I loved who the author used Taylor Swift's songs for the tittles of the chapters and all the references inside the story.

The dual timeline was perfectly handled, and it really helped shape my understanding of Aspen as a present-day mega star to see her humble beginnings and the death by a thousand cuts she suffered to get to where she is today. The connection between Aspen and Rome is palpable from their first interaction.

My only complaint for this book is the pacing and length of the chapters. Though the short chapters made the book fly by, I found myself wishing that there were more details in certain chapters and less details in others. The pacing also wasn't great, but I was able to look past that because of the characters and story line.

I would’ve liked to see more of Aspen and Rome’s relationship developing in the early stages, it felt a bit like Insta-love to me without any real reason. I found their relationship a bit more believable towards the end however.

Other than that it was cute little romance and like I said, anything Taylor swift related and I’m sold!

Thanks to NetGallery for providing an ARC!

A cute romance with Taylor Swift vibes?! 1000% yes. This book was made for me! I really fell in love with both main characters and was rooting for them the whole book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. First, it should be noted that this book contains mentions of sexual assault without Trigger Warnings so please be aware.

‘Tis the Damn Season follows Aspen Moore as she navigates her first career controversy: being accused of coming onto (and hooking up with) her best friend’s boyfriend. Aspen takes this as a sign that she needs a break from the Hollywood scene (where she is not only a famous pop star but also a lead actress of a very successful tv show) and heads home for an extended holiday break with her family.

While I have to give this author props for publishing a book at such a young age, there is a certain romantic naivety that carries throughout the story about relationships and Hollywood. For example, the fmc lands a leading role in a popular tv show within 10 months of arriving to Hollywood and her very first album is wildly successful with several number 1 hits and a world tour. Additionally, the fmc and mmc break up and do not talk for months when she is working in Hollywood but immediately get back together as soon as she is home with no issues. Yet, when she comes home this time and he tries to pursue their relationship, it’s suddenly an issue?

Unfortunately, there are also several inconsistencies with the main character personalities throughout the story too: the fmc is supposedly the love of the mmc’s life yet he slut shames her and calls her an attention whore several times and it’s okay? The fmc states many times that she doesn’t drink and doesn’t going to bars because of all of the people yet loves dancing in a crowded club. These are just some examples I can provide without out having to tag this post as containing spoilers.

I think overall, this is a good starting place for the author. All of the characters could use some fleshing out, the dialog needs some work to feel natural, and general typos and word misses can fixed.

I love a Christmas book whatever the time of year, and some how I enjoy reading them in summer and Autumn even more as they make me looking forwards to the coming seasons.

This book follows the story of Aspen Moore who is a famous singer in the middle of a Hollywood scandal. Trying to escape all her troubles Aspen heads home and ends up getting roped into helping out with a children's play along side her ex boyfriend and first love Roman. Throughout the book the storyline runs from past to present giving us an insight into their early relationship. This book is cute and I am sure lots of people will love the Taylor Swift references. It all felt a little too YA or NA for me to be honest. But that is more of a personal reading preference rather than anything to do with the book.

The writing style is nice and very easy to follow. Both characters are likeable and as I said previously their love story and the rekindling of it is very cute. Roman has obviously never gotten over Aspen and will do anything in his power to be supportive and help her through her current crisis.

Thank you to Netgalley and Parson Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My rating scale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Absolutely loved it! Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling or made me cry. And took me on an emotional rollercoaster.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Really liked it. Will read more by the author and other books in the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It was just okay, didn’t move me, but don’t feel like I wasted me time reading it either.
⭐️⭐️ - Didn’t like this book and probably won’t read other in the series.
⭐️ - I did not care for this book at all and feel like I wasted my time reading it

Taylor Swift meets Hallmark holiday movie in this absolutely delightful and surprisingly emotional story from Kimi Freeman. ‘Tis the Damn Season warmed my cold heart and even elicited some tears as I read the story of Aspen and Roman and their complicated love story. I am so glad I got the opportunity to read and enjoy this book and can’t wait for more from Kimi!

