I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is the kind of feel-good rom-com that makes you want to curl up with a cup of cocoa and just vibe. It’s like The Holiday but with more charm and small-town Christmas magic, which is basically the dream. Bee and Clover’s house-swap adventure is so sweet, and I was living for the whole “accidentally finding love in unexpected places” trope. Plus, the chemistry between Bee and Knox was adorable, and Clover’s flirty run-ins with Beth had me rooting for her so hard. It’s predictable in the best way possible—like a Christmas movie you rewatch every year because it never gets old. If you’re in the mood for a cozy, heartwarming escape, this book will deliver all the festive feels.

Like a queer Hallmark version of The Holiday!

Very cute and fluffy holiday romance. This was my first book of this author's, and I didn't read the synopsis before diving in. That led me to being slightly confused about the romances and plot in the beginning, but it quickly made sense and made for an easy read. Ironically, The Holiday is not one of my favorite Christmas movies, and I honestly found myself enjoying this even more because I felt it was just lighter, which is something I look for in a Christmas book!

A solid 3.5/5 stars from me.

I was fully going to wait closer to the Holidays before I started this novel. But I read a couple of pages and next thing I know the sun was coming up and I completely finished the novel. This was one of the cutest holiday romances I've read in a long time. I love that the characters were POC and we had queer representation. The atmosphere was so cozy and I really was rooting for the main characters. Not only for their romantic story lines but their personal journeys of growth. You definitely need to add the book to your holiday tbr.

3.5*

"Lots of love and whiskey."

Contemporary isn't really my thing, nor do I enjoy duo-POVs, however, this book delivered on both fronts! I equally enjoyed reading about Clover's experience in San Francisco, and Bee's experience in Ohio.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the dialogue in this story. It didn't feel corny and felt authentic to me. Watching the relationships unfold between characters and learning about their pasts helped endear me to them in this novel.

The vibes were very cozy! It felt like I was in the same areas as the characters witnessing the same on brand holiday events. I'm envious of everyone who'll be lucky enough to read this during the winter months.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the black and queer representation! It feels nice to be represented, especially within one of my favorite seasons!

This is essentially a retelling of the movie <i>The Holiday</i> but without any of the drama. It was so relentlessly pleasant that I found it not very interesting, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the intended reader. The four stars are for that reader who wants a non-challenging holiday romance. About the only real interest was the one F/F couple and Clover's dive into the San Francisco lesbian scene. Which again, was almost completely pleasant.

The two main characters are Bee and Clover, which would suggest that they will get together. They don't. Not really a spoiler, because they spend the book in different towns.

HarperCollins was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for an honest review.

Any story with sapphic romance and Christmas vibes makes my heart happy. Thank you so much for this e-arc!

3.5 rounded up. This was a quick little read. It felt like the perfect length and would be fun for a cozy holiday weekend. It's a Hallmark movie, but it has just the right amount of kitschy. You have the small-town vibes and the city. I've never read a house-swap story and I was a little afraid at the start but quickly fell into the story. I liked both the main characters but felt more connected to Clover's storyline, I enjoyed seeing her come into herself after facing so much heartbreak. I didn't love Knox. Thought he was a little insufferable but Jimmy made up for it.

I however am questioning Bob's chili recipe, that didn't sound good.


I received this arc from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you netgalley and Avon.

This was a sweet holiday story with relatable characters. Like a Hallmark movie, but with a queer twist and a more diverse cast.

10/10 recommend reading a Christmas romance in July. This was precious ♥️. I really enjoyed this sapphic house swap romance 💘

Stop right now and put this on your Christmas reading list. Adorable, queer, and full of christmas cheer (without being over the top cheesy, she types - as someone who isn't FULL ON christmas vibes).
I enjoyed each relationship, and all of the side characters. It was also full of enough twists to keep you guessing - and enough coincidences that you know happen in queer spaces.
Also, the pet chicken, adorable.
2 relationships, lots of tropes:
- Holiday Romance
- Big town / small cities
- grumpy sunshine
- queer romance
Low/Medium spice - several almost hot, then fade out scenes. But they worked for the story being told.
Finding yourself > finding your family > finding love > and remembering that what you see on the outside may not be exactly what's happening on the inside. <3 love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Georgia K. Boone, and the publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

That was such a cute Christmas rom-com. I honestly enjoyed the dynamic between twin sisters and their complicated relationship with their parents. The discussion of struggling to accept one’s sexuality especially when parents aren’t supportive was a theme throughout the book.

I would recommend it!

