YA holiday romance taking place in a bookstore? Not just any bookstore, a black owned bookstore? Score. I love the traits that these characters held so deeply into their identities. Ariel is extremely creative and attempting to save for tuition to a prestigious arts program. Trey holds his family values and compassion so deeply and I love a popular guy who doesn't let it get to his head. He's written in such an incredibly humble way and I loved that this duo teamed up to try and save Trey's family bookstore from being shut down. Themes of gentrification are woven throughout and in a way that is easy to digest for someone who might not be familiar.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. My qualm was the narration at times pulled me out of the story just a bit. My guess is that consuming YA romance in the form of audio just doesn't work well for me and I'm better at just reading a digital or physical copy. That's a me thing though and at no fault to the author or narrators.

Love in Winter Wonderland is a YA romance about Trey and Ariel, two high school students who come together in an effort to save Trey’s family bookshop called Wonderland. Trey has been in a long-term relationship with Blaire, the popular but shallow half of a set of twins, and he has always felt like they belong together. However, after discovering that Wonderland might need to close from lack of sales, Trey dives headfirst into a solution, and finds that his girlfriend Blaire quickly loses patience when he isn’t as available for her as he always was. Ariel is a temporary hire at the bookshop while Trey’s father recovers from an accident, and she can see the passion Trey and his family have for their business. Together, they use Ariel’s creativity and passion for art, and Trey’s avid social media following, to draw the attention of their community onto Wonderland’s struggles.

The real strength of Love in Winter Wonderland is the plot: the author does an excellent job of leveraging the reader’s passion for books and indie bookstores and the struggles of black entrepreneurs to push the plot forward. There were certainly times when the romance in the novel fell a little flat: Trey and Ariel are fairly typical high school students who make dumb mistakes and sometimes can’t see past their own egos, but I stayed invested in the fate of Wonderland, and itw as always clear that Trey and his family cared deeply about Wonderland as a representation of their family legacy. The plot structure was fairly straightforward with a clear goal, a typical third act break-up, and a tense climax when Trey isn’t certain whether they will raise the funds they need to keep Wonderland open. It worked quite well though – even if I could see the simplicity of the structure, it made for a cozy read and I enjoyed following along.

I appreciate the effort the author placed on keeping characterization unique: Blaire was the only character that really felt like a stereotype. Trey managed to walk the line between popular kid with his social media followers and good looks, and genuine geek with his love of books and music, and I appreciated how approachable he felt. Ariel too was more than just a quirky artist – she and her family are struggling after her father’s untimely death, and her history of an eating disorder, paired with her own passion for books and music, made her an interesting and dynamic character that I could root for. My struggles with the characters ultimately boiled down to their age – they’re teenagers and often act like it, and I can’t relate quite as well as I once could. Trey makes choices several times that go just as wrong as I think they will, and Ariel often struggles with boundaries and self-awareness. It makes them realistic, though, and probably more relatable to readers of a similar age, so it’s not a real complaint, just a personal preference.

In all, I’ll give Love in Winter Wonderland a 7 out of 10. This is a cute, light-hearted YA romance, and I think readers who are looking for something in that genre will really enjoy this. Readers who want a little more maturity out of their characters though are better off finding something aimed at an older audience.

A charming christmas YA story! Such a feel-good story + the a great demonstration of generosity and kindness for the christmas season.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

*3.5⭐️
Okay, so this book started off really cute! I loved the vibes of them working in a bookstore at Christmastime and it also gave my 2000s teen drama vibes, which I loved. This book would have easily been at least four stars, maybe higher, but then we hit the 70% point…

(This is going to have slight spoilers because I can’t properly rant without them)

At the 70% point, this became a retelling of Mean Girls, but whereas Regina George is hilarious and iconic, Blair is just annoying and psychotic. And for some strange reason, Trey’s fine with that?!? Him not believing Ariel right away is one thing, but spending the night at Blair’s after learning (and ignoring) what she did is insane! Especially for a YA book! Also, once she confirms what she did, he’s not even positive that he wants to breakup with her and calls her “amazing.” Like, a psycho that bullies practically everyone, doesn’t have any interest in anything you like, and locked a girl in a classroom because she was a little jealous is considered “amazing”?!?!?!? I guess this can all be chalked up to stupid 18 year old behavior on both parties, but also, it gave me the ick.

