I liked the idea of this story and figured I’d give it a shot. Pretty much from the beginning I just couldn’t get into the flow or the characters. I liked the short chapters but wasn’t that big a fan of the two timelines. It didn’t feel like the adult timeline gave enough info and it felt very immature. A lot of the events felt like they happened too fast. (Like a guy telling her out of nowhere he has a thing for her or when she finds herself seeing him basically the second she gets home) It felt like the author was trying to keep us interested instead of letting the scenes take place at a normal pace. For all the time the two characters spent together you’d think there would be more chemistry between them but it felt more like two friends. I had a hard time picking the book back up and found my mind wandering as I read. This was definitely an ambitious book but it was lacking the cohesion and foundation that make a strong story. I’d still tell others to check it out for themselves but it wasn’t for me. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

Tis the damn Season is a fun second chance romance. Aspen is a a singer/actress who is forced to return to her home town after a scandal rocks her perfect world. She returns home to fall into a second chance romance with her ex Roman.

Firstly, I just want to mention that there is mention of Sexual Assault in this book. There was no trigger warning which was disappointing but to anyone who thinks they may give this a try please keep in mind and mind yourself.

The story overall was a cute and easy rom-com but the writing felt juvenile. I felt like I was reading an unrealistic romance between two teenagers rather than 25 year olds. I’ve come to learn the author is 16 years old so this may explain why. I felt I was being told what something was instead of an actual description and some of the scenes were quite literal.

The main characters did have some nice dialogue and Aspen had some good character growth but I do feel like we could have gotten more from them. Especially as a romantic couple.

I do love a celebrity trope and second chance romance so the plot was definitely up my street but I think this book is more geared towards YA rather than Contemporary romance or New adult.

Overall I did enjoy, it was light and definitely gave me holiday season vibes. For the author only being 16 it’s a great debut novel. I think with more experience and age her future works will be great.

Thank you Netgalley and Parson Press for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This just wasn't for me. I loved the premise: celebrity romance AND a second-chance at love? Sign me up! But it just fell a little flat for me. The characters felt a little too one dimensional and immature to be the age that they are supposed to be -- and I think going back to Aspen and Roman's past a few times would have been able to tidy it up. I didn't need so much about their first relationship (it was every other chapter) - I needed more about what happened to Aspen after she moved to LA. That would have created some context as to why she was so resistant to move forward. Honestly - more about why her LA best friend would believe that Aspen would hit on her man? What happened in that situation to blow up her life? There was absolutely nothing provided about that - it was all left in shadows. ALSO - it was never discussed why Roman wouldn't be cool with being her boyfriend in the public eye -- he kept encouraging her and telling her to move to LA to make it big and that he would support her... but he doesn't want to deal with the "fame" of it all. That just didn't make sense to me (aka the restaurant scene and then the event... and his reaction to all of that).

I've looked at other reviews and this seemed to hit all the marks for other readers - so I am going to say that not liking this book is a "me thing" and not a "book thing". Not for me - but others seem to really like it.

Only good vibes to Kimi Freeman for writing a book and getting it published (bravo).

‘’Tis The Damn Season’ is Kimi Freeman’s debut book, and if you think that is the title of a Taylor Swift song, you are correct.  Kimi Freeman was a mastermind when mentioning other Taylor songs throughout the book.  Another touch that was done with this book was the playlist that was made.  This playlist matched each chapter perfectly and it’s all listed at the very start of the book so you can make sure to have it playing when you are reading.  At the start of each chapter, Kimi made sure to say which song was for that chapter.  Having this touch helped make the story and having a soundtrack is one that I feel is great to have to help set the mood and place of your reading.

But what I enjoyed most about the book was the way she wrote Aspen and Roman.  ‘’Tis The Damn Season’ is a great love story between two people who are meant to be together but life gets in the way.  But no matter what happened if the other one needed the other they were there for each other.  The book was also written so you would see what is happening in the present but also what happened in the past so you would be able to figure out and see how they got to be who they are and how they got to that point in their relationship.  I also have to say the parts and times where she goes in the past help the flow of the story.

There isn’t a sizzle rating for this book but it is a very strong 4 and a ½ stars from me.  The journey Aspen and Roman will take you on will tug at your heartstrings but Kimi makes the whole journey worth it.  While reading this book I highly recommend playing the playlist that was put together.  And since the holiday season is right around the corner this book would be the perfect red while going through the holiday season and just needing a break from it all.  With this being Kimi’s first debut book I have to say she really did a fantastic job and I am looking forward to her next book.

‘’Tis The Damn Season’ was just released today and is available wherever you get your books.  To find out more about Kimi or any future books you can check out her website.

