I went into this book with super high hopes but I need to face it - I’m not a holiday book person. I just did not vibe with this one. DNF’d @ 56%. Gwen is a doctor currently in residency and goes home for Christmas to her mom’s + step dad’s house but they take an unexpected trip to Japan for step dad’s job. So Gwen is forced to spend Christmas by herself - until Caleb shows up - big shot movie star who is step dad’s god son. Caleb asks Gwen to not tell her mom that he is there since he is currently taking a break from being out in the world and in hiding. That’s the first time the book took a turn for me - Gwen’s mom scolding her for him staying there?? And making her promise her that she will stay away from him??? She’s a grown adult?? From there it just seemed to get worse and just felt overall like a wattpad story - very unrealistic. The spice felt very unnatural and weird tbh compared to how they were in other situations. I’m not an insta love hater but this insta love was just very off hand imo.

Holiday Star is a spicy Christmas romcom, about a super famous actor who needs to lay low, and the doctor whose house he lays low at.

Gwen was just excited about being home Christmas, but her mother drops a bomb on her: her and her new husband are moving to Japan, and won't be home for Christmas. Gwen goes to her mother's house anyway, when Caleb - the nephew of her stepfather - drops in at 3am when he needs a place to stay away from the media.

It has forced proximity, forbidden relationship, spicy scenes and Christmas! It is not a slow burn, but we see so much growth from both characters over the course of the story. This was such a fun Christmas romcom, I really enjoyed watching the relationship unfold between Gwen and Caleb. And I love that the author is spreading awareness of colon cancer and donating a portion of the proceeds of sale to the cause!

Thank you to Melissa Dymond and Netgalley for an e-arc of this one! All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun holiday story with all the elements I adore. Slow burn, tension, holiday angst, and a happy ending! Solid writing and characters hooked me from the very beginning.

Calling all reluctant romance readers! You won’t believe what this author is offering…

Read on to discover these amazing options!

Dr. Gwen Wright is finally taking time off from work at the hospital in Manhattan. Exhausted, not dealing with grief in a positive manner, and feeling like a failure at relationships, Gwen’s looking forward to heading back to L.A. to spend Christmas with her parents, Seth and Melinda Peterson. Gwen has organized a one-month academic sabbatical so that she can work on a research paper she hopes to publish and still manage to celebrate Christmas with family.

When she discovers that her parents aren’t even going to be home this Christmas, Gwen struggles with the idea. She can’t believe that the very Christmas she doesn’t have to work, she’ll still have to spend it alone.

Fate has other plans for her….fate involving Caleb Freaking Lawon…the son of her stepfather’s sister.

It’ll take a Christmas miracle for things to fix her not-so-merry Christmas.

Beautifully written and emotionally raw, the author examines the masks we choose to wear, why we feel the need to prove our worth, the debilitating fear of failure, compromise, vulnerability, true happiness, the benefit of focusing on the present, and the value of being authentically YOU. Her characters are as amazing as her message and the story left me emotionally affected.

TWO THINGS:

📢This author offers her story in TWO VERSIONS!!! I am so excited to see that authors are taking this small step that ensures they reach a wider audience. Why has it taken so long?!

Readers can order:

🌶️🔥 Spicy - sex scenes and mild explicit language
OR
💕🌸 Sweet - no explicit language, no graphic sex scenes. Fade-to-black and kissing only. Closed door promise.

📢 features a cancer subplot and the author pledges to donate 10% of her profits to cancer research

If you like enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, tons of chemistry, a touch of groveling, and a HEA, this is a holiday read you’ll want on your night table come November 1, 2023.

A second book, Paging Dr. Hart, is to be published on September 1, 2024 and will be offered in both formats.

📚Book Review: Holiday Star by Dr. Melissa Dymond⭐️
Dr. Gwen Wright is medical resident back in California for her mother’s wedding. At this wedding, she meets Caleb Lawson, a famous movie star that every girl goes wild over and her new stepfather’s nephew. She thought she’d never see him again after this wedding. Forward to Thanksgiving, where her mother tells her that she and her new husband Seth will be moving to Japan and Gwen would be the perfect person to house sit while renovations are being done over Christmas. It made Gwen upset because Christmas was her favorite holiday, especially since it was her dad’s favorite, who had died from colon cancer. In the middle of the night, she heard someone in the house and ends up attacking her intruder! What she didn’t know if that it was Caleb and he planned on hiding out from his celebrity lifestyle. What I really liked about the book is that they both work on each others’ lives prior to getting together. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how they were going to work things out!

