“I’ll Be Alone For Christmas” by Meyer Matthews 🎄

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for a review ♥️ This novella is out now!

This little Christmas novella had me on the end of my cozy seat! As it’s a novella, you dive right into the story and that finale was amazing, I had to keep on reading. It was really fun and entertaining. The perfect book as well to smash your 2023 reading goal, but still keep up the festive spirit 🧑‍🎄 Although, let’s be real, there wasn’t much peace and joy in here, haha. With all the fluffy Christmas books going around, though, this was a very welcome change of scenery ❄️

Little synopsis:

Romee's winter break was planned out months ahead. A week at a cabin in the woods sounded romantic, and maybe it was just what her boyfriend of two years needed to pop the question.

Instead, he proposed they break up, a week before they were destined to wake up Christmas morning, happier than ever. Heartbroken but undaunted, Romee embarks on a solitary journey to the remote cabin, yearning for peace and closure in the tranquil snowscape. Six nights of isolation, wine, and TV shows seemed like the perfect remedy for a breakup.

Yet, from the moment she arrives, an ominous presence clings to her. The house is old, creaking and shifting, as if harboring another occupant. Bizarre occurrences escalate as each day passes, blurring the line between reality and a nightmare, making her question everything. She is alone, right?

When Romee decides it’s time to leave the vacation rental early, it’s already too late. Snowed in and unable to escape, she has to survive the frigid conditions and limited resources... And the possibility that someone sees her when she’s sleeping and knows when she’s awake.

Okay this Christmas thriller novella was exactly what I needed in my life. Snowy little cabin in the middle of nowhere with a vulnerable girl. I loved it! Will definitely be reading more from this author!

My Rating: 1⭐️ what in the flying F was that…

A Christmas thriller, packed with terror a bit of gore and Christmas spirit… Romee’s winter break was planned for months. Her boyfriend who she was hoping would become her fiancé after the trip suddenly broke up with her and… She will be Alone for Christmas at an isolated cabin in a nowhere town off the grid.

Craziness ensues…

Look, I thought Christmas Thriller… sure why not. I don’t really do romance (again I am a prude I am a closed door girl all the way) so why not get into the Killing Christmas Spirit. I asked my good friend Lit With Leigh to buddy read… thank the lord you did not have to endure this one Leigh. I am so glad you didn’t get approved!!!

This book had so much wrong with it and I feel like its going to be difficult to get into without spoilers but since it’s published I don’t really feel bad about that…

So, Romee is off on her lonesome to some butt f*ck no where town for a Christmas vacation that was supposed to be filled with romance… first mistake really. Everyone warned her this would be a bad idea… however no one could have predicted how bad this would be least of all me the reader of this nonsense.

Romee is a Grade A dummy but shes heartbroken so we can forgive her for being a bit daft… however this starts with so much repetition and rehashing the issues that I think it could have been cut down by 50 pages in the first half THIS IS A NOVELLA PEOPLE… 163 pages it should not feel like its 600 pages long at 50%.

We don’t really find out why her boyfriend dumped her… her only reason for spending Christmas alone and sad is that she didn’t want to lose a thousand bucks… I get it thats a lot of money but come on girl this one ain’t worth it. Needless to say she gets snowed in… oooh shock of the century.

Weird shit starts to happen… but strange stuff like there are puddles and missing socks not even sinister shit… so I'm like ok whatever this is not that crazy and that this point I’m thinking oh for Christ Sake this is going to be a f*cking ghost and I wanted to toss my kindle into the bathtub!!!

BUT no… its not supernatural… its just some super random KILLERS… randomly banging on the door trying to drill their way through the door and then she finds out… holy shit they are already in the house… there are three killers out to get her… so at this point I am like ok… they must know her…

She systematically gets attacked by these people and a more violent version of Home Alone begins… the big dude is rolled and he seems dead and she reveals his face only to find out he’s a complete stranger, an older lady (apparently her mums age) comes in and starts shooting at her… and carrying on…

Look at this point I am just going to say… a lot of violence that she somehow evaded… she got shot and had her ankle broken yet shes running around the house on it like shes super human… and the finally she kills all three of them… Police arrive… The End…

EXCUSE ME WHO THE FUCK WERE THESE PEOPLE!!!! What was the point of this story… why were they trying to kill her. Why were they living in the basement creeping around taking socks and putting puddles on the floor…

The first 50% was a play by play of all events and the last 50% was violence for the sake of violence with no conclusion… no nope no absolutely not!!!

