Thank you Soho Teen for the ARC.

I really enjoy Bello’s Christmas YA romance books. I hope she writes more so that they can be the start of a tradition. Each year I like to think that I improve my British vocabulary just a tad bit. It took me a while to figure out what a jumper was as I envisioned men walking around in overall looking outfits.

Fake Dating & the Holidays
I love how Bello centers Black British teens in her stories. Their families’ Nigerian and Caribbean cultures are always shined upon and I love it. Only For the Holidays features the fake dating trope between a country boy and a city girl. Both of whom are experiencing relationship issues with former or maybe-former (We were on a break!-Ross) situationships.

As the countdown to the Winter Ball ticks away, Quincy Parker is in desperate need of a date to abide by the formal rules of the town’s favorite tradition. After a nasty breakup and small town pickings being non-existent, Tia Solanké, a new guest at his family’s Inn seems like a brilliant choice. Tia agrees, but on one condition, that he makes sure she can get back to London for her “boyfriend’s” 18th birthday party.

If you know a girl who is currently trying to “fix her relationship” by doing all of the heavy lifting while the boy does whatever and leads her on, you definitely want to share this book with her.

Foodie Fun
Another thing I loved about this cute romance is that Tia is a baker and her mother is a chef!!!! Food like jollof rice, oxtails and more get featured during the story. I love foodie-related stories!

If you are looking for a Christmas romcom to add to your TBR for this holiday season, definitely preorder Only for the Holidays! And check out her other teen holiday book, Love in Winter Wonderland.

Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello is an alternating perspective Black British YA Christmas rom-com and it is such a fun read!! I was completely hooked (you know it’s good if it keeps me up past my bedtime reading multiple nights in a row!).

Quincy and Tia are characters who are easy to root for. Really, all of the characters (except for a couple…) are so likable and I just wanted the best for all of them! I felt like I was in the British countryside while reading, and I really wish I could attend the Winter Ball with them!

It is the perfect book to have on hand this holiday season when you need an escape from reality (but still want to be festive!).

📕: Only for the Holidays-a standalone

✍🏾By: Abiola Bello-new to me author

✨Rating: 3.5/5

Format: eBook 357 pgs.

🌍Setting: England

📅 Publication 10/8/24, Read 10/3/24

👆🏾POV: dual

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Soho Press| Soho Teen, and Abiola Bello for this ARC🎄! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🧑🏾‍🎄Genre: AA Interests, Contemporary Romance, YA

❄️Tropes: fake dating, opposites attract, small town, Christmas holiday, coming of age


⚠️ TW: cheating-H is cheated on, swearing, fade to black


💭Summary: Tia's boyfriend Mike has asked for a break which devastates her. Her mother books their family a trip to the English countryside's luxury Georgian farm owned by Quincy's family. Quincy is nursing a broken heart because his BFF and girlfriend slept together. Tia and Quincy make a deal to fake a date for the annual Winter Ball hosted for the first time in White Oak by a black family-Quincy's. Hoping to save face with his family and make Kali jealous, Quincy will sneak Tia into Mike's 18th birthday party in London.

🎭The characters

🚺 Heroine: Tia Solanke (18)

🚹 Hero: Quincy Parker (18) British

Tia's mother and sisters: Nigerian-British mother, older sister Willow and baby sis Bank

Quincy's brother and sister-Cam and Drew

Mike-Tia's bf "on a break", half-black/ half Indian

Eliza-Quincy's BFF

Kali- Quincy's ex-girlfriend

🤔My Thoughts: This was a sweet, cozy, coming of age for Tia and Quincy. They believed they didn't have much in common but used each other to get back at their exes/soon to be exes. I loved the familial interactions that reminded me of my siblings and cousins. Loved the cover and diverse characters.

Great holiday YA book. Giving Christmas spirit in the fall season. Rooting for a happy ending.

I love a fake dating troupe. This was a great book to read. thankful for the arc copy.

Thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours & Soho Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Check out my tiktok and IG (@blackgirlbujos) for my reading journal spread for this story!

Only for the Holidays follows Quincy after a bad breakup. His girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend right before his family gets the opportunity to host their town's winter ball—leaving him without a required date. Then there's Tia, a girl whose mom plans a surprise vacation to Quincy's family farm just after her boyfriend Mike sends her the dreaded "I need space" text. When Tia needs a ride back to town for Mike’s party and Quincy needs a date to make his ex jealous, the two connect with a deal that becomes more than either of them planned for.

