If you're a fan of Christmas Hallmark Movies, this book is right up your alley. While predictable, it was a sweet read and one I would recommend for someone trying to get into the holiday spirit.

Small town Christmas, Hallmark-style Christmas movies, and some of the best romance tropes.

Geurtin has an impeccable ear for dialogue made apparent by both the cheeky banter and touching conversations. Simply charming—like a sugar cookie and hot chocolate—IT HAPPENED ONE CHRISTMAS is the perfect holiday rom-com.

I’m not sure this one was for me. The beginning stuck out as having too many descriptive words. Too many details. The FMC wasn’t all that likable. The story focused a ton on the snow storm and not enough on the building of the romance. It was entirely too quick even for cozy Christmas romance standards. The Canadian setting was nice with the traditions although I glazed over the French words. The dialogue was also awkward times. The concept is there but it didn’t quite give what it could have.

This was like reading a hallmark Christmas movie! Such a cute and perfect Christmas special. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, Christmas traditions.

I highly recommend this be on everyone’s Christmas TBR.

Thank you NetGallery for the DRC in exchange for a honesty review

I enjoyed this book but I did feel like it started to drag on once the snowstorm hit. It felt like just page after page describing every single move both Zoey and Ben made, and I wish there had been more time spent on them developing their feelings. It felt like it could do without all the descriptions of every time they slipped on ice and more dialogue between them that would make it make a bit more sense when they finally got together. I did like the ending and that it came together more naturally and didn’t feel forced, but the lead up through the snowstorm just felt like a lot of filler.

Zoey, a director, shows up in Chelsea, Quebec, scouting for a location of her film. Though many are excited about a potential movie being filmed in their small town, the mayor won't approve the permits. Running short on time, she tries to convince him. Through a bunch of mishaps they get thrown together and realize that they might like each other.

This was a quick and easy read that really had the feeling of Christmas in a little town. If you like Hallmark type Christmas movies, this book will be perfect for you. This wasn't a super romantic book, but did have a little bit of spice. I didn't really see this book having a big build-up of romance and pining, it seemed to happen quite quickly.

The tropes are strong with enemies to lovers and forced proximity, which were executed well. I thought all the town people were great and the focus on family, friends and community was perfect. It was very cozy and fun to read.

I did find the third act drama to be a bit much, and it was a bit instalovey, but it was still sweet. I thought it was a bit of a slow book, but then a very rushed ending. I would have liked to see more of Zoey's story and family history. They why of her picking Chelsea was mentioned a bit, but it would have been nice to see it tied more to the current story.

For a Christmas romance, this was sweet and fun. It was an easy read that is perfect for the holiday season. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

I so very much enjoyed reading this fresh and fun Christmas romance! Chantel Guertin’s It Happened One Christmas is set primarily in a charming, picturesque small town in Quebec and features a woman endeavoring to obtain location permits for filming a holiday themed movie based on a screen play she has written. Portions of the plot were a bit preposterous, but the sense of place was strong, as was the focus on family, friends and community. Overall, a cozy and festive read!

Three and a half stars, rounded up for educating me on Quebecois Christmas traditions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. All of these thoughts are my own.

If you like hallmark movies then you’ll love this book. This was such a fun and fast pace Christmas read. I will say there really wasn’t much of a romance aspect, at least not to me. I just didn’t see the romance blooming and then all of a sudden it was there. Also, I found Zoey very whining and not understanding towards why Ben kept saying no to the film permit but whatever lol Nonetheless; I enjoyed reading this.

I love reading Christmas novels and I think the settling was fun and the plot had a lot of potential. I do think hallmark lovers with eat this book up!

3 stars!

I received a free copy of, It Happened One Christmas, by Chantel Guertin, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Zoey Andrews loves Christmas, she has directed numerous holiday movies, this year she gets direct one she wrote herself, she finds the perfect setting in Quebec but the mayor will not let her film in his town. What will Zoey do? Can she change the scrooge of a mayors mind, or will she have to find another location to film her holiday movie? This was a nice Christmas read.

I love a good romance, and this one was wonderful! It had witty banter, and lovable characters. I was rooting for them the whole way through!

This book was filled with lots of holiday fun!
Shes in a small town in Quebec to get a permit to film her Holiday movie and hes the local tree farm owner/ mayor who definitely does not want a movie filmed in his small town. The two bicker and tease until theyre trapped in a snow storm together (and things get intense) and have to work together to survive and make it home in time for him to show her a real family Christmas like shes never experienced.

Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Holiday vibes
Small town setting
Quebec Christmas traditions

It would've been a 5 star except I found the drama/ problem pulling them apart near the end to be a bit too much. Like girl relax, hes into YOU. Aside from that, it was an adorable holiday read.

There were parts of this book that I really liked but the ice storm and car accident seemed to go on forever. I found myself skimming a fair bit.

That being said, I loved that it was set in Canada and would definitely try another book by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin Random House Canada through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada.

3.5 stars
I love this author and I was so looking forward to this Christmas novel. The premise was cute….Zoey, a director, needs to film her movie in small town Chelsea, Quebec…..however the mayor does not approve her permit. Will she be able to convince him? The part of the story with the MC car accident was too long, too boring that I skimmed it. Other ice scenes didn’t seem believable….but all in all a cute story. It should’ve had an epilogue at the end to tie up the story. A cute Hallmark story to get you in the Christmas spirit.

I was in the mood for a romantic little Christmas story and this definitely satisfied the craving! The landscape was so perfect and christmas-y that I couldn’t give enough of the small town vibes in this book. The only problem I have with this book was that it unnecessarily long and that made it boring at times for me, for example when our Mc got into a car accident in the snow I swear it went on for a whole chapter, just describing the accident. Besides that I thought this was a good Christmas story!

There's nothing more I love than a cutesy Christmas romance and this is no exception! I loved the characters and the village of Chelsea! I want to go visit now.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great, hallmark movie esque read! Perfect for a seasonal read. Light and sweet! It was a little strange to be reading a Christmas book in the summer, but I was able to enjoy and have fun!

Zoey, a Hollywood Christmas Romance movie director, goes to Chelsea, Quebec to try and get a film permit and the one person standing in her way is the gorgeous and charming mayor and tree farm owner, Ben.

It was cute, and i think it would make a really great Hallmark movie but as a book it left me a bit unsatisfied. It was a slow burn and insta-love at the same time. It felt like a slow read with a quick ending. I'm not big on epilogues and this book really needed one to me. This may be a personal problem, but i wished there would have been foot notes with french translations. context clue help but it would have made reading it a bit smoother. The ending tied everything together but it left me asking "why" to a lot of it.

Really cute but wanted more. Would make a great holiday movie though.

A cute, Christmasy, cosy read. Definitely a good one for snuggling up by the fire reading! Now I want to go to Quebec and try some of the delicious sounding traditional foods that were described so well!

What do you do when there’s ONE person standing between you and your dream? When realizing it is so close you can almost taste success. Can Zoey charm her way to the mayor’s heart?

Newly single, with no plans for Christmas and a big dream to fulfill, Zoey Andrews takes on a tremendous workload in the days leading up to the holiday. She works for Epic Productions, a production company, that specializes in holiday movies and has her heart set on shooting an upcoming movie in Chelsea, Quebec. It’s Zoey’s first chance to direct her own movie and she won’t let a small geographical mix-up ruin it all. Can she sort out all the problems and get film permits- a Christmas miracle - days before Christmas?

You’ll be swept up in Zoey’s quest to solve problem after problem that comes between her and her dream. Her resilience and focus are commendable. When Ben becomes part of the problem, Zoey is determined to make him part of the solution!

I loved the references to my hometown and the magic mustard! I enjoyed the sunshine/grumpy and the forced proximity trope as well as the subtle Christmas setting. Guertin’s character development is certainly amazing and I soon learned to like Benoit once I uncovered the reasons for his resistance. Yes, it's predictable. However, I think the protagonist's resilience will keep you turning pages despite knowing how this will all work out.

This isn’t a fluff festive read. There isn't over-the-top chemistry between the characters. BUT - it’s got substance. I heartily recommend it.

I was gifted this copy by Penguin Random House Canada, Doubleday Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

It Happened One Christmas by Chantel Guertin is a quaint, festive read that will charm lovers of the traditional Hallmark holiday movies. While none of the tropes utilized are surprising or new, there is just something about the comfort of the familiar, and Ms Guertin finds the perfect balance of sweet and salty. There is a reason that these tropes return again and again, and that is that readers love them. Also, bonus points to the author for giving life to a Canadian setting that doesn't purport to be anywhere else, a truly refreshing change. If you find yourself eagerly anticipating the newest addition to the Netflix line-up of holiday romances, add this title to your TBR immediately.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC.