Just the cutest story ever!

Abby, who dreams of being a reporter, gets a deal she can’t refuse. By fake dating a woman for a story her friend is writing, she’ll get a co-writing credit. Erica is that perfect woman, and they meet when she and her daughter, Kayla, are asked to come in for an interview following a letter to Santa about her Christmas wish. Finding themselves actually attracted to one another complicates things, but is taking a chance worth it.

This really was the cutest story ever. Kayla completely stole the show and my heart with how sweet and cute she was, not only with her Christmas wish but just accepting that her life was still good, even though she and her mum only had basics and had to make sacrifices. Erica and Abby were from such different worlds yet perfectly suited. They got on well, had a connection, and Abby was so generous and kind, even if she was hesitant about a real relationship, especially with someone who had a child, but I admired how she embraced it. Kayla really got under her skin too, and that was it, there was no way she was getting away.

There was a real magic in the air that just made every second of the story enjoyable. It was such a special relationship they were forming and really made me smile. Even if things hadn’t worked out, both of them were doing it to be kind and supportive of the other. Kayla was the real winner though!
A great holiday based romance for Christmas that I can’t wait to read again. I fell totally in love with it, the characters, the storyline, everything!

Little girl asks santas for a new mommy.

After having to pause her life to take care of her sister, Abby finally wants to make it as a writer. When one of her co-workers is struggling she agrees to fake date someone for a feel good christmas article. Erica is focused on her daughter and doesn't have a social life, She accepts to fake date to have some time for herself, she just wishes she wasn't so attracted to Abby.

It is a very cute sapphic Christmas book. I was so excited for them to get together.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm a devoted fan of A.L Brooks' work, so penning a less-than-stellar review for this story was a challenging task. Make Her Wish Come True offers a feel-good, Hallmark-esque holiday experience that's brimming with cheer and the promise of happily ever afters. The holiday atmosphere is over the top of course , making it a perfect read for the season. What I liked in this book is the authenticity of the characters. They're not your typical cookie-cutter romantic leads but rather real people dealing with genuine problems and insecurities. This relatability adds to the story and makes you root for them.

However, I had trouble connecting the dots between the Santa Letter premise and the fake dating concept. The story starts off light and fun, revisiting the kids who wrote letters the previous year, but it felt unclear how this led to the necessity of fake dating for new material for articles. It's a cute story, no doubt, but it lacks the captivating grip that some of the author's other works have had. So while this story offers a heartwarming holiday tale with some genuine moments and relatable characters. It might not reach the same heights as Brooks' other works, but it's still a pleasant read for those seeking a feel-good, festive escape.

Abby Baxter wants to be a real reporter, and when her journalist friend offers her co-writing credit if she'll fake-date a woman for a story on finding love, she 's ready for the job. Erica Goode works two jobs and doesn't have a spare ounce of energy left for anyone besides her precious daughter Kayla.

Both women go into the fake relationship with eyes wide open for their own reasons. This is a super sweet story that feels more real than a lot of romances. Abby and Erica both have real adult problems and deal with things in a mature way. The star of this show is daughter, Kayla, who wants a second mommy for Christmas, but Erica's selflessness and her love for her daughter really resonated with me, too (especially as a queer single mom).

The relationship between Abby and Erica was fun to watch evolve. Both of these women make my heart happy. 😂 A.L. Brooks writes really good 🌶️🌶️🌶️, too. Absolutely enjoyed this gem, especially as it's got two of my favorite tropes (single parent and fake dating) in it. Quick and fun sapphic holiday love story. Loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This was the eighth book I’ve read by A.L. Brooks, an author whose smooth writing clearly set up the storyline, and I was soon in my cozy reading mode, ready to get the scoop on Abby, Erica and young Kayla.
What I found was heart-throbbing romance in the middle of a fake-dating trope, complicated by Abby’s work situation and Erica, a single mom whose fears couldn’t allow herself to put her own desires ahead of her daughter’s.
Both parties were in agreement with the fake-dating, and, of course they developed feelings for each other, but there were many layers to sort before it could all be resolved, some which were a bit deceptive to one.
A key character, who was the catalyst to the fake-dating scenario, was Kayla, Erica’s young daughter whose Christmas wish in a letter to Santa Clause, was a second mommy.
I don’t want to give any details away because reading how things unfold is important to the pleasure in this enjoyable read.
One other pleasurable mention I’d like to note is that this book included a wonderful dose of romantic and sexy scenes, something in Brooks’ writing that I always expect to enjoy.