What’s interesting about this book is the author wrote two versions: spicy or sweet! So you can pick 😊

I definitely recommend this book if you’re into celebrity romance, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, Christmas romance 🎄it’s available November 1st!
AND for every book sold, 10% of proceeds are donated to colon cancer research 🔬

Gwen’s mom had dropped the bomb at Thanksgiving that she and her new husband Seth would be moving to Japan for a couple of years. In the meantime, Gwen would house sit and manage construction on their home while they were away. Yes, she was more than a little sad she would be spending Christmas alone, but that would give her time to work on a research paper. One night while she was alone, Gwen heard someone in the house. Very nervous and scared she picked up a wrench and made her way downstairs. Boom! She hit the intruder in the head with the heavy object and they hit the ground with a thump. Gwen realized who she hit was Caleb, Seth’s godson. Not even friends and now they were house mates. As time goes by they spend a lot of time talking and getting to know one another, and falling for each other. Their time together seems magical in their bubble.

Then one day a photo of Gwen and Caleb makes it all over papers and online media and the bubble bursts. All she knows is that she can’t imagine her life without him.

Will Caleb being a celebrity ruin any chance they have for love?

Gwen and Caleb are relatable characters. They have both found success in their careers and have reached amazing goals, but they are not truly happy. Allowing the characters their own time to deal with their issues and figure out solutions was nice. It felt like a real relationship, it never felt rushed or that it was going to slow. I couldn’t put this book down. I wanted to know what they were thinking, what was going to happen next, why a regular person could possibly ruin their life just by dating a celebrity. I will be buying a hard copy of this book and will reread I am sure of it!

HOLIDAY STAR ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This holiday romance was so fun! A celebrity romance is usually not my favorite, but wow, I loved this one! It felt like they built such a solid friendship and appreciation for each other before the romance began, which made it even more satisfying once it happened! I loved that we got to see both Gwen and Caleb work on themselves individually at one point in the book. If you’re looking for a feel good, holiday romance, look no further!

Something so cool about this one is the Author has a clean and spicy version! So when you are ordering, select the sweet or spicy version!

Gwen loves Christmas. This year, she finds herself all alone, house sitting for her Mom and new Stepdad. It turns out, celebrity Caleb Lawson (her new stepdads nephew), ends up staying there as well. Forced to share this space, the doctor and moody celebrity end up growing on each other.

Pub date: November 1, 2023.

Perfect if you like:
•Forced proximity.
•Celebrity romance.
•Enemies to lovers.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Mood: 🍩🌮

Will be available on KU!

🚪: skip chapters 25, 34, & 69 for explicit intimacy details.
⚠️: explicit language

A perfect read for the upcoming Holiday season! I never would've guessed that the match of an actor and an ER doctor would be one I would be rooting for. Caleb and Gwen fit each other so well, and are incredibly accepting of each other and their flaws. I love how they had chemistry from the very start, so them becoming accidental housemates sealed the deal on the tension they had. Although I could've done without the overbearing mothers not letting their children (who are almost THIRTY mind you) make their own life decisions. That really made me extremely frustrated for Caleb and Gwen giving into their mother's controlling their entire lives and not letting them be in love together, no matter how fast it might have occurred. I wish we saw more of Caleb's perspective after the events half way through the book. I also think it is very thoughtful of the author to include a closed door romance version of this book. I love my open door romances, but I understand that they may not be for everyone, so this is extremely thoughtful of her!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Holiday Star by Melissa Dymond was an absolute breath of fresh air to get me out of my reading slump.

This book was equal parts spicy and sweet and I am here for it!

Dr Qwen Wright was having a rough time of it. Struggling with work, her mum flying off to another country and reeling from her fiancé leaving her for another woman.

At her mums wedding she meets celebrity movie star Caleb Lawson. A chance encounter after the wedding sees the pair hit it off, but not before drama and heartbreak.

Absolutely loved it and highly recommend.