Overall I absolutely don’t recommend this… it was stupid and annoying AND in a 163 page novella I fell asleep TWICE!!! What should have taken me 1 day max took me three times as long because it felt like a dumb and dumber 600 page novel… not a quick novella… I know I am mad… I know some people will like this… to you I say thank goodness.. hopefully you didn’t read my review. To the author I say sorry I hated this so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for and advanced copy in exchange for a brutally honest review (that it seems no one else shares my views on… so ignore me), I am sorry again that I didn’t enjoy it… the cover was nice though!!

Romee's boyfriend, the man she thought she'd marry, broke up with her just right before Christmas. Completely heartbroken, she decides to get away to an Airbnb where she can enjoy a little alone time in a secluded area.

It's all going great until Romee starts getting the feeling that something is off, like if someone was watching her. The worst part is that the snow is so heavy and she knows she won't be able to make it far.

Okay, the cover is so cute - first thing I noticed. I then discovered this wasn't a romance but a thriller, which I am always down for. I devoured this book in a day. This a short little novella, 163 pages long, and appropriate for the season.

I truly can say that I enjoyed reading this novella. I'll Be Alone For Christmas was a fun, fast-paced read. Some parts seriously gave me goosebumps and I was not expecting that at all. Romee did seem a bit immature for her age, but not a big deal, honestly. I did wish we as readers got more answers, though. I just feel like it was missing a bit MORE. I understand it is a novella but I had way too many questions in the end.

I did get the ARC on Netgalley for this but I also purchased my own copy because I love supporting indie authors. I look forward to reading more from Meyer Matthews; she's just the sweetest, and I genuinely would recommend this one for a nice little December cozy spook!

Follow me on IG for more! @ coffeebreakwithrachel

This novella was not what I expected. I did not read the description and just went off the catchy title and cover.
First it was slow in the beginning but beginnings sometimes can be that way when creating a character. Once the action began I was like whoa. I finished this in one night and it was a good break from my sweet Christmas reads.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this novella.

5 stars 5 beautiful glitzy stars and I will tell you why.

I was invested from the start. I love when a book features a playlist to listen to for a better reading experience. This book hit home. Starting with an ended 2 year relationship when she was expecting a proposal on Christmas vacation. It falters around the break up quite often and how she learns to not depend on anyone but herself. The MC makes the decision to still take the vacation ALONE! The townfolke act strange soon as she arrives with no man in sight with her. then my heart starts to race, I found myself needing to NOT STOP until I know what happens next.
She notices strange occurrences not even 20 minutes after arrival. Then snow starts coming down harder and someones in the house. She can't leave, then things really pick up. I never knew a stanley cup could hurt so much. This was a good thriller to start off my holiday transition into Christmas. Such a great debut with a very brave and observant heroine.

I cant wait to checkout the other novellas mentioned at the end of this. Do yourself a favor and pick this up, I promise you won't be disappointed. I was hooked from page 1.

Happy reading!!!

I loved this Novella! I felt like the pacing was perfect and I really enjoyed Romee's character. I was looking for a Christmas book to read that wasn't romance and was so happy to see this one. At first, I felt like Romee was just being paranoid and it was kind of annoying me, especially because everyone was telling her to come home and she wasn't listening. But then when she started seeing things go missing in the cabin, i.e. her socks, and her friend heard someone sneeze on their FaceTime call that's when things started to feel more real and I wasn't seeing Romee as an unreliable narrator anymore. I truly felt like I was there watching Romee fight for her life when she was fighting against the killers and I honestly did not see Linda being the ring leader at all. My only complaint is I would've loved to see a time jump of maybe a month or two of Romee and where she was in her life after all the craziness. All in all, I really enjoyed this quick read and couldn't put it down! I felt like everything was cohesive and I wasn't left feeling confused about anything.

Wow. I finished this minutes ago and feel all the creeps. Meyer Matthews wrote such a chilling, paranoia inducing, thrilling story that packed a punch in this novella. I read it alone, at night, and really wish I hadn’t because I felt the anxiety with Romee every step of the way. Fantastic quick, fun, and creepy read for the holidays!

