I liked the playlist. The jumping back from present to past every other chapter was difficult to follow.

No one puts the turkey in at 4 pm on Thanksgiving. The average Turkey take 3-4 hours to cook. And pies are usually made the day before to free up the oven.

I was totally done when Roman said Aspen was upset because he was considering going “to the other side of the state.” Pitt is on the other side of the state from Philly and Allentown. Penn State is in central PA

And this, my friends, is why researching a book is so important.

I was excited about this book because I love Taylor Swift and 'Tis the Damn Season is one of my favorite songs. In the end, I just don't think this book was for me. I didn't find either of the main characters very likable and was not rooting for their relationship at all. In fact, I feel like Roman is a walking red flag and brought a lot of toxicity to the relationship. From the very beginning, Roman decided he wanted to date Aspen and basically forced that narrative on Aspen, regardless of her opinion on the matter.

I also didn't love the dual timeline. I found that just as the story felt like it was getting into a flow, we would swap timelines again and that took me right out of the flow. I did like getting the background of Aspen and Roman's relationship, but every flashback chapter left me disliking Roman more than the last.

Overall, I found this book to be predictable and the characters immature and unlikeable. I'm sure there are many Swifties who will love this story just for the many Swiftie references throughout and the overall feeling of 'Tis the Damn Season that the story gave. As a 40-year-old woman, I'm just not the target reader.

As a swiftie this made me heart so happy. It was so taylor swift coded and I love it. As a person that evermore is my second favourite album this was a masterpiece. The whole story. Yall should read it. The author did an amazing job im her first novel I can’t wait to read more of hers! Thanks to net gallery, the author and the publisher for giving me this arc!! <33

Aspen Moore is an accomplished singer and actress living her dream life in LA when she is betrayed by her best friend and portrayed as a home wrecker following lies told by her friends boyfriend. Aspen returns home to Fertsville, Pennsylvania to escape the media circus, back to her family and on again/off again boyfriend Roman and they agree to direct the towns Christmas nativity.

Overall, this was an easy read with a cute storyline that wouldn’t be out of place on Netflix as a Christmas themed romance.

I felt that the storyline had promise and expected a cute romance but despite the surface charm, it didn’t quite deliver as hoped. I felt the dialogue was awkward and stilted in a lot of places and there were a few times throughout where I felt bored and that the scene was entirely unnecessary to the book. The Christmas theme, despite the name of the book, seemed to be an afterthought and pretty forced mostly even with the addition of the pretty over the top production of a child’s nativity play.
I disliked Roman throughout the entire book as his behaviour was poor at best and gaslighting in many places towards Aspen. I didn’t find him endearing at all. Aspens constant need to apologise for everything despite there being a lot she had no control over and mooning over ‘Rome’ was irritating in parts and became boring. I really wanted to enjoy this book and for the most part it was ok. I feel it would have been better maybe without the happy ever after and with Aspen living her dreams with her new best friend Leila in a girl power, we don’t need a man kind of ending. That being said, I’m sure this will be the perfect read for someone just unfortunately that isn’t me.

4.5⭐

First, thank you NetGalley for an ebook copy. 🫶🏻

** MINOR SPOILERS **

Straight to the review, my rating can be 5 if Rome's letter was longer or if it a whole chapter one that happened in the past. Like how the present shows how they live their lives and everything; and that one chapter about Rome or his POV. About how he takes everything, from how he fell with Aspen, his grief with his mom, the betrayal that he felt even a little when Aspen didn't tell him she's going to LA, how he still loves her even though there were hindrances.

Story wise it was well written, I finished this book within a day. Note I am working during the day and I only started reading at 6pm and finished it at 11:30pm. That's how invested I am in Aspen and Roman's story. The playlist helped too, the songs set the mood that you can really feel what Kimi wrote in that chapter.

There was something so cozy about this book. I really enjoyed the second chance romance but also the fact that despite everything that happened Aspen and Roman never stopped caring about each other. Their connection was beautifully written. Aspen's celebrity life was a whirlwind and a little much at times but still fun to read. I loved that she always had her home, family, and Roman to lean on. Rome was so sweet! he was a dreamy book boyfriend. I really enjoyed the PA setting as a Philly girl. The writing was pretty good. At some points chapter breaks and ends seemed to happen very suddenly which cut the story oddly but it wasn't super distracting. The playlist that goes along with the book is a really nice addition. Overall I really enjoyed this book!

As much as I love Taylor Swift and thought this would be the right book for me, the characters and I just didn't mesh. I think this is a well done romcom, just not the book for me.

I was SO EXCITED for the title when I read about it. Tis the Damn Season is probably in my top 3 Taylor Swift songs of all time (and I’ve been a hardcore swiftie since 2008, so that means something). Unfortunately, I DNF’d this around the 40% mark because it didn’t at all match my desire for a book that accurately reflects the song. To be clear, this song isn’t really a basis for a romance novel at all because it’s far too wistful and melancholy, but I still had hopes. Ultimately I found these characters unappealing and the story boring. A big bummer!

