I adored Holiday Vibes! Such a sexy, steamy read with dynamic, relatable characters whose chemistry you can FEEL coming off the page. Jessie is funny as all heck and works for a sex toy company, and Nic is her twin brother's best friend, a smokin' hot successful but struggling actor who is basically a part of their family.
The side characters in this are great. I love Jessie’s brother and how he has this free spirit vibe where he can bounce back and forth between defending his sister when needed but also supporting his friend.

This also gives all the holiday celebration feelings. This feels so wintery cozy. I loved the more descriptions that came out about the house and the family traditions. It ended up super sweet.

Nick and Jess connection was amazing, I adored this book! I finished it so fast because I loved it! Can’t wait to read more from this author

It has been such a long time since I have completely fallen love with a book, but I seriously couldn't put this book down. I stayed up way late because I loved Nic & Jessie. Talk about major chemistry that flow of the page!
I really really loved this whole Foley family, and I am obsessed with Nic & Jessie. I am always a little leery of reading holiday romance because they tend to be rushed and over the top sappy and this was so not that. The laugh out loud shenanigans of the Foley's Christmas traditions as a backdrop to Nic and Jessie's crazy banter and major tension was absolute perfection. I don't even know how to explain how great I thought this book was. Chef' Kiss...It made me want cinnamon rolls and spiked hot chocolate. It made me laugh out loud but it also made me bawl like a baby. The feelings were all here. So good. I am immediately looking to read Tim & Mina's and I am very much looking forward to family villain Ashley's book next year. As long as I can spend time with this family, I think I will be happy. This author has potential to be a favorite!

I would highly recommend to anyone that like rom coms with amazing naughty banter, holiday romances, enemies to lovers with crazy sexual tension, amazing side characters and sugar, spice and everything nice.

This was a surprising, funny romance that I loved. I thought it would be way cheesier. Def recommend

THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL! So many good romance tropes (enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, long time secret crush, grumpy MMC…) and a Christmas setting?! Ugh - so good!!! Not to mention a great amount of spice!
I found the characters so likable and absolutes loved the whole Foley clan! Jesse and Nic were the main characters dreams are made of. Some of the characters self-doubt and self sabotage got to me, because that is not my thing, but it really made them so much more “real”. This was an easy book to get through, I was grabbing it to read every free moment I had!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This is as much Christmas-themed as you may want any book to be during December. There’s a slightly crazy family, unhinged main character, and scenes that made me blush. It took me a while to understand w t f, as I haven’t read the first part, and it starts right away on a high note. Once you understand the characters better, it’s a really enjoyable read. I will be going back for book 1 for sure, as I want more family background.

<i>Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team.</i>

I honestly feel terrible about the rating but, even though the spice was great, it didn't make up for the rest. It was simply <i>too much.</i>

I'm usually a sucker for anything Christmasy, sex-positive and with weird family dynamics, but I just couldn't connect with any of the characters.

The deep-rooted lack of self-steem in both the main characters, the over-the-top nagging and nosyness from the family, and the need to include <i>every.single.thought.</i> that rushes through Jessie's and Nic's minds felt just annoying instead of quirky or funny.
It was just too much of everything and mostly, I felt like I was reading a book written with the only goal in mind of checking the trope boxes and nothing else.

Holiday Vibes by Sarah Brenton is the perfect spicy Christmas read! This ain’t your great aunt’s romance it’s filled with steamy scenes.

Jessie heads home for Christmas where her brother’s hot and recently divorced best friend is joining her family for the holidays. Will they kill each other or burst into flames being in the same house for two weeks.

I had not read the first book in the series and thought it was a great standalone and now I’m excited to go back and read it! I loved how fun the family in this book was. It’s the perfect December read! Five out of five chili peppers!

4.5
Jessie is home for the holidays and is disgruntled to learn her brothers best friend Nic (who she despises 😉) has also returned for the holiday after taking a 5 year hiatus! After a surprising encounter with some mistletoe underwear and a dryer, the two strike up a “only for the holidays enemies with benefits deal” .. what could go wrong? 🩷

Holy smokes this book is 🔥🌶️ I enjoyed every second of it and devoured it within 48 hours (I did have to work otherwise would’ve been quicker .. boo). I loved Jessie and Nic’s banter and I loved how we got to know her whole family, they were so important in this story! At times I really felt for Jessie and totally get how she felt like the outsider in her family 💕 I also wanted to slap Nic in his beautiful face because honestly if he said the words “I’m not good enough” one more time I was going to do damage 😡 this book was spicy AF but also didn’t detract from a strong story 🫶🏼 and most importantly for a holiday read it was strong on the Christmas vibes 🎄 snowball fights and boozy hot chocolates included ❄️ overall it was an emotional, heartwarming and funny read! I can’t wait to go back and read the first in this series 💕

Holiday Vibes is part of the Over The Top Love series but can be read as a standalone 💜
🥰

📚Brother’s Best Friend
📚Forced Proximity
📚Enemies to Lovers
📚Celebrity Romance

Holiday Vibes is one of the funniest books I've read this year! Jessie is witty and self-deprecating and I want to be her friend! Her one-liners had me cackle-snorting through the night!