**I would like to thank NetGalley, Parson Press, and Kimi Freeman for the ARC copy of this book. Getting the ARC Copy did not influence my thoughts on the book as they are all my own.**

This is a cute fast read. There aren't trigger warnings on this book but it does touch on SA although not graphic, deaths of parents and bullying.
I just learned that the author is 16 and congrats to her for this book. The ending felt a tad rushed for me but I loved the story. The relationship between Aspen and Roman is sweet. Roman has loved her from the 1st time he saw her in high school. Roman has his own struggles with family tragedy and Aspen's family takes him in while she is gone chasing dreams. This book gives an inside look at fame and how people see stars and how the public treats them. I did like how the book went back and forth between now and their relationship from the start.
Tropes -
Second chance romance
High school sweethearts
Small town

Let’s be real, I picked this book up because it had the same title as a Taylor Swift song 🤷‍♀️ then I found out she has a playlist and songs for each chapter (many of which were by Taylor Swift) and I KNEW this book & I were meant to be 💕

Grab this book (out today!) if you like:
👗Hollywood romance/famous characters
🏘️ small, hometown settings
💕 second chances
🙈 no spice, but sparks
🔥 slow-burn
💛 friend-to-lovers
🪩 Taylor Swift
💔 an emotional reading experience

This book was easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me, especially once I learned that @kimifreeman_ is SIXTEEN!!!! And it’s GOOD!!! If that doesn’t make you pick up the book, I don’t know what will. This book gave me all the feels and I had so much fun reading it. It bounces back and forth between November/December of the present time and six years ago, when the two main characters dated in high school. I’m typically not a second-chance girlie, but I was absolutely cheering for these two the whole time.

This book is an incredible winter read for when you want something that feels a bit Stars Hollow, a bit Christmas, and a lot of warm fuzzies.

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy! This is my honest opinion.

3.5 stars rounding up.

This was a cute read. I would say it’s pretty YA with a few trigger warning, of Bullying, and SA. It was a very easy and quick read. Dual time lines. And the main characters were cute.

You got to see the growth of our main character and how much she grows up throughout the book. Although I didn’t really feel any big connection between our 2 main characters I did enjoy the story line, and the friends to lovers - 2nd chance tropes.

My favourite part of this book was the Reading Playlist. I am the biggest Taylor Swift fan - so seeing that the majority of the playlist was Taylor songs- I absolutely adored and was able to connect to the book more so in that way.

I would recommend this, especially to younger readers. It was a nice small town romance. It was cute and I did like it.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this In advanced, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Anything with taylor swift lyrics as the title is instantly great. But I did really love the characters and story. Well done!!!

3,75/4⭐

TW: SA

Tropes:
-Second chance romance
-Small town
-Celebrity romance (she's a famous singer)
-Holiday romance

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
I was very excited to read this book since it was inspired by the song " ‘tis the damn season" by Taylor Swift.
For a debut novel, it was pretty good. It was a quick read and I liked the double timeline past/present.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book; Aspen and Roman were cute even though I would've liked to know more about the beginning of their story. The dialogues were kinda cheesy sometimes, but they didn't ruin the writing or the story for me.

I think I need to really avoid all books that include Taylor Swift references because as much as I LOVE her, I just find that she and her lyrics become cheesy when referenced in books and then I end up not being able to take the book seriously. I absolutely LOVE a celeb trope, too and this one definitely had a lot of potential but it isn't written well and there's not enough depth.

Thank you Netgalley and Parson Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this read. The story was cute, I loved the concept. Something’s were a little predictable, to me, BUT if you’re a fan of swoon worthy holiday stories and hallmark movies give this one a try.

**thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read and receive**

‘Tis the Damn Season by Kimi Freeman was a super cute second chance romance.
I really enjoyed this book! As soon as I picked it up and started it, I knew that I was going to want to finish it as soon as I could.
The characters were really likeable and felt realistic and you were definitely rooting for them by the end.
A sweet little holiday romance.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Parson Press for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Right off the bat, I'm not the biggest Swiftie in the world, but I am Taylor Swift fan which lead me to this book. I think that maybe I'm just getting too old for these kinds of stories but I just couldn't get down with the writing. I need more depth to the writing and conversations that happen with the main characters. I feel that a trigger warning is needed, but overall it was a read.

In this book, we follow Aspen, a disgraced celebrity, as she returns to her hometown to recollect herself before she can face the backlash waiting for her in LA. In her hometown, Roman, her high school sweetheart who she's been on and off with, waits for her return so they can fall back into old habits. Through all of the allegations thrown, Aspen maintains her innocence while trying to put together a play for the children at her father’s church.

The concept of this book was amazing. It hit the nail on the head when it came to parallels of the song “tis the damn season” by the one and only taylor swift. It had the angst, the slow burn, and the drama. The fact that this concept was created by a fourteen year-old is crazy, and Kimi deserves all of the praise in the world for it.

That being said, I did rate this book two stars. It was okay. The reason is because it didn't feel like it was made for its target audience. This book is meant for the new adult audience and contains content that make it such, with mentions to rape and heavy trauma. However, the writing style and execution of the idea didn’t feel mature enough to be read by a new adult audience. If some of the mature content was rolled back, this would have made a great book for older YA.

