Everyone’s got at least one bookish pet peeve and mine is a spicy read behind a cute innocent looking cover. The spice in this was strike one for me as I didn’t see it marketed anywhere. Strike two was the pacing of the story as I found it way too slow and a little boring. I also found it a tad on the sexist side so strike three, this one’s out for me :(

I was really hoping for a happy Christmas romcom but this book didn’t do it for me. This book was so slow. The characters also lacked any depth and really fell flat. The book was so sexist that it really killed it for me. We are in 2023 now and I don’t know things are still written like this.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for a copy of “ Confessions Of A Christmasholic” for an honest review.

This was everything you expect from a festive read , and a bit more.!
It was a Hallmark movie in book form ,with the usual format but with added raunch ! Unfortunately I didn’t really like any of the characters, so I can only give the book an average score

This was a decent holiday read. It felt a little choppy in parts but was able to trudge through. A good read for those who like a single dad/nanny trope. And definitely spicy 🌶️

This book just fell flat for me. I didn’t care for the FMC. Overall wasn’t the cute Christmas book I was expecting and was hard to get through.

The story line and main characters of the book were cute and perfect for a Christmas story; however, the book was a little too slow paced for me.

It took a while to get into the book for me, but if you do like a new Christmas romance then would recommend.

Read if you like the following tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Christmas
- Best friends break up
- Traveling

There were numerous factual errors in this book where the author used wrong names for characters. I know this is an advanced copy with errors but it made it hard to enjoy.

The writing was clunky and very unorganized. It’s like Wood took the longest way imaginable to say anything and get any point across. Nothing was just easy or straightforward.

Sutton was incredibly hard to like or care for. She was not well rounded and fell flat and dull.

the first 10% of this book was just painful to read, and it got better as the book went on but not great. Sutton is such a hot mess that it wasn't really funny. Like the fmc being a hot mess at times can be made comical in books, but this was not executed well. I failed to see the real chemistry between the couples and honestly found myself starting to skim through this book. it was not for me.

A wonderful holiday romcom!

I am usually pretty hesitant to read holiday books as I find too many of them try to paint this unrealistic cheesy Hallmark movie romance, but this one had the furthest thing from “love at first sight”! There was a good mix between stereotypical romance tropes and unconventional experiences explored in this book, it made it a fun read!
Some parts of this book had me audibly laughing aloud, while at other times I was experiencing real second-hand embarrassment for the character, Sutton, as she faced some pretty challenging and humiliating adversities.

I also really liked the portrayal of grief in different relationships (family, lovers, friends, etc.), and was delighted with the found-family trope that played out through the book. It made me want to move to my own little small town and celebrate Christmas!

All in all, it was a lovely romcom that I would recommend to pick up this time of year!

I struggled getting into this one from the beginning. The writing didn’t really grab me and both the main characters were difficult for me to like, which is tough in a romance. But it provided some good small town Christmas vibes, overall doing what it says on the tin.

Another favourite festive romcom that I will be recommending to anyone wanting a cosy and funny read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this opportunity!

This felt like the perfect book for this time around of the year. I love the word play in the title as well. It does have a min spice, it is a little messy when it comes to inner monologue but it is a lighthearted novel.

A brilliant Sexy Christmas quick read. Brilliant characters, good fun and just the book to cheer you up on a miserable afternoon! Single Dad who has fell out of love with Christmas meets a lovely girl in need of a job just as he is in need of a nanny, let the chaos and romance begin........... Loved this book

3.5 rounded up

Sutton is currently broke and let’s face it, homeless. She finds herself drunk, cold, and walking alone at night. When she catches Mr. Christmas fighting with his inflatable Santa she decides she wants a go at Santa too. Making her way toward Santa she trips on a cord falling and taking down his lawn decorations and blowing a fuse.

Gus Langston is unsure who this mystery woman is or what she is doing wondering alone at night. Single dad of twins Gus is a little weary bringing Sutton (a stranger) into his home but he couldn’t leave her out on the street to freeze.

