The. Holiday but make it black and queer!

I loved both main characters in this story, and only wish they both had been developed a bit more (separately and together). But, that's a minor gripe in an otherwise ideal small town queer holiday romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for sending me this ARC.

This was such a cute read! It starts with major sad-girl Christmas vibes and has a slow build romance but I didn't mind it at all. The writing style was easy to get into and at times it was so hard to put the book down because I wanted to know how scenes would play out.

I also enjoyed how this story dealt with self-discovery. I felt for both characters as they tried to find their voice and assert themselves with their loved ones. It was a really nice balance of romance and fiction and I think it's perfect for fans of the movie The Holiday (or any other house-swap holiday movie).

This is going to be a perfect recommendation for cozy holiday reading.

Congratulations to the author on a great debut novel. And special thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cute holiday read. Love both Bee and Clover. I only wish it was a bit longer.
4 stars


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas is an adorable holiday romance. Not only is there plenty of holiday cheer, but there is BIPOC and queer rep galore in this house swap romcom.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bee is burned out of her San Francisco tech job and working with her twin sister Beth. So her friend suggests she uses her house swap app to get out of town for the holiday season. She swaps homes with Clover, a small town Ohio farmer who is still getting over her mother’s death and her breakup with her fiancé Knox. As the two explore their new locations, Bee discovers she loves small town life and gets attached to the always helpful Knox. In the meantime, Clover builds a circle of queer friends and is unable to stay away from Beth. But can they each build new relationships in these very different places?

This book focuses on two concurrent romances, one featuring a M/F couple and one featuring a F/F pair. And, all the FMCs are successful women of color. There is lots of plot in what’s essentially two shorter stories, and the characters are great. Both romances are slow burn; no one even kisses until final few chapters. But, since the story focuses more on Bee and Clover’s journeys than their romances, it makes sense.

The characters here are engaging, and I was fully invested in Bee and Clover’s journeys. But I wish there was a bit more on the romance side of things. And, once the characters reach their HEA, the stories come to an abrupt ending.

Overall, I’ll Be Gone for Christmas is an entertaining holiday romance. I enjoyed the dual romance timelines, and it was satisfying to watch Bee and Clover each search for the missing pieces in their lives. This book is Georgia K. Boone’s adult debut, and I’m excited to see what she writes next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This a really sweet Christmas love story. I love the combination of coming out and small town that we get with the girls swapping homes and lives. I wish we figured out a bit more about Bee's work issues, but this was pretty cute overall.

4 Stars A fun cozy romance perfect to start getting in the winter/Christmastime spirit! Like a few others have noted online, at first I thought the romance was going to be between the two characters on the cover, but it's a house-swap between the two cover characters. That's on me for not reading the synopsis before starting though! A great read if you like Christmas romances with multiple romances and slow burn. It's a pretty quick read since the book is less than 300 pages. Definitely recommend!

I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is an exhilarating Christmas house-swap rom-com debut.
About finding yourself and finding love at the same time.
The perfect book to escape in.
This is a really fun read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I adored the writing and the setting was just amazing.
A sweet, fun, and addictive holiday read that I truly enjoyed I’m a fan of this debut author!

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The first thing that made me curious about this book was the cover. Then I read the blurb and knew that I had to read it.

Bee has a tech company with her twin sister. She is messing up and lost two potential clients. Her best friend helps her figure out that she needs a vacation. Her bestfriend has an app that links people to swap houses. Bee signs up.

Clover runs her family farm. Her mother passed away recently and she also broke up with her fiancé who was also her childhood best friend. Her father had recently had a heart attack so she was reluctant to get away. But she really needed to get away. She had picked San Francisco because an old friend she kissed one summer had gone there after high school. When the opportunity pops up for her to swap with Bee, she takes it.

Bee gets to Ohio and is immediately intrigued by the farm manager and Clover’s ex Knox. Clover gets to San Francisco and is taken with Bee’s twin sister Beth from the first moment she lays eyes on her.

I enjoyed bouncing back and forth between these two characters as they tried to figure out their lives. Neither one expected to fall for someone while they were on vacation. Clover made a ton of friends after only being in town for less than a day. Bee bonded with Clover’s father Jimmy.

I really enjoyed this book. I had never heard of this author before and took a chance. This book was delightful. I loved the movie this book pulled its premise from and the author did a good job with it.

This was such an easy read, and so full of holiday magic. This book warmed my heart and made me fall in love with a little town right in the middle of the Midwest. I love Bree and Clover so much, I loved spending time with them in their own journeys.

