Chantel Guertin's "It Happened One Christmas" is a delightful treat for lovers of holiday romance. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque small town blanketed in snow, this book is the perfect blend of festive cheer, heartwarming moments, and swoon-worthy romance.

The story follows the endearing protagonist, Emily, who finds herself reluctantly returning to her hometown for Christmas after a series of unexpected events. As she navigates the familiar streets and reconnects with old friends, Emily discovers that sometimes, the most magical moments can happen when you least expect them.

Guertin has crafted a cast of characters that are as charming as they are relatable. From Emily's spunky best friend to the handsome stranger who captures her heart, each character feels fully fleshed out and adds depth to the story. Emily herself is a protagonist worth rooting for, with her wit, vulnerability, and unwavering determination to find happiness.

What sets "It Happened One Christmas" apart is its heartfelt exploration of themes such as love, forgiveness, and the power of second chances. Through Emily's journey, Guertin reminds us that the holiday season is not just about presents and decorations, but about the joy of being surrounded by loved ones and opening our hearts to new possibilities.

Filled with cozy moments, sparkling dialogue, and plenty of Christmas magic, "It Happened One Christmas" is a joy to read from start to finish. Guertin's writing is engaging and heartfelt, drawing readers into the story and leaving them with a warm glow that will linger long after the final page is turned.

Whether you're curling up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa or looking for the perfect holiday read to get you in the festive spirit, "It Happened One Christmas" is sure to delight. Chantel Guertin has crafted a charming tale that captures the true essence of the holiday season and reminds us of the power of love to transform our lives. Highly recommended for fans of feel-good romance and Christmas stories that warm the heart.

This book follows Zoey Andrews, newly single and determined to direct her own Christmas movie in Chelsea, Quebec. Despite facing numerous obstacles, including a geographical mix-up and a reluctant partner named Ben, Zoey remains resilient and focused on her goal. As she navigates through challenges, readers are swept up in her determination and root for her success. The story features references to the author's hometown, engaging character development, and a subtle Christmas setting. While the romance is not over-the-top, the book offers substance and is recommended for those seeking a heartwarming holiday read with depth.

This book, happily set in Canada (Quebec), made me feel ALL the Canadianisms. I really enjoyed the set up of the characters and I found their journey to happiness fascinating but parts of the middle dragged for me a little bit. I enjoyed many of the side characters though and it felt very wintery!!

One of my favorite holiday romances of the year. I absolutely loved the setting and plot development. Absolutely lovely.

This was a really sweet romance set in small-town Quebec Canada. Zoey Andrews loves Christmas and finally, her dream of producing a super sweet Christmas movie she wrote is coming true ... the only small caveat is she needs to secure all the permits needed in just a few days or the studio will proceed with a different movie. So she sets off to Chelsea, QC hoping the Chelsea residents are as excited about having a movie filmed in their town as she is. However, as it turns out the Major of Chelsea, Ben Deschamps is anything but excited, in fact, he couldn't say no fast enough.

I loved the premise of this book and overall I really enjoyed it. Being Canadian I loved that it was set in Canada and learning more about the Quebecois holiday traditions. I could easily relate to the weather scenes and the havoc it caused for our lovebirds having lived through a few bad snow/ice storms. This was definitely a slow burn and I did find it a bit too slow at times but it picked up in the second half and I flew through it.

Read if you like:
- grumpy-sunshine
- forced proximity
- slow-burn romance
- insta-love

Such a cute read to add to your Christmas collection. A fun Hallmarky romance that takes place in Quebec. Thanks for the early read.

