I had to put this book down at 52%. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't form a connection with the characters, even though I usually enjoy holiday-themed books.

The story revolves around Jesse, who works for a sex company and visits her family for the holidays. Unexpectedly, her brother's hot and annoying celebrity best friend, Nic, also shows up after years of absence in their celebrations. Nic is dealing with personal struggles in Hollywood, which drove him to seek solace with Jesse's family during the holidays.

There's an undeniable attraction between Jesse and Nic, but their interactions felt immature to me, reminding me of teenage relationships. I couldn't sense the chemistry or sparks between them, which left me wanting more. While there were some good spicy moments, for me, that's where the connection ended.

On a brighter note, Jesse's family brought some humor to the story, and their holiday traditions had me laughing, especially during the caroling part. However, after that, I struggled to feel engaged. If I eventually finish the book and my opinion changes in the remaining 50%, I'll be sure to update my review.

While I appreciated the concept and tropes, the plot simply didn't work for me in this case. Grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Missed reading books set during the holidays. This is a perfect example of it. Really really enjoyed it.

*This review will be posted on my Bookstagram @rosesmagicalreads on the 1st November 2023.

ARC Book Review
Holiday Vibes
by Sarah Brenton
published by Victory Editing
4 Stars
Jessica Foley and Nic Fontana both hate each other, which can be awkward around the holidays, especially as he's her brother's best friend and basically a part of the family. Forced to spend a prolonged period of time together in the run-up to Christmas, a pair of mistletoe underwear sends sparks flying in a distinctly sexy direction, leading the pair to unravel more than just presents under the tree that year. This enemies-to-benefits brother's best friend addition to the Over the Top series can be read as a standalone and is full of spicy scenes and explicit language.
Publication Date UK - 24th November 2023.

I adored this holiday romance, the couple in question were so steamy yet sweet and had such a strong history and connection.
The found family aspect were adorable and believable, especially with all their quirky holiday traditions.
Everything was moving along at a lovely pace and then BAM the laundry room scene!
Oh. My. God. The shower scene!
Ahh the miscommunication was so delicious and frustrating!!!
Read this one first which now I realise has slight spoilers for the first story but I liked this one enough that I know I need to go see the origins of Timothy and Mina's love story. It never felt like I was missing anything though which shows how good the writing was and that it truly can be read as a standalone!
It was a really great read and I can't wait for book three, The Villain Edit!

Thank you to Sarah Brenton, Victory Editing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a funny frenemy to lovers/in love with my brother BF holiday story. I enjoyed reading this book it has interesting and well-developed, interesting, unique characters. A love story, family drama, and celebrating Christmas in a unique Foley way will warm your heart, make you smile, and make an upcoming longer night more bearable.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Holiday Vibes is book 2 in the Over the Top Love series by Sarah Brenton.
I loved reading Love and Other Risky Business so I was excited to start book two.
And it didn’t disappoint.
This was so cute!!! I absolutely loved this!!
This is a romance that you just need to read. It was absolutely perfect for me!
Such a lighthearted and fun romantic read..

I would like to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

✨️ Enemies to lovers
✨️ Brother's best friend
✨️ Holiday romance
✨️ Grumpy MMC

" I've come so close to kissing that fucking look of her face more times than she could ever know."

" He smells to good, like home. "

" She is not out of my system. She is my system."

I can't find words to describe how much I loved this book.

I had just finished the first book in the series and immediately dove into this one. Nic had me hooked since the first book, and I was dying to know more about him and Jessie, and it was totally worth it.

Nic and Jessie have known each other since their teenage years and never got along. Well, at least that's what they tell themselves. I love it when characters have been secretly in love with each other forever but don't believe the other feels the same.

I have to say, I loved Jessie. Every time she countered Nic; it was fantastic to read. The chemistry between them is off the charts. Their scenes are full of fun, great banter, and cute moments. When they started getting closer, and Nic became so sweet, it was... 🫠

I lost count of how many times I caught myself smiling while reading this book. I loved every moment, and I highly recommend it.

💞Please read this book. 💞

Realese date: 11/24

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. But all opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing, for sending me this ARC.

Holiday Vibes
(Over Top Love Book 2)
By Sarah Brenton

Jessie and Nic
Jessie and her brother’s best friend, Nic have an antagonistic relationship. He has been part of her family for years. The match that lights the short fuse to their irresistible fire happens through the forced proximity for her brother’s surprise wedding. Each of them has personal issues to work through before they can even get to their collective baggage.
I like how they supported each other to get over themselves and were each other’s champion and protector. Being vulnerable and communicating honestly would have saved a ton of heartbreak. What are you gonna do when you love someone so completely but don’t trust they feel the same? Well you are going to screw it up.
For me, the quirkiness and self sabotage got annoying at times. The over mention of physical attributes and the fact neither needed a career for money, just for life satisfaction, made me less of a fan of these people who needed to be grow ups.
The fact that they were hot together helped but didn’t completely negate my misgivings.
I received a NetGalley digital copy for early review.

