A Home for the Holidays is a beautiful story about grief and how Mel deals with the loss of her mom while also discovering the truth about who she was. There's a lot of drama that goes down in Mel's discovery. But what I loved the most was that Mel had to learn to love, forgive and accept her mom for who she was. Leading her to Barb and her family and discovering the past that was never shared with her makes the story interesting and keeps you engaged but the journey is what gave this story its heart. Taylor Hahn can do no wrong and Home for the Holidays cements her as an auto buy author for me.

I'm a sucker of family dramas, particularly those exploring the complexities of parent-child relationships. Mel Hart's dynamic with her mother is a poignant study in love and disappointment, shaped by her mother's struggle with alcoholism. When her mother unexpectedly passes away just before Christmas, Mel forges an unlikely connection with a rando claiming to be a close friend. This encounter unveils hidden facets of her mother's past, prompting Mel to reevaluate her understanding of their relationship. The story is deeply moving and an exploration of loss, grief, and addiction, yet it impressively balances these themes with moments of humor, a heartwarming found-family dynamic, and a touch of romance. I enjoyed its emotional depth.

However, what I didn't enjoy much was the quick love at first sight/love bombing within two days and while one party is still legally married, felt contrived and undermined the story's credibility. Despite this, the audiobook proved to be an engaging, albeit brief, experience. While the plot became increasingly convoluted towards the finale the underlying themes of found family, navigating grief, and pursuing one's dreams resonated strongly."

This book was a heartwarming and sweet holiday read! The characters were relatable and well-developed, and their journey was filled with emotional depth and charm. The romance was sweet and slow-building, making it easy to root for them. While it wasn’t groundbreaking, it was the perfect cozy story to curl up with during the holiday season. A lovely, feel-good read!

This tenderhearted novel explores how mothers and daughters can love and fail each other, and how home can be an active choice one makes for oneself. Review continues on Shelf Awareness....

Okay, let’s talk about A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn, because this book is like a cozy holiday blanket with a few emotional thorns woven in. The story follows Mel Hart, a wedding singer who’s always held onto the magic of Christmas, thanks to her mom Connie’s over-the-top Santa hijinks. But when Connie passes away just before the holidays, Mel’s world feels anything but magical. Enter Barb, Connie’s estranged best friend, who shows up with a wild story about Connie’s almost-famous country music career and a man who ruined it all. Suddenly, Mel finds herself spending Christmas with Barb’s complicated family, uncovering secrets about her mom’s past, and—oh yeah—trying not to fall for Barb’s very off-limits son, who’s in the middle of getting divorced. It’s heartfelt, messy, and full of holiday charm.

What really got me was how Hahn handled the heavy stuff—grief, addiction, and complicated family dynamics—with so much care and nuance. Mel’s journey to understand her mom’s struggles and her own feelings about love and family is raw and real. And let’s talk about the romance, because the tension between Mel and Barb’s son is chef’s kiss. It’s slow-burn, it’s forbidden, and it’s got just enough angst to keep you hooked. Plus, the holiday setting is pure magic, with twinkling lights, cozy moments, and a sprinkle of Christmas hope that’ll make you believe in second chances.

I’m giving this one 4 out of 5 stars. While I loved the emotional depth and the holiday vibes, there were moments where the pacing felt a little uneven, and I wished for a bit more closure on some of the subplots. That said, A Home for the Holidays is a moving, heartfelt read that’s perfect for anyone who loves their Christmas stories with a side of real-life resonance. Taylor Hahn has a knack for blending the bittersweet with the beautiful, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of her work. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to blast some holiday tunes and ugly cry into a cup of cocoa.

I loved this book so much... it was so unexpected, and not at all a "rom-com" I'm used to for cute holiday reads. This book is about grief, found family, seeing your family in a new light, letting go of familial expectations, forgiveness, and so much more. I loved the romance, adored Barb (what a gem!), and really enjoyed the storytelling.

After reading a couple holiday romances, I was in the mood for something with a little more heft. I saw a couple people whose taste I love give it high praise so I picked it up, and I am SO glad I did. This was was heartwarming and witty with just the right amount of romance and wonderfully charming characters. I loved that this focused more on Mel's relationship with her mother than with Henry (even though I also really loved their relationship). This would be a great book to pick up in the fall or winter because the holidays are in the background.

I tend to read a lot of books without reading what they were about and I’m glad I did on this one or I would have skipped it. I’m currently going through the same thing as the m/c (death of a parent with alcoholism—TW) so 100% I would have skipped it. While reading I almost put it down, but I’m glad I didn’t. So many of the emotions she was feeling, I was feeling. She did a remarkable job putting herself in the shoes of the m/c. It’s not the conventional happy, hallmark love story but not everyone has a hallmark Christmas. I really enjoyed it.

