Short overview of the story ✨️
Gwen is a doctor taking a bit of time off from her job to write a research paper, so she ends up housesitting her mom's house in L.A, while she's overseas in Japan with her new husband Seth. To her surprise, Seth's nephew Caleb Lawson ends up staying with her in the house (who by the way is an international movie star 🫢). Gwen isn't the biggest fan of Caleb. But will the forced proximity turn these two enemies into lovers? Only time will tell 🤔

Around 50% of the book is a nice cozy holiday read, taking place over Thanksgiving and Christmas time. The rest of the book takes place the year after it. For me, it was a rather slow-paced read, mainly due to the dialogue feeling a bit too forced and too perfect 🫣🫣 It took me over a month to finish the book and I usually finish my books relatively quickly.

It was a nice book to read during the holiday season, even if it wasn't 100% my cup of tea ☕️ I like that the author gives you the choice of picking between a spicy and a more tame version of the book, which would please all types of readers.

'Holiday Star' is a romance book, but it also covers more serious topics like grief, self-discovery, alcoholism, work-life balance, and of course there is some family drama and heartbreak.

Thank you again, NetGalley, the publisher of the book, and the author Melissa Dymond, for giving me the chance to read this book 😊

Please find the links to the reviews on Instagram and Goodreads below.

Book Review 📚
Holiday Star by Melissa Dymond - 5/5 ⭐

You know what I class myself as? Scrooge. That's me. No point denying it. And I have never, in my 32 years of life, read a book that has anything to do with Christmas. So Dymond needs to take this a huge compliment that I not only requested to read this book based on the blurb but because I ENJOYED IT. It's literally a Christmas miracle!

I absolutely loved the Christmas story behind this book. Being stuck with someone who you'd really rather not in, what's supposed to be, the most magical time of year?! Yeah, no thanks. But Gwen (our FMC) perseveres. Gwen and Caleb were awesome characters and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow and develop together and apart.

There are some scenes that have me feeling so emotionally drained, but it an beautiful way. The positivity of the whole book is absolutely mind blowing and it's stuff like this that we need to push more of! It needs to be screamed and shouted about.

I will be adding this book to my bookshelf and I'll be reading it again! Thank you to NetGalley and Melissa Dymond for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

Gwen does not know how meeting America’s sweetheart, movie star, Caleb will change the trajectory of her life. After a brief run in leaving her totally unimpressed, Gwen gets stuck with him for Christmas. With Taylor Swift, Twilight by Stephanie Meyers, and Stephen King reference, author Dr. Melissa Dymond won my heart. This is a perfect Christmas or anytime read! With bicoastal vibes as the story moves from LA to NYC to Tokyo! Characters are realistic and relatable. You’ll start feeling like you’re best friends with Gwen too. This book has the opposite of trigger warnings, helping to #endthestigma with positive feedback on talk and art therapy, descriptions of healthy conversation patterns, and support for our loved ones in recovery.

This is 5 star read for me and I can’t wait to read Dr. Melissa Dymond’s next work!

Holiday Star by Dr. Melissa Dymond was a perfect Christmas read! I loved this forced proximity romance between a doctor and a superstar. It was all the best parts of a Hallmark movie without feeling cringey and with STEAM! Add this book to your Christmas reading or enjoy anytime of year for the magic Christmas feeling!

This was such a cute and fun Christmas read!! I loved that this author thought of every reader and made a sweet version OR a spicy version so everyone was comfortable reading it.

It was all the holly jolly vibes that you crave from a Christmas romance. I think you could definitely tell this author is newer, since the pacing was a little off and the writing wasn’t amazing, but the romance was cute and the Christmas vibes more than made up for it. I also love that she’s donating proceeds of the book to a good cause.

All around this book was cute and cozy and will surely put you in the holiday spirit!

I love this book and I love the fact that it has such a character driven plot and a cut me entertained from page one.

Holiday Star is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance, involving a cocky movie star and a doctor who could use a little self esteem boost.
Forced to spend the holidays alone together, they initially clash but as Christmas approaches, the mood begins to shift.
This spicy little page turner was incredibly well written and gave those heart strings a nice tug. It had me rooting for a happy ending right from the start, but their clashing personalities led me to doubt it may not happen. But I mean, it is Christmas after all 😉

Another interesting bit - this book is released in two different versions! There's a spicy one, for those of us who like a little heat, but there's also a closed door version, for friends who want to keep it sweet. I love this ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Melissa Dymond for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday romp. I love that the author provides a steamy option and a closed door romance option. The forced proximity of the doc and the movie star provides such a wonderful dynamic. I love seeing the growth in both characters. The banter is on point and hilarious. I will recommend this book to everyone. Thanks for the publisher for providing me a copy to read and review.

Holiday Star welcomes all romance readers with a spicy and a sweet (closed door) version of this book so huge props to Dr. Melissa for loving all readers!

Gwen is a dependable and reliable doctor working long hours in a New York hospital who comes home to California for Christmas to visit family and work on her research paper. Caleb is a sexy movie star wanting to escape the media who is constantly on him. Gwen and Caleb are stuck in the same house for a month. The characters are well written allowing you to easily connect to them even forgetting Caleb is this celebrity actor at times. Holiday Star is a cozy romance where he falls first and she works through grief, depression, and self doubt. She wants to be fun and more than being a doctor and he helps her find her true self in the sweetest way. I absolutely loved Gwen and Caleb's story and literally could not put this book down. I hope we are lucky enough for more of their story.

I liked this one a lot. I didn't have any real opinion about the title before going in other than I knew it was a Christmas book. The connection between the characters was realistic and fun to be a part of. They both helped each other to grow into who they needed to be. Caleb's fame was an interesting twist to the forced proximity troupe. It also played a big part later in the book which I ended up liking a lot. This was a sweet read from Christmas I would recommended to others.

What a sweet and heartwarming debut novel by Melissa Dymond. I am not typically a huge fan of holiday romance because so many of them stay surface level. Holiday Star goes deeper into grief, family, and friendship in addition to the romance, giving it the depth that so many holiday stories lack. But it's not all sadness! We have
celebrity romance, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, and forced proximity tropes. And spice! Again, I personally prefer less spice but the scenes were not overly graphic and fans of closed door romances will still enjoy this story. I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven holiday story for all the ways it pulled at my heartstrings.

Gwen is in a tense ER residency in New York and at her mother's wedding she meets Caleb Lawson - her mother's new husband's nephew and one of the world's most famous actors. At Christmas, she is acquainted with him again when she is left alone on the holiday to oversee some renovations at her mother's home. What follows is a wonderful depiction of dealing with mental health, emotional trauma and the willingness to see someone for who they really are.

This book was well written and I enjoyed the idea that there are two versions - one "clean" and the other "spicy," so all readers could be comfortable getting to know these characters. There were a few little things that were odd to me, but they didn't ruin the book - counting the times a name was said and then when Gwen's name was described as having a "round G and a flat n" was a bit confusing, even as a native English speaker.

Four stars for this Holiday Star!

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

A fun and festive read, a hilarious romcom with some spice thrown it. I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this author

In Melissa Dymond's enchanting holiday romance novel, "Holiday Star," readers are transported into a world where one doctor, one movie star, and one house collide, creating an unexpected and heartwarming tale. Set against the backdrop of the festive season, this story takes us on a journey filled with humor, love, and the magic of Christmas. Dr. Gwen Wright finds herself spending a lonely December, house-sitting for her recently married mother and stepfather. Little does she know that her quiet retreat is about to be disrupted by the arrival of Caleb Lawson, a world-famous movie star seeking refuge from the relentless paparazzi and his own secrets. To Gwen's surprise, Caleb happens to be her stepfather's nephew, which instantly sparks a clash of personalities and boundaries. Dymond masterfully weaves a tale of tension and chemistry between Gwen and Caleb as they find themselves reluctantly sharing the confined space of the house. Initially, Gwen sees Caleb as an intruder, while he views himself as having every right to be there. As these two contrasting worlds collide, their interactions become increasingly complex, leading to unexpected connections and shared moments of vulnerability. While Gwen is drawn to Caleb's enigmatic persona, it is his moody charm that slowly melts her defenses. Dymond skillfully portrays their evolving relationship, capturing the nuances of their interactions and building a palpable tension that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. From playful banter to unexpected sparks of romance, the chemistry between Gwen and Caleb is undeniable, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying. However, the path to their happily ever after is not without its obstacles. As the future looms uncertainly, Gwen and Caleb must confront their differences and confront the challenges that come with their divergent lives. Dymond expertly navigates the complexities of their relationship, skillfully crafting a narrative that balances the joy and vulnerability of falling in love with the realities of their disparate worlds. At its heart, "Holiday Star" is a tale of hope, love, and the power of Christmas miracles. Dymond's vivid storytelling pulls readers into a world where anything is possible, reminding us that even in the darkest of moments, love can light the way. With its delightful blend of humor, romance, and holiday cheer, this novel leaves readers feeling warm, fuzzy, and ready to believe in the magic of the season. In conclusion, Melissa Dymond's "Holiday Star" is a captivating read that beautifully captures the essence of the holiday spirit. With its well-developed characters, engaging plotline, and heartfelt themes, this book is a perfect choice for those seeking a heartwarming romance to curl up with during the festive season. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, cozy up by the fire, and let "Holiday Star" whisk you away into a world where love truly knows no boundaries.