Aspen Moore is heading home to avoid a Hollywood scandal. Along the way she reconnects with her high-school sweetheart Roman torres. Join her as she discovers that money and fame aren’t everything. FYI: everybody needs a swoony, Roman Torres in their life.

Great first book Kimi Freeman! Tis the damn season is the perfect book to start my 2023 holiday book reads! Thanks for the ARC!

3.5 stars 🌟

For the author’s first book we have a very good novel! I loved the fact that she picked up a famous song to be inspired to write this book. I also really liked the fact that each chapter has a different song, as if it were a kind of playlist. The evolution of Aspen as a person is wonderful to see. Roman conquered my heart from the beginning with his personality and always trying to protect Aspen from bad people and friends and everything that made her sad and cry 🥹

Even so, I feel like something was missing to make me really love the book 😰

thanks netgalley for the arc!
this was quick, cute read. in case it's not clear from the title, it is essentially an expanded version of the story told in taylor swift's tis the damn season. each chapter has a song as a theme which is sweet, and any swiftie would love the amount of subtle taylor references.
the characters were believable and the dual timeline made their history and importance to each other super clear.
i didn't realise until finishing reading that it was written by a young debut author, and for a debut it is a super cute, light read that'll be so fun for people during the holiday season!

This one is for the Swifties for sure! A lighthearted second-chance romance with a dual timeline and lots of TSwift references peppered throughout the story. I enjoyed it for sure, but I did find the romance aspect to be lacking; it wasn't a sweep you off your feet romance so much as a continuation of a past relationship that never fully ended. Good, but not great. Thank you to Netgalley and Parson Press for a copy of this book in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.

A fantastic debut! I enjoyed the short chapters, the Taylor Swift references, how perfect Aspen and Roman are for each other. All in all a fabulous book. Cannot wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading this and felt it was a great debut novel. The plot was well thought out and the story was easy to get into. I felt invested in the characters early on in the story and was rooting for their happy ending. This book was full of Taylor Swift references and I ate it up!

There were a few inconsistencies in the story but nothing major to the overall plot. This book was the perfect embodiment of the song ‘Tis the Damn Season, which I love! The dual timelines was enjoyable and I liked the execution of it. We got to see a lot of character growth with Aspen throughout the story. I do wish we had gotten Rome’s perspective too and feel it would have added more depth to the story. Overall, this was a fun closed door holiday rom com that I would recommend if you’re looking for something light 😊

Loved this book! We got to see the struggle behind all the fame.
The chemistry between them was amazing 🤩 hated her so called bestfriend 😐
A great read 👍 definitely recommend 💗

There are a lot of things I loved about this book:
-the short chapters: I feel like I can read so much faster in books that have short chapters
-the switches to the past: instead of dumping all the past info at once, the chapters in the past made sure I remembered everything
-all the Taylor Swift references: I'm such a big Swiftie that it was find them all
-how Aspen and Roman are made for each other: from the beginning I just knew that nothing could go wrong and that was a nice change from all the books with the "will they, won't they"

3 ⭐️

Caught up in a juicy Hollywood scandal, a glitzy star finds herself in a whirlwind with an old flame she just couldn't shake. With the holiday season as the enchanting backdrop, their stories are rewritten forever...

I was totally hooked following Aspen and Roman's journey. The allure of first love is something that sticks with you, no doubt about it.

Aspen Moore proves that having money isn't a one-way ticket to happiness. At just twenty-three, the singer-actress seems to have it all: fame, fortune, even a major tour. But deep down, there's a void – or rather, a someone-shaped hole.

When a scandal rocks her meticulously built Hollywood life, Aspen's forced to do a 180 and head back to her hometown in Pennsylvania. There, she crosses paths with Roman Torres, her first love. Aspen's fully aware that they've got to keep things strictly platonic. This whole push-and-pull dance with Roman isn't doing her any favors. She's not planning to stay in Fertsville, and he's definitely not leaving LA. Yet, the chemistry between them crackles and pops. Amidst the whirlwind of rumors and drama, the dazzling neon lights of Hollywood start to dim in comparison to those deep brown eyes that captured her heart way back when. Could Aspen seriously trade everything she thought she wanted for what might just be the best thing she's ever had?