This was a truly cute romance. I could see my younger siblings and cousins loving this little love story. It dives into a lot of the insecurities and realities of firsts: first love is hard and confusing. You see Tia and Quincy take risks and make questionable decisions to impress others. It feels real. The side characters were fun and added to the story without distracting from the main focus.

CAWPILE Rating:
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 8
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 8

This gives Only for the Holidays a 4 star rating, making it a light and heartwarming read that’s worth checking out!

Very cute Holiday romance. Parents meddling, wanting to help the family business and the romance. I thought it was magical and cute. Complicated. I enjoyed this a lot overall.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was a really good holiday read! Fast paced, heartfelt and cozy. I really liked the MCs and their families, Tia's growth was really great in the book. Quincy was perfect from the beginning so not much potencial there :)
The tropes were good, the reverse grumpy X sunshine was a great twist to the Xmas theme (usually the MMC is the broody one in these stories). Also it was an interesting take on the holidays, writing about Xmas time but not really about that. It was more focused on the ball, and I really think it gave the whole story a freshness. All the Xmas stories are focused on presents, Santa, the tree and decor, the menu and cookies... Yeah we had these elements but they were a bit in the background, which I really liked.

All in all, it was great but a bit open ended for my liking (will they really have a future? Is it going to be a long distance relationship? Etc). But this way I can cook up for them whatever I like!

I really enjoyed Love in Winter Wonderland last year so I was really excited to read Bello’s next YA Christmas romance. Overall, I thought it was really great! I really enjoyed the setting of the farm and I’m a sucker for an event like the Winter Ball and that part of the storyline was so fun. I absolutely loved Quincy so much, especially seeing his relationships with his family. I mostly liked Tia, BUT I’m automatically suspicious of anyone who doesn’t like animals and she had some really bratty moments that were a little much. However, I liked that she owned up to her behavior and apologized when she needed to. I LOVED her relationship with Quincy and I thought the fake dating trope was so well used here. There is a lot of miscommunication in this book, however, it was all pretty understandable miscommunication like Quincy not wanting to tell everyone why he and Kali broke up so I did not mind it at all. I would have loved an epilogue to see how everything ended up, especially with the long distance between Quincy and Tia. All in all, a pretty fun fake dating YA Christmas romance!
CW: car accident, infidelity

Thank you to NetGalley and Soho Teen for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ahh, young love. This was super enjoyable! It was a little more YA than I usually read, but the story was really sweet and well written. All of the characters had depth and were relatable in their own way.

The setting was totally perfect and I loved the “holidays at a resort ranch” vibes. It brought all the characters together organically and getting to see everyone interact was fun.

Nothing says cute, cozy, Hallmark holidays quite like ending the story with a Winter Ball! I do think I would’ve liked one more chapter because I was so invested in Tia and Quincy, I wanted just a tiny glimpse into their lives post-Christmas.

I loved the theme of “young women should date men they deserve.” And that man was Quincy. What an excellent example of a healthy relationship for young people! The opposites attract trope was well done. Two different worlds collided and it made for a wonderful story.

I would definitely recommend this read for folks who love Young Adult novels for the holidays! Thank you NetGalley and Soho Press- Soho Teen for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I love a sweet romance and fake dating plot, however this book just wasn’t right for me!

Thanks to Hear Our Voices PR & Soho Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Check out my tiktok and IG (@blackgirlbujos) for my reading journal spread for this story next week!

Only for the Holidays follows Quincy after a bad breakup. His girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend right before his family gets the opportunity to host their town's winter ball—leaving him without a required date. Then there's Tia, a girl whose mom plans a surprise vacation to Quincy's family farm just after her boyfriend Mike sends her the dreaded "I need space" text. When Tia needs a ride back to town for Mike’s party and Quincy needs a date to make his ex jealous, the two connect with a deal that becomes more than either of them planned for.

This was a truly cute romance. I could see my younger siblings and cousins loving this little love story. It dives into a lot of the insecurities and realities of firsts: first love is hard and confusing. You see Tia and Quincy take risks and make questionable decisions to impress others. It feels real. The side characters were fun and added to the story without distracting from the main focus.

CAWPILE Rating:
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 8
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 8

This gives Only for the Holidays a 4 star rating, making it a light and heartwarming read that’s worth checking out!

With the way time is moving, Christmas will be here tomorrow! Abiola Bello has written the cutest YA holiday romance.

Tia’s family has been down on their luck and decide to take a family vacation to a farm outside of London to celebrate the holidays. The only problem is that Tia’s boyfriend, who asked for a break, will be celebrating his birthday. Tia’s uncertainty of her relationship leads her to forging new friendships with Quincy.

