Thought the premise of this book—house swap for Christmas!—was very fun. There were some parts I enjoyed, but ultimately had a hard time caring about the two main characters. However, I thought the secondary character development (Jay, Carlos, and even Joan) was more fleshed out, so I particularly liked any scenes when Chelsea and Ramona spent time with those three! And, without giving spoilers, I appreciated the effort to add some not-so-fluffy themes to a rom com. It definitely made me want to check out some of the authors previous books, which I know are well-loved!

The Most Wonderful Time by Jayne Allen was a cute and fun romance story of self-reflection, and a little holiday magic.
An engaging read of heartbreak, hope, love, and the joy that comes from rediscovering oneself.
The Most Wonderful Time is a beautiful and relatable novel that will capture readers heart.

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

anything she writes, i will read. this was such a fun read. I love Black authored christmas books because they are few and far between.

With Christmas around the corner, Ramona Tucker is desperate to get away. She has been lying to her family about her engagement to Malik, her (ex) fiancé. But breakups are fickle, and Ramona is convinced that she can make her pretend wedding real again—but only if she can avoid everyone discovering her secret at her mother’s over-the-top Christmas Eve party.

Two-thousand miles away in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint needs money to hold on to the beloved beachside cottage she shared with her late parents. The taxes are expensive, and her art isn’t paying the bills. Once an irresistible star of the Los Angeles art scene, Chelsea seems to have lost that spark that vaulted her to the top. If she doesn’t rediscover that magic—and sell a painting—soon, it will be her family’s home she’s selling instead.

The two women swap homes, just in time, thanks to some careful planning by Ramona’s best friend and a sturdy nudge from Chelsea’s gallerist godmother. Ramona’s Malibu dreams of sun and surf are interrupted as her first night brings an unwelcome stranger to her door, making her question who she can trust—the meddling neighbor Joan, or Jay, the handsome beachside fitness instructor with a secret of his own. Chelsea, desperate for Ramona to stay, hides what she knows—even if that means jeopardizing her budding connection with charming Carlos, whose dreams for his future could be the very key to unlock Chelsea from the weight of her past.

Combining escapist fun and sizzling romance, a dose of poignant self-reflection, and a little holiday magic, The Most Wonderful Time is a warm and relatable novel that will delight at Christmas and throughout the year.

My Take
I've decided to round up my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars because the book largely fulfills its promises. Allen remains consistent with her writing style, weaving race relations into complex romantic drama. If you've enjoyed her previous works, this latest one is unlikely to disappoint.

Cute enjoyable read with two great MCs. Eish the plot had moved at a more realistic pace but overall this was an enteraingn read.

This book reminded me so much of the movie the Holiday, with the house switch and wanting to run away for the holidays. It was so cute, these characters needed the space and found something new. It was holiday magic and I enjoyed it a lot.

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

If you’re looking for a book about Christmas, this isn’t it this book take place around the Christmas holiday. The writing style didn’t work as the author was over descriptive. Overall this book was ok and wasn’t for me.

I read a previous book by Jayne Allen and enjoyed it, but I found this one much less compelling. The structure meant it felt very slow paced, and I found it hard to truly latch onto the characters with the constant hopping between their POVs.

Great premise but there is too much going on to follow the story easily. It is filled with plenty of holiday touches but not enough to redeem it.

First, thank you Harper Perennial and NetGalley for providing me a digital ARC of Jayne Allen’s The Most Wonderful Time.

This story is about two women, Ramona and Chelsea, who swap homes for a week. Chelsea swaps her Malibu beach house due to financial reasons while Ramona swaps her Chicago condo to avoid telling her parents she is no longer engaged. Chelsea is a once highly-regarded but now uninspired artist, and Ramona is in denial thinking that she and her ex-fiance may get back together before their wedding date.

These women are both lost, out of touch with who they are, and just going through the motions of life.They set off for a week away to places they’ve never been to and only do so begrudgingly. As it turns out, a week away is exactly what they need. Theirs are journeys to self-discovery albeit very different from each other.

The story is so nuanced and raw. It touched on issues that I appreciate the author decided to tackle and was beautifully done. The descriptions of Chicago (I visit at least once a year) were spot on, and I felt like I was there. My favorite character was probably Joan, Chelsea’s meddling neighbor. I wasn’t expecting a third POV, but it added depth to the story and connected Ramona and Chelsea throughout.

