Uplifting, charming and wonderfully romantic, Ally Sinclair’s The Christmas Season is the perfect escapist treat.

Matchmaker Emma Love has no time for dating apps, swiping left or right or sliding into anyone’s DMs. A lifelong romantic, Emma despairs at people turning to technology to find their soulmate and would much rather courtship was carried out in ballrooms, soirees and cotillions than on a mobile phone. Determined to steer singletons back to a more genteel era, Emma decides to take inspiration from Jane Austen and Bridgerton this Christmas season by hosting a series of romantic events where hopeful singletons can find their Mr or Miss Right under the mistletoe. However, Emma soon realizes that she is going to have her work cut out for her when she meets the group of people pinning all of their hopes on her to help them find their perfect match…

The Price twins seem to be more concerned with outdoing one another then with finding their soulmate. Can Emma convince them to keep their eye on the prize and to stay focused and not to let their puerile rivalry get in the way of finding everlasting love? Rakish Theo prefers playing the field rather than settling down. But will Emma manage to transform him from a playboy into perfect boyfriend material? Finally, Hope Lucas has been disappointed in love many times before, but remains hopeful that her soulmate is out there. Will Emma succeed in finding her the one? Or should Hope resign herself to the fact that a happy ending is not on the cards for her?

Emma is so focused on finding matches for other people that she might just end up letting her own soulmate slip through her fingers. Will it be kisses under the mistletoe for everyone this Christmas? Or will they all be bringing in the New Year miserable and alone?

Ally Sinclair hits the jackpot yet again with The Christmas Season! An absolute joy to read, The Christmas Season is sprinkled with magic, hope, humour and touching romance that will make readers smile. Full of larger-than-life characters who instantly drawn readers into their world, The Christmas Season delights and entertains with a terrific blend of wit, pathos, intensity and emotion.

Perfect for rom-com and Regency aficionados alike, Ally Sinclair’s The Christmas Season is pure enchantment – fingers crossed I don’t have to wait too long for the next installment.

This charming novel is a delightful read perfect for the holiday season. Emma Love, an old-fashioned matchmaker inspired by Austen and Bridgerton, orchestrates a series of festive events to find love for others. The story’s strength lies in its uplifting tone and romantic escapades, making it an ideal choice for readers seeking a cozy, seasonal romance. While Emma is dedicated to finding matches for everyone around her, the book cleverly explores whether she can also find her own happily ever after. The narrative is a heartwarming and joyful romp that adds a touch of holiday magic to the quest for love.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I loved the cover on this book and that is what I was attracted to.

It was a fun read and I loved the characters.
I like the tie in to Jane Austen and Bridgerton.

I read a lot of Christmas books this season and this was one of the better ones.

For the majority of this book, I was thinking it was light and easy, drama free. And then people started having tough conversations and confronting their feelings. It did get emotional several times before the story ended. The story is about a matchmaking event so there’s no main couple, but several different couples that are familiar with each other. There was some spice but it was mostly fade to black, nothing descriptive or explicit at all. Everyone had something to work through and truths to realize about themselves and their relationships. At the end, things are up in the air regarding the matchmaking business but everyone gets their happily ever after, or at least for now

I received a free copy of this book from the Author, Publisher, NetGalley for my honest review. A great book to get you in the Christmas season. There are a tons of characters but I truly feel they make the story. A matchmaker, twins and the Christmas season what could go wrong? Or should I say right! I think this is a cute book and I recommend it!

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this fun and cute Christmas story. I adore the idea of having a proper season for people to meet each other instead of the "swipe" culture. It took a few chapters to understand who the different characters were, but I enjoyed the story. Thanks!

"The Christmas Season" by Ally Sinclair is a delightful invitation into a world where old-fashioned romance meets modern-day matchmaking. Emma Love, inspired by classic tales, invites readers to a series of enchanting events aimed at kindling love during the festive season. Sinclair weaves a captivating narrative, juggling the romantic pursuits of various characters, from the competitive Price twins to the charming rake, Theo, and the ever-hopeful Hope Lucas. Amidst orchestrating others' happily-ever-afters, Emma finds herself at risk of missing her own chance at love. Sinclair's storytelling prowess and the blend of classic romance with contemporary matchmaking make this an uplifting, original, and heartwarming read.

