This was such a cute book. To start with I loved the playlist that the writer included at the start of the book. I enjoyed the past and present timelines. Every event in the book had a reason for being there. I thoroughly enjoyed all the Taylor Swift references. The writing was well done and easy to follow along. It's a quick read with a fast pace. Very easy to read a in a day. I found the characters were relatable and easy to root for. This book was such a light and fun read.

To put it simply, I did not like this book. It was not for me. I could go into heavy details, and I was planning to, but since I don't think it's inherently harmful in any way and considering the author's age, I'm just gonna (mostly) let it go. Realizing the story was conceptualized when the author was fourteen and is now being published at her being seventeen, a lot of my issues make sense. I found aspects of it juvenile because it WAS written by a juvenile. I'm not saying young people can't write good books, I'm just saying their youth can definitely be quite obvious in the writing in ways that don't really do good things for the book.

Here's just a quick list of my main issues with the book:

- I really disliked the main character and don't really think she did much to redeem herself.
- Basically every other character was extremely static and seemed to just be there.
- I can handle a moral or a cliché here or there but when every dang chapter has at least a line that sounds like something out of the Hallmark channel, I just can't.
- There were simply too many Taylor Swift references SORRY to all y'all Swifties but God I can only imagine how many more there were aside from the SIGNIFICANT amount I, a non-Swiftie, caught. Especially since a LOT of them were so clearly just forced/thrown in there to BE a Taylor Swift reference and have no other purpose.

Just because this wasn't for me doesn't mean it can't be for you, but I don't think I'll be following this author's future projects. I do wanna say congrats on the debut tho because, regardless, that's a big accomplishment.

While I appreciated the story, it read a little too young for me. I love the song this book is based off of, and love that the author acknowledged how this song and other Taylor Swift songs helped her, but it wasn’t quite as emotional or reflective as I was hoping for. I still found it to be a sweet second chance story told in dual timelines. And it got me in the mood for more Christmas reads.

All the feels in this one - great dual timeline pov - where we can fall in love with both Rome and Pen and watch their live story develop. Great secondary story about the making of a Christmas show! A nice quick read and can’t believe the age of the writer!

This book was so cute! I was shocked when I read how young the author was when she wrote it. The cover pulled me in to start, but I ended up reading the book in just a couple of sittings. The story flowed and seemed like something that could happen in social media today.

I was in a big mood reading zone this week and decided to skip some spooky books and move straight into holiday-ish books 🫣 you can judge me, I don’t mind. I thought this was a super cute second chance romance story with high school sweethearts & best friends Aspen and Roman. Told in a dual timeline style, you really get a feel for all these two have been through together. Both characters were very likable with their own small flaws. I also loved aspens mom and dad. The drama made it exciting and of course the ending was very sweet.

I also happened to read the acknowledgments on this one and the author was 14 when she wrote the book. She also wrote it while in Providence, RI which now I’m obsessed since I’m from RI!

'Tis the Damn book that makes me wish it was Christmas already.

'Tis the Damn Season is a second chance, friends to lovers book that had me giddy beyond belief. This book was cleverly written with a healthy mix of flashbacks and present time storylines, characters you love dearly and also a the ones you love to hate.
These characters make you believe that love in fact does conquer all. Both Aspen and Roman have to deal with a lot of hardship, difficult situations and hurt.
Will their love for each other be enough in the end or will they forever be the one that got away?

I recieved an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I am so happy to have gotten this chance.

I thought this book was fun, and I loved the Taylor tie-in without being too “right on the nail”, The story is related to the song but not a total copy and shows some originality. There were parts (especially towards the beginning) that felt rather juvenile, but overall I felt that it was well written. I really loved the dual timeline and the fact that it switched every chapter - that really kept me turning the page.

I do think that a big trigger warning is missing at the beginning of the book, so definitely look up the TWs before you read.

Overall, a sweet, fun holiday book for the Swifties!

3.5 ⭐️

Well, that was cute!

Not bad for a debut author. It shows it was a kick-off book; the writing felt juvenile and sometimes forced, but overall I really enjoyed this friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance story. I believe this author will write amazing novels in a near future and I'm definitely looking forward to read her upcoming projects.

Also, the Taylor Swift references plus the songs listed for each chapter were everything!

Thank you to the author, Parson Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 'Tis The Damn Season by Kimi Freeman will be coming out on October 24th, 2023.

This book has a song listed for each chapter. The first pages have the songs listed in order. I made a Spotify playlist so I didn’t have to look up each song every time a new chapter started. Look for “tis the damn season book” playlist if you’re interested. The songs enhance the atmosphere while you’re reading.

I was worried about a song based on a Taylor Swift song, but I was interested immediately. This book lived up to it. Taking inspiration from “tis the damn season” we have a rock star/ actress in the middle of scandal during the holidays and she’s “staying at her parents’ house.” Her old boyfriend is a huge part of her parent’s lives, and not used to what fame brings,

This book is fun, quirky exciting read. Great for Taylor Swift fans of course, but you don’t need to be to enjoy the romance. Ideal for holiday cozy reading!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

I immensely enjoyed this book as I am a swiftie and tis the damn season is my favourite evermore song.
I loved every second of it.
From the two timelines to the Taylor songs at the beginning of every chapter (yes, there were some other songs and the author and me have the same taste in music)!