I don’t quite know how to rate this one , it was well written and a good women’s fic novel but not what I was expecting from a holiday romance. This book was sad for a holiday romance the majority of the book focused of the mother daughter relationship and I feel like the romance was an after thought. Me personally I did not enjoy this book but it made me sad so I could see others enjoying this book just be prepared this isn’t your typical holiday romance.I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This story is told in first person by Mel. Mel sings in a wedding band. She grew up with an alcoholic mother who passes away just before the holidays. She’s also dating and living with another member of the band who has just found a new gig and wants her to come with, but Mel is happy singing with the wedding band and doesn’t want to leave Chicago. As Mel returns to her childhood home and starts contemplating going through her mother’s things, she reminisces about growing up with her mother, the good times and the bad. Then a strange woman shows up at the door and introduces herself as her mother’s best friend indicating that they hadn’t spoken to each other in 35 years. Mel finds herself escaping to Barb’s home for the holidays, learning about her mother’s early life and adventures and enjoying the holidays with Barb’s family, especially her son, a doctor named Henry who is in the middle of a divorce.

Mel had a lot going on, her mother passing, her selfish boyfriend more preoccupied with his new gig than supporting her, an estranged relationship with her father due to his preoccupation with his new family, and dealing with the fact that she grew up taking care of her alcoholic mother instead of being a child. Barb really opens Mel’s eyes up to the life that her mother had before she met her father and became the drunk that Mel grew up with and now Mel has so many questions that she wished she had asked when her mother was still alive.

I really enjoyed this story. It made me feel all the feels along with Mel even though I didn’t always understand her decisions. I felt her sorrow, grief, anger, resentment and longing for a family that she found with Barb and her children. While Barb explains that a man came between them and that their falling out was her fault, but of course, it was a little more complicated than that. I really enjoyed the journey that Mel took through her grief and the past, paving a new direction for her future. I also enjoyed her romance with Henry.

If you’re looking for a holiday read filled with more complicated emotions than just a sweet romance, I’d recommend this one for an out of season holiday read or for your next holiday reading list.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for a copy provided for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book other than a Christmas themed plot. But it was so much more! I really really enjoyed this one, in it we follow Mel as she navigates what it meant to be her mother's daughter and how she came grieve when she feels like she only knew one side of her mother. She meets Barb an old friend of her mother's and Barb gives Mel insight into who her mother was outside of only a mom. Mel also meets Barb's son to be divorced son. (Eyebrow wiggle)

Overall this book had enough cheese and a lot of heart! Did I mention it has a found family trope? One of my favorites! 🥲

TW: Alcoholism, Grief, and Death of a Parent



Thank you to Penguin Random House & NetGalley for the eARC in return for an honest review! ❤️

Thank you to the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS weaves together themes of grief and forgiveness, tropes like instant love and found family, and a bit of a multi-leveled musical mystery subplot as the main character, Mel, learns more about her late mother’s history. I thought the relationship between Mel and her late mother was realistically complex and an important foundation to the grief and forgiveness journey Mel takes in this book. To me, the main romance subplot felt underdeveloped, but I also don’t like instant love romance stories because they usually don’t feel believable enough to me. I did appreciate that, while this book takes place during late December and talks about Christmases past and present, it didn’t come off to me as overly Christmasy, which I appreciated because it allowed the depth and emotions of the story to shine. This book hit me harder than I anticipated, so as always, I would recommend checking for content warnings on this book before reading.

Absolutely loved this book - perfect for Christmas. I appreciated the depth of the characters and the realistic struggles they faced with family members.

A well written holiday book, this gave me Family Stone vibes. Recommend if you’re looking for a Christmas book with more complex characters and emotional weight than your typical Hallmark fare.

This book started off really impactful & honestly made me cry - which I was okay with personally but, definitely should have come with a trigger warning for those with a loved one that suffers from substance abuse. It has some really insightful statements about grief & beautifully touched upon how addiction can take a wonderful, colorful person and strip them back until they’re a dull husk of the person they used to be.

However, it took a turn and got a bit outlandish at a point. At first I thought ok, this is interesting but then eventually, it became less about her relationship with her mother & more about a bunch of other random things. There’s honestly A LOT going on in this book in a short period of time, in terms of both timeline and page count. There’s an insta-love sort of situation which is not my favorite, but that’s just a personal preference thing. It also ends very abruptly and nothing really feels resolved.

It almost felt like getting on a train and then halfway through, the line changes & suddenly you have no idea where you’re going anymore. By that I mean, the book I ended with was not what I was expecting from the initial departure (hope that makes sense). Like I said- it started off strong & there were honestly some bits throughout that I truly enjoyed! But there were just too many plot twists & I felt like it diluted the substance of the story. Thank you NetGalley & Knopf for this ARC

Favorite quote: “Maybe the perfect family wasn’t one that avoided the darkness altogether, but that helped each other through it.”

