This was a cute, holiday rom com.
I felt like Aspen was pretty self absorbed but she got a lot better and became more likeable.
This was sort of a holiday journey on positivity and self love. It wasn’t spicy at all, just kind of cute and wholesome.
It was a quick read. I liked the high school sweethearts nod and for a debut it was well written.
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

a small-town second chance romance that is literally based off of a taylor swift song - sign me up !

the title alone was what initially attracted me to this book - i started humming along immediately (this was a veyr smart move on the authors part)

the chemistry between the two main characters - aspen and roman - had such cute chemistry, i was smiling and kicking my feet like a goofball!

Special thanks to the author and publisher for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 2 stars.

Some topics in the story may be triggering. Please check content warnings (below) and read with care!

Not gonna lie, I picked this up because of the title (ifkyk). Although the premise plays out pretty much like the song does, it sadly didn't work for me. I didn't understand why this couple needed to be together and in fact, I felt as if they shouldn't have been together because they had a fairly toxic relationship with major communication issues. It wasn't that there was miscommunication, it was simply that they barely communicated and I found it incredibly frustrating.

I'm going to try and keep this review short-ish. I did learn after browsing reviews that the author herself is only 16 years old and it explains why the writing read quite young but also, damn, congratulations because to be published at that age is amazing! I think with time, guidance and editing, the author can easily fit into the YA romance category. Yes, this is marketed as New Adult but it isn't and if you go into this expecting it (like many understandably did), you'll be disappointed.

As I mentioned, the tone was very immature. I think the characters are in their mid-20s (although I can't recall their ages being mentioned at all) but they read as very young adults. I honestly couldn't differentiate much between their younger high-school selves in the flashbacks and the older versions of them. Sadly, I couldn't connect or empathise with the characters at all and that likely has to do with how one-dimensional they were but also, how everything seemed to happen off-page which made it hard to feel invested in what they experience. All of the major moments in their backstory and what little "growth" there is in their relationship, don't happen in front of us and with the unclear time lapses, it read very chaotically. This contributed to me not understanding their relationship because it seemed toxic and as I mentioned, they struggled to communicate. Aspen challenged this when she urged Rome to be more open—and he did open up more for a while—but ironically, she wouldn't do the same with him and would continuously say "I don't want to talk about it", sweeping it all under the rug and never addressing any of it again. It was irksome! Beyond the characters being one-dimensional, they were also fairly unlikeable, in my opinion. Well, I honestly can't say much about Rome because he felt like a cardboard cutout and lacked personality. On the other hand, Aspen was very difficult to stomach. She was selfish and self-centered much of the time but she also let everyone treat her like trash. It was very "woe is me" and after a point, it got tiring because nothing changed until the very end.

If the characters had been better developed, their relationships more fleshed out, and the flow was less chaotic, this could've been really good. As it is, I didn't enjoy this at all.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Bullying/Cyberbullying (FMC and side characters), sexual assault/rape (FMC, detailed recounting), grooming, death of parent (cancer, MMC's mother), Parent diagnosed with progressive disorder (Parkinson's, FMC's father)

Second chance romance & dual timeline inspired by T Swift? Yes please! Aspen is an actress & singer struggling to cope with a false celeb scandal against her, so she heads back to her hometown for Christmas where her Dad asks her to direct the annual nativity with her first love, Roman. But of course, it's not all smooth sailing as they try to navigate a path forward together.

While I agree with others that this would've been better marked as YA and parts felt a little too juvinile for me, overall I still enjoyed it and thought Kimi captured the love between Aspen and Roman well. I loved getting a look into their relationship at different stages. I also really enjoyed the way that every chaper is inspired by a different song!

**TW - Mention of SA & family death.

Thanks to Netgalley and Parson Press for this arc in return of a fair review. All thoughts are my own.

Christmas season rolls around and Aspen Moore, a twenty-three year old singer/actress is back in her small town after a huge scandals blows up her life in L.A. She finds herself directing a children’s Christmas musical with her childhood best friend, and the guy she never got over. Things heat up between them and she has to make a decision. She doesn’t want to stay in a small town and he doesn’t want to leave, so how will they ever make this relationship work?

This book felt really juvenile. The characters are supposed to be in their mid-20s, but they speak and act like teenagers. After reading this book, I found out the author is only 16 herself…so it makes sense that the characters were written in a more juvenile manner. I think it’s really incredible that she was able to get her book published at such a young age. I just wasn’t totally sold on the story, but I did like how each chapter had a song on the title page. The book is really fast paced, so it was really easy to binge.

This definitely isn’t an adult contemporary book. It felt more like fan fiction I would have written in my teenage years. If this was marketed as a YA book, I probably would have rated it higher. It’s definitely not an adult contemporary romance. That being said, if you’re looking for a quick read with a Christmas background and you don’t mind suspending reality for a bit, maybe give this one a try.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I was enjoying the dual timeline chapters until it got to a point where it felt like the story wasn’t moving along in either timeline.

