Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was a cute festive book that I really enjoyed! Would definitely read this author again. There is a lot of Taylor Swift references, but not to a point where you think you're reading fan fiction, which can sometimes be the case!

Cute story. Unfortunately, you can tell that the writer is young. I looked it up after I finished and it made sense. Just a feeling throughout the book. I'm good with YA, this just felt young. The pacing of the book was a bit off and I struggled with the dialogue a bit. That being said, it's a solid first novel.

Thank you to net galley for the book! I had a great time and loved the whole thing. I would've wanted a bit more but other than that great book overall!

This is great as a surface level, "bubblegum romance" type of book.

Actress and singing sensation Aspen moves back to her small town in Pennsylvania after being caught in the middle of a cheating scandal. While at home, she reconnects with her best friend, and former boyfriend, Roman. The two are asked to direct the local's church kid's program. As the two spend more time together, they start to become closer and wonder if they're able to make a relationship work. The problem? Roman has expressed zero desire to live the celebrity lifestyle that Aspen lives.


This is great as a cute, YA, romance without any large conflicts.

However, because it was so surface level, there wasn't much character growth and it felt like the conflicts were thrown into the story just because.
There were issues within the book that I felt like could have been given more attention (SPOILER: Aspen's SA and the Parkinson's diagnosis for her dad). Both instances were blown over and it felt like those conflicts were thrown in strictly to have them in the book.

Overall, again, a great surface level romance book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Parsons Press for an eARC of this book! All opinions are my own!

I really enjoyed reading this book.
I read it over a few days, and couldn't wait till I got free time to read it more.

Any time of year is the time of year for a Christmas romance. If you're familiar with the Taylor Swift song 'Tis the Damn Season you may also enjoy this book. Like the song with the same name, this story follows popstar Aspen Moore's on-off relationship with her highschool sweetheart Roman Torres. She left her hometown and Roman behind with hopes of Hollywood stardom, but their connection could never be severed and the pair end up reuniting on her trips home over the years. But while home for an extended period of time in the midst of career pitfall, Aspen's goal for things to stay platonic may not be something the pair can follow.

If you're a fan of second chance romance, high school sweethearts romances, Christmas romances, or Taylor Swift, you'll enjoy this book. This was a cute story, but it reads very young. I think this is in part due to the young age of the characters (dual timeline of senior year of high school and 23 in the present) but also the writing itself. There's not anything explicit in the story so it would probably be best enjoyed by YA audiences. Thank you NetGalley, Kimi Freeman, and Parson Press for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Parson Press and Netgalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I gave this a 1.5 star, but rounded up to give the author some credit.

This book was a miss for me - the writing felt very juvenile and scattered. I wasn't surprised to find that the author is 16/17 - congrats to her on publishing a book at such a young age, but this was not my jam.

I don't usually go for friends-to-lovers, but I love Taylor Swift and I love a good yearn, so I thought this would be a fun read. I found the characters and their motivations to be quite flat, but I loved Roman as a MMC.

I was really uncomfortable with the handling of the SA storyline - it needing editing and a lot of work to make it feel like a real storyline and also to touch on the subject sensitively.

Another thing I couldn't get past was Fertsville as a town. The name took me out of the story every time and it is mentioned FIFTY times throughout the short book.

The typical feel good holiday romance!
I gave this an average rating, mostly due to the fact that we were reading from the POV of mid 20 aged characters, and what we got should have been much more mature than it was. They read more like teenagers that grown a** individuals. I'd say its more YA than new adult.

For a debut, I think it was great! If this weren't a brand spanking new author, the rating would have been lower.

And to note, the author was 16 when this was published. So it's understandable that the character read how they did. Again. 3 stars because..... Um hello.....what an accomplishment!!!!!!

Sweet romance, packed with Taylor Swift references.

I liked the premise behind the book. Second chance romance, small town guy/famous girl, duel timelines. When I found out the author was 16, I felt like a lot of things made more sense. It's incredibly well written for someone so young. There is a moderate grasp on more mature concepts, but I think the story would have worked just as well with a slightly younger cast. It touches on the heavy concepts well.

For a Christmas romcom I would have liked more Christmas. I loved the will they/won't they vibes though out. Overall a cosy, romantic, sweet read that ticks a lot of tropes I like.

"Tis the Damn Season" by Kimi Freeman is a captivating holiday romance that enchants readers with its warmth, humor, and heart. Freeman skillfully weaves together the magic of the holiday season with a tender love story that unfolds against a festive backdrop. The characters are relatable and endearing, and their journey of self-discovery and second chances is both poignant and uplifting. Freeman's writing is imbued with charm and wit, capturing the spirit of the season while also exploring deeper themes of forgiveness, family, and the power of love. With its delightful storyline and irresistible romance, "Tis the Damn Season" is the perfect holiday read to curl up with by the fire and get swept away in the magic of the season.

3 stars

THE BOOK TITLE CALLED FOR ME!!!!!

we could call it even
you could call me babe for the weekend
'tis the damn season
write this down!!!!!!!

This book is cute but I’m not sure if it’s New Adult. The characters felt a little too childish for me, however, it was still okay! The characters, although, too juvenile-like, were still cute! I would like it more if they had more character development as a couple.

Overall, it was a cute, quick, and sweet read! I enjoyed the Taylor Swift references a lot! I also liked the playlist!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this was not it for me. Just not interested, very juvenile, characters were all over the place. There is a random sexual assault out of left field that was not necessary.

This is not the book I was expecting from the description, "based on 'Tis the Damn Season." What I wanted: a super sexy winter wonderland weekend fling. What I got: a long angst fest filled with flashbacks following controversy and sexual assault with some... not so inspired song lyrics.

This objective review was based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Ended up DNF - ing the book after a few months of postponing finishing it. I liked the book but my mood at the time wasn't lined up with the genre.

I found 'Tis the Damn Season to be a lovely holiday read, but while classified as New Adult/Women's Fiction, it read much more juvenile & would be better suited marketed to YA audiences. Given the age of main characters, I would hope for more nuance and adult perspectives, but the age of the author makes the experience make more sense in retrospect.

From what I've gathered, the author is only 16 herself, and, um, it shows. Maybe this would have been better as YA instead of NA.

This Rom-com was everything I’m a huge Swifie and all the references had me giggling as I read this one. I love a good cute romance and this fit the bill

DNF- I was excited to get into this book and maybe at another time I would love this book, but I have been picking it up here and there and still can’t finish it. I did get 81 pages in (24%) before I thought I should call it quits, which does sadden me! I believe this would be such a great book for a younger age. To me, it seemed a bit immature and maybe throughout the book you see character development but I couldn’t get through with the two main characters, since I kept thinking of them as high schoolers, like there wasn’t any development from them in HS to them in their 20’s.

This had such promise and maybe I’ll pick it up again one day, but for now this is a DNF. I can tell this is Kimi’s first book. No hate! I would read another book written by Kimi in the future and hope she continues to write. I loved the song aspect and the premise but it just wasn’t what I was expecting (which was more maturity).

I unfortunately didn't get to read/review this book, as I was hospitalized for the fall of 2023. Cleaning it up now to remove it from my feedback loop. I apologize for the lack of review!