"I'll kill him. Bludgeon him to death with a dildo from the factory reject pile."

Nic is her brother's best friend. He stole her brother from her when they were teenagers and she's never quite forgiven him especially now that he's a famous actor people fawn over. The little peeks into their past add to the heart flutters and makes you wish they'd found each other so much sooner.

"I don't look like I do on screen. My muscle definition has faded and I'm not dehydrated to make the veins in my body pop."

As someone in the health and fitness industry, THANK YOU for the way Nic describes himself!! It takes a ton of sacrifice and generally an unhealthy body image to get the "superhero" body. Having Nic deal with this and being used for his muscles added much-appreciated depth to his character and what he's been through.

Jessie and Nic finally pass from frenemies to lovers in a most explosive way. One of my favorite microtropes is where she thinks they hate each other and he thinks they'd always just messed with each other, and Holiday Vibes pulls this off perfectly!

"I don't want a superhero or a celebrity. I want you. The Nic I know."

And the romance! ::swoon:: There are some seriously spicy scenes, often where they can easily be caught.
There's even a scene where HE gets caught by HER that really sets up their dynamic. Holiday Vibes may be my top contender for favorite holiday book. There is so much genuine emotion and growth between these two that you can't help but fall for them as they fall for each other.

Thank you, Sarah Brenton and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy if this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sarah Brenton takes readers on a delightful and steamy journey through a unique enemies-to-lovers romance. Set against the backdrop of the holiday season, this book offers a refreshing twist to the typical love story. The protagonist, Jessie Foley, finds herself working for a sex toy company after her dreams of making it in the art world fall short. Caught in a complicated relationship with her brother's best friend, Nic Fontana, she begrudgingly agrees to spend the holidays with him in an attempt to mend her fractured bond with her brother. Brenton skillfully crafts Jessie's character as a snarky and unlikable heroine, adding depth and complexity to her personality. On the other hand, Nic is a shirtless, smoldering celebrity who skyrocketed to fame despite lacking acting skills. Dealing with a recent divorce and professional challenges, Nic seeks solace in the company of his makeshift family. However, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to Jessie, his harshest critic. Their relationship takes an unexpected turn when a pair of mistletoe underwear sparks a sizzling encounter, leading to a secret holiday fling that unravels their complicated past and buried emotions. Brenton skillfully weaves together humor, passion, and emotional depth throughout the book. The chemistry between Jessie and Nic is palpable, making their love story all the more captivating. As the plot unfolds, readers are taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, hoping against hope that these two will find their happily ever after. "Holiday Vibes" is the second installment in the Over the Top Love series, and it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. The author's writing style is engaging, drawing readers into the story and leaving them eager to turn each page. However, it is worth noting that this book contains explicit sex scenes and strong language, making it suitable for mature readers. Overall, "Holiday Vibes" is a delightful, sexy, and heartwarming read. Sarah Brenton's ability to create complex characters and craft a unique enemies-to-lovers tale is commendable. If you're in the mood for a holiday romance that goes beyond the typical tropes, this book is a must-read. So, grab a hot cup of cocoa, cozy up by the fire, and immerse yourself in the enticing world of "Holiday Vibes."

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for giving me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a good holiday romcom! The chemistry and banter between Jessie and Nic was spot on. Nic was Jessie's brothers' best friend, and she didn't want to ruin any dynamic they had if things went south. This is a romance story where everyone else is impatiently waiting for the two characters to see how right for each other they are. I loved the side characters in this story as well.

It's the perfect time to watch the snow fall while curled up in a blanket with this book! I highly recommend it.

I just finished Holiday Vibes from Sarah Brenton, a new to me author. It's a brother's best friend, enemies-to-lovers story with both of them spending the holidays with her family. The family is a cast of characters with big personalities. There's some family drama and historical drama between our two main characters. At times I wanted to scream "You need to go to counseling and work on your communication skills!" But then, we wouldn't have most of the romance novels we all love. <3 I will be going back to check out Timothy and Mina's book.

This is the first book I have read by Sarah Brenton and I can't wait to go back and read the first book of this series. I always love a brothers best friend to lovers trope. This book was faced past and made you want more once it was finished. I loved the great characters, the chemistry, the steaminess and the sweet story line. I HIGHLY recommend this for the holiday season!!


Thank you NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I picked this book because I was intrigued by the idea of a heroine who works at a sex toy company. I love sex positive heroines and I enjoy a good celebrity romance.

This book had some really fun moments and good characters. I liked Jessie's family even though they were a bit chaotic. However, I got a bit tired of the jokes about Jessie's career. I wish the story had focused a bit more on her job celebrating women's pleasure and a little less on how many dick jokes could be made.

I was also a little confused about Jessie and Nic. It felt like this book was trying to do enemies to lover and I loved you all along and it didn't completely work for me.

This one may be for you if you love brother's best friend and want something fun!

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for providing me with an early copy in order to write my review. All opinions are my own.

