When the annual cookie events are threatened to not happen this holiday season, Melody Monroe steps in to try and save it. She is determined to make the holiday season as magical as possible for her twin boys, Finn and Theo. Ever since losing their father, she wants to try and keep the Christmas magic going with all of their traditions. Only this time to save the Yuletide Cookie Club, she must go head to head with the single and handsome school principal, Jonathan Braxton. Through a little big of competition, Melody realizes this year there might be more Christmas magic still out there than she realizes.

While I did enjoy this one, it didn't grab me like some of the other holiday books I've read so far this year. There were a lot of intertwining story lines and for the most part they did a nice job staying together, but at times it did feel a bit much. I still enjoyed this one and certainly felt the need to eat a cookie or 5 while I read it.

Thank you Net Galley, Eliza Evans and Penguin Group Putnam and for the advanced copy for my honest review.

This was a very cute read. Plenty of Hallmark worthy holiday feels for the season and charming characters. This was a pretty formulaic holiday read but a good palette cleanser for the season.

This book fell flat for me. The characters came across as petty, and the romance was completely unbelievable with no real tension to keep me invested. The pacing was extremely slow, making it hard to stay engaged, and overall, it was just okay.

There are far better Christmas books out there that capture the magic of the season. Also, a heads-up for readers: this story includes the death of a spouse, which could be triggering for some.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to its potential.

Single mom, catty mother & cookies. This isn’t bad but it nothing to write home about.i don’t think I’ll be recommending this one

2.75 out of 5. If i were to describe this in the same categories I use for my Hallmark Movies it would fall under the predictable but naughty world. I was just to formulaic and really the tension was just not there. I really did not care about the Cookie Club, and the pettiness of the Moms. The kids were adorable though, and it was the part I liked the relationship between mom and kids. A very dont the fairway traditional Christmas book, but you might get the same feeling more effectively in a bad Hallmark Christmas Movie.

This book was a miss for me. The story line did not keep me engaged to the point where I was very bored reading it.

This was a really wholesome read, with so much emotion and holiday events and cheer 💚 I loved all the characters and their interactions!

TWs - death of spouse (few years in the past, and some scenes of grief on page), divorce (past), sabotage in a competition

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Recommended for: cozy romance lovers

Summary: Melody owns a boutique in a small town. She has two sons, Tate and Finn. She wants to make this Christmas special since the boys are getting older and missing their father, who died a few years earlier. She jumps at the chance to run the school’s Yuletide Cookie Club. However, Melody is no baker, and struggles through each cookie themed event. That is until a romance blossoms with the school Principal, Johnathon. Years after her husband’s death, is she ready to date again and can he help her after so many cookie baking disasters?

Review: The book was slooooowwww! And the romance was a slow burn. There were a few funny moments throughout, but it barely kept my attention. I did enjoy how much the author included the sons in the story. So many times they mention the kids in passing and make parenting seem passive, almost!

⭐⭐⭐

*single mom + her sons' school principal (also a single parent)
*Christmas cookie drama
*small town

This book was cute enough for a holiday read but I think there are others out there that stand out more.

You may call me a grinch but I just couldn't with this book. I do think it's a shame though because I do really like the set up of this book, and the small town painted before me wqs already looking like a wacky fun time. Sadly enough, I just couldn't STAND the main character. She's kind of stupid and EXTREMELY immature. Reading from her POV was genuinely painful. I truly don't think I could have actually come out on the other end of this book without my eyes having rolled so far back into their sockets that I couldn't see anymore.

Melody desperately wants to help her twin boys find the holiday spirit after losing their father. So when she learns their school’s cookie club has disbanded, she offers to chair the committee. Soon, an argument turns into a cookie competition between Melody and Jonathan, the school principal, which then turns into a romance between them.
This book made me want to have some cookies on hand! This a total Hallmark vibes story and I loved the school setting since I work in an elementary school. The twin boys added some fun antics and there were so many fun moments in this story.
Thanks to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

A cute, small town winter romance seamlessly highlighting a young widow named Melody and her ten-year-old twins, Tate and Finn. Melody feels she is always in trouble with the principal of the boys' school, Mr. Braxton, so when the chance arises to head the long-standing Christmas Cookie committee and run all of the town favorites, including Cookie Daze, Melody steps up. It's doesn't take long for the principal (and town's most eligible bachelor) and Melody's feelings to spark in this sweet movie like story.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows Mel, a woman who has twin boys and she is a widow. Her small town is known for its Christmas festivities but this year the leader of the group decided to disband. Mel steps up and wants to lead the group and keep the Christmas spirit going. When the principle of her sons' school is in the committee, things start to heat up between them.

I thought this was a cute book! I really liked the Christmas vibes and the small town. Mel's family was really close and I liked seeing that. I also liked the discussion of grief and being a widow while also trying to move on and date someone new after a few years of being a widow.

I think the chemistry between the two main characters was nice and they seemed to work as a couple. I do feel like the third act and the "drama" was just a bit too cheesy and had me rolling my eyes a bit. However, I did like how everything was solved and the ending of this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted Christmas story! This one is also no spice, which I appreciate.

This novel had very Hallmark Channel Christmas movie vibes! Widowed single mom to twins in a secret flirtation-ship with her sons' principle paired with a festive cookie club makes for a very sweet holiday story.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Putnam for this advance copy of the Christmas Cookie Wars in exchange for this honest review. If you’re looking for a fun, wholesome Christmas romance, this one is for you!

Tis the season for seasonal reads, and this one is definitely a cute story. There’s a lot of backstory and plot for this one, we have a single mom finding love again after the death of her husband and a principal single dad who learns how to loosen up. The romance is very light here with zero spice, and I liked how the author really tried to build more of a plot with the Christmas activities in this town and creating their new blended family. It feels more like general fiction with seasonal details - I did like the description of some of the cookies being made too, what a bonus!

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for this honest review. The Christmas cookie wars is out now!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️
304 pages

“𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧.”

if you’re looking for a super sweet (no smut) christmas read, then look no further! this was such a cute book & i loved the characters, particularly the fmc’s twin boys! they were hilarious! @booksbysaraandeliza does a phenomenal job of creating books that feel like a hallmark movie❤️

highly recommend to anyone looking for:
▫️small town romance
▫️blended family
▫️mom x kids principal
▫️holiday-event centered stories

I’ve been looking forward to reading The Christmas Cookie Wars after really loving The Christmas Cafe, also by Eliza Evans, last year and it did. Not disappoint. This was a super cute and festive Christmas romance. I enjoyed the plot and the characters.

This is a cute low agnst, enmies to lovers cozy christmas time read. Normally the single mom trope isn' t my thing but i found Melody so realtable on trying to be a good mom and take care of herself that i didn't mind it.

3.5/5. Read this in one evening. This book nailed the Christmas Hallmark vibes and had the minimal spice level that hallmark delivers.
Tropes: FMC widow + MMC school principal love interest, bitchy PTO type mom making trouble, small town Christmas festivities / contests, renew the joy and spirit of Christmas

Perfect for a quick cozy read for December by the fireplace with some hot chocolate and festive cookies

A sweet Christmas story is hard to beat. This one was a great read. The characters were relatable and had you rooting for their happy ending. I loved the town, the kids, and all of the Cookie Daze festivities. Also, the school parent volunteer drama had me cracking up. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.