Okay here we go.
This book was an ARC
This book it's kinda popular because it has a playlist and every chapter comes with a song. Mostly are Taylor Swift songs. Yes, that is an attractive part. But the book itself is so good. It is a kind of book that feels cozy, warm and super cute. It also seems like a combination of a couple of movies and it has a Christmassy vibe.
The only thing is that I have a hate love relationship with Rome. Sometimes I thought of him like a manic pixie dream guy but sometimes he melts my heart and other times I can’t stand him.
And also like this version was an ARC it has a couple of typos.
But in general I really like the book and the story, also it was so easy to read and very addictive and adorable.

This book is a charming rom-com that captures the essence of nostalgia, second chances, and the enchantment of the holiday season. What really stood out to me was the clever use of Taylor Swift's songs as chapter themes, which adds a unique and engaging twist to the storytelling. As a swiftie, that's definitely a plus star for me! The story also deserves kudos for steering clear of the usual romantic comedy clichés like instant love and excessive miscommunication, opting instead for a more authentic and heartwarming love story. I also liked Aspen as well as her transformation, from a somewhat shallow celebrity to a more likable and well-rounded individual. However, there are some notable drawbacks. The narrative occasionally veers into unrealistic territory with events that stretch believability. The rapid rise of Aspen's career and the unprecedented success of her album and tour within a short timeframe strain credibility and may challenge readers' ability to immerse themselves fully in the story. The character development, particularly of the male lead, leaves room for improvement. His dialogues, intended to be intense and mature, often come across as flat due to a lack of depth in his personality. The consistency of his character between his teenage and adult years diminishes opportunities for growth and may make it harder for readers to invest in the romance. Lastly, the portrayal of interactions among adults in the entertainment industry lacks the complexity and nuance typically found in such relationships. Taking all this into consideration, especially considering that this is a debut novel, I found it to be an enjoyable reading experience. I'm genuinely looking forward to reading more of Kimi Freeman's future works and witnessing her growth as an author.

Thank you so much to Parson Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by the taylor swift references, like many others. Fun, light easy read. I liked the fact that it has a Hollywood backdrop. But I was a bit put off by the young adult vibes of the story. I think it would appeal more to a twenty-something audience.

obviously i love a good taylor themed book. the coziest and cutest novel for the holiday season. this cured my theatre kid heart.

A sweet debut book that gave me major Taylor Swift emotions. One of my favourite songs is 'Tis the blasted season, and this book is adorable! This well-known fmc x small-town mmc, second chance romance book was ideal for the current weather as we slowly enter autumn and the temperature drops. I enjoyed the book and wanted to curl up with it! The novel moved quickly because of the timeline's back and forth movement and its condensed chapters. Most of the time, the characters were endearing, but I believe they could have used a little more nuance. One of the things I thought made it clear that this was a debut novel was that. The plot of this book could have been more fully developed if there had been more investigation into how Hollywood operates. The lack of a trigger warning for the sexual assault that was described in this book may have been due to the fact that I was reading an ARC, but I believe that it is really necessary to include and will, hopefully, be in the final edition or wherever readers can see it readily. Overall, a great read that helped me get in the spirit for autumn, and another author whose new books I'll be watching for.

Thank you NetGalley and Parson Press for the ARC, and for giving me the chance to read and review it honestly.

The cutest book I’ve read in awhile! This had everything from family, friendship drama, romance and healing. The playlist is amazing and that’s coming from someone who typically isn’t too into the whole playlist in books thing.
Taylor Swift lyrical references throughout but done in an elegant way and definitely not overdone like some books have done.
After seeing this book on the authors TikTok for MONTHS I was pleasantly surprised to receive an advanced reader copy and I could not put this book down to save my life! It definitely lived up to the hype and I will be purchasing the physical copy once it comes out.
The characters are so relatable and down to earth; even for being a celebrity. This book is like a warm hug that just keeps giving.

I was intrigued by the concept of the book. I expected a new adult romance but it definitely read far more young adult. While I did finish the book, I struggled believing the conflict(s) and timeline. The book does flashback every other chapter but the present timeline was all during a short period of time where a lot happened for the main character. Some of the dialogue was painful and surface level. The characters felt forced and two dimensional. There were too many “twists” and issues put into one storyline. There is potential in the story and I think people will pick it up based on the title alone. Swifties will appreciate all the embedded lyrics and chapters associated with her music. But, the book is average at best. 2.5 stars.

