If you love The Holiday this book is perfect for you. This book follows two separate love stories during the holiday season after a home swap. Bee and Clover both have their reasons for wanting to escape their normal day to day life to spend the holidays somewhere else. One trying to escape their busy city life and career while the other is avoiding her first holiday season without her mom and after breaking an engagement to her lifelong friend. This is the perfect holiday romcom and I'm so happy I read it during the holiday season.

The Holiday is one of my favorite Christmas movies, so books that mention it in the blurb always grab my attention. This one was cute and I liked it well enough. The characters and their relationships were decent once I got everyone straight. I wouldn't say this was a particularly memorable rom com, but it was sweet and easy to read.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

An adorable house swap Christmas rom-com with barely any drama. Bea and Clover each need a change of pace for the holidays--but they weren't expecting to fall in love while they were at it! This was such a sweet romance. Definitely a new holiday favorite for me.

This is definitely my favorite holiday romance that I’ve read this year! I did like Clover’s chapters more than Bee’s but I think I was just so excited for her to experience queer community 😭 I do think that the end wrapped up a bit too quickly and both relationships seemed to magically get very serious overnight. But I liked ALL of the characters and had a great time!!

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas has all the makings of a warm holiday rom-com: a charming house-swap premise, small-town Christmas vibes, and two parallel love stories. It’s a quick, cozy read that’s perfect for getting into the holiday spirit, but I couldn’t help feeling like it needed just a bit more time to shine.

The story felt like it skipped over some much-needed relationship development. The last four chapters packed in all the drama and resolution, leaving me wondering how these couples were planning to make long-distance work.

That said, the cozy vibes were on point, and I really enjoyed spending time in both Salem and San Francisco. If you’re looking for a light, festive escape, this is a fun one to curl up with—just don’t expect all the details to be tied up in a perfect bow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

"I've always thought you were gorgeous, but also kind of scary?"

As always with a story with multiple POVs, I ended up preferring Clover's to Bee's. We do start the story with Bee, a sad girl in business with her twin sister. Their parents sound horrific, but 'tis the season and all that!

Bee lives in San Francisco. Clover lives in Ohio. I forgot where. It doesn't matter. How their stories intertwine is Bee's friend Ayana's app Vacate, where you can switch homes with someone. So Bee travels to Ohio, and Clover to San Francisco.

Clover legit works on a farm. Her farmhand is also her ex-fiancée. In her youth, she kissed her best friend Hailey, and was probably in love with her, but her mom said she didn't "raise her that way," whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. Just kidding. I know what that means. Fuck her. Anyway, turns out Hailey lives in San Francisco. Surprise. Not.

Bee's dating life is worse. Every time they mention her ex Roger, I gag a little inside. And I'm currently on dating apps. It's bad out there. Stay safe. Stay married. So if you think this is a second chance romance where Clover and Hailey end up together, think again. As you know, it's my least favorite trope. But back to Bee. And Bee's twin, Beth. And their horrid parents, who are horrid to Bee because she sucks at business minded things, but also equally horrid to Beth because she is queer.

And lo and behold if Beth didn't leave something she needed at Bee's while Clover was staying there. And the queer community is very, very small. So when Clover makes some new Castro friends, Beth ends up there, too. Surely we're not shocked.

And on the other side of that, farmhand Knox gets hit on by every woman in Ohio. But he has no idea why. But he is feeling some things for Bee. Things progress for everyone.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Avon

This was set up really cute and I loved that there was a variety of representation in each story line. For a shorter book the characters had some struggles that were addressed and I found that to be interesting! What brought the story down from a 4 star to a 3 star is that the romance was incredibly rushed (especially with one POV). One second the character is upset over a lost "what if" relationship and the next chapter she is head over heels in love with someone else. I would have loved to see that romance develop better. However it was short and I was entertained so I am glad I read this one.

3.5 stars!

If you enjoy the Holiday, you will enjoy this book too! I liked both Bee and Clover’s characters and how they weren’t exact cookie cutters of holiday story protagonists that I see all the time in Christmas books. This should definitely be adapted into a Netflix movie.

Setting: California and Ohio
Rep: two queer Black protagonists; Black author

These Christmas romances just aren't hitting this year. I ended up DNFing this one at 40%. I'm just bored and not invested in any of the characters.

I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is a heartwarming and emotionally charged holiday romance that explores themes of love, healing, and the importance of family. The story follows two characters who, despite their differences and past struggles, find themselves coming together during the holiday season, learning the true meaning of love and connection. Boone’s writing is warm and tender, capturing the magic and emotions of Christmas while delving into the personal journeys of the characters. With its mix of romance, second chances, and holiday cheer, I'll Be Gone for Christmas is the perfect read for anyone looking for a cozy, feel-good story to get into the holiday spirit.

This was a thoughtfully put together Christmas novel. I liked the specific conflicts revolving around family and identity. I liked that it was a holiday home swap novel, although I now wonder if holiday home swap novels are more popular for Christmas novels or if it could be expanded to other seasons and holidays. I also liked that it was a queer romance, and that one of the main characters didn't do what would have been expected for her to do from a reader's perspective.