(No spoilers) 3/5 Spice - A wonderfully sweet and steamy holiday read!

I absolutely adore Nic and Jessie! The tension and chemistry between the two of them was so intense throughout this entire story and I loved every second of it! This is a fast burn steamy romance and the spice is perfectly holiday filled, especially with all the mistletoe kisses!

One thing I loved about this story was that it delivers on all of the holiday vibes it promises but there’s a deeper love story that goes beyond what you would expect. These two have known (and loathed) each other since they were kids so they have a rich history that adds to the tension between them.

Jessie’s family was wonderful and hilarious, providing the comedic relief at the perfect times. I absolutely adored Jessie’s brother specifically, with all of his smart a** comments.

This is a great read for anyone looking for a holiday romance filled with holiday vibes, tension, chemistry, and spice.

After reading "Love and Other Risky Business", I HAD to know the story between Jessie and Nic. There can't be that much hate without some steamy chemistry. And boy did they deliver. I loved the back and forth snark between the two. The enemies to lovers trope is great for that. We also get the bonus of brothers best friend/ best friends sister. As well I love the family dynamic of the Foley's. They're such a fun and tight knit group. Though I wish they were more supportive of Jessie.

And speaking of Jessie can we talk about how cool her job is - sex toy seller. I'd love to have a dealer of those in my family lol. And the whole family is sex positive and open which is so refreshing. And the drama explaining why Jessie and Nic were so at odds from childhood is so believable. This fast paced book is the second in Over The Top Love series - though it can be read as a stand alone- and makes for such a great Christmas rom-com. Full of hilarity and a good balance of feels its a definite must read for the holidays.

Okay. I’m going to be honest here, the initial impressions of this were not the best. Within the first 10% I was leaning 3 stars but I actually think this is worth the chance. Ending up at 4 stars.

Starting off we have a lot of info dumping, telling not showing. Everyone’s backstory is laid out and it almost feels like a drafted outline rather than diving into an actual story. Something about the written tense also took a minute to get used to. I also didn’t feel the chemistry between the two love interests at first. There is a spicy adjacent moment that happens early on, which normally I am all for but it was written in a way that didn’t really build tension it felt like facts described of the moment. This is first person dual POV so I was expecting more feelings and push/pull of their somewhat enemies to lovers set up. I was also pretty weirded out for why Jessie was out of the loop of something really important to her brother.

But then… the second spicy scene had heat and internal conflict. The spice was spicing. And now we’re getting covert looks while at the family table and the twisted history is getting more interesting. At first it felt a bit outlandish the way Nic is written to fit into a celebrity trope, again with the telling not showing. But then he started to feel more like a real person.

The side characters in this are great. I love Jessie’s brother and how he has this free spirit vibe where he can bounce back and forth between defending his sister when needed but also supporting his friend.

This also gives alllll the holiday celebration feelings. This feels so wintery cozy. I loved the more descriptions that came out about the house and the family traditions. It ended up super sweet.

Overall if I was beta reading this I’d suggest a re-work of the first bit, letting the details be revealed more naturally, because this does have tension and heart within its character’s dynamics and storyline and the couple did eventually win me over when some chemistry started to come through.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley co-op for this ARC!

This book is spicy 🌶
This is book 2 of the over the top love series although I've not read book 1 this can be read as a stand alone. This enemies to lovers book has it all. Anger, sadness, loneliness, happy, worry , humor, Christmas, cookies, and lots of spice ! Jessie and Nic have known each other since they were kids and have always had sone negativity to each other. Jessie's twin brother is Nics best friend and this means Jessie has always been off limits, until this year when they hook up for a holiday steamy secret fling.
🎄🌶🎄🌶🎄🌶🎄🌶🎄🌶🎄🌶

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: November 24, 2023

Holiday Vibes is the second book in the Over the Top love series by Sarah Brenton and my first from this author.

This is an enemies to lovers, brothers best friend romance story with some great spice! Jessie Foley has been in a battle with her twin brothers best friend for almost two decades.

Nic and Tim became fast friends when he moved to the neighborhood. Nic quickly became a staple at the Foley house and even more so when he lost his parents to an accident when he was 24.

Jessie and Nic haven’t seen each other in 5 years but as they both come back home for the annual Foley Christmas holiday extravaganza, they immediately go back to their arguments and insults.

Nic catches Jessie in the laundry room nearly naked after spilling wine on her clothes and in that moment realizes his desire for his best friends sister.

Nic and Jessie decide to have a Christmas fling. Two weeks, no feelings and lots of hot sex. It will be easy to end things and go back to their lives and hatred of each other. But, what if it wasn’t hate? What if it’s been love all along?

I liked this book! I haven’t read the first one but will definitely add to my list. This book had a lot of raw emotion. I liked Nic and Jessie’s story but sometimes their inability to communicate to each other was a bit over the top and drove me crazy . It ended up working for the story so I’m giving this one four stars. I loved the spice it wasn’t too much and added to the story nicely!

#NetGalley #sarahbrenton #holidayvibes