This was short and sweet and I really liked it. It was interesting to see them survive out in the wild. They brought out the best in each other. I do wish there was an epilogue considering the book takes place over like four days. I wanted to see more of them.

I received an arc through netgalley.

A Hallmark-movie-type Christmas story starring a director of Hallmark-type-Christmas movies? Sound like the perfect cozy holiday read? It is. This story is set in the perfect small town in Quebec; I'd like to travel there immediately, please! Zoey needs Ben to grant her a permit so she can film her movie there. Forced proximity gets them closer (literally and figuratively) and the enemies become lovers. It feels a bit more like a happy-for-now than a HEA but I'm okay with that! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Zoey needs to find the perfect location to film the movie from her script. But Benoît stands in the way to finally fulfill her dream. She must change his mind, but before she does, they get stuck in an ice storm...
This is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance full of the Holiday cheer it promises. Is it amazing? No more than the 20 other Hallmark-esque books I've read in the past months. But it is the perfect cozy read for the season.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It Happened One Christmas
Author: Chantel Guertin
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 336

Stars: 🌟🌟🌟💫
Scoville Spice Scale: 🌶 ½

Tropes:

🎄Grumpy/Sunshine
🎄Forced Proximity
🎄One Sleeping Bag
🎄Miscommunication

This was a fun read about Zoey, a Director who has written her dream script, A Very Chelsea Christmas, set in Chelsea, Canada. Through a series of mix ups, Zoey finds herself having to go to Chelsea just before Christmas to secure filming permits. Chelsea holds a special place in her heart as it is the only place she can remember her family having a great Christmas. Newly single, she figures she'll go to Chelsea, get those permits and then figure out Christmas later since her plans went out the window with her relationship.

Everything is going well until the Grumpy Owner of the Tree Farm, Ben, tells her no, absolutely not. But that doesn't deter Zoey. She'll figure it out. But then she goes to meet with the mayor. It turns out Ben goes by his middle name and is the mayor of Chelsea. And he doesn't want a movie being filmed in his town. That's when he suggests Zoey looks into the next town over but days she better get going. With it being 12/23 and the ice storm coming in, things are going to be shutting down. While Zoey races to get to the next town and meet the major, Ben knows her rental won't make it so he follows about 10 minutes behind her. Zoey ends up sliding down a hill and Ben rescues her. That's when this book takes a turn for the Network Christmas Movie of the Week.

I loved the town of Chelsea. Zoey was right. It was the perfect place to film a Christmas film. And the tourism it would bring was a selling point. I loved the Christmas songs going back and forth between Ben and Zoey. I loved that Zoey rescued Ben using skills she learned as a lifeguard (you never forget those). I loved Ben's family and the people of Chelsea. They welcomed Zoey with open arms. Even Ben saved Zoey from a drunken jerk her first night in town.

One of the best things about this book is that it comes with a Discussion Guide at the back. It is perfect for book clubs. That is such a great feature for books to have and I wish more would have it.

What character did I loved the most? Simon, of course! He knew right away that Zoey was a good person. Dogs always know.

What I would have liked to have seen. This book is written with each chapter saying December 21, 9:00 am. I really wanted to see January 30th, 6pm "And that's a wrap on A Very Chelsea. Christmas, folks!" Ben and Zoey celebrate and they discuss the future of their relationship. As an Epiloge on December 1st the whole town gathering for the world premiere of the film on TV. And having Ben propose. That would have felt satisfying.

I do recommend this book as a fun read.

I received a gifted copy from NetGalley, PenguinHouse Random Canada and Doubleday Canada in exchange for an honest review.

I was raised and still live in the location where this story was set, and Chantel captured the beautiful essence of this winter wonderland. The magical feeling of winter and Christmas is tucked in between the pages of this book! Chantel weaved in all the classic French-Canadian winter traditions; maple on snow, Réveillon, Christmas tree farms, snowshoes, snowmobiles, mulled wine, ice storms, cottage life. I felt that the winter/Christmas themes could have been conveyed equally well with a bit less descriptive details, which caused me to skim a couple times and prevented more space from being given to the romance. I would have loved to delve deeper into Zoey and Ben’s romance, and the softer side of Ben’s personality. Overall, this is a fun and sweet read for this fall/winter to enjoy while cuddled up under a cozy blanket with a cup of chocolat chaud!

It Happened One Christmas has Hallmark movie in a book vibes all over it. It was cute, funny and gave you the tension and the romance you want from a Christmas book.

