Holiday Star was an enjoyable read. The main character, an ER doctor was relatable, but I found the romance slightly strange as the love interest is related to the main character, but not by blood. However, it was still a very enjoyable read, even though the romantic build up was a bit too fast for me. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you so much for providing an E-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

So this is the first book that I read from this author, and this book also is the first book that I read that include a doctor x famous actor trope!

I truly enjoyed reading this book. The characters growth, the setting, and the deep message are truly what shines for me. Sure the plot twist was a bit predictable, but I love how the author give the characters a struggle and how they deals with it!

I'm going to check out the author's future works for sure!

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

This is my first time to read a book from the author.

I was wary at first because, let's face it... sometimes it does not work out but this one got me hooked from beginning to end...

Sure, I've read plenty of movie-star romances but I don't recall having read a love story between a medical doctor and a movie-star.

Overall I enjoyed the book... the last parts were the most swoon-worthy because he knew how to grovel.

I know it's marketed as a holiday book but you can actually read it anytime of the year.

Romance-reading has no limit.

Finally finished! It took me a while.
I loved the first part of the book, but then it became a bit too long for me. I feel like the book could have been way shorter and there was some unnecessary parts (at least for me). The book wasn’t overly Christmas so for those who don’t like over the top Christmassy books, this would be great!

I appreciated the opportunity to early read this book. The cover attracted me to the book very quickly. The storyline was very engaging and overall a cute read.

Although I enjoyed this book, this book doesn't have a lot of topics or themes for book clubs. Gwen Wright is house sitting for her mother is Los Angeles. Caleb Lawson is a movie star seeking to get away from the paparazzi and his fans. He ends up in her kitchen because he is he stepdad's nephew. So, in a small space, the romance begins.. And of course, a happy ending.

I do feel that this book did drag a bit after the first half of so, I just lost a lot of interest in it. It could have definitely been shortened or had less of the scenes.
Love the theme, I really like to get cosy with my seasonal books.
I absolutely love the fact that you can get this book in 2 copies a spicy and a cutesy theme. This is accommodating to lost of readers! They are very thankful 🩷

Very thankful to the publisher, author and netgalley team for the opportunity to read this book!

This was a fun enemies to lovers story set at Christmas.
Gwen is housesitting for her Mum & Stepdad for the month of December. One night she is woken up to find not an intruder but her stepdad's nephew Caleb Lawson who is world famous actor and is trying to escape the press. The two don't get along but they try to keep the peace whilst they both escape their real lives. Of course with any romance they start to catch feelings for each other.
It is a super cute story and we all love a good holiday romance.

I loved Holiday Star by Dr. Melissa Dymond and also love that she donates 10% of proceeds toward colon cancer research. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for her book and generosity.

I also like that the book is available in two versions: a spicier version and a cleaner version.

This book stars Dr. Gwen Wright, who is finally taking time off from her busy career in NY and discovers that instead of spending the holidays with her family, she will be house-sitting in LA alone for her mom and step-dad for the whole month of December.

Her plans go further awry when her stepdad’s nephew, a movie star named Caleb, unexpectedly shows up and intends to stay at the house as he hides from the paparazzi. I enjoyed how Gwen and Caleb butted heads and figured things out.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my opinions.

Holiday Star is a wonderful read, full of promise, passion, and self discovery.

I could not put the book down. I was immediately drawn to Gwen. We had so many similarities and insecurities in common. She was so easily relatable. All the characters were well thought out and created with purpose. The storyline was brilliantly written and held my attention until the very last word.

This is not just a story about romance, this is a story about heartache and healing. It’s about grief and recognizing all the ways it affects us in our daily lives. It’s about shattering other people’s expectations of yourself and living your truth. It’s also a story about fighting for what you believe in. To have the courage and strength to dream new dreams and reimagine your life, despite the outside world–or your doubts–standing in the way.

Holiday Star brings my heart so much joy and is a balm to my soul. I whole-heartedly recommend it to any reader struggling during the holiday season, or any season.

3.75 Stars

This was my first dive into the world of holiday romance, and let me tell you, it served up all those "Hallmark movie" feels and then some. At the beginning, I wasn't exactly hooked, and it took more effort than usual to really get into the story. I found it unrealistic that the mom and stepdad had to move to the other side of the world from one day to the next– especially during the holidays. Some plot points were as predictable and I wanted to skim over a few details that felt a tad too juvenile for my taste.

The main characters went from zero to "I can't live without you" real quick. And Gwen's mom finding out about her and Caleb's romance? Her reaction was a bit over the top. Then there was Gwen demanding to know all of Caleb's secrets and insecurities after just a month of knowing each other. It delivered one too many cheesy lines and felt too "insta-love" which I don't prefer when reading romance. A funny tidbit were the Twilight references– it all felt very nostalgic but not in a bad way. However...Short chapters? I'm all for it. The groveling and spice? DID NOT disappoint.