Highly recommended for every swiftie and those aspiring to be!!

From the title I knew I’d love this. Of course I did! Loved reading these characters finding their way back to each other and even more.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
🚫🌶️

This was such a cute quick read featuring a second chance romance with an alternating timeline. I absolutely loved the playlist and how each chapter opened with a song. This book was definitely made for Swifties. ❤️ I really related to Aspen as I too am a loaner who loves music. 🤣🎵🎶 Roman was so stinking sweet, he was the epitome of what I imagine for a small town high school sweetheart to be. I thought this book was an adorable YA read but being such it was missing some elements like adult drama/problems and spice.

“My love isn’t always enough. It’s not today. It wasn’t yesterday. But i can’t lie and say that I don’t hope that someday, it might just be.”

Thank you @netgalley and @parsonprep for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

I desperately wanted to love this book! Unfortunately, I just did not. It’s disjointed, It’s immature, Too much extra. Sorry!

Thank you to Netgallery and Parsons Press for giving me the opportunity to review an advanced reader copy of this book.

Reading the first few pages, this book made me think of a “It happened one summer” x “Love, Just in”, Natalie Murray’s upcoming rom com!

The book starts off with a starlet leaving LA after a scandal and heading back to her hometown to hide out. Add in a swoony ex-boyfriend, a Christmas play and a Taylor Swift playlist, you have a sweet clean romance

Ratings:
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Spice: 😇

Note: TW/SA

Pros
- the plot was sweet and focuses on people reconnecting
- Aspen is likeable, albeit impulsive at times
- If you’re looking for a clean romance, this one is perfect.
- Lots of references to Taylor Swift, including a full playlist

Cons
- since the story jumps between past and present, it can feel a bit jarring at times as you jump between timelines, which is in part because a number of the chapters are quite short.
- I felt like the resolution of the drama seemed too convenient and everything was miraculously fixed after one admission.
- Roman is a very one dimensional character, and his decisions throughout the story are hard to understand because of this.
- The Taylor Swift (and other) songs at the beginning of each chapter almost spoil what each chapter is about, so it may be better off at the beginning of the novel as a complete list.

I liked the actual story and second chance love, I just didn’t see how the Taylor swift playlist fell into it? I feel like that was just unnecessary, but it was a cute read and I liked the dual timeline shifts to get into the perspective of how they were then and how they came to be now, I really enjoyed that!

If you like Taylor Swift or sweet low stakes second chance, this is the book for you.

If you've ever listened to Tis the Damn Season by Taylor Swift and wanted a book for the couple in the song, this is it! Overall this is a very light and fun holiday romance, it was a nice pallet cleaner for me and would be perfect for anyone looking for a quick cute romance.

-Small town
-Second Chance
-One Bed
-Low stakes
-Closed Door
-Holiday Romance

This a cute cheesy romance. Aspen and Rome are adorable and I'm so glad that they got back together for real. They are clearly meant for each other seeing as they could never move on. They were so ingrained in each others lives.

CW: sa(in past, not detailed)

I received an arc through netgalley.

Kimi Freeman's debut novel, 'Tis the Damn Season, presents a heartwarming second chance romance between Hollywood starlet Aspen Moore and her first love, Roman Torres, set in a charming Pennsylvania hometown during the Christmas season. Aspen's return, prompted by a scandal, rekindles an undeniable chemistry between the two, but their vastly different worlds create a push and pull dynamic. Freeman's vivid portrayal of small-town life, clever Taylor Swift-inspired references, and the incorporation of a themed playlist for each chapter enhance the immersive experience. While the story occasionally suffers from abrupt chapter endings and a somewhat juvenile tone, it successfully weaves a tale of love, self-discovery, and the enduring enchantment of the holiday season, leaving readers with a heartwarming and comforting feeling.

Ok so, dual timeline, friends to lovers romance, one of my all time favourite tropes - however, as great as this one started out, the ending fell really flat for me. Initially, I was really into the story until I realized that Rome's character could have used a bit more depth. He's incredibly sweet, an almost perfect boyfriend really, but he's sort of portrayed as though he's only in the story to wait around for Aspen to come back into his life. Which, he kind of is, but the writing of it felt a bit off to me. The story started off so strong, and I loved the little glimpses of their relationship through high school. The chapters were a good length, the dialogue was decent. But the ending! The primary issue of the novel was not revealed until really late into the book, and it was such a surprise, I didn't like the new direction the book took on after the truth was revealed. The wrap up of all of the problems came to a conclusion too quickly - don't get me wrong, I'm so happy Aspen cleared everything up, but I wish it was done at a slower pace. I'm also not a huge fan of events happening like that so quickly in an epilogue. This book had a lot of things that I really liked, the term of endearment in a different language, sweet and swoony flashbacks, forced proximity - but the last 20% ruined it for me.