The tale unfolds across two timelines, inspired by the very Taylor Swift track that shares its name. 'Tis the Damn Season spins out into an enchanting modern romance.

With a jam-packed playlist featuring more than twenty Taylor Swift tunes, ( an absolute treat for Swifties.) The journey spans 50 meticulously penned chapters, with an epilogue that provides the perfect finish.

As for the author's writing style, it flows like a river, making every twist and turn easy to navigate. The chapters are concise yet potent, urging you to keep flipping. This is my first time reading anything by this author, and honestly, I quite enjoyed it.

Aspen is a young famous singer/actress, she gets caught in a scandal with her best friend and roommate. She consequently gets left without anywhere to live so she ends up back home to pick up the pieces of her life. When she gets home she reconnects with her high school sweetheart (Roman) who she still deeply cares for. This book goes back and forth in timelines from the present to when they were in high school, slowly unraveling their story throughout the book.

Overall this is one of my new favorite holiday comfort reads. It is an easy going, cute, sweet, and fast read. I also highly recommend this book for taylor swift fans! There is a playlist at the beginning of the book and a song is marked at the beginning of each corresponding chapter. There are quite a few Taylor Swift songs that match the theme of these chapters!! This was such a great touch!

As a big swiftie I was excited to read this debut novel based on a Taylor Swift song! Overall. I thought it was a super cute and fun book. The characters were adorable and I enjoyed the dual timeline showing the progression of their relationship. Perfect for a Taylor Swift fan or anyone looking for a quick cozy read.

I want to start out by saying that this is the author's debut and she's only sixteen! I'm incredibly impressed with her!

'Tis the Damn Season follows the story of Aspen Moore, a small-town girl turned Hollywood star. After a scandal threatens to destroy all she has built, she heads back to her small town, and to Roman. Her first love, Roman has always been there for her, even when their lives are worlds apart. What will happen in her time away from Hollywood? Are they destined to be?

What I liked: This is a sweet story of first love. One that you can never seem to leave behind. I think we all remember who that was for us. I like the dual timeline - jumping back and forth between past and present.

What I didn't like: There were times that the dialogue and the plot seemed rushed so the pacing felt off. But considering the author is so young, I can only see that growing and polishing through the years!

Thank you to NetGalley, Parson Press and Kimi Freeman for the ARC read. I wish you the best success!

Tis the Damn Season is an adorable romance about Aspen and Roman. Aspen is a Hollywood singer and actor whose life is shaken by scandal. She returns to her small hometown to escape for a while, and despite her best attempts, starts reconnecting with Roman, her high school love.

I read this book in one sitting. The romance is this book is adorable, the Taylor Swift references are amazing, and it's Christmas themed without feeling too seasonal. My only slight critique is that some of Aspen's dialogue was a bit awkward, but this is a feel good book with swoon-worthy romance and I loved every minute.

Thank you to NetGalley, Parson Press and author Kimi Freeman for providing me with this eARC

An absolutely adorable holiday romance!
This is the perfect book to curl up with on the couch, with a hot chocolate during Christmas season.
It’s cute, cozy and absolutely heartwarming.
Loved the playlist suggestion at the beginning, the dual timeline and all the Taylor Swift easter eggs throughout the book
The only thing that could’ve made it even better imo is if we would’ve gotten Roman’s POV as well.
4.25 stars

ARC Review: Thanks to the author for this wonderful ARC to review. It was a super cute story that just screamed Taylor Swift holiday romance. I loved seeing all the cute references to Taylor swift songs and lyrics throughout, it basically became a treasure hunt! The cute holiday tropes were well done and I thought the present and past jumps done were well done. It makes me excited for the upcoming holiday season vibes!!