The premise of this book is great! Actress turned singer Aspen Moore returns home to hide from a scandal, just before the holidays, and spends time with her on-again, off-again high school boyfriend. Told in a single POV with dual timelines, the story covers how Aspen and Roman met in high school and fell in love, how they went their separate ways but keep finding each other, and how their past comes to impact their present. This book will appeal to Taylor Swift fans, people who want a light closed-door holiday read, and younger readers just getting into romance who want a New Adult vibe.

Check content warnings (off-page sexual assault by side character).

The one thing I really didn't care for was that, at times, the book felt slut-shame-y in relation to the scandal Aspen finds herself in. I don't think it was the author's intent, though, as she makes good points through the statement Aspen releases. It would have been good to have Aspen thinking more about the double standard women face with slut-shaming and the privacy issues from the start, instead of being upset because she didn't do what people think she did. Considering the author is sixteen, I'm happy to give her the benefit of the doubt here.

As a Swiftie, I did enjoy this book for what it is. It is absolutely a Taylor Swift coded book, and I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the dual time line of the book, stating how Aspen and Roman initially found their way to each other and the ups and downs, but it did seem very surface level in the romance. The characters didn't feel fully formed, but after finding out the age of the author that makes a little more sense.

The writing was quick and fast paced which is what I look for in a good rom/com; however, this felt a little lackluster. If you are looking for a sweet ride and are a Swiftie this is a cute book. If you are truly looking for depth and growth this may not be the book for you. It just felt underwhelming, and I did not like how Aspen relied on Roman as much as she did about pulling her out of her shell or making her feel whole. Second chance romance is normally one of my favorite tropes and this one just fell a little flat for me.

I did not like this book. I'm giving it three stars to be nice. I don't know if it was just me or if it was the book, but something was not clicking.

First, I'll talk about what I did like.
•the dual-timeline! I enjoyed getting to see both bookends of their relationship. It made me believe their chemistry a little more.
• ??? that might actually be the only thing.


Now on to what I didn't like
•The chapters end so abruptly. Like in the middle of conversations. I found myself turning the page, expecting more dialog just for it to be the end of the chapter.
•The dynamic between the two leads is so weird?? She's constantly saying that they can't be together or that they'd never work, only to be the one initiating most of the things that happened between them. The lines that she kept drawing were just immediately blurred by her anyway. And he went along with whatever mood she was in that day.
•I didn't love the way Roman talked to her sometimes. Their fights felt juvenile and pointless and not even really like fights. They would blurt out like two insults, just to resolve it almost immediately and go back to the tenuous "friendship" they have. It was so strange.
•they had little to no chemistry as a couple. As friends, I could believe it. And as teens, even, it was fine. But as adults?? No way. Especially when I found out that it was soooo on and off between them.
•For a book that's literally based around a Taylor Swift song, the references were so sporadic. It was heavier at the beginning, and then literally nothing during the middle. It's like a hook the author was trying to use to get people interested.

I didn't find out that the author was literally a teenager until I finished the book, so I don't want to be too harsh with what I'm saying. I do think that there's room for growth in storytelling. (Not that I have much experience myself) I would read more from this author, but I would definitely go into it with certain expectations already there.

I’m obsessed with the title as an avid swiftie. This book had me hooked from the start and was such an easy read

Read this because I’m a Taylor Swift fan. Best part of this book was that each chapter has a different song at the start of the chapters ( most were Taylor Swift songs). Other than that this book was bad. Not a very original plot. Annoying main character. Seemed like a YA book. Don’t suggest.

“we could call it even, you could call me babe for the weekend, tis the damn season write this down, i’m staying at my parents house and the road not taken looks real good now” this book was any taylor swift obsessed book lovers dream. the writing feels very young and nostalgic which makes sense given the authors age at the time of writing this. kimi did a wonderful job including themes from the song but still having it be an original price. not to mention the playlist and the little hidden (whether intentional or now) taylor swift references.

Thank you #NetGalley and #ParsonPress for letting me read this book early.A Hollywood starlet caught in a scandal. The boy she never got over. A Christmas season they’ll never forget.
If you are a swiftie you will enjoy this book.