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies.

Zoey goes to Chelsea, Quebec to get the film permit so she can make her very own movie. Her plans are put on hold when Ben, the mayor, denies her. Zoey has four days to change his mind or her film won’t get made. When they get trapped in a snowstorm, they are left with nothing except each other.

I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I didn’t personally really like it, but it was still a good story. It was very similar to a Hallmark movie, so if you like those I would recommend this book. This book is not really a slow burn, which I didn’t like. The conflict also felt minimal. The conflict was basically over in two seconds and had no groveling involved. I did like the setting, though. I also liked how she was there to make a movie as it is not something very common amongst the types of characters I read about. The characters were likeable and not annoying. Overall, I would still recommend this book to others, but I did not personally like it that much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was really cute, with christmas television movie vibes all over. However it still took me like days to get into it. This might be due to the good concept but slightly failed execution.

It still was a nice, cute holiday read that gave you warm vibes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC!

If you are a fan of Christmas Hallmark movies and romance novels, then I have the perfect book for you. “It Happened One Christmas” by Chantal Guertin is the story of Zoey, who lives and breathes Christmas and is finally set to direct her own holiday film that she wrote. However due to an error, permits have been secured for the wrong location so Zoey sets off to Chelsea, Quebec, Canada to pull off a Christmas miracle to save her film. With just days left before Christmas, Zoey begins securing the sites with the problematic Benoît Deschamps, the sexy handsome male lead and town mayor, standing in her way.

Due to Zoey’s perseverance and childhood connection to the town, she is adamant to set the movie in Chelsea. This LA girl is not used to the weather and despite buying the fashionable winter gear before flying out, finds herself unprepared for the impending ice storm that has everyone else bunking down. Not only that, but she’s so determined that she goes out in the beginnings of an ice storm. The result: Zoey and Ben find themselves stranded in a remote location in the middle of nowhere without food or cell service.

A quick and easy read, I could easily envision this novel being on the #hallmarkchannel roster of Christmas movies. I particularly enjoyed the scenes in the ice storm, how the two characters are forced to work together in order to, quite literally, survive, Zoey’s capable strength through many of these moments, and Ben’s patience with her incessant personal questions. Guertin does an excellent job of creating characters that are relatable.

Published Oct. 31, 2023, be sure to preorder your copy now so you are set for the silly season. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Doubleday Canada for sending me this digital review copy (#drc) to read in advance of publication. All opinions are my own.

#bookfluencer #bookreview #bookrecommendation #chantelguertin #christmasbooks #christmasromance #holidaynovels #icestorm #chelseaquebec #chelsea #book #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookgeek #booknerd #bookworm #reader #lightread #tistheseason #netgalley #penguinrandomhouse #doubledaycanada Chantel Guertin Penguin Random House Canada Doubleday Canada

From the first sentence of this book, the Christmas feels were strong. I could picture it playing out in my head like a Hallmark movie. Both characters were engaging and the initial grumpy/sunshine-esque relationship was appealing. I loved the Quebec traditions for the holidays and think I need to make the chocolate log that was mentioned! A feel-good holiday read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This book tells the story of a film director scouting a small town in Quebec, Canada to film her first movie she wrote herself, a Christmas romance of course! The local Christmas tree farmer turned mayor is the only thing standing in her way!
I loved the banter and the humour between the two main characters. I loved the Christmas song references all throughout, always brought a smile to my face!
I did find it a slow to start and then moved really fast all at once. The conclusion felt rushed and also a bit like it was a long time coming. If this doesn’t make sense read it and let me know if you agree! Overall the story was engaging and gave me the Christmas warm and fuzzies! I give it 3.5 stars.
I was gifted an e-book of It Happened Onr Christmas by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: It Happened One Christmas by Chantel Guertin

This feel good romance is the perfect read for your upcoming holiday tbr.

Zoey is trying to find the perfect location to shoot her Christmas movie, and that location is Chelsea, Quebec. Why Chelsea when she could use closer, and more cost-effective and less complicated, locations to L.A.? Because Chelsea holds her only positive Christmas memory from her childhood. She returns, determined to get permission to have her movie filmed on location, only to be thwarted by the weather and the handsome town mayor.

This Canadian Christmas romance is adventurous and heartwarming with a strong female protagonist. I love that it was set locally - I actually drove past Chelsea while reading it. I got to learn about some new Christmas traditions, and it even had a bit of heat to warm up the frosty setting.