AHHH-MAZING!!! Thank you NetGalley, Melissa Dymond and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

OH MY HOLIDAY STARS🎄🌟🎄🌟🎄!!! What a beautifully written and heartwarming Christmas story that will tug at your heartstrings! Ya'll keep your tissues handy because you will need them.🤧 Holiday Star has your enemies to lovers trope, celebrity romance, opposites attract, forced proximity and is filled with angst, tension, humor, passion, chemistry, spice, groveling and a HEA!! If all that is not enough to convince you to read this book then let me tell you more! Is this a love story? Yes, but its so much more! The story is about love, loss, grief, loneliness, family, friendships, redemption, healing, forgiveness, self-discovery, overcoming your fears and having the courage to move forward with what you want in life. Once I started reading I could not put it down! I am utterly amazed that this is a debut novel!! Melissa Dymond has created such a touching story with so much depth and rich characters with real life struggles and raw emotions. I am already such a HUGE fan of this author! Literally, everything you could want in a story and I absolutely loved it so much!!! Another book to add to my favorite Christmas reads for 2023!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Gwen is an ER doctor and cannot wait to go home for the holidays to spend time with her family and best friend. So when she finds out that her mother and stepfather are moving to Japan and will not be home at all during her stay Gwen is devastated. In addition, the house is being renovated while they are in Japan and her mother asks her to house-sit for the month of December. Needless to say, Gwen is lonely and not having a merry Christmas. Reluctantly, she agrees because what could possibly go wrong? Caleb, the nephew of Gwen's new stepdad, is a famous hot movie star. In the middle of the night, Gwen gets the shocking twist of her life when she hears someone(aka Caleb) inside the house! Turns out that Caleb is on the run from the paparazzi and his secrets and needs a place to hide out. He feels like he has just as much a right to stay in the house as she does. Caleb convinces her to keep the fact that he is staying at the house a secret. Slowly they build a friendship that turns into something way more!

If you are looking for a wonderful character driven holiday read then this is the book for you! I cannot recommend this it enough and it deserves all the stars!!! ✨✨✨✨✨

I really enjoyed this book! It was a great start to the holiday season, as it is not a full Christmas book, but has a nice touch!
I like how the author does not minimizes the health topics and I appreciate how the important talks happen in this book. It's great to see that the characters know that being in love is important, but it is not the only piece of a healing and recovering process.
I'm glad the author and NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this book!

I enjoyed this book so much! I couldn’t put it down. Being a nurse, I loved being able to relate to the medical aspects of the book. The perfect amount of spice and all the twists and turns to keep you wanting more! If you love an enemies to lovers holiday spicy romance then this is the book for you! If you want more sweetness and less spice, the author also offers two versions. Don’t miss out!!

Caleb Lawson is book boyfriend goals and Holiday Star now has a permanent place on my Holiday Must Read List!

I absolutely adored this book—everything from the characters of Gwen and Caleb, to Jenny and even Pip were perfect. Gwen and Caleb both had so much going on in their own lives and watching them come together, learning to trust one another in a slow and natural way, way absolutely stunning.

With the timeframe in which the book takes place is short, I was worried that the book would feel rushed, but the pacing of the story was spot on, making this love story feel plausible.

This book was so much more than I anticipated at the beginning. It starts off like other romances I’ve read but there were twists and turns I never would have expected.

I really enjoyed the beginning, the standoffish first meeting and surprise (and painful) reconnection. Gwen and Caleb sharing such close quarters and slowly revealing themselves to each other was wonderful to read. Seeing each come out of their shell a bit and slowly fall for the other. All set with the holidays as the backdrop made it feel warm and cozy. Then just when you think everything is going perfectly, it all comes crashing down and both are heartbroken.

The book takes a turn here that I haven’t seen other books do before. They both go through a lot personally but focus on themselves and healing. Usually the conflict that breaks up a couple is quickly resolved but this feels more realistic. People need time to heal and grow. I love that Gwen gets back into art and does art therapy to help her deal with the grief she’s been living with since her father’s untimely death. I also really appreciated that she never once considers giving up her medical career or residency that she worked so hard to get.

Another twist was that she doesn’t fall all over herself when they have the chance to reunite. It was really beautiful watching them build trust and get to know each more fully again. It made the ending all the more rewarding.

I appreciated how the story took place over a longer period of time that just one holiday which gave more time for character and story development. The two main characters, Gwen and Caleb felt real and believable with all the flaws and quirks people have in real life. There was lots of talk of grief and struggle but it had a real hopeful tone as well. Finding the right people and team to support you through those hard times and the benefits of therapy which was great.

I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to more in Gwen and Caleb’s story in the future as promised in the end of the book! Oh and I also really enjoyed the free chapter when I subscribed to the author’s newsletter getting a sneak peek at their first meeting from Caleb’s point of view. Love when authors give you that.