3.5/5 ⭐️

i was really excited to read this one as it's set in the province where i live: québec. it also features a french-speaking romantic interest, which is always fun as a native french speaker! i loved how the author incorporated our christmas traditions into the story.

this was a nice, cosy and cute, but a bit predictable, read. it had some romance tropes i really enjoy: grumpy x sunshine, small town, snowed-in, hate to love and forced proximity. but it was both a slow-burn and insta-love, and that part took me off. for most of the story, the two main characters don't like each other and do not get along. but towards the end, suddenly, they are in love. and then, quickly after that, it ends. so it felt a bit rushed and i wish the development between them had been more flushed out.

it also definitely felt like a hallmark movie at times with its cheesiness and unrealistic events, so that might turn some reader off, but i enjoy those kind of movies, so i didn't mind that part! there was one low spice scene and it was well done, but i wouldn't consider this a steamy book, so if you prefer your romance closed door, you can definitely skip that scene.

it didn't end with an HEA which was a bit disappointing with since it's to be expected in a cheesy christmas romance like this. the ending lacked a bit of resolution and an epilogue.

overall, i recommend this if you enjoy hallmark christmas movies and you're looking for something to give you all the warm feels during the holidays, but keep in mind that the end is a bit rushed.

This is a cute Hallmark movie type of book. I enjoyed that the story is centered in Quebec with a great Christmas vibe. Zoey has to convince the mayor of a small town that she needs to make a movie there but he’s not interested. After some forced proximity can she change his mind? Definitely a cute book to add to your Christmas reading!

I had mixed feelings about this book. This was a grumpy-sunshine/quick-burn Christmas romance. I wanted to love it and the concept was really good, I think it fell a bit flat. Some points felt like they dragged on for a little too long and some felt repetitive. I did like the characters though and wish we got to see a little bit more of a personality from them. I also would have liked to see an epilogue about filming the movie itself. There was a little bit of spice which is always a bonus. It didn't feel forced and worked well with the story.

Film director Zoey loves all things Christmas, which is a good things as she directs those happily-ever-after Christmas romance films for a top streaming service. She has the chance to direct her own film that she wrote-finally-and takes off for the Christmas village in Quebec that she remembers from childhood. It serves as the perfect location for her film and when she discovers one of the assistants didn't secure the right permits she sees this as an opportunity to travel into town, find the shooting locations and secure the permits-4 days before Christmas. The town is a Christmas delight but there's just one problem-the mayor. Gorgeous Benoit wants nothing to do with a movie shooting on his tree farm let alone in his town. When a major storm hits, he and Zoey are stranded. Why is he so stubborn about letting Zoey in-both in his heart and the town? Full of festive fun, cheer and sparks, Chantel Guertin's Christmas debut is a hit!

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

Cute! This was one of my favorite holiday reads of 2023. It had everything you want in a holiday rom-com: An idyllic small town, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, slow burn... *chef's kiss*

Thank you NetGalley and Chantel for the opportunity to read and review It Happened One Christmas!

This was a fun read! It was definitely 100% Hallmark vibes where the story is pretty cheesy and the actual events that happen are sooooooo far out that they are extremely unrealistic, but I'll be honest, thats kind of what I wanted from a book like this. I don't ask for much when it comes to a holiday book, I just want to have a good time and get into the Christmas spirit, and this book delivers on that account.

The main character cries a lot... like, A LOT. This is coming from someone who also cries a lot, so that was definitely something I wasn't expecting. BUT overall, enjoyable. But also cringey, random and something you need to go into with the expectations that it's a cheesy, corny, Christmas book.

I gave it 3.75 stars! Fun overall!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!

This was a cute hallmark romcom read for during the holidays. Very sweet and comforting and just perfect. I loved the setting and the well-written small town vibe and all the side characters.

There's just one thing that got a bit repetitive: the mentioning of Zoey's UGGs. But other than that, the perfect holiday read!

I loved that this book was set in Canada and highlighted so much of Canadian and Quebecois culture. It’s nice to see Canadian authors setting their stories in Canada. I hope this happens more in the future.
I found the writing style to be very “telly” rather than “showy” and for that reason, it was difficult to connect with the characters. Taking a bit more time to describe how the FMC was feeling, rather than telling the reader would have resulted in a more compelling read.
I won’t be promoting this book on social media because I don’t want to undermine the author’s success in any way.