I unfortunately had to DNF this book. The writing felt underdeveloped and I found the characters to be flat. I really tried to push through but it just wasn’t for me. There weren’t enough transitional scenes so it felt jumpy when moving from one plot point to the next. The dialog also felt forced when Aspen and Roman are supposed to have known each other for years. The way they spoke to each other lacked familiarity.
I feel like with a couple more rounds of editing, this could be good. The plot has potential, it just needs some work.
This is also this authors first published book so I think that there is a lot of room for growth. Like I said before, there’s potential here. With more editing and time spent writing, I’m sure this author will do great things.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to like this book at first. I am older, therefore I wasn't knowledgeable on a few of the terms used. I also didn't get the Taylor Swift songs. But this was better than expected. And after I read the acknowledgements, and learned more about the author, I think it well done. It's lighthearted at times. Though it does cover some heavy topics. It's main focus is Aspen and Roman. Aspen comes home after experiencing backlash in her career. We learn their story between duel timelines. I was worried about this at first, but it's made very clear which time period your reading. Therefore it was never an issue. So if you want a book with all the feels, or you are a Swiftie, I highly recommend it.

The description really caught my attention with this one! Unfortunately it just didn't hit the mark with me. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and I thought the storyline had tons of potential. I really liked the dual timeline, and thought that was done very well! It helped me understand the relationship between Roman and Aspen, as well as the consistency was great!

I look forward to more from this author in the future!

This book came with all the warm and fuzzy feelings of the holiday season along with the laughing and crying that comes with a Hallmark movie. The Taylor Swift references were the icing on the cake. This is a very good debut novel and I cannot wait to read more by Kimi!

thank to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!💕

4/5 stars

There is no pepper rating of this one. If you put together Taylor Swift and hallmark christmas movie, this is for you. The endearing tale of coming home to someone from your past and thinking what if you do come back together one more time and would it hurt.

When a scandal occurs making our girl come home to center herself, her high school love reappears and the old flame starts igniting.

The story is very sweet, gripping tale. This one is for the Swifities. I would recommend this one for a palate cleanser as it's wholesome and a growing up story of once true love.

A story based on a Taylor Swift song, sign me up!
This story has all the feels of a wintery romance, you're drawn into from the beginning.
There were elements of the story that could have benefitted from more depth, but on the whole this is an enjoyable, heartwarming read.

Tis The Damn Season
By Kimi Freeman
October 24, 2023

This book is a story about Aspen Moore, a Hollywood starlet who is plunged into the chaos of a scandal. Aspen is obligated to go back home to Pennsylvania and reconnects with her first love Roman Torres.

This has a dual timeline going from past to present. I loved the playlist at the beginning of the book, I like most of all of the songs. The chapters were fast and easy to read.

Thank you to Parson Press and NetGalley for this early review copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was a great lighthearted read that left me happy and excited for the holidays in a few months. I enjoyed reading Aspen and Roman’s story.

It is a great romance read that gives you all of the happy feels. I also loved all of the Taylor Swift song references!

Thank you to @kimifreeman_ and @netgalley for this ARC. Check out this book when it releases on 10/24/23!

I was *enchanted* to read this book.

This debut title could easily be mistaken as the work of a seasoned rom-com author, yet Ms. Freeman is only 16!

A terrific addition to the Hollywood vs hometown rom-com genre, Aspen and Roman are both incredibly likeable protagonists who show extreme growth throughout the book.

When soap opera star turned singer Aspen returns home after a scandal, she immediately falls back into a routine with love-of-her-life Roman.

The author's matching of songs to each chapter, with chapters switching between the past and present, give even deeper context to the content.

As a Swiftie myself, I loved finding the song references within each chapter and found it impossible to put the book down until I was finished,

The only suggestion I would have would be to include a trigger warning at the beginning of the book due to the sexual assault situation within the book.

If this is just the debut of the author, we are sure to see many more great books ahead!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest opinion.

2,75 stars
This book would've been great... if the main characters had both been in high school. I assumed this was an older YA/NA romance based on the characters' ages. But instead, it read like a classic YA romance, except the characters were adults. That said, this is a book you have to place in the context. This book felt very young, but the author is also only sixteen. It's a Christmas book and just like Christmas movies, they're meant as a feel-good. So I placed this book in that context. I ended up rating it 2,75 stars.

First, I want to talk about what I loved in this book. It's a "superstar who returns to her small town for Christmas and sees her childhood boyfriend again"; one of my favorite Christmas plots. The chapters jump back and forth between the past and the present and each chapter fits to a (Taylor Swift) song. I loved the short chapters with inspired songs. The songs felt very accurate to the chapters and plot.

But overall, I didn't fall in love with this book. I feel like I'm just too old for a classic YA romance, even if the characters are older. I could just not get into the relationship of the characters. I felt like there was no chemistry between them. The drama between the main character and the side characters also felt unrealistic to me, looking at their ages. I'd also like to include a trigger warning for rape, as this isn't given in the book. I felt this part didn't add to the plot at all. For that reason, it should've been left out.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who's looking for an easy YA romance.

This book was a 4.5/5 stars for me, I could not put it down. If you are looking for a cozy romance then I would 100% recommend. This second chance romance was the perfect lighthearted winter book.

While this was meant to be a lighthearted read, it ended up being too shallow for me. The book suffers from flat, underdeveloped characters and stilted dialogue. All the characters sounded like robots talking to each other. I also couldn’t feel any chemistry between the MMC and FMC. Overall, this is a quick read, but it feels too… juvenile.