2.5 stars rounded up.

Calista Monroe comes back to Aspen Lake for her brother-in-laws funeral. She's now an ER doctor but most of the town remembers her as a wild teenager who played pranks. She was in love with Tristan, the rich boy across the lake. Her niece, 15 year old Quinn, wants the two of them to get back together, in fact, that's her Christmas wish. A nice traditional Christmas with her family back together.

This started out really well, but it soon started to get silly. There was wayyyy too much going on in the story. The plot veered wildly from point to point. I listened to the audiobook and I have to say, I loved the female narrator. Unfortunately, the male narrator missed the mark for me. He made teenage Quinn sound like she was four years old.

Overall, a light, sweet Christmas read.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I adore second chance at love stories and this one contained so much of what makes them a favorite trope of mine. First, there was a couple that was clearly and totally in love with each other years earlier, followed by a heartbreaking break up that left both characters hurting through the years. There were hurt feelings and anger on Calista’s side and so much regret on Tristan’s. And, finally, there was a hero who was determined to win his true love back once and for all.

I loved that the author wrote this story from both the female and male perspective, so that the reader knows how both of the characters feel. It made Calista’s hurt and Tristan’s desire to win her back even more heartfelt. There were plenty of humorous romcom worthy moments in the story, yet it delved into some deep topics, too, such as self worth, being concerned about the opinions of others, forgiveness, and much more.

I really enjoyed seeing the friendship develop between Calista and Jules. It looks like Jules will be getting her own story soon and that is very exciting! This is the first book that I have read by this author and I definitely plan to read or listen to more of her work.

This is a clean, closed door romcom. It was a very fun listen and I really liked the female narrator. I was not a fan of the way the male narrator voiced the female characters, but even that narration eventually grew on me a bit as the story moved on and I did enjoy the overall audio book and had a lot of fun listening to it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I'm not the biggest fan of the second chance romance trope, but this read was really cute! A great choice if you're looking for something festive and romantic this holiday season ☺️

I thought Callista was a pretty spot on character, and her attitude towards Tristan was really funny. Tristan on the other hand was a bit too pushy in my opinion (aren't we over men who can't take no for an answer?), but he was also the best uncle and still kinda sweet. And basically all supporting characters were AMAZING!

I listened to this story as an audiobook, and I found it a bit strange that Callista was narrated in first person and Tristan in third. Still, I really enjoyed this read so thank you @netgalley for this free copy!

3 stars - A cute Christmas romcom with some unique characters, but not my favorite. The lack of communication/refusal to reconcile between characters felt juvenile and a bit unbelievable. I also did not like the male narrator’s voice, especially when he was speaking on behalf of a female character. It took away from the reading experience. I did like the found family aspect and the Christmas traditions sprinkled throughout. There were also more layers to the story than just the romance, which made for a more engaging story.

Okay this one was pretty cute! I don't normally read holiday romance but I wanted to give it a try. My eX-Mas Emergency was a great place to start. This book has just the right amount of drama, love, and fun banter I want in a romance. I loved the Christmas setting. While I didn't like Calista very much, I did love the relationship between her and Tristan. I've never been there biggest fan of second chance romance but the author really made me enjoy it for these characters. The overall plot felt a little lacking but I still really enjoyed this book.

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

This book was cute and light, everything you expect from a Christmas romance. I really liked Tristan, the fact that she is clearly the woman who got away and he knows what his faults are and is determined not to let it happen again was really sweet.

Even if I knew what I was about to read (a Christmas-themed romance), I found My ex-Mas Emergency a tad too cheesy and extremely predictable. Not even the smallest plot twist or unexpected turn for me and I was a bit bored while listening to it. Moreover, I didn't like the male narrator: he seems to get confused between the parts in which he's narrating descriptions and the character's musings and those in which he's reading dialogs. Besides, very often he exaggerates the tone when it's not really needed, almost creating an anticlimactic effect. I liked the female narrator instead: pleasant voice, lovely credible interpretation.