What a pleasant read!! This book had so many layers and everyone was more enjoyable than the last! The fake dating trope made for the most perfect slow burn between these two that made everything else even more worth it. Even though I don’t have children of my own the way Ericas love for Kayla and Abby’s hesitancy around what it means to date a mother were written so well and added another layer of complexity to the story. I would absolutely love to see more of these three!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately I DNFed this at 12%. This was just not for me.

Adorable kid and funky (sometimes iffy) setup for fake dating trope romance
If you're in the mood for a romance story with characters who are more 'real life' than idealized/sugar coated, who live by a budget and make ends meet by working long hours and pinching pennies; the fake dating trope given some surprise twists and maybe questionable methods, and want a good dose of drama with loads of fluff and humor this one is worth a read.
I appreciate authors who write stories with characters who are more relatable in their everyday lives than the ones with the fancy car/home, high paying power job etc. I read both kinds so having that choice and variety in lesfic is a good thing in my opinion. One main character lives in a multi-generational home, which I believe is a first in the lesfic I've read to date; the supportive and loving relationships between those who live there is beautiful reading. The star of the book is Erica's daughter Kayla, who out adorables everyone when she's in a scene; Kayla is written so thoughtfully and with realism in the way she perceives things and how her moods shift. Main characters Erica and Abby provide some steam, drama and angst as well as fluff. There are some moments in the fake dating setup and unfolding that some may find questionable or objectionable. And one minor plot thread's resolution was pretty lackluster in my opinion given the amount of time and attention that was devoted to that thread in the book. Other readers may feel differently. Fans of those feel good TV movies of a particular channel would likely enjoy this story for its rollercoaster of emotions, and lots of opportunities to awww over sweet moments between characters. Check out AL Brooks's other books as well for other good reading material.

Make Her Wish Come True by Author A L Brooks is a fake relationship romance that is sweet, cute, and sexy with a sprinkle of anguish- because hello it’s a Brooks book.

Abby wants to be a journalist. She works for popular magazine Ki but currently works in admin, which is not where her passion lies. When an opportunity arises to fake date a woman for the magazine lifestyle column, she decides to grab it. She will get to do some writing and this may be the big break she needs. It's not like feelings need to be involved! Plus, Abby is concentrating on her career, with no distractions, even though the woman she is fake dating is gorgeous, kind, and sexy. No. No distractions.

Erica’s focus is solely on her daughter Kayla. She works two jobs, spends as much time with Kayla as possible, eat, sleep, repeat. But when Abby offers her a chance to enjoy some time away from those responsibilities Erica decides to go for it. She has no time for real dating, so this is the perfect solution. If only Abby wasn’t so beautiful, and if only they didn’t get on so well. But friendship will have to do because Abby has made it clear that this is all pretend and Erica cannot afford to risk her and Kayla’s hearts, can she?

I adore a Brooks book, so I was excited to read this, and it didn’t disappoint. I literally couldn’t put it down and read 80% in a day.

The story is sweet and hooked me from the start and the characters are wonderful and well developed. I got dragged into their world and was happy to stay there forever. I didn’t want it to end and could have happily carried on reading about Abby and Erica’s life.

Abby has given up a lot and had to put her life on hold (I won’t spoil why) and now it's her time to shine. This character has built walls in order to survive what life has thrown her and there are times when she broke my heart. There were also times when I shouted at her and then wanted to give her a big hug. She has such capacity for love if only she would open herself up a little more and trust her feelings. There was a brilliant lightbulb moment for Abby, and I was like ‘Finally’ you get it!