Holiday Vibes is the perfect holiday break read!

Jessie and Nic are the perfect enemies to lovers - fell for them and was cheering them on the entire Christmas Break. I also appreciated how much of the season was included - sometimes it feels like “holiday” romances barely mention the holiday.

It was a great fast-paced, easy read that was entertaining and fun. The characters are believable, and the spice was perfect. Honestly, I loved the whole family in the book - talk about #familygoals.

This is the first book I’ve read in the series but definitely going back to check out the first one now.

Holiday Vibes is a cute and cosy festive romance novel by Sarah Brenton.
I absolutely loved this cosy romance novel from the very first chapter. It had everything that I could want in a festive novel and more. The story was easy to follow with a great cast of characters. A brilliant novel that I highly recommend.
💖 Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

If you read romance, Holiday Vibes by Sarah Brenton NEEDS to be on your winter reading list!! It's an enemies to lovers/brother's best friend romance that had me in all the feels.

For one, our main couple is steamy. Like, let's make a pact to bang throughout the holidays in your family home steamy. For two, they're both baddies. Jessie's snarky, a self-made woman and Nick's a tough on the outside, warm on the inside actor working through his own career woes. For three, the plot was so genuine. The family aspect was so real and I felt it in my soul when the major conflict hit and both characters were going through all the feels.

In summary, please go read this book! I'm now anxiously awaiting the first book in the series to release so I can scoop up the FMC's brother's story, and then praying to the NetGalley gods that I can get an ARC of book #3 for the FMC's cousin.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The holidays have finally arrived y'all. Somewhere, someone is thawing Mariah out of her ice cube...I can hear the first strains of her lyrical genius.... I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers, you know this. Add in a sex positive family, a heroine that helps market sex toys, and a marvel-esque superhero playing hero, and you got yourselves a hit. I absolutely adored the second installment of the Over The Top Love series, Holiday Vibes, by Sarah Brenton. It's a steamy, comedic romp with a really intriguing and delightful cast of characters.

Christmas vacation is going to suck, at least, it will for Jessie Foley. Unable to excuse her way out of another year of familial festive tidings, Jessie figures she at least won't be subjected to the presence of her nemesis, Nic Fontana. Nic Fontana has spent the last 5 years in a loveless marriage with the wrong woman. He runs home to celebrate with the one family that has always treated him as one of their ranks, The Foleys. He gears himself up for an entire week celebrating the holidays with the one person in the world that hates him above anyone else, Jessie, his best friends twin sister. After a very sexy confrontation in a laundry room leads to a no-strings holiday fling, both Jessie and Nic strive to keep from catching feelings but also possibly finding a middle ground. Mistletoe, watercolors, and a tiny stuffed teddy bear prove that maybe Nic and Jessie should consider a truce, at least until New Years.

What I liked about this book:

The Lead Characters are wonderful. Both are fully fleshed out and their dual perspectives work so well here. You quickly understand what the Foley's mean to Nic and why getting along with Jessie or at least being on neutral ground is vital to having access to the group of people he considers a lifeline and they consider him one their own. Both Jessie and Nic are torn as to what exactly they want to do with their lives; they are both questions whether they are happy with the trajectory of their careers or whether a change is required.

The secondary characters are lovely; Celia, the matriarch of the Foley family is a blast. If you're picturing Martha Stewart post prison then you're on the right track. Everyone in the Foley clan is famous or celebrity-adjacent in some manner. In other books, this might prevent the reader from relating or forming connections with the characters, however, Brenton paints a truly quirky cast of lovable eccentrics.

We have a heroine with a lower key grand gesture (maybe a venti gesturi?) This VG/GG occurs after both the hero and heroine put in the work to not only mend what's broken inside (or begin to) and make some realistic and oftentimes tough decisions. Warning, the 3rd act breakup is rough - my heart hurt a lot.

Lastly, this book is hot folx. Real hot. I mean, our girl works at a sex toy company...so just know that those come into play at some point.

There wasn't much I didn't like. If I have one gripe it's that I would have like to have seen more of the trio of Jessi, Timothy, and Nic growing up. So we could see the pining. But I will say, I really liked the angle Brenton has for why there was a falling out between Jessie and Nic as teens. It works real well.

I absolutely loved this book. I was able to read this before the release date through NetGalley, which was amazing. Although the characters were extremely frustrating at certain times, the ending made it all worth it. I’m a sucker for a good holiday romance so this one was easy to get through. Sometimes, I struggle to get through some romance books. However, I didn’t have this issue at all throughout the entirety of this book. I was always engaged and wanting to read more. Would for sure recommend!!!

My love of Sarah Brenton's books only continues to grow!

Jessie and Nic have never gotten things quite right. Maybe it's because he stole her best friend away (aka her twin brother Timothy). Maybe there is too much history between them (Jessie can hold a grudge like it's no one's business after all). Or maybe it's because they are too afraid to admit what all their friends and family seem to know: that they've secretly been in love for years. But this Christmas, it's time to figure out if they can finally get it right, or if they are doomed to always miss out on what they want.

