First I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon books for the ARC of this novel.

I found the beginning a little confusing but once I got into it and got to know both Bee and Clover I found myself enjoying it a bit more. I still found that I did not love this book overall. It was a little too slow for my liking and I didn't feel that it gave all the characters the same amount of love throughout I really wanted to love it as it has a cute Christmasy cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advance copy of this book!

I enjoyed the premise of this book - dual POV and separate worlds that are gently woven together but also given their distinct space to grow. However, I felt that I wasn't able to get a good read on Bee's story in comparison to Clover's story. It felt as if Clover's story was more compelling throughout the book, while Bee's story was quite secondary. Both Bee and Clover deserve a full book for each of their stories.

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves queer representation in romance! (So that should be EVERYONE!!!)

'I'll be gone for christmas' is a deeply enjoyable, fun, festive rom-com that gifts you the ability to stop thinking for a little while and just enjoy the prospect of falling in love. The dual perspectives were written perfectly, I loved them both, loved the MC's, loved the links of the house swap and the wrap up being a melting of the two. The romances could have done with more build up, more tension and more romantic scenes but as the book was short this was understandable. It was sweet, the atmosphere was so warm and so perfect for this time of year. I had a really good time.

If you go into this expecting it to be an ultimate classic you're probably setting your expectations too high, but if you go into this expecting to smile and laugh and enjoy a little holiday magic - well, that goal will certainly be met.

I thought this might become on of my favourite reads of the holiday season, with the Holiday inspired plot and the sapphic romance, and I did enjoy this, but it wasn't what I was hoping from it. I liked the writing, and I loved how the characters grew on me. I didn't like them much at first but everyone went through so much growth and I loved going through that with them. But I felt like it took ages for the book to actually get going. By 50% in, I felt like the book had barely started. At around 75%, I felt like things were finally starting to take off. I missed a lot of build-up in the romances, so I lacked a real connection with them.

What did it mean to feel content?

I'll Be Gone for Christmas was a story told in two alternating povs about can you be someone different in a different place. With some The Holiday movie feel, Bee and Clover switch homes for December. Bee lives in San Francisco and is feeling major burnout, she works with her high powered, feels like favored twin sister and has cost them two accounts over the last few months. She's a writer who can't seem to find any inspiration anymore for the copy edits she's supposed to write. Clover has had a rough year in her Ohio small-town, her mother died and she broke things off with her bestfriend since childhood, now, ex-fiance. Bee wants to slow things down and thinks a farm in small town America will do it and Clover wants to test some boundaries after feeling completely shut-down by her mother before she died.

This was more a women's fiction, finding yourself story to me than romance. While both women meet their eventual love interest as soon as they get to their destinations, that aspect kind of disappears as they do some soul searching about who they are and who they want to be. Bee is instantly attracted to Clover's ex-fiance, Knox, who works and lives on the farm but he seems to still be trying to get over Clover and Clover can't help but be attracted to Bee's twin sister Beth, but her mother's comment when Clover tried to come out to her, still rings loudly in her head. I liked how Clover's journey showed how representation matters, the environment and social circle she finds in San Francisco opens her eyes to possibilities and what is “normal”, helping her feel comfortable with her authentic self. There's a thread of Clover reuniting with an old friend and if you hadn't read the back synopsis, you'd be forgiven thinking that is going to be her love interest. It really wasn't until around 70% that Clover and Beth get romance genre going, leaving it to feel rushed and me not feeling a strong connection between them.

Bee and Knox have some cute moments (a chopping wood scene!) but their romance also doesn't really start going until around 60% and even then there was still the hangover of Know still not completely moved on from Clover. I wouldn't go into this for the romance (closed door and some kisses), more of a finding yourself with some holiday vibes and start of relationships.

This is the absolute cutest Christmas romance, perfect for fans of The Holiday! It's incredibly cozy, and filled with so much cheer!

5/5 definitely looking into more from the author…. OH THIS WAS AMAZINGGGGG. I loved it down badddddd. The switching life aspect had me eating it upppp badddd. I very much loved bee she was me I am her I loved watching her growth I loved watching her realize this her life and she deserve a say in it to. And clover omg that name is so cuteeee. I loved her growth as well learning to stand in your skin regardless it was everything. I loved how the ending was I ate it up. I personally feel it can be a quick read because it’s that good lol.

Have you ever encountered a book so perfect for you that it made you consider that you were in a simulation? "I'll Be Gone for Christmas" is exactly that book. As an immense fan of Christmas, The Holiday, and Hallmark movies, this book, with its two Black main characters, brought a fair share of holiday cheer. Split between two slow-burn romances (one queer), with each having enough differences to keep me interested and going; once I picked it up, I flew through it.

Between the grief, the queer community, and the rediscovery of joy, this book was the Peppermint Mocha of novels. Festive peppermint, classic chocolate, and that kick of coffee; every flavor in this novel melded together to delight me.

My only complaint is about the length. The ending was abrupt and lacked complete emotional catharsis. But maybe it was just that I was having too good a time to want to leave this world.

I could happily visit Bee and Clover and Knox and Beth (especially Beth) for every holiday for the rest of my life. As it stands, I will be picking this one up next Christmas and maybe even the one after that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is a delightful holiday rom-com about Bee, a tech professional from bustling San Francisco, and Clover, a small-town gal from Salem, Ohio, who swap homes for the holidays. Bee finds herself entangled with Clover’s charming ex-fiancé, Knox, while Clover navigates an unexpected connection with Bee’s ambitious sister, Beth. As someone who doesn’t love the movie The Holiday, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book—it was the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit with its cozy charm and heartfelt romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)

House-swapping for the holidays? Count me in! Georgia K. Boone’s I’ll Be Gone for Christmas delivers a sweet, Hallmark-worthy rom-com with a fun twist: two women trading homes (and lives, kind of) over the festive season. It’s got cozy vibes, small-town charm, and plenty of holiday magic, but while I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite stick with me after the last page.