This was a cute holiday read, but at the same time there were some really difficult themes.
One of our main characters Calista moves back to Aspen Lake after her brother in law (who was a jerk and a cheater anyways) dies. She goes to take care of her sister and niece Quinn, and gets a job at the hospital. However, her ex Tristan still lives there. 13 years ago, Tristan broke her heart after she thought they were forever. His parents are RICH and did not think they should be together especially since her deceased brother in law got "trapped" into marriage by Calista's sister when she got pregnant. Yes, Calista's sister was married to Tristan's brother. So Quinn is both of their niece's and she need both of their support (since her mother decides to become an absent mother)...but she also is trying to get them back together.
I liked the characters in this book. Calista was so incredibly loving to Quinn and she really tells her sister like it is after she does things like staying out all night when she should be comforting her daughter. Tristan was really a great guy, but he did break Calista's heart by saying some very hurtful things. He doesn't deny it though or try to make excuses for himself. He just really regrets it and works hard to gain her trust back. Quinn was a star. She put her emotions out there, let everyone know when she needed comfort and help since her dad just died. Calista meets someone she went to high school with (Jules) while she is working at the hospital and they strike up the cutest friendship.
The hard themes I think are dealt with well. There's the death of a parent/spouse and the child and wife take it very differently which I think reflects real life well. There is heartbreak that really derailed someone's life and trying to gain back that trust after regretting the decision. There is the treatment of people in a lesser class than others and how love can overcome that.
Obviously the overarching plot line was the relationship between Calista and Tristan, but there were subplots that were really fun. There was a great holiday vibe.
There were 2 narrators for the audiobook which I thought was great because both Calista and Tristan have POV's. The female narrator was great, but I didn't really like the male narrator. I didn't like his narration and I didn't like the way he did the female voices.
If you are looking for a fun holiday romance with a little backstory and overcoming hardships, then definitely check this one out!

A super cute and festive listen. It was a quick and easy read. Loved it.

Both MMCs are likeable and the story is a cute second chance romance but nothing stood out.

I really enjoyed this one! It took me a hot second to get into it though. It took me some time to get a feel for the characters. This book actually made me like the second chance love trope! It was done pretty well. The narrators voices are what I pictured Calista and Tristian’s voices to be like.

I'm a little conflicted. As far as the Calista/Tristan love story, it had its moments. It was predictable and sweet. A little too much I hate him and will never look at him again scenes. Felt forced. Calista's character was good, Tristan's was just fine. I listened to the audiobook, and I found the narrator for Tristan just didn't fit. His voice, the way he read. I almost dnf'ed just due to that. I do like separate narrators when there are different points of views though, so that was good, just not that male narrator for Tristan. Also, the niece, Quinn. I thought she was a young kid until past 50% in and that was confusing. I don't know if I missed it in the beginning, or just how she was presented. Although I can't even tell you what worked better, when I thought she was 9 or when it turned out she was 15. Another on of this one for me is that suddenly there started to be a whole lot of storylines happening. What started as Calista and Tristan being brought back together suddenly turned into detective/mystery/drama in the last 25% of the novel and it suddenly felt like the story was something else. I didn't hate it, but all these little things just made it blah in the end.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the arc.

Calista, an ER doctor comes home to her beautiful hometown to support her niece, Quinn, who's grieving the death of her father and also the man she thought he was. Her father also happens to be the brother of Calista's ex, Tristan, who she's tried to forget for all her years away from home. Quinn has requested that her aunt and uncle make the Christmas season one to remember with traditional meals, decorations, and time together. It is a VERY sweet book. The way kissing is described as though it is the absolute ultimate act of love was jarring.

The audio of this book was a disservice to it. Kim Churchill did a nice job narrating for Calista, but Wayne Mitchell's reading of Tristan's chapters was painful. His reading of female characters was so bad. I had to speed it up to 1.75 just to get through it. He made the niece sound like she was 6 or 7 when I believe she's supposed to be 15 years old. His reading of Calista's dialog was also really difficult.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Looking for a swoony Holiday romance? Look no further this one is a super cute, fast paced read that will have you swooning over Tristan. I flew through this book in a few sittings. Im a huge sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and this one gave me all those gushy vibes. Though, I must say this is more of a one sided enemies to lovers second chance trope, but whatever It sure as hell worked for me though.
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This one is told in a dual point of view between Calista and Tristan and as per usual this is a huge favorite of mine because I was able to feel both characters emotions throughout this read. I could feel their frustrations and pain and anger. The characters are mostly great. Calista and Tristan were easily likable, again Tristan is swoon worthy, Quinn is just about the coolest kid ever and I loved all of her sneakiness. Tristans parents and Calistas sister however could go kick rocks for all I can - they suck.
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I listened to this one via audiobook. It was narrated by Wayne Mitchell and Kim Churchill. I really enjoyed Kim’s narration of Calista, Wayne however was great for Tristan but I really couldn’t stand his narration for female voices - it really made me cringe. I still enjoyed the audio and I’m happy it was a dual narration.
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My Ex-Mas Emergency will be released on December 5th, be sure to check this one out!! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Jennifer Peel for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