Like with other romance, there's a deeper message. And in that department, this book delivered. I loved how the main character went on this self-acceptance journey, learning to ditch the labels others gave her and forging her own path. How we must face our demons and traumas to grow and be better versions of ourselves. Grief, mental health, and therapy were handled very well, giving the characters some real struggles to deal with and grow from.

So, in the end, I don't regret diving into this read and might just recommend it. :) I see potential in this author and will definitely be on the lookout for her next book! Shoutout to Netgally for the chance to read this!

I loved this book! Usually I don’t have very high hopes when it’s a debut novel but this one blew my mind. I read quite a few holiday romances in December but this one easily topped the list! The writing is beautiful, the flow of the story is seamless and the characters are relatable & very likeable.

I’ve read my fare share of celebrity romances and it’s always interesting to see their character development. What I liked most is that the two MCs were kinda related so it adds a bit of forbidden romance to their story! The MMC- Caleb, happens to the the nephew of our FMC’s stepdad, and while their relationship starts off bumpy (mostly due to preconceived notions) they soon realise there’s a lot to love about each other. The FMC- Gwen, is very realistic and relatable. She’s struggling with the idea of her mother moving on with a new man while she’s still holding onto the grief of losing her father and her broken engagement. When Caleb crash lands in her kitchen while she’s house sitting for her mother, things change in the most wonderful way! Imagine a world famous celebrity wanting to live with you while he’s hiding out from the paps and his fans! As hard as they try to ignore the attraction, they fall more and more once they start to discover each other and get to them know better. They start to confide in eachother and become not only physically, but also emotionally attracted. As they say, every relationship has its ups and downs, Caleb and Gwen go through a whirlwind romance but find their way back to each other in the end.

This book felt like a movie! With all the romance, drama and spice; it’s perfect for the holidays!

There are two different versions of this book and I read the spicy one. I really loved this book. The characters were wonderful and I enjoyed seeing their personal growth and how their relationship developed. Even though Caleb is a major heartthrob actor Gwen has her own important career and life and isn’t awed by his celebrity. This was definitely one of the best Christmas books I’ve read.

Holiday Star makes Hallmark Movies seem totally not ridiculous (I love Hallmark Movies and mean this in the best way). I found both main characters too much, which for me is not usual, the FMC is in med school but is working to start an art therapy department at the hospital she isn't fully employed at.. while the MMC decided to stop acting and to take up being on broadway while running a restaurant. I would've liked an MMC who picked one and from everything I know about med school... the FMC's story is almost impossible.
Side note: The FMC also paints a portrait of a patient and displays it.. that definitely breaks HIPPA right?
This book also had instalove which is fine, but also I wasn't feeling it.
Overall, the first half of the book was the perfect amount of Hallmark ridiculousness, but towards the end everything just got out of hand. I would totally recommend this to someone looking for a forced proximity holiday romance, as long as they are ok with a lot of unrealistic details.

I thought when I started I would really enjoy this book. It seemed like it would be a cute Holiday romance. There was A LOT going on with both characters, more than what seemed necessary. I skimmed most of the 2nd half.

I had high hopes for this book because it sounded so good, but honestly if I didn't have this as an ARC, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

It was cute, but fell flat in a lot of places and I felt like I was skimming a lot towards the end of the book

When fate strikes
Caleb wants to hide but Gwen is already looking after his uncle's house and they have to make arrangements.

Difficult for two such different personalities with such different life plans.

Nice to read, ideal for the Christmas season with a lot of feeling and deep insights.

Have fun reading for yourself!

HOLIDAY STAR by Melissa Dymond

Cozy Christmasy novel about a celebrity and local doctor.

While the cover seems to scream Christmas rom-com it was Christmasy but only for a small part. Much of the book includes wrestling with person demons & self-discovery.

Readers may like this novels bit related to forced proximity, enemies to lovers and all the tension that comes with it. tension

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do love a celebrity-normal person trope, especially at Christmastime. I really enjoyed the first half of this book and the dynamics going on, but the second half of the book almost seemed like a different story - new setting, new characters introduced and new issues coming up.

While overall I did enjoy the book, there were definitely things that bothered me. Gwen’s relationship with her family was incredibly codependent to the point of being toxic. And while it was mentioned that their family was dysfunctional, it wasn’t resolved satisfactorily, especially the relationship with her mother and how she expected Gwen to parent her siblings.

The second thing that bothered me was that Caleb’s insistence that Gwen was the one for him in the second half of the book was borderline possessive and not in a “that’s a good kink” way.

These are of course personal gripes and may not bother other people or take away from the story at all for them.

Is it weird that my favourite character may actually be the crotchety paparazzo?