This book is a great piece of women’s fiction, and I had “the most wonderful time” reading it.

This is a sweet and spicy holiday romance about Ramona and Chelsea, two strangers who decide to switch homes for the holidays to escape from the stressors of life.

Ramona is still reeling after her ex-finance walked away in the middle of wedding planning and she doesn't know how to tell her family and risk disappointing them (hello it's me 🤣🤦‍♀️). Chelsea is a struggling artist who is at risk of losing the only home she has know with her mother. Will a change of scenery for the holidays help them both?

This novel is a rom com but it is also is about heartbreak, love and joy that comes from rediscovering yourself and your passion. This novel is a sweet coming of age story while also a cute holiday romance.

Thank you Harper Perennial for the ARC.

A rich and meaningful story that makes a shift in the holiday story There were a number of times I reacted to the story, reminding me of the joy of being a reader. Latrice was a great character to read as Ramona's friend and affirms her choices and holds her accountable for more.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

The Most Wonderful Time by Jayne Allen reminds me of the movie The Holiday. Ramona and Chelsea switch homes leading to the holidays as both need to get away from their lives. I wish this book was a bit more holiday feeling.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this arc.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book!!! Such a good story and great writing style. This was my first by this author and will not be my last! I loved the characters and they al had such great chemistry!

I'm a huge fan of Jayne's writing, and I've devoured every book in the Black Girls Must series. So, you can imagine how excited I was to get my hands on an advanced copy of her latest book, filled with entirely new characters. It was a refreshing change! The story's concept, involving two women swapping homes to find themselves and reignite their passions, really resonated with me. At first, I struggled a bit to grasp Chelsea's reasoning behind the switch, given it was mostly for financial gains, and wondered how it would truly benefit her in the long run. However, as the story unfolded, I saw the beauty in the swap - it was a journey of self-discovery for them both, far from their comfort zones, and I totally got on board with that. Jayne's writing? Still as captivating as ever. The characters were all engaging, even Joan, who, despite testing my patience at times, added an interesting twist to the tale and grew a lot by the end. Speaking of the end, it left me wanting just a bit more closure but, all things considered, the book was a delightful read!

The Most Wonderful Time by Jayne Allen
Rating: 3/5

Ramona Tucker, facing a Christmas with family where she's lied about her engagement to Malik, hopes to rekindle their relationship without exposing her deception at her mother's lavish Christmas Eve party.

Meanwhile, in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint struggles to keep her parents' cherished beachside cottage due to high taxes and a stalled art career. Once a celebrated figure in the LA art scene, Chelsea needs to sell a painting soon to save her home.

Thanks to careful planning by Ramona’s friend and a push from Chelsea’s gallerist godmother, the two swap homes just in time. Ramona's idyllic stay in Malibu takes an unexpected turn when a stranger appears, forcing her to question who she can trust—her nosy neighbour Joan or Jay, the enigmatic fitness instructor with secrets of his own.

Chelsea, eager for Ramona to stay, conceals information that could jeopardise Ramona's stay, including her budding romance with Carlos, whose ambitions might help Chelsea overcome her past.

I was so excited to dive into this book because it screamed Christmas, and since that is one of my favourite times of the year, I quickly requested it. However, after reading "The Most Wonderful Time," I can't say it delivered the festive Christmas feels I was hoping for.

The characters were decently crafted, and the plot was well thought out. However, the overall experience fell flat for me. The flow of the book felt uneven, which left me underwhelmed and unable to fully enjoy the story. Despite the promising premise and the holiday theme, the book didn't capture the magic of the season or the emotional depth I anticipated.

While there were moments of charm and potential, the inconsistency in pacing and the lack of a strong festive atmosphere made it a less enjoyable read than I had hoped. It’s disappointing because I was genuinely looking forward to a heartwarming holiday escape, but this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial, and the author, Jayne Allen, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I've read other books by this author and loved them, so I went into this book fully expecting to love this one, and my expectations were exceeded. From the opening line, I was hooked. The writing style here somehow is both to the point and eloquent that is only done well by Jayne Allen. This book felt like a warm hug by a good friend when you didn't know you needed it.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

JAYNE ALLEN GIRL, you didn't have to eat like this. no but seriously this was amazing and I can't wait to rave about it to all my people.