In my Holiday Reads Era ♥️🎄

If you’re looking for:
♥️ small town vibes
🎄Dual POV
♥️2nd Chance Romance
🎄HEA

Then look no further … My Ex-Mas Emergency by Jessica Peel was the cutest holiday romance that got me all in my feels! It’s quick and made me want to binge read all the Holiday Reads and never stop!! This is easily a book I’d pick up every Holiday season! Calista & Tristan had me swooning! It checked off all the boxes & making me want more!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. I loved it! This is easily an audiobook you can enjoy and binge listen in one sitting!! 5 out 5 stars! Well done!

That was nice. I'll start by what bugged me: why isn't the whole book 1st or 3rd person POV? It served no literary purpose, or at least none I can see, so that was just very weird. Now it was a fun Christmas read, like many others to be honest but you quickly exhaust all the tropes and possibilities so you feel like you're reading the same story over and over again. It's a 1 in term of originality but the execution was pretty good. I liked the characters and the romance was fun, there was NO 3rd act breakup and that was very nice. I'd recommend it tbh. 3.5 stars

A sweet feel-good holiday read with a lovely small town and kind-hearted characters. It definitely gave me Hallmark movie vibes but I didn’t particularly enjoy the male narrator trying to be the voice of a fifteen year old. He sounded like a seven year old (I would know, I have a seven year old daughter) and it was a major disconnect when he read her parts. His voice was very nice for the man but not the women. I still enjoyed the story but I think it would’ve been a better fit had I just read it. 3.5⭐️

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the #alc via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Calista and Tristan kissing in the tree until she got pushed and Tristan was free.

I don’t know why that popped in my head, but it aptly describes why Calista is hesitant about returning home to Aspen Lake. Even though she’s gorgeous, a doctor and a pretty cool human being. So showing up in an elf costume is sure to keep the town talking, but why not?

Tristan has his work cut out for him if he wants another chance with Calista. And man he takes that to a whole new level. 🔥

Quinn, their niece, has big ideas about having a fantastic Christmas. And wants to play matchmaker. There begins the latest rom com that sometimes made me want to opera sing 🎶 fiiiiive golden ringssssss. Just me? I received a copy of this gorgeous book and I have to say that the dedication was adorable. And we don’t always get dual POV with this author and I so enjoyed that.

This book is filled with all the things:
❤️ 🤗💋🩺🎄😩 🍪 💵 👵🏼 👴🏻 😂 🏥 🦃 🔥 🛤️ 🐶 🥺 🥼💔

We also get to see peeks at past characters from other series. Loved that SO much! The author will make you laugh and cry on the same page and then hits you with the swoon.

And there is plenty of swoony moments. And people to strongly dislike. And a real desire to move to Aspen Lake and just park myself on a bench with some popcorn to people watch.

It’s always the right time to read a book of holiday cheer. Will Calista let Tristan back into her life and choose love over fear?

this was such a cute story! usually i'm hesitant on holiday romance novels because they're almost always overly "cheesy" with a lot of Hallmark movie vibes but this one was such a pleasant surprise!

both POVs were great and i loved the backstory -- it felt genuine.

i wish that both POVs were in the first person. i think hers was and his was third? but it kind of threw me for a loop with the back and forth.

read if you love:
second chance romance
slightly enemies to lovers (her side only)
family tension
cute holiday read
slow burn
closed-door romance

feedback on the audiobook specifically: loved the female narrator but when the male narrator had to do different voices it was so cringy.

Story - 3.75
Audiobook - 2

This had such potential, but unfortunately the back and forth between 1st & 3rd person is extremely distracting.
The Audiobook is also just not doing it for me. The male narrator should not do female or child voices. It was super cringey.

This one just missed the mark. The story was cute, but I just couldn't fully enjoy it.

This was SUCH a good read!! I love a good second chance romance book, and this one takes the cake! The whole story was just wonderful, and it got me into the Christmas spirit for sure!