I thought I was a fan of childhood friends to lovers, but childhood rivals to FWB to lovers is my new favorite. The chemistry and banter between Jessie and Nic was electric. It was easy to see them as rivals but not bullies. Much of their interactions were good-natured, fun teasing; but occasionally they tip-toed over the line, but it was always clear that they struggled with they way their words and actions continually drove a wedge between them. Miscommunication plays a big role in Holiday Vibes, but it was so well done, that I didn't mind it.

The beginning and middle had me laughing, and the third act had me crying (but good tears!). The writing and emotions are so good, and it will just suck you right in. I want to be a part of the big, loud, crazy Foley family after this book.

I LOVED that this was a fast paced and fun read. While still maintaining the humanity of the characters (I loved Jessie and how self aware she was). I really enjoyed the banter, the tension between the characters. Most of all it was refreshing to read and experience the personal growth Jessie and nic had

Book Review
Holiday Vibes by Sarah Brenton - 4/5 ⭐

This is the exact kind of book you wanna cuddle up with around those cold winter months. It's cute, cozy, funny and even a little bit steamy. Perfect for Christmas time.

It's a big enemies to lovers trope, which is carried out really well from Brenton. You could actually feel the sexual tension, the hate, the love and everything in-between whilst reading through the pages. The characters work so amazingly together and full bounce off each other. It's perfectly done.

I loved the whole holiday theme behind the story, it really made it quite enjoyable to read. The characters developed amazingly and I was happy with the end result. Nic was my favourite characters, hands down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

▪︎Oh God, I had a really good time reading it. The characters were likeable and felt real which is important for me 🥺

▪︎It had many emotions. It had sweetness, spice, sadness, frustration, humor, insecurities all of this in just one book(wow that's something worth reading) 👌

▪︎It was more than a Holiday Romance for me 💗

▪︎Jessie about herself ~ "There’s nothing special about my art. Just like my life. I’m not successful like Amanda, not fun like Timothy. I’m a short-tempered, grudge-holding bitch who fears rejection and lives on spite." We love a self-aware mc 👏

▪︎I really liked this family's bonding and humor 😌

▪︎One important thing I would like to talk about is how the author described mmc having a semi long dick. I'm not an expert on men's private part but I guess all men on Earth doesn't have 15 inches size but in the book Universe all mmc even the side characters have biggest size in the world, like come on.. This thing made mmc real. So I would like to appreciate author for this. This is such a healthy thing 👏 I remember watching a thriller show where mmc was bullied because of his size it was so freaking heartbreaking 🤧

▪︎Mmc was a Famous Hero and he wasn't not doing good as an actor. He was really insecure about his acting skills.
He had no one other than Timothy(his best friend and Jessie's brother) and Jessie's family so his concern about losing them or if their years of bonding became uncomfortable cause of his relationship with Jessie or if he ever hurt her even unintentionally, this concern was really believable. I liked how the author discussed this topic it makes characters real ngl 🤗

Thank you to Victory Editing and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

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. I loved seeing Timothy and Mina from Love and Risky Business again! I absolutely would love to spend the holidays with the Foley family. Can’t wait for the next novel from this author.

3.5 stars out of 5

This book was hilarious and a really cute enemies to lovers story but it fell a little flat for me. I did not really like the relationship between Nic and Jessie. They were both whiny and everything that happened in the book could have been fixed by communication. By the end of the book I was a little annoyed by that but it did have a cute ending. I absolutely loved Jessie's family and want to spend my holiday with them! The story takes place right around Christmas time so if you like Christmas themed rom-coms this book would be for you. I did not read the first book in the series but I felt this book was fine reading as a standalone.

Jessie is currently working at a sex toy company since her art career hasn't taken off yet. She is headed to her families house for 2 weeks around Christmas time to celebrate. Her brothers best friend Nic, whom she hates, ends up being there and really throws everything for a loop. Nic and Jessie decide to start a holiday fling after an encounter in the laundry room and say its just for the 2 weeks they are there. Or is it?

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

loved this holiday romance! brothers best friend is one of my favorite tropes and this one did not disappoint! i went through all the emotions reading this book which i loved haha the only thing i could do without was the miscommunication but i think it was handled well. them working their way back together was so sweet and the ending was just so cute!

A hilarious holiday enemies to lovers and brother’s best friend rom-com!

Jessie Foley is going home for the holidays to visit with her family and see her twin brother Timothy and definitely not to see his best friend Nic Fontana. She last saw him 5 years ago and that certainly didn’t go well.

Jessie is an artist and loves to paint however hasn’t painted in 5 years and now does digital media for a sex toy company. Nic is a famous actor however doesn’t love it and is recently divorced. Timothy makes Nic come to the holiday celebration because surprise…Tim is getting married in a few days and they are all in the wedding! So Jessie and Nic are thrown together in the house for better or worse. And will they come to terms with what the Foley family has known for years….that they are meant for each other? You’ll have to read to find out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.