I did really like the narrators’ accents. I often have trouble understanding non-American accents, especially when I speed up the narration, but I had absolutely no issues with understanding and I really liked both narrators’ voices.

I would be interested in reading books by this author in the future, but I really wish the last 40% of this book was a lot different…

I absolutely loved this cute, seasonal read. I loved the setting of a bookshop and England and the efforts to save a Black owned bookstore. The dual points of view were so fun and the narrators were excellent. I loved the characters and was quickly invested in them. This reminded me a lot of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute in all the best ways (I think they share a narrator and are both a dual POV love story) so definitely pick this one up if you liked that one. This also gave me Dash and Lily vibes (books, seasonal, cute love story). I would definitely recommend this to romance and realistic fiction readers and for all libraries and classroom libraries at the secondary level. So glad I picked this one up!

This was really sweet, but I will be honest, aside from the book shop, the book lacked a nice setting. I felt like I was looking at the barest set on a film anytime the characters were elsewhere.

I don't read much YA contemporary these days, but I enjoy stories set in bookshops and I fancied a Christmas book, so I thought I'd give this a go. And I'm so glad I did. This is a fun, compelling story about two teens who are trying to save a Black-owned family bookshop from closure. The narrative was inviting and the narrators made the audiobook so relaxing and engaging to listen to that I flew through it.

I was also really invested in the romance because I loved Ariel's character and wanted the best for her. I didn't mind Trey, but he made several thoughtless mistakes and hurt people in ways that could have easy have been avoided. He blamed Ariel far too easily for missing the interview and didn't even attempt to listen to what she was telling him or question Blair's actions (until much later). Then, he didn't approach Ariel to apologise and she had to seek him out. So, Ariel was the real star of the book for me and I'm glad she got her happy ending. Overall, a very entertaining read.

Content warning: binge eating, bullying, fat shaming

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

I'm a sucker for a book set in/around an indie bookstore, so on that plot point alone, Bello had me interested. As a reader, I wish we could have seen the mural that was painted and to experience the celebration of Wonderland ourselves.

As an American, it took me a minute to figure out that when Trey and Ariel talked about going to "college" they didn't mean COLLEGE and that this should be a New Adult book, both protagonists are 17 and while there are mature elements (on page drinking, talks of characters having sex), on the whole this is a upper YA novel and I can think of a handful of teen patrons that would love this story.

I'm annoyed with a certain plot point towards the end in that Trey believed one person would bail on something so important and another person who never showed any interest prior would be supportive... but I also get why he so easily believed what was happening.

Overall I thought this was a good holiday read and I was happy that it wasn't as romance-forward as I thought it was going to be... the plot is much more focused on saving Wonderland along with Trey and Ariel coping with their own personal struggles.

Ben Bailey Smith and Nneka Okoye do a good job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, RB Media, and Recorded Books in exchange for an honest review.

Books and Christmas…two of my favorite things!!!

“Love in Winter Wonderland” by Abiola Bello was a cute YA book about 2 teens who are determined to save the bookstore by Christmas! And it’s not just any bookstore; it’s black-owned and has been passed down over several generations. I loved this theme, as well as other messages throughout!

There’s also music recommendations and the best British accents if you decide to listen to it! I definitely enjoyed this book!

Truthfully, it was just a little boring. I didn't love the romance or the bookstore setting. I don't know that UK humor and culture always translates for me!!! But I'll definitely still recommend it with other holiday books for teens because I'm thrilled to have a more diverse option.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for the ALC of Love in Winter Wonderland.
This is a cute and lite read, perfect for reading after finishing a gripping novel. I like to think this book is a YA romance centered around a Black owned bookstore that was failing.

Though I enjoyed the plot, the touch of humor, the author's use of understating the eminent relationship between Trey and Ariel was really good. I wish Trey's character was developed a bit more. The author did a great job developing Ariel's character and even Blair's character which both drove the plot.