4.5 stars

This book may not be on everyone's holiday must-reads but as someone who lost their mother on Christmas Day I really related to this book and enjoyed my time spent with it. It dealt with the grappling of grief at the holidays in a way that most books avoid since that time of the year is supposed to be fluffy snowflakes and insta-love. While there is a bit of the latter at play here it wasn't as trite as the other holiday books can be.

Overall I really enjoyed my time spent in this world and am so glad to have read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Home for the Holidays is the first Taylor Hahn book I've read and it will not be the last. When wedding band singer, Mel, was younger, her single-mother made the holidays a magical time. As Mel grows up, she realizes her mom is not like other moms-in many ways. Two weeks before Christmas Mel receives a call from a doctor in the hospital that her mom has passed away. Grief-stricken, Mel is stunned when a woman shows up at her mother's house and claims to be her former best friend .She tells Mel how her mother was on the brink of fame as a country singer and brings her mother to life in a way Mel never heard before. Agreeing to stay with Barbara for the holidays (versus staying her dead mother's house) Mel finds herself immersed in Barb's complicated family-including her very attractive son (who happens to be going through a divorce). With flashbacks to youth, Mel meets the mother she never knew. With the backdrop of the holidays and lots of festive fun, Hahn creates a very heartfelt, emotional holiday novel that many will enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback..

3 Stars

Taylor Hahn’s A Home for the Holidays is a heartfelt exploration of grief, family secrets, and second chances, wrapped in a festive holiday setting. While it’s a thoughtful and often moving story, it doesn’t always deliver the emotional punch or narrative flow I was hoping for.

Mel Hart’s journey of processing her mother’s death and learning to navigate the messy, beautiful complexities of family relationships is compelling. Hahn writes grief with nuance, capturing Mel’s conflicting feelings about her mother’s struggles and her own memories of holiday magic. The inclusion of Connie’s mysterious past as a would-be country music star adds a layer of intrigue that helps drive the story forward.

However, the novel occasionally falters under the weight of its themes. The pacing feels uneven, with some parts dragging while others rush through key emotional moments. Barb’s introduction and her family dynamics bring warmth and humor, but the subplot involving her son’s pending divorce and his budding relationship with Mel feels underdeveloped and slightly forced.

That said, Hahn shines in crafting holiday atmosphere—there’s plenty of cozy, nostalgic charm here. The themes of forgiveness, self-discovery, and love in unexpected places will resonate with many readers, even if the execution doesn’t fully stick the landing.

A Home for the Holidays is a good read for those who enjoy bittersweet holiday tales, but it might leave some readers wishing for a bit more sparkle and polish.

A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by TAYLOR HAHN was one of my favorite reads this month. It’s a thoughtful story about grief, forgiveness, connection, and acceptance with a satisfying romance and a bit of holiday magic, too.

Just weeks before Christmas, Mel’s mother dies. Soon after, she breaks up with her conceited and thoughtless boyfriend. Not wanting to stay in the condo they had shared, Mel goes to her mother’s house. It’s a practical decision, the house is empty and available to her. But overwhelmed by memories and grief, Mel can hardly pass across the threshold.

As Mel goes to leave, there’s a knock at the door. A stranger, introducing herself as Barbara, her mother’s former best friend. Wrung out with emotion and lacking other options, Mel goes with Barb to her home.

I loved Barb and her stories about living with Connie, Mel’s mother, in the late 70s. It’s a small stretch to think of Mel going to stay with a complete stranger, but Barb is the perfect combination of warm and direct. If I met her IRL, I’m sure I’d get swept up into her life, too.

The story’s supporting characters - Mel’s bandmates and Barb’s children - were also well-developed and engaging. They all came together as a supportive found-family.

While the timing is set around the December holidays - there are celebrations of Hanukkah, Christmas, and memories of holidays past - there’s no reason this book can’t be enjoyed year-round. So don’t wait for December to roll back around before picking this one up!

“’I don’t know how to move on from this grief.’
‘You don’t move on,’ he said. ‘You move forward.’

Grieving didn’t just happen - grieving was hard work.”
- A Home for the Holidays, Taylor Hahn

Many readers are aware of A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn since it was a Book of the Month pick. I’m glad this not-so-typical Christmas story received lots of attention. At least one of its themes of grief, addiction, mother-daughter relationships, music, and found family is likely to connect with a wide variety of readers.

I appreciated that the plot has middle-aged (and older) characters dealing mostly realistically with hard things during the holiday season. It was interesting for an adult daughter to learn about a completely unknown aspect of her mother’s life from a stranger. I could relate to the daughter’s integration into another family as I had similar experiences (under very different circumstances) as a teen and young adult.

The speed and convenience of the relationships felt unrealistic; the romance moved exceedingly fast, and one party was still married. The ending wrapped up details a bit too neatly for my taste, but this wasn't surprising in a holiday story.

Thank you to Knopf for the review copy of this novel.