Another thing, the way that the characters interacted within the first couple of chapters felt rushed. For example, Roman approaches Aspen after the disaster that was the talent show and asks if he has a chance with her. According to Aspen, they have never spoken a day in her life, and now he’s asking her out? The progression doesn’t make sense. After, they get close very quickly which is fine but agreeing to hang out with somebody after exchanging four sentences? And then date after hanging out twice? That’s a little too fast.

The other thing that could have made this book seem more mature was the way the trauma of the rape was described. Instead of throwing in the details about what happened in the end, putting it a little earlier would have given us the ability to see how Aspen dealt with the trauma more in depth. It also wouldn’t have felt so rushed. There were hints to it earlier in the book. If leaving it in the end was the best move, then making it more obvious that something happened would have allowed me to see and empathize with Aspen on a deeper level than I was able to.

Of course, no hate to the author. This was a great book for a debut, especially for a sixteen year old. I totally understand how hard it is to write a book for an audience that is older than you.

PS. Thanks to NetGalley and Parson Press for the ARC

This was a quick, easy paced book. Keep in mind that there’s no trigger warning for SA which I found quite disappointing.

Aspen goes back to her hometown after a scandal broke out about her, her best-friend and her friends boyfriend on the internet. Once she gets home she reconnects and directs a play with her ex-boyfriend. This is basically Miss Hollywood runs away from the drama instead addressing it.

SPOILERS!!!

Aspen character was nice to read at the start but as the book went on she got more annoying and selfish. Her going off at her parents and Rome for keeping a secret for her (which I do admit that they shouldn’t have kept that as a secret) while she keeps big secrets from them. Her telling Rome that he betrayed her for not telling her and I’m just here like, he explained why he didn’t say anything. Then she goes on to say that there’s no excuses. At this point she should just keep her mouth shut.

Rome on the other hand, I enjoyed his character but there were times were he should off considered before speaking aloud. Him calling Aspen a slur just because he was pissed off at her, it’s not right at all. There whole relationship also seemed a bit weird, like they got into agreements or disagreements and they would walk away and not talk to each for a while and then come back with him saying ‘i’m sorry’ and it’s all good suddenly? Like where’s the communication?

I loved the whole concept of play directing. Reading about the kids were the highlights of this whole book. I literally could not get enough of it. The relationship Rome and Aspen built with the kids was literally so lovely.

The whole concept of bringing in SA was out of nowhere, like I honestly don’t see the point of it. Then also finding out that her parents didn’t know about that, and she goes my bad.

I feel like half of the story wasn’t necessary like there wasn’t technically any plot. Having the read about their past got a bit repetitive.

The whole reason why I got interested in this book was due to the Taylor Swift songs at the beginning of each chapter.

OMG
LITERALLY THE PERFECT BOOK FOR THE FAN OF TAYLOR SWIFT.
i think the book is very good written, fun and fast paced.
and the alternation of the chapter from past to present? i loved that!!

Very Taylor Swift and that's always a very good thing. Tis the damn season is one of her best songs and the manner in which the author has sort of adapted that in the novel and created a whole experience out of it is admirable.

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC!

Aspen Moore, the twenty-three-year-old Hollywood starlet, seems to have it all—fame, fortune, and a thriving career. But when a scandal disrupts her glamorous life, she's forced to return to her small Pennsylvania hometown, where she comes face to face with her first love, Roman Torres.

The story unfolds as a delicate dance between the past and the present, as well as the push and pull of unresolved emotions. Aspen and Roman must keep their connection strictly platonic, even though their chemistry is undeniable. The story brilliantly explores the tension between their deep-rooted feelings and the practicalities of their separate lives.

The author masterfully captures the essence of a small-town Christmas and the magic of reconnecting with old flames. The emotional depth of the characters, along with the well-paced plot, keeps you engrossed in the story. Aspen's journey, from the glitz of Hollywood to the simplicity of her hometown, is beautifully depicted, highlighting the contrast between her career aspirations and the meaningful connections she left behind.

The narrative gently delves into themes of love, self-discovery, and the pursuit of happiness. Aspen's willingness to reconsider her priorities adds a layer of authenticity to her character, making her relatable and endearing.

Tis the Damn Season is a delightful and heartwarming read that encapsulates the holiday spirit and the magic of rediscovering love. It serves as a reminder that sometimes, the most precious things in life are the ones we've had all along.

For fans of holiday romance and contemporary fiction, this book is a perfect choice. Get ready to be swept away by the enchanting tale of Aspen and Roman and the magic of a Christmas season they'll never forget.

Rating: 4 / 5⭐️’s

i also liked that aspen was able to, in the end, find some healing and open up about the trauma she’s faced. however, i didn’t really like the writing style nor the flow of the book - it felt like it needed A LOT more work to be honest, and as if the story needs to be edited a couple more times. it just didn’t hit the right spot, especially for it to have all these taylor swift references and be based on tis the damn season.

I got about 30 pages in before I decided I really could not finish this novel - I’m sorry but I really could not handle the number of times ‘Fertsville’ was mentioned in the first 30 pages. If you were playing a drinking game you would be super drunk. I wanted to like this so badly for the Taylor Swift vibes. Two starts literally for the Taylor Swift references and the song titles relating to the chapters