If you’re looking for Hallmark-esque holiday read, look no further. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Do you like an enemies-to-lovers romance? One that includes forced proximity, and holiday vibes in a small town setting? It Happened One Christmas by Chantel Guertin is a fresh Christmas story that I’m obsessed with! It comes out on Halloween, which is amazing because that’s the day I got married. Kismet much?! Ok, let’s get to the book. A Christmas read with all the feels and substance to boot!

Meet Zoey. She’s single, has no plans for Christmas, but has big dreams to fulfill. She works for a production company that specializes in holiday movies (a la Hallmark) and has her heart set on shooting a movie in Chelsea, Quebec. Thanks to a geographical mixup, a snowstorm, and more, Zoey is on a deadline to file the correct paperwork and save her movie. Will a Christmas miracle arrive in time to help, or will her dream be a Christmas flop?

I was swept up in this quest with Zoey and I read the story in one sitting! I just couldn’t put it down. I adored the characters created by Guertin, and found them to be people I would want living in my town. I also really enjoyed how Guertin set the scene continually throughout the story. I was able to vision the Hallmark movie as I read, and really think this is going to be on our screens for Christmas 2024.

Fun fact: The author, Chantel Guertin, took time out of her busy schedule to sit down and chat with me for The Bookish Narwhal Podcast! Her episode is coming out Friday 6 October and we talk about all things It Happened One Christmas, Quebec traditions and her personal connection, being a Canadian author, and so much more. It’s an episode you’re not going to want to miss!! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thebookishnarwhal

I needed a sweet dose of Christmas romance in my life and this book delivered. I adored the characters and the author’s writing style helped me feel like I was right there with them. So much so that I walked outside and was disappointed to feel fall rather than the bite of winter. If you want an easy, light, cute read - here you go Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this novel!

3.5 STARS

As a devoted fan of this author, I was absolutely thrilled about diving into this Christmas novel. The premise sounded charming: Zoey, a director, finds herself in a pickle when she needs to film her movie in the picturesque town of Chelsea, Quebec, but the mayor isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet with his permit approval. The stakes were set, and I was ready for the holiday magic to unfold.

Now, here's where my thoughts get a bit detailed. There was this part of the story that revolved around the MC's car accident, and honestly, it dragged on a bit too long for my taste. In fact, I found it so unengaging that I ended up skimming through it. Additionally, some of the ice-related scenes felt a touch implausible. But let's not dwell on the negatives because, all in all, it was undeniably a cute story.

My only little wish? An epilogue would have been the cherry on top, neatly tying up all those loose ends. Nevertheless, it's a heartwarming tale that's just the thing to get you into the Christmas spirit.

I thought this book was a cute read and kept picturing a Hallmark movie as I read. There were times when I wanted more from the story; a slow start with a quick ending.

This is an adorable read with all the Hallmark movie feels! Fans of a grumpy x sunshine trope paired with a wintry small town romance will surely adore this one. Our female lead is looking to shoot a film in a town she has precious memories of, but of course the local tree farm owner who is also mayor has different plans. A must read for holiday rom-com lovers.

It Happened One Christmas...

I do love a romantic Christmas story. Although I feel this story is a little more fiction than romance it was still a cute read.
Zoey loves Christmas, she is the Hallmark loving type gal. Zoey is bringing her movie to town but Ben is a hard zero on that. Ben is the mayor of Chelsea and won't grant her any permit to make this movie.
Zoey is then in need to change Ben's mind to make this movie a go.
Follow along as Zoey tries to change Ben's mind! Will Zoey get her Christmas wish for this movie and maybe fall in love along the way?

It Happened One Christmas is the perfect light holiday read. Two people are thrown together, and after taking an immediate dislike to each other (my fave thing), they fall in love amidst an ice storm. It was totally unrealistic and fast paced, but I loved almost every second of it. The setting is well drawn and cozy, and the description of various holiday traditions in Quebec was an added bonus. I really enjoyed it, and it was my perfect (early) first holiday book. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

I’m a sucker for books with Christmas in the title and when I saw this, I snapped it up!

The plot is a common one, and it had potential, however, this is marketed as a romance, which it most definitely is not. There are romance elements however, which is something.

The main character is not particularly likeable, she whines…a lot! That said, I still enjoyed the book.

A lightweight, good paced, read, easily finished in an hour.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.