I received an advanced (digital) reader copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this eARC because I am a sucker for festive romcoms. Whilst this book definitely fits in that category, it exceeded my expectations and gave a well developed story with realistic growth of the character’s relationship from basically strangers to forming a friendship in forced proximity (love this trope). This book was also way longer than I anticipated, which allowed the author to give more insight into the characters. I love how both Gwen and Caleb really work on themselves in the second half of the book. We see them at their worst when they are apart, so it made their reunion all the more special and exciting. I would definitely recommend this book to romance lovers out there - and you can also choose to purchase a “spicy” version with all the smut or a “sweet” version with no swearing and kissing only.

My review was posted on book-focused Instagram account (@kristenthebookworm) on 21/10/2023.

This was such a beautiful and enjoyable read. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre!!! Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 ⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

“Anything of mine is yours. You just have to ask”

This is the perfect romance book for the holidays. It was so adorable and you are rooting for Caleb and Gwen the whole time. I could not put this down. I was desperate to know what was going to happen next and to see if they were going to work out after Christmas!!

Caleb is a famous actor and Gwen is a doctor in her residency. They meet at her moms wedding! Caleb happens to be her step cousin but them being together doesn’t feel weird since her new stepdad doesn’t feel like her step dad. She doesn’t ever call him dad and it seems like she doesn’t really have a connection to his side of the family. She only really cares about her moms new found happiness after her fathers tragic dead.

I absolutely loved this book. There as so many real life scenarios with Gwen mourning her fathers death or seeing how much paparazzi ruins the lives of celebrities. There is a perfect blend of story and spicy. Not too much and not too little. I don’t think there was a single second while I was reading this book that I felt bored or I couldn’t follow what was happen. It was the perfect short holiday read.

This book was an Arc read I requested from NetGalley! I am so glad I did Dr Melissa Demond is an amazing author. She writes the story and makes it feel like you’re watching a movie. I also loved her little references to Twilight and Stephen King which are two of my favorite things! Definitely preorder this one! The book comes out November 1st and has a spicy and sweet version!

Tropes in this one!
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Forced proximity
✨Forbidden love
✨Soulmates
✨Holiday romance
✨He falls first

Gwen and Caleb are couple goals! Their witty banter was hilarious. They were lovable and relatable. A top notch Christmas read!

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

📖 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙗𝙮 𝘿𝙧. 𝙈𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝘿𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙙

"𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸'𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊 𝚍𝚘𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛. 𝚆𝚎'𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝."

Gwen is a ER resident Doctor who has spent the last 10 years focusing on her education and career goals. After losing her dad and her mom remarrying she is left feeling like she missed out on so many things while being too focused on her future.

Caleb, the nephew of Gwen’s new stepdad, is the world’s favorite actor. Starting as a childhood actor at 2 years old, he doesn’t know a life outside of stardom.

When Gwen is asked to house-sit for her mom she gets the shock of her life to find Caleb raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night. It turns out Caleb is in hiding from everyone and convinces Gwen to keep him staying there a secret. Slowly they build an unlikely friendship that evolves into something so much more.

Wow, I went into this booking thinking it was just going to be another holiday romcom, which I love, but this book was so much more! At the root of this book we have two people struggling with self doubt and the feeling of never being good enough. Gwen & Caleb have spent their lives trying to smash themselves into the tiny boxes of other people’s expectations. Gwen always has to be the sensible and responsible daughter. Caleb has to be the world’s golden boy actor. They try so hard to be who the world or their family needs them to be. At some point, they forgot that they can be ANYTHING they want to be.

🩶It was so refreshing to have a MMC that was so open and vulnerable about what he was going through. There is a great amount of groveling in this book and I loved it! Caleb’s fancy date was perfect. I loved how together they were able to open themselves up to all the different things they could do with their lives.

🧩Couples who puzzle together, stay together! Honestly how could they not stay together after a meet cute that involves a wrench! 🤣🔧

🔥There was a fair about of spice in this book! Spice rating: 2 🌶️

🏷️ Tropes: holiday romcom, forced proximity, vulnerable MMC, groveling, addiction, therapy, coming of age, self discovery, spicy romance

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book is available on kindle/kindle unlimited on November 1st! It’s also available in a closed door romance version if you’re not down for the spice!

ER doc Gwen is spending a lonely December housesitting. Moody Hollywood hunk Caleb moves in, hiding out from the paparazzi. Though they're worlds apart, their connection proves undeniable. Can the East Coast doctor and West Coast actor overcome their differences?

This book starts out as a fun, engaging rom com but turns into a dark women's fiction about grief and substance abuse. The pacing is off for a romance, with the grand gesture coming at about 75%—but then the book keeps going. If you like serious women's fiction, this book is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.