"I'll Be Alone for Christmas" by Meyer Matthews is a thriller disguised as a romance novel. Romee Anderson was about to go on vacation with her boyfriend when he broke up with her. She is past the deadline for the holiday refund policy for the cabin she rented and decides to still go on the vacation. This one decision changes her entire holiday season. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys thrillers and is looking for a Christmas read. I like how each chapter title in this book is a different Christmas song title.

Thanks to NetGalley and Meyer Matthews for allowing me to read this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I’ll be Alone For Christmas Review!!

Thanks so much Meyer Matthews and Netgalley for this gifted copy! I’ll be Alone for Christmas is out now!

What a fun and cozy Christmas novella! I’ll Be Alone for Christmas was a 4.75/5 ⭐️ for me!! This was such a fast read and I’ll be thinking about this one for years to come! It was very cozy, hilarious, and suspenseful. There was a part that gave me chills and I had to put my kindle down for a second. 😳

Spoilers ahead:

I was a little confused about the whole intrusion, they never even explained why they were in the house. 😅 There was practically no closure in this one and I was hoping for a little more. That’s the only reason for the 4.75 ⭐️.

WOW! I started this book and did not put it down until I was finished! This was a fantastic thriller set around Christmas time! I loved the edge of your seat butterflies in your stomach moments as there are a lot of them! I LOVED this book and will be recommending it to all my thriller loving friends!!!! So GOOD!

Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC

This was so creepy! I am a sucker for a book with an isolated setting.
I really enjoyed the first 80% of this book. It was chilling and I liked not knowing whether there was truly someone up to no good or if it was paranoia setting in. It was so creepy that I couldn’t read it alone! My partner had to sit with me (for protection)
This would have been a 4 star if not for the rationale. I know that sounds silly. I love a good scary book but it works better for me if the reason behind the torment makes sense. I didn’t like the reason in this book, it kind of let the rest of the book down because this was so creepy and enjoyable until that point.
I received this book from NetGalley but these opinions are my own

4 stars
I loved this! Do not let the wonderful hallmark cover fool you. This is a terror ridden and violent book! It was non stop from the very beginning.
It was a quick easy and frightening read! Keep the lights on and the doors locked my fellow readers.

This is a great Christmas short read - not your usual cosy Christmas romance, more like Christmas nightmare.
I devoured this book in about 2 hours, it’s such a good little thriller with all the holiday scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Meyer Matthews for an ARC of I'll be Alone For Christmas for an honest review.

I typically don't read novellas, but the plot of this one jumped out to me. Romee plans a romantic getaway at a cabin in the woods for Christmas with who she thinks will soon be her fiancée. Plans change and she ends up going to the cabin alone. As soon as she checks into the remote cabin she starts to notice strange things happening.

This reads like a twisty Lifetime Movie Christmas thriller. It has amazing suspense and and is definitely one that you don't want to put down! This book just may have you adding a Stanley to your Christmas list and making some candy cane shanks!

When Romee goes to stay in an airbnb in the middle of nowhere, she's instantly on edge and questioning everything...

The tension begins right away, we know this isn't going to be a cosy read... instead from the very beginning when Romee feels as though someone is standing too close to her in the shop, right to the moment when she sees someone outside her window, we are on the edge of our seats.

It was fast-paced and tense.

That being said, I didn't really feel like I cared that much for Romee, so it took away some of the emotion and tension. The ways in which she took on three different individuals reminded me a bit of Home Alone in the crazy ways she took them down, so it was fun... but not at all believable!

All in all, an OK read.

This novella was fast paced and will keep you guessing until the end. I'll Be Alone for Christmas starts feeling like a cozy winter read and then quickly changes. I highly recommend it.

Had your fill of the usual holiday reads? Looking for a fast paced novella that has the writing and depth of a 900 page tome? I think you'll love this one. The cover reads COZY suspense vibes and lures you in for the absolute insanity that the character lives through. I really enjoyed it, considering my two favorite "Christmas" movies are Black Christmas and Gremlins, it makes sense. You should most definitely give it a try. Especially if you're looking for that specific lil spooky something right before the holidays.

Wow. This book took the Xmas carols and used them in a sick and twisted way in this intense winter getaway story. Whew! Lock those doors and be ready for an intense holiday night in this short thriller!

Don't be fooled by the cute cover, this book is very creepy...

This is technically my first adult Christmas thriller. The book was fast paced, I finished it in about a day. There was parts of the book I just felt like it was lacking something. A better explanation to why certain things happened. Overall the book was interesting, I just think some things were a bit unnecessary.

Warning this book has strong language!