!

We're back in Mistletoe! How I love being back in a fictional place that makes me so happy, brings me all the fuzzies of the season (even in mid-August when I read the book), and gives me everything I love about reading a holiday romance. And what better way to keep the series going than with a grumpy + sunshine trope? I can't think of one. This is one of my favourite tropes, so teaming it with one of my favourite romance genres--holiday romance--and this is an automatic winner for me. Holly has one hell of a time on her hands to not let her grumpy-as-all-get-out neighbour, Declan, get under her skin and spoil the spirit of the festive season for her. If only getting him and his handsome face under the enchanting Christmas lights, out of her mind while trying to do so.

Christmas is the busiest season for many. Santa. His elves. A certain shop-owner on Mistletoe's Main Street. Owning the jolliest holiday shop on the street this year in particular is shaping up to perhaps be Holly's best ever yet. That is until a certain grumpy grinch next door to her own shop, tries to be the thing that takes the jingle out of her bells. Declan Gallagher is the owner of the hardware store next to her own shop, and he's known as the town Scrooge who hates the most wonderful time of the year. What starts out as harmless pranks between the two opposites soon turns into a full-on war that neither side intends on backing down on.

That is until Holly realises that to get all of her lords-a-leaping and geese-a-laying, is the help of the very person she's been at prank-with. The Christmas curmudgeon himself. Declan Gallagher.

Recruiting the man who recoils at the sight of anything merry and bright was not on Holly's to-do list, and he can't believe her nerve asking him to partake in something not only of the spirit of the holidays but for his neighbourly nemesis. Hanging up the display on her home was the last thing he wanted to be doing, but after being offered a very generous sum to do so? It's not something he could turn down. After all, Scrooges love money. Throwing himself into the task at hand is the only way to get it done and out of the way. Or so he thought. When sabotage is there at every turn, the task is set to take longer and test Declan's resolve even more.

In an even stranger turn of events--possibly influenced by the magic of Christmas itself--, Declan finds himself championing the very person he was once at prank-wars with. Add a rooftop kiss to the mix, and it's most certain that the once 'naughty list'ed Declan is joining Team Nice.

A once coal-filled, cold heart has thawed under the warmth that is Holly, and has grown three times as big. Now there's only one thing that Declan has to do that everything within him is unsure of exactly how to go about doing. Confessing his newfound feelings for holly, TO Holly, when she's the very woman he's told himself all along that he shouldn't want.

As a reader who adores holiday romance, I've read my fair share of them. Some have been Christmas hits, and others destined for the naughty list. No matter the time of year, I'm open to reading something that sends me rocking around the Christmas tree and dreaming of a white Christmas both. Codi brought everything I love about the genre and its subsequent tropes, to this holiday read. I indeed slept in heavenly peace after closing the last page, fully filled with the seasons festive feelings and contentment at the story now brought to a close. On this chapter, at least.

Out of all the books in the series so far, third time is indeed the charm as this has to be the one I am holding most dear and will most certainly be recommending when asked for holiday romance read recommendations. Not only that, it's also two other things. Good things come in threes, after all. It's both a top read of August and of my entire year. I'll definitely be diving back into Declan and Holly's story this upcoming holiday season.

Hoping to add this and book two to my bookcase to join book one, because these are reads you definitely want all-year round on display.

Good tidings were brought to me and hopefully, to my fellow readers as well. Five stars.

A christmas contemporary book with a wedding and gnomes? Here are reasons to read:

Holiday Elf - Holly Winters is a shop owner (currently stocking gnomes for the holidays) who also does
Extreme social media videos dressed as an Elf

Grumpy Neighbor - Declan is the grumpy neighbor helping to run his father’s hardware shop

Wedding - They really do not get along, and with Holly’s sister’s wedding approaching, can they pull it together enough to get through the holidays and the ceremony?

This book is the third in a series - the first being about Holly’s brother Nick and the second about her sister, Merry. I wanted to read this because the author also goes by the name Codi Gary and she wrote one of my fav holiday books last year, A Cat Cafe Christmas. This one was cute and a little spicy, but I was slightly disappointed in how the situations were elaborated on. I wanted more of the wedding prep, more of the bachelorette party, and more of the town’s holiday stuff. This book is a solid read and since I haven’t read the first 2, maybe that is in those books leading up to this. It also paves the way for more characters to get their own book as well.

This one sounded so cute, but fell a little flat for me. I found a majority of the story to be really slow. Once it picked up it was steamy and cute, it just took awhile to get there. It also felt like a major jump for the main characters to go from hating each other to being interested in each other. Overall I did enjoy the banter that took place between Holly and Declan.

Cozy hallmark movie vibes with a little spice! I went into this without having read the first two books as they are interconnected standalones and now I want to go read those 2!
This book is the perfect holiday romcom with GrinchxSunshine enemies to lovers trope. It was really cute! I loved that Declan and Holly worked together to makeover her online persona. I thought that was really cute! If you are looking for something to get you into the Christmas spirit this is one that will definitely work!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Christmas in September is all that I need right now to survive this Arizona Heat.

Holly is the youngest of three and doesn't let anyone take advantage of her or get away with anything. She makes a living on social media which allowed her to open her own seasonal holiday store. She wants to change her persona but doesn't know what it should be instead. Declan wanted to get as far away from this town as fast as possible. he comes back to help with his dad and a lot from his past starts to come back to haunt him. Holly and Declan butt heads a lot but are there for each other when their lives need it the most.

Why you should read this book:
~Single POV
~Grumpy x Sunshine
~Prank Wars
~Forced Proximity
~Enemies to Lovers
~Slow burn
~Holiday Romance
~Alheizmers representation

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to arc read this book in exchange for an honest review.