I think I have found a new holiday tradition. The Christmas countdown was a fast paced, hilarious, heartwarming romance that will have you cheering for this sweet couple to make it from the beginning. Callie has an ex that everyone will hate, but you won't even think about him once her sexy baker comes on the scene. If you're looking for a fun holiday rom-com, look no further.

Very cute, but ultimately not for me. The idea and concept are super cute but unfortunately, I could not get into it.

Decent Christmas themed romance. Very little romance though. Lots of pondering over an ex at first, but thankfully not much. The advent calendar was cute but awkward at times. The mix up didn’t need to happen to strengthen the relationship.

This was a cute story with a fun premise! Overall I enjoyed it, but a few things bothered me. Definitely an instalove situation, and a bit of a miscommunication, which I hate in romcoms. There also wasn’t a real central conflict, so it felt more like just observing the main character Callie’s life. I did love seeing how much she grew as a person and the confidence she found by the end of the book. Not a groundbreaking story, but it’s not meant to be. If you want a light little holiday romcom, definitely give this one a shot!

The Christmas Countdown is a charming holiday romance and I felt all warm and cozy while reading it! This is the perfect holiday read!

3.5 stars. This was such a cute premise! I love how Callie’s sister is trying to help her with the advent treats and tasks. So festive. Like a hallmark movie with the festive themes and meet cutes.

While I struggled with a few elements, I loooved the MMC Marco. And the end of this story brought great resolution to multiple relationships.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for a chance to review an advance copy.

Christmas contemporary romcom without spice and loads of feel good. Add to that a coming of age story that will leave you feeling accomplished.

# The Christmas Countdown
# 11/7/2024 ~ 11/11/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

I absolutely love this idea of an advent calendar given from one sister to another to jump start the holiday season and get Callie back in the spirit. After a difficult breakup (high school sweetheart/mothers are best friends), Callie wanted nothing to do with the holiday. Anita, the ever-meddling sister, put out wrapped gifts with a countdown to Christmas. Each day Callie will open a treat or a task that she must complete. Callie begrudging agrees and when she bumps into a handsome baker Anita knows just what she needs to do.

It's a cute read and definitely gets you in the holiday spirit. Felt like it kind of dragged along and lacked some spice, but this PG Hallmark style book is worth the read!

A meet cute closed door romance. Callie struggling to find her holiday spirit after a breakup from her childhood friend/high school sweetheart is sent on an advent adventure by her sister. I enjoyed this book while there want any depth to the book I really enjoyed the hallmark movie vibes.

This was a very cute and wholesome Christmas romance! The idea for this book was so heartwarming as well as truly creative. Seeing Callie stand up for herself and get out of her slump was something I think a lot of people can relate to! I did feel like some parts of this book were a little too background info and not super important to the main plot which made those parts drag a bit, but otherwise this was an adorable, feel-good book for the holidays!

RATING: 4.5/5

The concept for this holiday novel was so fun & festive, I may just have to use it in my household! I LOVE a good holiday read. Everyone with The Buzz has been saying amazing things about this book, & now I know why! It gave me all the comfort, holiday feels. I can’t wait to decorate for Christmas now! Callie & Anita have the sweetest bond ever as sisters. It made me envious of their relationship! Marco was so charming, & a baker, which provided the perfect MMC for this sweet, closed door romance. I enjoyed experiencing Callie’s growth throughout the book as well! She had a wonderful support system who kept me entertained, too.

A cute romcom about former friends at home for the Christmas season. Books like this are very festive.

What sweet a cute holiday romance.Really enjoyed seeing journey from her break up to meeting and falling for Marco, but more importantly loved seeing her find herself all over again. Very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!

I was fortunate enough to get an e-arc of Holly Cassidy’s holiday novel last year, and I enjoyed this one just as much!