Erica is selfless to a fault her daughter is her world and she struggles to see anything outside it. She is afraid to drop one of the balls she has to juggle so never puts herself first. I love her, she is inspiring but at times I wanted to sit her down and tell her it's okay to make time for yourself, in fact, it is essential.

Abby and Erica are very similar in what they want and who they are at their core. I'm so happy they realise that they’re perfect for each other.

This is a sweet romance with a low amount of anguish. However, this author brings so many emotions to life with her writing that even in the slightly angsty moments my chest hurt and my eyes stung. Equally in all the lovely happy moments, I had the biggest smile on my face.

Now it wouldn’t be a Brooks book without a phenomenal first kiss and enough heat to require a cold shower! Yep, you guessed it this book has it all. What I love and appreciate so much is the consent and communication that is present throughout these scenes, and my god is it sexy. I was lost in these intimate scenes, never having to question what was going on and who had their hands where because they are written perfectly.

There are lovely side characters in this book and Kayla, Erica’s daughter is the star. She made my ovaries ache. She’s smart, sweet, cute as a button and so much fun. I adore her. The sense of family and support is also constant throughout, even though it differs for each main character, it is there and refreshing to see.

I highly recommend this book and I'm giving it a five-star plus. I've been left with a huge book hangover, and I know I’ll re-read this one many times. It's one of those books that’s my happy place and I already want to dive back in.

A little girl’s letter to Santa wishing for a second mom leads to a one sided fake dating relationship, to friends to maybe something more???? In Make Her Wish Come True by A. L. Brooks you get all of this! The story follows Abby, a 28 year old who gave up her early 20s to raise her younger sister and is struggling to secure her dream writing job, even with her journalism degree, and Erica who is a 28 year old single mom who had to drop out of college after getting pregnant, and is working two gruesome service industry jobs to provide for her daughter and keep her afloat. When the two girls meet for the first time the spark is instant, but with both having so much on the line, could that spark lead anywhere?
I loved this book! I am all about a queer romance and this one was so fun, I rated it 4 stars! It was a very different approach to fake dating than I have seen in the past, which I enjoyed, I haven't read something like this before! There were some twists that kept you on your toes here and there which I really appreciated! I also think that the inclusion of the side characters were awesome! The grandma Virginia, and daughter Kayla were highlights! Kayla was age-appropriate, adorable, and hilarious! The story was atmospheric, entertaining, and heartwarming!
There were interesting dynamics between the two main characters, like unnecessary lying, denial, and a bit of miscommunication. These themes did kind if run the story, but it seemed like it was all easily forgiven and the characters were able to move past that in different ways.
I would definitely recommend this book to friends! I think this book would be great for people who love the fake dating trope, found family, career aspirations, single parent, holiday rom com, wishes coming true.
Thank you NetGalley, Ylva Publishing, and A.L. Brooks for trusting me with this ARC to read and review.

I’m giving this book 3.5 stars because, even though I really liked the characters, I must admit that I didn't fully grasp some of the choices they made. The drama seemed to resolve itself over time rather than through problem-solving.

I'd like to mention that I might have enjoyed this book more if the description went beyond 'fake dating' and included elements like lying at the beginning, leaning more toward the bet trope.