The dual timeline structure effectively contrasts Aspen's glamorous Hollywood life with the simplicity and authenticity of her hometown. Freeman's writing is engaging and relatable, bringing to life the characters and their emotional journey. The romance between Aspen and Roman is slow-burning and believable, their undeniable chemistry simmering under the surface.

While the story occasionally feels predictable, the overall charm and emotional depth of 'Tis the Damn Season make it a worthwhile read. It's a heartwarming tale of second chances, self-discovery, and the power of love to remind us of who we truly are.

Content warning: there is brief mention and description of sexual assault in this story.

This was such a fun, lighthearted read that was just what I needed to get me out of a reading slump. I found myself rooting for the characters throughout (especially Rome!) and loved the way the non-linear timeline really helped create an understanding of Aspen and Rome’s relationship. From the second I read about the night when their relationship started, I couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know how their story ended. It was fun to watch the characters grow up and become more mature, as they learned how to balance the demands of Aspen’s celebrity status with Rome’s tendency to be more private. The ending really just made me happy and I finished the story with a smile on my face!

The songs that were paired with each chapter were a fun little extra, given Aspen’s music career. They would make an awesome playlist!

this was such a cute holiday read!!! i absolutely loved the second chance romance of this & how pure the love between roman + aspen was <33 i love books with a past/present timeline and this one did it so well! i also had the most fun noticing all the little taylor swift inspired moments!!

3 stars

Did I only request this because of the Taylor Swift song??? Yes...do I regret that??? Nope!!! What a cute read! This was fun and kept me busy for a couple days.

This is a cute little Christmas romance, and it’s especially perfect for Swifties! There’s a fun playlist with a song for each chapter, and the main character is an aspiring singer/songwriter. I loved Roman’s character and his and Aspen’s love story, although at times Aspen seemed a little flat and superficial. It also seemed a bit weird to me that a small-town church would have such a heavily directed and produced children’s Christmas musical, but it added a fun element. However, the biggest surprise of the book (and this one’s on me for not paying attention lol) is that the author is SIXTEEN! I was reading the acknowledgements after finishing the book and had to stop and go look at her Instagram, because I couldn’t believe this is a debut from a sixteen year old! The quality of writing and storytelling was, in my opinion, that of a much more experienced writer. In conclusion, if you’re looking for a quick, fun, Christmas romance, this one’s for you!
TW: sexual assault

Many thanks to NetGalley and Parson Press for the advance copy; Tis the Damn Season is out now!

Told in a dual timeline and inspired by the Taylor Swift song of the same title, ‘Tis The Damn Season is a charming new contemporary romance destined to break your heart and put it right back together.
A Hollywood starlet caught in a scandal. The boy she never got over. A Christmas season they’ll never forget…

I loved the premise of this book, but I’m disappointed that I just could not get into this one. My biggest complaint is that this reads very YA…which makes sense since the author is only 16. Congrats on this amazing achievement. However, even though the characters are 22-23 years old they act much younger. I think this book would benefit being marketed as a YA holiday romance.

While I enjoyed the overall premise for this story (second chance romance, friends to lovers, Hollywood celeb), overall it just felt too juvenile for me. It's a new adult romance (not young adult), and the characters seemed so basic and simple. I think this could be great with a bit more depth to it. I did love the playlist at the beginning though, and all of the Taylor Swift songs and references!

A Lovely debut! Kimi wrote the perfect novel for the cheesy Christmas readers! It has that Hallmark movie sparkle, lovable characters and an adorable plot! Exactly what i looking for this season! Excited for her next releases!

A delightfully witty christmas romcom, packed full of classic festive tropes but with a refreshigly modern twist. A fun christmas read

An absolute dream for any Swifite readers out there!

This book had me smiling/giggling like a teenage girl all over again! I loved it!

I loved all the TSwift reference's, the cuteness of the books and the characters were easily relatable.

Already told my friends to get this one ordered because it was such a fun holiday read!

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

This damn book! Oh my lord this was freakin awesome. I had such a fun time reading it. Kimi did not disappoint. It was the perfect book to read around this time.
Definitely check it out!

A Taylor Swift=inspired story about a pop star and her long-time love. When she needs to escape the lime light, she heads back home and really tries to make a go of it with the guy she keeps on the backburner in her hometown. A cute idea, but missing a bit of character development.

A+ for the title lol. This read was a lot more YA than I initially thought it would be, but it was still pretty good in terms of what I expected from it! I loved this little holiday read!!!

A charming rom com delivered! Another Taylor Swift inspired book! Thank you for the advanced copy! I will reccomend.