Many thanks to Avon Books for the digital review copy of this one, which came out on October 8th, 2024.

What I Liked About I'll Be Gone for Christmas

I am forever drawn to a house-swap premise, but not every story pulls it off. Thankfully, this one does. I liked the way both women accidentally wound up intertwined in each others' lives even as they tried to escape their own.

The personal growth for both characters was great, with both women gaining more confidence in themselves and a better understanding of their lives through the time away. I felt invested in both stories and hoped for the best for them.

The romances felt genuine, with each character navigating hangups from the past to find their way to a happy-for-now ending. I liked how Clover finally embraced her sexuality in a way that felt authentic, not overly fraught or too simple, and how Bee was able to move past issues from prior relationships.

What I Didn't Like About I'll Be Gone for Christmas

Given that both women fall in love with someone who lives across the country, the ending felt too tidy. It was definitely a happy for now, not a happily ever after, because Boone doesn't try to work out how these relationships are going to last long term. Like many romances these days, the story wrapped up a bit quick for my liking.

Final Thoughts

In all, I'm very glad I'll Be Gone for Christmas was my first holiday read of 2024. It brings all the charm you want in a holiday romance without being too sugary sweet. There's still depth here, with just the right sprinkle of Christmas cheer.

I highly recommend I'll Be Gone for Christmas to fans of The Holiday and anyone looking for a solid holiday romance with a little more bite than your Hallmark rom com classics.

very cute! the holiday is my favorite Christmas/wintertime movie, so I am weary of anything comparing itself to that. I see the elements of it but I think this is very different plot line wise to the holiday that I was able to just enjoy it for itself.

I loved this book! I was expecting just another “The Holiday” rip-off but this book had so much heart to it that I forgot all about the movie.

I would have like to see everyone a year later to know that everyone lasted but otherwise it was great!

This was a perfectly acceptable Christmas romance book. I did think both of the storylines were going to be sapphic, but that's on me for making assumptions, I guess (the cover is misleading!) The wlw storyline had a great cast of side characters that I would have loved to see more of. In fact, in general the two storylines felt like they could have used more time and felt a little rushed, particularly at the end. There were a few other assumptions that the reader just has to accept on faith (Clover leaving her elderly, sick father on a whim was particularly unbelievable to me) and a whole side plot with Clover's childhood romance that didn't add anything to the story. While I enjoyed reading the book for most of it, I also found these snags enough to pull me out of the story, and I don't think I'll revisit this one anytime soon. For the right reader, this would be an average holiday read, but I won't be recommedning it widely.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Both Clover and Bee where a delight to read. This was the perfect amount of holiday vibes. I honestly was not expecting the amount of character development that there was. I would recommend this to anyone moving forward as a holiday book that they shoud pick up. From the city vibes to the small town vibes and both love interest. This was a good one!

Well, this was cute!

I'LL BE GONE FOR CHRISTMAS is basically the movie The Holiday, but diverse and gay.

Bee and Clover switch houses via an app. Bee heads to Clover's farmhouse, where she meets Clover's ex, Knox, and gets to know Bee's dad, Jimmy. While there, she works on the issues she has of being in business with her sister and feeling inadequate in her family.

Clover, meanwhile, heads to Bee's city apartment. There, our country mouse meets Bee's twin sister, Beth, with a stop along the way for a high school crush. Clover works through a belated coming out, of sorts, and getting past people's expectations of her.

This is simply a pleasant read. The characters are easy to like and relate to. They're well-drawn, with realistic issues and things to work through. Even though the story digs into serious topics like grief and coming out, it has plenty of light and humorous moments to balance everything out. There's a holiday flavor, but Christmas is not the main focus of the story. Boone captures lesbian friendships and relationships extremely well. Also, Clover's dad Jimmy is adorable and steals many a scene.

GONE has a fun concept. I've discovered that I like holiday reads that feel Christmas-y without going overboard. It's emotional but fun and while a little simplistic at times, this diverse romance is a winner overall.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Unfortunately, I felt it hard to keep track of the characters and did not finish.

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

What a cute and cozy holiday book. It was a simple feel good story where not much happened honestly. I feel like I needed more. The ending felt kinda rushed and quickly put together. I was waiting for the twins to actually talk it out with their family or for the cliche big argument from both of them before getting back together. I did like how easy it was to read. A nice holiday pallet cleanser. Just wished there was more.

"I'll Be Gone for Christmas" is a delightful debut perfect for fans of cozy Christmas movies, especially The Holiday. Bee and Clover decide to swap homes for two weeks to escape their own mounting family problems and get a fresh start. What they think will be some quiet time to reset turns into a heartwarming tale of forging your own path and finding the people who make you feel like your most authentic self. This book could have benefitted from an extra 75 pages. The first two thirds of the book provided great character development and made you fall in love with everyone in these two vastly different worlds, but the ending was so rushed and I wanted more! I can't wait to see what else Georgia writes. I recently met her at my local indie bookstore and she was such a sweetheart. Brava on your debut, Georgia!