Did someone say Christmas in July? Even though this is definitely a pretty festive romance, I feel like it fits any time of year, and any kind of enthusiasm about Christmas. In some ways it was fast-paced with two romances in one less-than-300 page book. In others, it’s slower, with the two couples not really getting together until about 90% in the book. I have mixed feelings about how quickly the ending came about, although I enjoyed the time that I spent reading, it wasn’t as satisfying at the finish as I would have liked. It’s almost like two romance novellas were combined into one book, and while I liked the combined reading experience I do kind of wish we’d gotten more expansion of the characters and their journeys, especially Clover’s journey with accepting her sexuality and even her relationship with Knox, and I think it would’ve made the whole book and its romances feel more nuanced and fleshed out. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a shorter romance with two leads, a sapphic romance and an m/f romance, or a little festivity while working through grief and mixed feelings with family!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be gone for christmas was such a cute read! it was short and sweet at just over 200 pages, with just the right amount of warmth and holiday cheer. it really made me feel as though it were christmas time, and i read this in the month of july!
it was filled to the brim with love and hope and self exploration. i adored the multiple queer characters and the possible second chance romances. clover and bee both found themselves trying new things and finding love in places they never would’ve expected, and i found it incredibly heartwarming and genuine. the two characters were so easy to love and I found bits and pieces of myself in both clover, and bee, (mostly clover).
i loved the dual point of view, the small town vs big city settings, and the side characters that helped intertwine the two main characters and bring the entire story together. 10/10 hallmark christmas movie vibes (with sapphic romances!!!!)❤️

This book unfortunately fell victim to me not being able to get engaged in straight romances nine times out of ten. Because I really enjoyed half of it. I found myself tearing through Clover's chapters and nearly skimming Bee's chapters. Which unfortunately took me out of it half the time. But the cast of characters in San Francisco was so lovable. The huge group of queer women Clover found herself around felt so much like finding your queer family for the first time, and Beth's flirting being taken as hating her is just peak sapphic nonsense. I would absolutely read half of this book again.

Perfect if it was the right season haha. Definitely think it would be a great winter read. I will definitely have to check out more from the author.

This one is 4 stars to me because it was so much more than a love story. This book it’s about two girls that switch places kind of running away for their lives. Clover is fighting to find her place in the world and learning to accept herself, and Bee, which I related the most, it’s trying to deal with the awful feeling of not been good enough.
This story, for me, it’s not about a romantic love, it’s more about self love, empowering, sisterhood, the power of a found family, grief and acceptance.
And last, but not least, I’m a big Christmas girlie, so I adore the Christmas vibes, more in Salem than San Francisco, just because I’m a big fan of small towns.
I do feel that the ending was very rushed, because we don’t get to much of the two relationships, I was really hoping to look more at the future of this couples in the epilogue.
Fav quote:
“She could be anyone, she realizes suddenly. Anyone at all.”
¿What will you find in this book?
- Found family
- Queer romance
- Small town romance / Big city romance
- Switching places

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I thought reading the two separate storylines was fun. I liked the love interests more than the mcs I think, though Knox was a little upsetting at times. The Christmas/winter elements were nice.

Clovers character was a little upsetting with her only drinks black coffee and uses a flip phone things. I thought her relationship with Beth didn't make a lot of sense and Beth, despite being (in my opinion) the best character in the book was clearly her second choice?

Overall, it was cute in some ways and frustrating in others. Might be a fun winter read.

If you like me get the Christmas in July fever, the itch to watch Hallmark movies and drink hot cocoa, while you watch the big city person fall in love with a small town this book is for you.

In this book, we don't get just one cozy Christmas romance story, but two! Two women decide to swap houses around Christmas to do a little reset with their lives. Bee works in tech in San Francisco, and Clover runs her family farm in Ohio.

It's got Christmas carolers, a tree lighting ceremony, ice skating, queer love, and found family! I couldn't put this book down!

Thank you Avon books and NetGalley for the eARC!

A very cute slow-burn holiday romance. The cast of characters was fun and engaging. I think for me personally the burn was a bit too slow, it felt like the romance didn't really start until 80% into the book. The writing was a great balance of description and dialogue and I felt like I really got to know the main characters. Overall, I'd say 3.5/5 stars.

Queermas is here!! 🌈⛄️ really loved this book and can’t wait to add it to my shelf and recommended list. It took me a bit to get settled into but I’d say that by 20_30% into the book, I was ready to go all the way through.

It’s different enough from most holiday romance books to where it doesn’t feel like I’m just reading some ABC type plot but it’s also familiar enough to where I feel I’m getting a fun, cheesy (cute), Christmas rom com.