What I enjoyed most about this book was that the setting was primarily in a bookstore, that the characters were trying to save. I also loved the playlists and the use of authors doing caemo appearances within the story.

This was an easy read that I recommend as a cool down. It is written by a British Nigerian author which sometimes made it difficult for me to connect to the language. It also was excited to diversify my reading. I will keep my eyes open for this author's future works. This is a 3.8 to 4 star book.

It was slow getting into it for me but it was good! I think it was just a bit too slow pace for my normal taste but it was enjoyable and I did like the slow burn aspect

🎄BOOK REVIEW🎄

Love in Winter Wonderland - Abiola Bello
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

“Charming, handsome Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family’s beloved local bookshop, Wonderland.

Quirky, creative Ariel Spencer needs tuition for the prestigious art program of her dreams, and an opening at Wonderland is the answer. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline—and embark on a hate-to-love journey that will change them forever.

Heartwarming and romantic, this read is the gift that keeps on giving, no matter the season.”

This was a perfect YA read for the winter/holiday season! I felt Trey and Ariel were well developed characters and enjoyed their story. I appreciated how they rallied social media to try to save Trey’s family’s London black-owned indie bookstore. The narration of the audiobook was excellent - definitely looking for more books by them!

Recommend if you like:
- Artsy FMC
- YA romance
- London
- Bookstores
- Connecting over Christmas music
- Binge eating disorder rep

I love a good holiday romance. This audiobook was great and kept me entertained and focused. I will be recommending this to others.

I loved how natural the 2 main character's chemistry was, they clearly became good friends while working together before the romantic feelings and it didn't feel forced to me.

Trey's mum and dad own a bookshop and they want him to take over, until they have to sell the wonderland bookshop to developers as they don't have enough money to keep it going.

Ariel really carried this book for me. She had so many layers to her personality and was dealing with a lot, like weight issues (binge eating), grief (losing her dad), applying for her scholarship to art school and also dealing with bullies.
All while being an amazing friend to Trey and saving the bookshop.

And... of course we love the ending because who doesn’t love a HEA?! 🫶🏽🥰

Love in Winter Wonderland
by Abiola Bello just didn’t work for me. I made it half way and just couldn’t do it. It was narrated by Ben Bailey Smith and Nneka Okoye and they were amazing.
I found the characters irresponsible and frustrating. The Christmas playlists were a special touch but the rest was a struggle for me.
2.5⭐️
Thanks RB media via NetGalley.

❄️Book Review❄️
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Summary: Charming, handsome Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family’s beloved local bookshop, Wonderland.

Quirky, creative Ariel Spencer needs tuition for the prestigious art program of her dreams, and an opening at Wonderland is the answer. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline—and embark on a hate-to-love journey that will change them forever.
*
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the advanced audio copy of Love in Winter Wonderland! First of all the narration was absolutely out of this world, highly recommend listening to this one on audio 😍this was such a sweet YA romance set in a book shop. Ariel and Tre were both such unique and lovable characters. I really fell in love with their story lines and many of the side characters. This one was so deeply enjoyable I can’t recommend it enough. I love a unique love story and this was just such a special treat. My only flaw for this one was that it was YA and the villian just felt too cheesy and cartoonish. It took me out of the story and made it less realistic but overall I thought this one was a treasure 😍❄️
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QOTD- do you read YA books? If you do drop your best recommendation for YA mystery/thriller/romances below!
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Unfortunately, I lost the audiobook download when my NetGalley App glitched so I will not be able to review this properly as it has been archived.

I thought this was such a sweet, funny and cute winter romance! I liked both of the main characters and their chemistry. Ariel is such a relatable MC, I really enjoyed her story! The supporting characters were very well written and it was awesome listening about friends who have each other's backs. The novel had a great variety of personalities and even though there was some drama, overall the novel did not read immature or very high school. I have never heard of the author before but loved her writing and am looking forward to reading or listening to more of her books! I love that each chapter started with a song title. I definitely have to go back and make a Christmas playlist based on this book. The narrators were also very pleasant to listen to!

Thanks so much NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion!

A cute festive YA story! The characters were lovable and the family dynamics were great. Nothing negative to say but it probably won’t be a new favorite.