Callie is a bit of a bahumbug this holiday season, due to the relatively recent breakup she’s gone through. Callie loved everything about the holidays, but this year she’s having a blue Christmas. Not only did her ex boyfriend dump her after years together, but he’s already moved on with a beautiful tv news personality. Callie wants to lay low this holiday season, but her sister, Anita, won’t hear of it. In an effort to cheer Callie up and try to get her in the holiday spirit, Anita makes an advent calendar for Callie. Only, it’s not just any advent calendar- this one is filled with challenges and gifts, and she must complete every day. Along the way, Callie meets a very attractive baker who agrees to help her with the challenges if she will help him with the books/accounting for the business. As the two spend more time together and get cozy, sparks fly.

This was a super cute holiday romance!! I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a holiday read. It reminded me of a Hallmark or Netflix movie- so fun, cute and entertaining!!

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy
PUB DAY: October 22nd, 2024
Thank you, NetGalley and publisher
5 ⭐️’s

Absolutely LOVED everything about this book so much! Loved all the characters overall, the advent calendar storyline, and so much more! Loved the budding storyline of Callie and Marco, thankful they got there happily ever after! It was fun reading about Callie and Marco connecting in a romantic way! Holly Cassidy has a way about her writing style that made me fall in love with the whole entire story in every aspect possible! I was overly engrossed from the beginning!

#NetGalley

his was a cute Christmas story. I loved the concept of the advent calendar made by Callie's sister Anita. Anita was able to get Callie back in the Christmas spirit and pull out of the funk she had been since a big breakup. I liked how sweet Marco was. He was willing to roll with what was thrown at him.

I felt like this book was more about finding yourself after the end of a long relationship. Callie learned who she was without Oliver. They had been together since highschool and she had to learn who she was without him. While the romance between Marco and Callie was sweet it just wasn't something I was excited about.

I definitely liked seeing what treats and tasks Anita had for Callie and seeing Callie find joy again.

This book felt a little...lame? The writing unfortunately fell flat for me and I found it to be immature. I have previously enjoyed the author's other festive books, but this novel's main character Callie truly annoyed me. The whole scene where she gets stuck on the roof chasing her sister's cat was just absurd (why was the window open in the middle of winter?!). I'm glad Callie did finally grow a spine by the end of this novel because she drove me crazy for most of the story.

Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted on 11/15/24

Callie is feeling really down this holiday season. Her ex-boyfriend, Oliver, dumped her and everyone thought they were destined to be together since they were little kids, including her mother. She doesn't want to return home this holiday season, because not only will she have to face things, Oliver is coming home and he lives next door. He is bringing his new girlfriend and this isn't something Callie wants to deal with. Enter Anita, Callie's overbearing and energetic sister who is determined to get Callie out of her holiday funk. She makes a homemade Advent calendar that gives her new activities and holiday challenges each day. Callie decides to give it a try and during one of the activities she meets a good looking baker, Marco. Cue the holiday magic! Holly Cassidy's The Christmas Countdown is a sweet holiday romance that will definitely get readers in the holiday spirit.

The Christmas Countdown is a sweet fluffy romance, so if that is your thing, definitely check it out this holiday season. If you want something light, not overly heavy, and filled with a lot of holiday details, this one is perfect. The addition of the Advent calendar was a lot of fun and felt very nostalgic. My only gripe was Callie's sister. I did get annoyed at her meddling as well as their mother's, but other than that, I felt like this was a heartwarming read that's perfect for fans of Jenny Bayliss.

The Christmas Countdown was a cute holiday read. Light on the romance but if you prefer a closed door romance then I would absolutely recommend this one. I enjoyed the sisterly relationship along with the romantic relationship in the book and small town settings always make for some fun so Fallbrook was great. It was truly like reading a sweet holiday hallmark movie. I would definitely say add this to your holiday tbr if you're looking for an easy read.

This is absolutely the definition of a feel-good christmas book. It was so nice to see supportive sister relationship, and the plot created the perfect avenue for tons of holiday feels. Definitely recommend!