This book was a cute Taylor Swift inspired Christmas romance. I loved the Taylor Swift references and the playlist lining up with the chapters. I liked how the dual timelines worked together. I felt some parts didn't really flow for me, I found myself rooting for the romance throughout the book.

Tis the Damn Season must be added to every romcom fans holiday reading list because it’s so damn adorable!

Aspen Moore’s world has crumbled around her so she heads home to find peace and solace with her family in Pennsylvania. Trying to distance herself from a Hollywood tabloid nightmare, the actress turned singer leans on her high school boyfriend, Roman, for support. Roman tries to help Aspen pick up the pieces of being shattered when she was publicly accused of hitting on her model/best friend’s boyfriend who was touring with Aspen.

Trying to put the lies and betrayal behind her, Aspen and Roman end up in charge of the yearly Christmas performance for the church Aspen’s father helps out. He usually tackles the festivities but Aspen is stepping in this year and she couldn’t be more excited! As auditions take place, Aspen is reminded of the simple joys music once brought her; she remembers the first guitar that was gifted to her and the hours she spent practicing while writing songs. Those memories are often bittersweet however as it was her dreams of becoming an actress and musician that contributed to the break up of her and Roman. As the two work closely to prepare for the performance, old feelings surface while questions about the future of Aspen and Roman remain unanswered. Does love truly conquer all or is Aspen’s life in the limelight, good and bad, prove too much for Roman to handle?

Thank you NetGalley, Kimi Freeman, and Parson Press for the opportunity to read the novel ahead of its anticipated October 24th release in exchange for candid feedback. I’m excited for what the author will write next!

This book was so FREAKING cute. I'm obsessed with Christmas and anyone who knows me, knows I love a cute Christmas romcom. Kimi did not disappoint and I honestly am in love with this small town romance story.

It was easy to read, had me giggling and laughing the entire time, and overall really did a fantastic job at telling a cute story that's holiday themed.

I loved this and will definitely be rereading it for the Christmas season.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

There is a lot about this book that I really liked. I loved the inclusion of two timelines so we could see where Aspen and Roman were in the present, and simultaneously get the story of their past. It helps draw the reader in and really invest in their love story. I also liked the premise --young starlet goes home for the holidays to escape a recent scandal, and while home meets back up with her first love. The story itself was sweet and full of heart and (almost) as upbeat and fun as Taylor Swift herself. As a debut novel from such a young writer this is a really impressive novel. And personally I really loved the idea of having a song list to accompany the chapters; I even turned on the playlist while reading and really enjoyed the vibes!
There were two things I didn't really love. The first was the dialogue between the two main characters. This was a romcom and very dialogue-heavy, which makes the conversations between the love interests of utmost importance. Frequently, however, they felt repetitive and static. Roman has one (and only one) term of endearment for Aspen that felt unnatural when he used it. And his actions demonstrate that he feels protective of Aspen, but his conversation didn't always reflect that.
There other issue for me was the sexual assault that's included in Aspen's history. While it's hinted at several times in the story, the actual reveal doesn't come until very late in the book. And the way it's revealed and then subsequently serves to help resurrect Aspen's reputation makes it feel as though Aspen's assault is just a plot device and that feels pretty icky. It wasn't a surprise by the time it's revealed because the hints are there sprinkled throughout the text, but it was still a bit of a jarring note in a story that was otherwise very sweet and upbeat. The placement of the reveal and it's handling, as well as its presence without a trigger warning, may trigger or offend some readers.
That said, I did enjoy this read and look forward to seeing more from this author.

This was a cute read and, for a debut novel by such a young author, it was good, however I did have some issues with it.

It follows Aspen and Roman, who were high school sweethearts and apparently still so in love despite ending things when Aspen moved to LA for her career. I enjoyed the chapters written in the past, however, I didn't feel any chemistry between them during the present chapters. The conversations also felt very stilted sometimes so that wasn't great.

I did love all the Taylor Swift references though, and the premise of being based on Tis The Damn Season was great!

I love a good Christmas book! This book has all the elements of the perfect holiday novel. Small town, which I always love because I grew up in a small town. Gives the cozy vibes you need with anything holiday! I love the second chance romance and this book just makes the Taylor Swift song come to life all the more!