My rating of the book is 3.5 stars out of 5. I thought it was a good story. However, I felt that some of the experiences were more mature than I would expect for a YA novel. I know that teens are having sex but it's a bit awkward, as someone older, to be reading it. Hopefully other younger adults can see themselves in the story and connect more.

Thank you to SoHo Press & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a super sweet & fun holiday romance, that will be the perfect Christmas Read! A city girl and country boy stuck together fake dating, with the grand finale of the Winter Ball!

What more could you want in a holiday read, I definitely recommend adding this to your holiday TBR!

Ok I LOVED this book! Tia and Quincy are both such wonderful and complex characters who are each going through breakups. The farm the setting, the BALL! So so fun. Absolutely adorable. The short chapters were really lovely too, that’s my fav!

3.75 - rounding up because the vibes were perfect :)

this christmas book that brought a smile to my face! there’s nothing i love more than black love and boy did this serve! i had a really good time reading this one. i will say it took me a minute to get into at first, but after about 75 pages i was locked in!

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this take on a holiday fake dating story. I resonated with the characters in many ways and found this story to be light-hearted and inviting. I enjoyed the messiness that comes with younger characters because it gave the story an authentic, raw feel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and Abiola Bello, for providing me with the arc Only for the Holidays. My review is based on my opinions of the book.

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Fake Dating
Representation: Black female main character, Black male main characters, Black family


Tia is planning her boyfriend Michael’s eighteen birthday. She is excited to plan the celebration and spend time with Michael. Michael only contacts her about his party. Micheal comes clean and says he needs space. That her family drama is too much for him. Tia is heartbroken and tries to get Michael back. He relents her attempts and focuses on her creating his party. Tia’s mom says that the family is going away to the country for Christmas. This makes Tia upset about who wants to be there for Mike, even though he does not care about her. Tia goes with her mom and sisters on their holiday trip.

While at the hotel where they plan to stay, a young man named Quincy has a broken heart, too. He broke up with his girlfriend. Still angry about what she did, he tries to get ready for the Winter Ball. The Winter Ball is an important thing in their community, and Quincy is helping his parents host it. He, however, does not have a date with the ball. After friends question him about his date for the event, he lies and says he has one. Now he is thinking about how he can get a date.

Tia and her family arrive and all she can think of is Mike. Her frustration about being away from her so-called boyfriend causes her to focus on others or her surroundings. This leads to one accident that is quite funny. This, of course, gets Quincy's attention. Her behavior makes him think is stuck up, but he finds her cute. Soon, he realizes Tia is going through a terrible situation with her boyfriend. Something Quincy can relate to after dealing with his ex. Tia and Quincy spend time with each other. They realize they have more in common than they think. This leads to Quincy asking Tia to the Winter ball. She agrees despite still having feelings for her ex.

The romance between Tia and Mike is incredibly heartwarming. Tia is quite funny because she is prone to accidents. This makes Quincy love her and tries to help her out of her jams. Quincy was a very loyal person, which was something Tia needed. She needed a boyfriend who exuded unwavering loyalty, allowing her to express herself, and providing unwavering support. I love the moments they have together. Those scenes include baking with one another, riding horses, and ice skating. They even had a scene in a hot tub. there are quite a few romantic moments. I enjoyed their book and would like to read a sequel or another book like this one.

Very cute YA rom com. I didn’t get Spanish love deception vibes or the Holiday movie vibes from it. I see the fake dating trope though and enjoyed that and the dual POV.

If you are looking for a fun, boy - girl romance, this is the book for you. It is a light hearted, over the top story that is perfect for a long weekend read.
There were plenty of mishaps, misunderstandings and missed opportunities which kept the story moving.
There was a little bit of seriousness when the characters had to look at the world (and people) as fallible and had to learn to forgive and move on. This gravity helped to balance the story.
Enjoy!

I’m a fan Abiola Bello and always look forward to reading her books. This book did not disappoint, We meet Tia who is seemingly on the verge of breaking up with her boyfriend. Her Mom decides that after the rough times they have all had (Tia and her 2 sisters) that they will go away for the holidays to the country. Tia is not at all happy about this trip since she wants to ensure her relationship stays intact.

She meets Quincy Parker whose family owns the place where Tia is visiting and they will be hosting a bug holiday ball. Quincy has also just broken up with his girlfriend and lost a friend too (read this book). So he and Tia meet and while they initially weren’t on the same page, they eventually began to like each other. But their past relationships interfere with what could be something special between them.

I enjoyed this book. It was funny and also full of teenage angst. Quincy was a good guy and Tia finally found the value in herself. The cast of characters was also fun. Just a great holiday read by Ms. Abiola!