I was really confused during this story. I read 25% and then looked and saw this was a sequel. I will not be able to finish this book since I'm lost and really need to read book 1. Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to review this. All opinions are my own. This review will not be posted anywhere else.

The Christmas Season, a sequel or continuation of Ally Sinclair's Jane Austen themed collection, can be read as a standalone or a follow-up to the first novel. Emma Love, matchmaker, has taken Jane Austen to the next level in 2023. Following up a mostly successful dating season Emma decides to introduce the regent-era dating style to the Christmas season. She is determined to carry on her family's successful business legacy and find everyone their perfect match. The Price twins prove difficult and her one "failure" from last season, Hope, has made Emma more determined than ever to find her the perfect match. But at what cost? And how does this impact Emma's own relationship? Some funny antics ensure amongst plenty of Christmas cheer. This is an easy and mostly light holiday read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I did not know this was the second book in a series, so there was a little confusion as I hashed it all out. However, once I got into the story, I loved it! It was a cute, sweet story about dating, finding love, friends and found family. Even the matchmaker running the dating season had somethings to learn regarding romance. I enjoyed the characters so much; I am going to put A Season for Love on mt TBR.

I didn't see anywhere that this was the second book in a series. It may not be but it sure reads like one and some of the stories (Emma and Tom, especially), we are jumping in the middle of. It took me some time to settle into the rhythm of this book but I did eventually enjoy reading about the trio of women who were the main focus of this story.
Hope had a really bad breakup years ago. Her cousins and her best friend, Theo, held her together. She's ready to find love but failed in in the last "Season" that Emma, a matchmaker, had created. Now she's enjoying her time with a young man named Callum but is he really the one? This story is the one where we see the most relationship growth.
Grace is looking for love and readily takes advantage of one of the free tickets Emma has given Hope. While she's very attracted to a young artist named Morgan, it's an older gentleman with Jonathon who she's been going home with. Lots of sex on the page for this relationship.
Connie is not really looking for love but when her twin sister and cousin are going to participate in The Season, Connie's not going to be left out. She's also interested in Morgan but past experience has taught her that Grace always wins these kinds of competitions. Her story is the one with the most personal growth.

Three stars
This book comes out August 10, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Hera Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for the opportunity to read The Christmas Season by Ally Sinclair - a fun Christmas read!

I didn’t realize this was a sequel when I was reading it. Maybe if I’d read the first one, then I’d have more appreciation for this one.

This is a follow up to A Season for Love, in which single people take part in a regency style social season to find love - like a modern day Bridgerton! So enjoyed reading this. It reminded me how much I loved A Season for Love. It was lovely to revisit some of the characters and be introduced to new ones looking for love. The author masterfully manages several storylines across a good handful of characters and I found myself invested in all of them. I do hope there is a next in the series as it felt like there were a few cliffhangers!

What to expect:

- regency style social season for modern day dating
- friends to lovers
- opposites attract
- LGBTQ romance

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

It's Christmas season, i mean not really but this book gets you in the mood for it, it felt like a hallmark movie. Check this book if you are into Christmas books,

The Christmas Season by Ally Sinclair is a different spin on matchmaking. While the beginning of the book was hard to follow as we were introduced to so many characters, it did get easier to follow and was a really good read. You can't go wrong with singles events with a regency Christmas feel. Overall a good read!

The concept was good a high achieving match maker whose success rate is very high can't match one person so they say that she can have a free pass for four of her friends, can she match them with suspected partners. A good take on things. However it ended abruptly maybe there is a second coming.

Emma Love is a modern matchmaker inspired by classic romance tales. Against the backdrop of festive events, the story weaves together matchmaking endeavours and Emma's quest for love, offering a heartwarming holiday read that harkens back to the charm of old-fashioned courtship.

The Christmas Season is a fun play on words about a matchmaking series of events called “the season”. The goal of the season is to evoke Regency-era Christmas memories while finding your match.

Emma, the matchmaker, has a very good success rate. But there is Hope, the one that she couldn’t match. To rectify this, Emma gives Hope 4 passes for this season. Hope brings her best guy friend and her two constantly bickering twin cousins.

Will Emma be able to handle, much less match, these four?

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.