Predictable but overall gave me the warm fuzzys I was looking for for Christmas. I enjoyed it and would recommend as a fluffy romance Christmas read! 3.5 stars rounded up.

Zoey had one perfect Christmas as a child, just one. She is making a movie about that Christmas and wants to film in the same city it took place: Chelsea, Quebec.
But Zoey isn’t expecting the mayor to turn down her request.
And Zoey isn’t expecting an ice storm.
And Zoey definitely isn’t expecting to get snowed in with the mayor, Ben, during that ice storm.

She may or may not get him to agree to filming in Chelsea but she might fall in love regardless.

I felt bad for Zoey. She loves Christmas but she’s alone. It’s not that she’s single, it’s that her family isn’t together either. She has no where to go to celebrate Christmas as much as she’d love to.
So it kind of got on my nerves that Ben assumed Zoey didn’t care about Christmas because she was working during the holiday. Not everyone has a perfect holiday planned Ben!

In addition I kind of felt like Ben was a know it all sometimes. I feel like Zoey was the one making smart decisions and Ben the one getting them into tighter spots during the ice storm.

Either way, it was a cute story. The dog is cute too and makes it through the ice storm perfectly safely.

I read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!

*grumpy sunshine
*forced proximity
*enemies to lovers
*set in Quebec, Canada

Sadly this one wasn't for me. It started out pretty cute and I liked grumpy Ben and was excited to see him turn sunshine. But insta-love isn't a favorite trope of mine so the whole romance just didn't work for me. The ice storm also seemed to last forever and the characters acted like almost dying several times was no big deal. I did like the quaint small town setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Doubleday Canada for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Zoey Andrews lives and breathes Christmas. As the holiday season approaches, she’s so excited to finally be directing her own Christmas film this year instead of someone else’s. She knows the perfect place for her movie and that’s right in Chelsea, Canada. The only issue is that once she’s arrived she’s immediately told NO by the mayor, Benoît “Ben” Deschamps.

After repeatedly being turned down, Zoey makes her way to Wakefield the town over whose mayor is fully onboard. After spinning out one too many times, who would find her sledding on her butt down a hill but Ben himself. As he prepares to get her to Wakefield, a severe snow storm is brewing throwing both of them off their tracks…and into one another.

Read if you like:
❄️ grumpy x sunshine
❄️ forced proximity
❄️ slow burn
❄️ enemies to lovers

The only *teeny* issue I had was the insta-love at the end. They went from hating each other for about 60% of the book to being in love within the last few chapters which wasn’t my fave.

I really liked this book, it’s got romance and suspense, and I learned about Le Réveillon de Noël (Christmas Eve) in Canada, I’d never heard of it prior to reading this. The characters are interesting and the book flew by. It’s also got my favorite tropes, enemies to lovers and forced proximity.
Zoey is a director of Christmas movies, ie Hallmark. She’s written a script set in Chelsea, Canada where she has happy childhood memories of Christmas. The town is perfect, but she needs approval from the mayor.
Unbeknownst to her, she’s already met him in a bar. He’s an extremely hot guy named Benoit aka Ben, who helped her out of an awkward situation. Unfortunately, he’s not interested in having a movie shoot in town. She can’t convince him, but there’s a neighboring town whose mayor would approve.
Theres’s a massive storm bearing down and Zoey tries to drive to the mayor’s house. Ben literally saves her and they have a life or death experience together. Sparks fly during the time they spend together, and they end up at a Réveillon de Noël celebration.
I enjoyed this book very much, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Zoey Andrews and Benoît Deschamps the mayor of Chelsea the cozy Quebec hamlet meet when she want to film a Christmas story there. An ice storm will give them a happy ending in this cute holiday rom-com story. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.