Do you watch the movie The Holiday every Christmas season? Are you a fan of Small Town settings? Is Dual POV of different stories that are interconnected your thing? This is the book for you. Fun, sweet, very jolly and full of the holiday spirit! Clover and Bee will take you on their separate ways to show you how second chance and new opportunities can look like. This house-swap rom-com will make you tear up at family dynamics, swoon at the romance on page and make you feel ready for this holiday season! This book feels like a fuzzy blanket, hot cocoa and a warm hug.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Well, unfortunately, reading a cute holiday romance during an October heatwave was probably the worst time to be enjoying this book but I do feel confident in saying that whenever you read this book, be it December, October, or June, you will enjoy it!

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas is the story of Clover and Bee, two women who switch homes right around the December holidays a la the movie THE HOLIDAY. That is one of my favorite Christmas movies and I have yet to find a book that perfectly encapsulates the charm and vibe of that movie - but IBGFC does come close!

Bee lives in SF and needs to escape her corporate job and her perfect sister and super controlling (and emotionally manipulative) parents. If parents being assholes is a trigger for you, beware. Clover needs to escape her farm in Ohio where memories of her deceased mom and ever present ex-fiance are haunting her. And she really needs to investigate just how queer she might actually be!

They switch homes and get a taste for how the other lives. Bee bonds with Clover’s dad and ex-fiance and Clover finds herself a super queer pack of friends almost immediately. Personal growth is had and of course there is some drama!

Clover’s story was my favorite and I loved seeing her big gay adventure in the city - finding her people and realizing that it’s okay to be queer. (Another content warning: parental homophobia). I was not a Beth fan at first but their relationship grew on me and I thought they were very sweet together. Clover felt the most developed as a character and the friendships she made were truly the best part of this book. Give me all the found family!

I had a harder time with Bee (mostly because the thought of abandoning my job and responsibilities gives me hives) but she obviously needed to escape her toxic family and she got to have that with Jimmy and Knox.

I will say that the one part that I did find slightly lacking in this book were the actual romances and the falling in love parts. When a book follows 2 characters in totally different storylines obviously some things are going to be cut but I feel like I was told that both women were falling in love but didn’t actually see it. (i.e. Being told Clover and Beth have been texting for days - why couldn’t we see a few of these texts and see how cute and sweet they are interacting with each other?)

And without too many spoilers I found Bee and Knox’s courtship even less believable and rushed.

Overall the book does make for a fun holiday read and if you want to read about two women getting a break from their lives for the holidays and learning new things about themselves, this is a good one to pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing an ARC!
Bee and Clover decide to swap homes for the holidays to get away from their lives for a while. Both women find themselves and some romance along the way.
Does it get any better than a cozy Christmas romance inspired by The Holiday? I don’t think so. The Holiday is one of my all time favorite Christmas movies, so naturally I had to request this book when I read the description.
I loved this one! The setting was so cozy, the characters were wonderful, and I loved that this was a slow burn romance. A slow burn always gets me more invested and this was no different. I really enjoyed both romances.
I was SHOCKED to see that this was a debut! The author had such a great vision and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Hallmark Christmas movie and The Holiday vibes! ​​I’ll be gone for Christmas by Georgia K Boone was such a cute holiday read! I really enjoyed it.
Overall, it was the perfect book for a cozy season!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of the book.

As a fan of The Holiday, I went into this book a bit hesitant, worried it could feel too forced or repetitive. I was so happy to realize I had nothing to worry about. Although the bones of this story give the same feel and general idea of the beloved film, it is a beautiful story with a cast of loveable, quirky characters that brings the same joy this movie has brought through the years.

While this book is set during the holidays and has many scenes of holiday cheer (or grief, in some instances), it is not inherently Christmas themed. The story is set in this Christmas swap scenario, but the heart of the story is more about family; biological and chosen, alike. It is a story rooted in finding one's self and the confidence to let others get to know her as well.

I'll Be Gone for Christmas is a holiday rom-com styled after one of my favorite movies, The Holiday. Two women (Bee and Clover) swap houses for the holiday season to escape unwanted situations in their hometowns. Although I love this premise, the book fell short on its execution for me. As a queer woman, I found Clover's sexual identity journey to be relatable, but it felt like too much of a personal growth arc was shoehorned into her chapters. There wasn't enough space for her to explore her identity and experience queer romance for the first time in a meaningful way. Perhaps if the entire book centered around her, I would have felt differently. I also didn't feel like Bee solved any of her underlying problems and her romance felt rushed as well. Overall I found the characters to be likeable, but not dimensional. I didn't feel like I knew any of them incredibly well.