Bee Tyler is a techie from San Francisco who’s desperate for a break, and Clover Mills is a small-town girl eager to escape her Christmas-obsessed hometown of Salem, Ohio. Enter Vacate, the house-swapping app that promises them both the fresh start they need. What they don’t expect is for Bee to cozy up to Clover’s charming ex-fiancé, Knox, while Clover keeps running into Bee’s ambitious (and annoyingly gorgeous) sister, Beth. Cue the romantic hijinks!

The setup is undeniably fun, and the festive details—from twinkling lights to charming town traditions—give this story its warm, Christmassy glow. Bee and Clover’s parallel journeys of self-discovery are heartfelt, but the romance felt a little predictable, and the pacing dragged in places. That said, Knox’s charm and Clover’s small-town struggles were definite highlights for me.

Thank you to Georgia K. Boone, Avon, and NetGalley for letting me dive into this holiday rom-com! While it wasn’t the most memorable book I’ve read this season, it’s still a cozy, enjoyable read for fans of The Holiday or anyone looking for a feel-good escape.

This reminded me of that movie but the holiday but more modern and fit for 2024. I liked that this had a self discovery theme for both of the characters, it was nice to see their growth and development throughout the story. The last few chapters felt a little rushed and I do wish Bee & Knox’s chemistry would have been defined a bit more because I wasn’t convinced. Overall, a cute read for the holiday season.

Sigh I really really wanted to love the book. The cover of the book is absolutely beautiful but man I really could not get into this book. I find it to be a little bit boring.

Thanks to NetGalley, Book Club Girl, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager US for this copy of "I'll Be Gone for Christmas."

What a heartwarming debut novel, perfect for Christmas season or ANY season! It had "The Holiday" movie vibes with some "Sense and Sensibility" and a splash of "Pride and Prejudice."

Bee in CA is feeling the weight of family expectations and wants to get away for the holidays. Clover in OH is feeling the sorrow of losing her mother and her fiance a year ago and also wants to get away. So they swap houses via a Vacate app.

In new surroundings, they each discover more about themselves and then learn how to share that honesty with those they love.

Is this my new favorite holiday romcom?? I feel as though the holiday house swap trope is fairly common, but I love how Boone made it their own. A couple of reasons why I believe this book should be talked about more is the diversity of characters, and the way grief is portrayed. Having such a varying diverse cast of characters, not just within side characters but main, is something I am always seeking. I did not realize how much queer representation was included in I'll Be Gone for Christmas but it was amazing to read about! The grief aspect also felt realistic to me. As someone who recently lost a direct family member, I related to what Clover was going through. Realistic portrayals of mental health struggIes is another of my favorite things to see in romance books, so I commend Boone for weaving those within her stories.

My only issue with this book is that I was wanting more story after the resolution. I felt as though the ending was not as satisfying because the main characters just decided to be together, and then it ended. Overall, I think the pacing of the plot was good; I just struggled with the ending.

I really enjoyed this book! I would highly recommend this book to my friends. I really enjoy this book!

A fun and heart-warming holiday read! Bee and Clover and interesting characters; their families and communities are diverse and full of interesting individuals. This sapphic and MF The Holiday-inspired novel is a delight this holiday season!

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon books for the ARC of this novel.

When I first started reading this book I found the beginning a little confusing but once I got into it and got to know both Bee and Clover I got more into the book.

I love a good found family novel but I found the romance a little to much of a slow burn for my liking. But overall it was a sweet Christmas romance.

3.25/5 stars

This book is like a Hallmark Christmas movie, but with great representation (queer lead, POC characters, Black main characters) and a theme of found family! Bee and Clover decide to house swap for Christmas, so Bee takes a vacation in Clover’s hometown of Salem, Ohio, while Clover vacations in San Francisco. Both of them find themselves deeply entrenched in the other’s life from afar. By the end, however, all the strings get tied up in a nice little bow with both of them spending the holiday together! As a queer person, I was so excited for the sapphic romance! I loved reading about how important the queer community was for Clover and how her new found family in San Francisco let her blossom and heal a lot of her old wounds. Having a support system of fellow queer people is so important. I also really loved the slow-burn relationship Bee has, but I loved her falling in love with the town even more! It was just so cute seeing the community embrace her! It was just a really cute, fluffy holiday romance!

This was super cute and perfect for Christmas!

It probably took me about a good 25-30% of the book to understand the swap and really get invested. But once I did, I couldn’t put it down!

This was definitely more of a slow burn than what I normally enjoy but I loved seeing how each of the communities were able to heal both Bee and Clover. I loved seeing Knox and Clover’s friendship strengthen even if they weren’t together anymore and seeing Bee and Beth understand each other’s feelings better.

this was the most heartwarming book and i couldn’t have rung in this year’s Christmas season in a better way!! Ohio-farm-girl Clover and California-city-girl Bee swap houses for the holiday season. though they both are running from family drama, both women find everything they didn’t know they needed on their mini vacations. it was so interesting to follow along as Bee & Clover melted into the routine of each other’s lives. i loved how intertwined everything was and how cozy each person’s friends & family made there respective guests feel. i couldn’t get enough of each of their love stories, and was just so obsessed with the wholesomeness of it all. 10/10 recommend this lovely holiday novel 🎄🤍