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.

Anything with vibes of <i>The Holiday</i> (one of my all time favorite Christmas movies!) and I’m instantly intrigued. I wish I had liked this one more!

Sadly, there weren’t many Christmas elements to the story at all, and what little there was came in around the 60 percent mark. In reading the summary a little more closely, it doesn’t sound as Christmassy as I originally thought, so that’s on me. It’s kind of one of those stories that takes place at Christmas but doesn’t really have much else to do with Christmas. I was looking for a Christmas book, so I was let down a bit by that.

The writing style didn’t always work for me either. It’s very descriptive and evocative, with a lot of exposition. I personally prefer a balance of dialogue or even a more dialogue heavy story, so it didn’t always work for me, but the descriptions of both Malibu and Chicago were well done and made me want to visit (and eat fish tacos in Malibu and deep dish pizza in Chicago!).

Overall, it was okay, but if you’re going into it looking for holiday feels, you’d probably be better off with a different book.

I loved this book so much. The characters, the setting(s), the struggles, and of course, the Christmas vibes! I loved Ramona immediately and was rooting for her to find some happiness. Chelsea’s situation was deeply emotional and I absolutely loved her artsy self. The escapism was top notch, the romance was hot, the self growth was REAL, and the Christmas vibes were magical. I will definitely be wanting a physical copy of this one to reread.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Malibu and Chicago are approximately 2,000 miles away from each other, an entire 24 hour drive and varying hours of flying based on connections. For Romona in Chicago and Chelsea in Malibu, both women are facing a Christmas that is anything but merry and bright. Could a house swap turn their holiday season around? The Most Wonderful Time tackles the real world hardships that people endure, even around the Christmas season in a realistic yet hopeful manner. The Most Wonderful Time dares us to believe that perhaps Christmas really is a magical time of healing and finding authentic connections.

4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

This read being set around Christmas time really drew me in. The cover is adorable and I loved all of the character's names. This book was very well written and I appreciate the extensive attention to detail. I also appreciate when it changes from character perspective, you are told, as well as where the character currently is and the detailed weather description. Perfect read for the holiday time.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to advance read!

Outstanding book to get lost in before the holidays arrive, and you have zero time to read! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The characters were likable, and the storyline was easy to follow.