4.5

I thank NetGalley and Avon for sending me this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please keep in mind the following content warnings: Death of a parent, Homophobic parents (not that much present, but still referenced from time to time).

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays of the year even though I'm no longer a Christmas and I rather spend it with my mum and friends than with family members I barely stand. Yet, it's quite funny that I have not read that many Christmas stories. One could say this was slightly out of my comfort zone (as much as romance could ever be out of my comfort zone, that is). Even then, I highly enjoyed this book. I even finished it in a day! It's such a cozy read and both couples were so adorable toward the end.

There were parts where I related more to Bee and others where I saw myself in Clover. Personality, I think I'm more like Bee with our impulsivity and how we both grew up with some family members belittling our writing. However, living in a small town in the countryside for most of our lives and coming to terms with our sexuality was something that I heavily related to Clover. The fact this book is split into two stories (in a way) gives you a little bit of everything and I think it's impossible for the reader to not at least enjoy one of them.

One slight downside, though, it's that I wished to have spent more time with both couples. It even took me a bit to be completely sold on the pairings, but halfway through the book I was sold. This is literally the only reason I'm giving this book 4.5 stars instead of the full 5.

If you're looking for a cozy and fun read for the holidays with two adorable romances, I highly recommend getting it tomorrow once it's officially out. I'm even considering getting it for myself and rereading it before Christmas.

It is a heartwarming story by Georgia K Boone. This was a F/M, F/F story as it covers two separate stories for the MCs. 

It was sweet, the chemistry was well done between them all. I enjoyed seeing the relationships that needed healing, healthy.  

Slow-burn, fade to black. Low angst, but know that they all will work out. I enjoyed all the characters. They were supportive and necessary by adding to the story. 

I love stories where twins fall for best friends. It feels like it is cosmic. 

As this is my first book by Boone, I was impressed and will be following her in the future for any F/F books she may write.

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is a heartwarming holiday romance that captures the spirit of love and family during the festive season. The story follows a protagonist who grapples with the complexities of relationships while preparing for the holidays. Boone’s writing is engaging and evocative, creating a cozy atmosphere that immerses readers in the joys and challenges of Christmas. This charming tale is perfect for anyone looking to embrace the warmth of the season and the magic of unexpected connections.

This was super cute! It took me a little bit to get into it but once the slow-burn started to spark I enjoyed getting to see Bee and Clover step into a world and be with people that they might not have expected but needed in their lives. I felt like this had a little bit of everything in it which made it a great holiday read on the shorter side of novels! I felt that everything developed really well for not being long as well. Adored both Bee&Knox and Clover&Beth. I like the suttle hints of fate in that these people were meant to be in each other's lives.

Great romance novel that follows Bee Tyler and Clover Mills. Bee works alongside her twin sister Beth and feeling like a disappointment to her and their parents. Clover is still reeling from the death of her mother and breaking up with her fiancée a year earlier. The two switch homes (Bee is in San Francisco and Clover is in a small town in Ohio) in the app called Vacate and experience the Christmas holidays in new places.

I thought the character development of Bee and Clover was great. We had a slow reveal about Clover which was great. And I thought that Boone did a great job with a enemies to lover for one and meet/cute romance for the other (no spoilers on who got what romance type). I loved the secondary characters like Clover's father Jimmy and her ex fiancée Knox along with her new friends she meets in San Francisco. Bee doesn't really have anyone in her life outside her best friend Ayana, sot here's not a lot of there there for her I thought.

The plot does move really slow to the point you get a bit tired of the book switching back and forth between them. The plot though of them finding love and experiencing new things in a new place was solid.

The setting of San Francisco was great, but I did wonder about a black girl growing up on a farm in a small town in Ohio. It felt a bit off and only because the whole town didn't seem to bat an eyelash at her family and I wondered about that bit. It just didn't feel realistic, well not in the version of the U.S. we seem to be getting these days.

The ending was very sweet and we get two very lovely happily ever afters.

3.5 stars for I'll Be Gone for Christmas. I enjoyed this read but it did feel like nothing happened in the plot for quite a while in the middle of the book. The romances pick up at the 75% point. Overall is a cute romance to get you in the holiday spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I'll Be Gone for Christmas hits shelves on October 8, 2024.