Such a cute holiday read not too heavy on the spice and lots of holiday festivities. this book had me giggling and rooting for Sutton luck to turn around. 2/5 spice rating

I love grump meets sunshine and Scrooge vibes, but this one just wasn't a great fit for me personally.

The story begins with Sutton drunk and trying to sneak into her friend's uncle's house to squat for the night. She comes upon a house heavily decorated for Christmas and a man attacking an inflatable of Santa. After tripping on the electric cables, the man carries Sutton into his house so she can crash on his couch.

While I'm here for a woman grump (and a woman traveling alone!), Sutton's mix of immaturity and self-pity doesn't work for me. To breeze through this sort of read, I need a main character I can root for more.

To be sure, I'm a bit over coming-of-age storylines for romance novel leads in their late 20s. If that's something you're OK with - or something you enjoy! - this one is likelier to be a hit for you. I'd also recommend it to those who are big fans of holiday reads; with the male lead owning a Christmas shop, there's a lot on Christmas in here.

DNF at 12%.

I love a festive novel so was delighted to be approved to read this one. Unfortunately it wasn't really one for me - I found it all a little too unbelievable. I didn't understand how a man who found a very drunk woman destroying his Christmas decorations would then let her spend the night on his sofa and the very next day hire her to look after his two young children! There was also no chemistry between them so I didn't see how they got together when they did, it seemed out of nowhere. I did enjoy the storylines with his mother-in-law and also the two children, and it did have a fair amount of festive scenes so that was the plus side.

Quick Summary: A holiday mix of mayhem and mischief

My Review: Confessions of a Christmasholic by Joss Wood was a jolly read. It was a women's fiction book that featured a single parent dad, a drunk and disorderly therapist, and a super cute band of family and friends.

About the Book: Alone and bereft, Sutton Alsop finds herself down and out in the village of Conningworth during the Christmas holidays. With a bah humbug and readiness to punch Santa in the face, she happens upon Mr. Christmas himself. What happens when a grinch meets a grump?

My Final Say: This was such a charming story. The playfulness of the kids was everything. What Sutton and Gus found was special. The strength, the grounding, and the conviction that was expressed by both characters in the end showed courage. That courage was rooted in love.

Other: Readers who enjoy family life romances will enjoy this book.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 🍬🌶💬

Thanks to the author, to the publisher (HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter), and to NetGalley for granting access to this work in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own.

I enjoyed this book. It was a cute and nice Christmas book!

Some things I did not enjoy was the fact that it all happened so fast. After only a few days the main characters were in love? After the female MC literally destroyed the male MC´s Christmas decorations, dead drunk and had to crash in his house with his 2 small children?? I would probably be a little bit more skeptical.

But I enjoyed it and it gave me a cozy Christmas feeling.

Sutton, a down on her luck traveler, quite literally stumbles into Gus (aka as Mr. Christmas) who is the small village's director of all things holiday. From there the two develop a mutually beneficial arrangement that quickly turns into a "friends with benefit situation".

As the two journey through the holiday season, they end up helping each other sort out other aspects of their professional, and personal, lives.

There is plenty of comedy, and a little spice, to this this holiday rom-com. I enjoyed the three primary side characters (Moira, Eli, and Will). As a fellow mom of young kids, I thought the author did a great job at illustrating the fun chaos they can bring to the holidays.

While the end of the novel felt a little rushed and open ended, I appreciate how the author provided a happy ending without tying everything up into tidy bows.

Overall this was a cute holiday read. Think Hallmark, but with a little spice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

I wanted to like the book, but it just was not for me. I thought the writing was a bit weak, and also the characters embodied weird gender-specific stereotypes that I didn’t care for. Some people might enjoy this book, but for me it wasn’t worth finishing. I read enough to get a good sense of the story, but decided to not finish it.