I had pretty mixed feelings on this book by the end. I really enjoyed the first half of Holiday Star. It was a funny and quirky romance that touched on some heavy topics. Sadly, the second half of the book bored me. The plot started to drag and the drama started to seem over the top and completely unrealistic. I liked some of the banter between the main characters but the relationship felt too forced. The insta love vibes were too much for me. That being said, this was still an alright holiday romance and I'd suggest giving it a try still.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you like a spicy and sweet holiday book, you must check this out! This is an enemies to lovers romance. Dr. Gwen Wright is house sitting for her mom and stepdad for the month of December while she's writing a paper. But when her stepdad's blockbuster , celebrity nephew is trying to avoid the spotlight and shows up at the house, they end up having to spend the holiday together. Even though this would seem to not be a likely story, I felt the author made it believable, and fun. I really enjoyed this.

The author also wrote 2 versions of this story, a sweet closed door romance, and a spicy and steamy version. So everyone can enjoy this one. Whatever your preference. An entertaining forced proximity, opposites attract romance with a cheerful holidays theme!!

Out now!
Thank you to the publisher, author, and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Just in time for the holiday fun! I found Holiday Star to be a sweet slow burn for our main characters: Gwen and Caleb.

To start off though, I did appreciate the Acknowledgement highlighting the awareness for colon cancer disease and it's relevance in the story. This wasn't anything major in my rating but I did enjoy that it was included.

I read the version with "spicy-with sex scenes and mild explicit language" but, again, I did appreciate that the author considered those who are not into that and wrote a "sweet-no language and kissing only" version as well.

Back to the fun, overall, I enjoyed the book.

It was a great way to get into the mood for the holidays with caroling, decorating and stuff like that. Caleb is your typical "chiseled jawline with cheekbones that can cut with a 6-pack" but hey, he is a celebrity, so I could get it. Gwen is the dependable book-smart average doctor girl and they get to spend some time together during the holidays due to some situations aligning. I did find myself rolling my eyes a bit because although Gwen has a good head on her shoulders, her inner thoughts are just constantly self depreciating and second guessing everything. She makes some choices like invading personal privacy and the other character just seems to forgive and forget within a couple sentences. Caleb is the perfect triple threat that does everything perfect but is just misunderstood. A bit of the regular run around. I think the story could have been shorter and still packed the same punch. At some point, when I checked my location in the book, I had hit 50% and really thought that I was hitting in the end. There seemed like too much drama happening over and over which made it feel unnecessarily long and I found myself skimming as I kept going.

I dont see myself reading this again but, I did get into christmas mood
It was a light read with some spicy with a sprinkle of christmas cheer.

An easy to read book about complex characters. The first third started off predictable but I was pleasantly happy with where the rest of the novel led. I appreciated the mentions of therapy for both characters instead of the author pulling the “we healed each other with our love” plot (one I despise).

A super cute holiday romance that I really enjoyed. I fell in love with both Caleb and Gwen and all the supporting characters. I am only giving it 4 stars instead of 5 as I found the book hard to get into at first but after the 30% mark I was hooked and could not put the book down. Recommend to any romance lover looking for their next Christmas read!

Thank you for allowing me to read this fantastic book.
I'm a sucker for Christmas themed romances and this one just went to the top of my Christmas favorites!
Gwen and Caleb are both such great and complex characters. The flaws they have that make them help each other and complete each other, their friendship and the slow burn melted my heart, the spicy scenes were HOT...
I loved how the story evolved past Christmas and how we could see how their lifes were past that bubble they were in. I gotta say that Wayne and Alvina were such great additions. Gwen needed someone at her side in that moment and Alvina was like a mother and a friend at the same time to her. And Wayne, what a different kind of character!
Totally a 4.5 stars and I'm quite sure I'll re-read next Christmas!