Overall, it's a charming book with delightful characters, but the unnecessary lying bothered me. I believe it deserved more consequences, and it didn't quite align with the character's described personality

Synopsis didn’t make that much sense still I started reading the book. I didn’t quite get the explanation for the Santa letter from granny but I’m willing to go along for the ride.
I like the way the writer is laying out the similarities in both mains situations and back stories. I also like the fact one main is working two jobs, as a waitress and in a dry cleaners and the other main in an admin job despite having a journalism degree. It makes a change.
However, with the plot turn, just under 20%, I’m nervous because I don’t like what they are doing and this could turn me off one of the mains. It will be interesting to see how the writer handles it.
Well, I’m still really uncomfortable with the circumstances of the date, it just feels a rotten thing to do, however that is helping feel what one main is feeling, but I still think it’s pretty poor behaviour and I know it’s going to blow up.
The writer has managed to get me through my resentment at the action taken and I am certainly into the book. We’ve been shown that what one main thinks is an insurmountable obstacle has already been surmounted! Also we are seeing the relationship develop. Although there is a lack of tension, possibly because a couple of plot bumps have still to be ironed out, I’m happy enough to be along for the ride.
The best friend sort of redeemed herself in the end, but I think the lack of real tension meant the ending was a bit flat.
Overall I enjoyed the book, tho some bits felt a bit uneven.

I love a good holiday romance! These characters were written beautifully as expected by A L Brooks. I loved the single mother point of view.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

abbey baxter wants to be a journalist, but life gets in the way and though she gets her degree she cant find a job in her field though she does admin work for journalists hoping that one day she will be noticed

erica goode is a single mom with a daughter and two jobs, she has aspirations for her future but for now her career path is on hold as she bring up her daughter with her mothers help

fake dating for the newspaper could enhance abbeys career and erica gets to spend time from her family to just be herself ...is it worth the chance

some very entertaining moments and some thought provoking stuff as well but on the whole thoroughly enjoyed reading this book

This was very good, really enjoyed reading it. The single parenthood struggle that Erica is going through is not so much different from Abby’s actually and I think the understanding that comes off that somewhat shared experience is written beautifully. Kayla is behaving age appropriate and is a real bonus to the story, Extra bonus the supporting grandma.

Free ARC via NetGalley

I am a sucker for holiday romance, just to forewarn. This story was so great! Erica’s character as the single mom was written so artfully, as a former single mom, the experience from the book was perfectly crafted. Abby’s character was so complex but also relatable.
I loved the lack of the third act break up because those always make me sad but they handled the anxiety and struggle of relationships which translated the story for believability and honesty.

this was so cute i LOVE mutual pining. the miscommunication trope was rough even for me because it was mostly about lying and not just misunderstandings but overall a very cute read. spice was okay at best though.

I was engrossed fro the very beginning of this novel by A.L. Brooks - as with all her previous books it is well written, has great characters including a cute child!
The story is about fake dating, real feelings and real life.
It has a depth to it as the MC’s both have to reconcile past and present responsibilities with decisions they feel they have to make moving forward. We are shown how their earlier lives have shaped their life views now. Support characters are well developed and play key roles as well.
It’s an enjoyable, relatable book that gives you that will they, won’t they feeling as you read it.
Thanks to Ylva and NetGalley for the ARC. I have left an honest review of the book.

Abby Baxter works in the offices of an online magazine as a way to get a writing job using her journalism degree. She helps her journalist friend with a story idea that turns into a popular feature story. But to write more stories it involves her fake dating another person. The draw for Abby is she may get credit for the writing she is doing towards the project and get her own bi-line.

Erica Goode is works two jobs and is a single parent to her eight year old Kayla. She feels a spark when meeting Abby and agrees to the dating arrangement. The big complication comes from Abby not wanting a real relationship with anyone who has children. And Erica needs to protect Kayla from getting attached to mom’s new friend.

This is a sweet and easy story. Both Abby and Erica are kind and have reasons for protecting their hearts. And I like that Abby comes clean early on about the realities of the situation. Kayla is cute and acts age appropriate. One very minor thing that took me out of the story a little is that the setting is a vague, unnamed city. Neither have cars and rely on public transportation. Very few cities in the USA aren’t car reliant (e.g. NYC). It didn’t surprise me that the author lives internationally and is probably used to good transit systems. I’m not sure if the setting is a US city other than a business they are promoting that serves American comfort food. Again, this was a minimal distraction for me and doesn’t take away from the story itself.