Magical and heartwarming! This book is filled with festive cheer and irresistible charm. The characters sparkle with warmth and depth, making their journey to love delightful to follow. The writing captures the spirit of the season beautifully, wrapping us readers in a cozy blanket of love and joy. A perfect read to brighten your day.

I read her last Christmas novel and loved this one equally. A bit of Christmas in July as I love reading Christmas/winter novels in the summer.

Callie is getting over the heartbreak of her 10-year childhood love breaking up with her, and she is avoiding the holidays as it would mean running into him, his new fiancee, and his family. So Callie's sister, Anita, creates an advent calendar alternating between treats and tasks to help Callie get back into the holiday spirit and get out of her comfort zone.

Positives:
Pure Hallmark holiday spirit captured in a book
A cute romance without a lot of drama and miscommunication
Festive and fun

Negatives:
None. It was a delightful holiday read and I will continue to read this author's future holiday novels.

This is such a cute holiday book! I absolutely loved it from start to finish. I think I relate to Callie so much as I love having everything planned out, but sometimes you need someone who will push you out of your comfort zone because that’s when you make the best memories in life. Holly Cassidy does an amazing job bringing the characters to life and I wanted to know if Callie and Marco were going to be together in the end or if tough situations were going to ruin their chances. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good Hallmark style romance!

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN by Holly Cassidy

Puns! Ugly sweaters! Cookies and good deeds! Good fun and warm feelings! So much good transpires in this fun holiday book. Eggnog Man and Swiss Miss meet up when Callie’s bossy older sister makes an Advent calendar of tasks and treats to help her reclaim her holiday spirit. It worked so well that I felt my own holiday spirit rekindling as well, even though I read it in July. So immersed was I in upstate New York skating and sledding that I was momentarily startled to see grass when I watched A Capitol Fourth on TV, well, half-watched, as I was mostly reading. Yes, it’s that hard to put down, a welcome distraction and hopeful outlook. Clear your calendar and have fun!
I confess to an extra connection as a formerly bossy older sister.
It was also, for me, a reminder of my ten years in Minnesota, building snowmen and skiing on lakes. Right I before I moved back to St. Louis, I did even try to match a fireman with another friend. I still think it could have been a good match. ;-)

Thank you to NetGalley for this sweet, fun, and heartwarming book! I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy. It was a fun way to celebrate Christmas in July.
The book centers on Callie, who is still adjusting in a new town after relocating with her now ex-boyfriend. To help her get into the holiday spirit, Callie's sister Anita created an advent calendar of activities for Callie to do the weeks leading up to Christmas. After bumping into and starting a new friendship with Marco, he asks to help Cassie with her tasks. As they take on each festive holiday activity, Callie becomes more outgoing and grows closer with Marco.
The book was very sweet and charming. It definitely had all of the Hallmark feels. It was a cozy read and inspiring to get out of your comfort zone, stand up for yourself, and feel more joy. If you love cheesy and adorable Christmas romances, this is worth reading for sure! I can't wait to read more by this author and recommend this entertaining holiday book!

Remembering how much I LOVED The Christmas Wager, I went into reading Holly Cassidy’s newest holiday rom-com, The Christmas Countdown, with the highest of hopes. She blew my expectations out of the water! I am officially having a book-hangover at the moment, and can’t decide if I want to read it again immediately or to read one book in between my The Christmas Countdown book sandwich.

While there are some oft-used tropes in this novel, the way that Holly Cassidy used them with humor and real and relatable life situations made them special and drug me under their spell until the last page. And it wasn’t that I read this book in the dog days of summer and that I was having holiday nostalgia or longing. It was so much more because of her character development.

I felt like I could really understand being in a holiday funk and grinch-forward because of what life had dished out to me, much in the same way that I empathized with all that Callie, the protagonist, had to overcome in her life. I love the love that her family had. I love the way that her creative sister thought up the actual Christmas Countdown/Advent Calendar Challenge. That devotion and thoughtfulness is inspirational. I also love that Holly Cassidy let her characters’ flaws show, and that many of the characters got to grow and learn in this book, and not just the protagonist.

If you’re allergic to puns, you’ll need an antihistamine, but since I Love them, I was in giggles from the first through the last chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this fabulous ARC!!

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

It always weirds me out to be reading Christmas books in the middle of summer, but I try to pretend I’m in Australia celebrating at the time.

This was a pretty good holiday rom com. Callie is dealing with being dumped by her boyfriend of ten years, and now living in her sister’s apartment while working at the same place her ex works. She’s decided she’s not feeling the holiday spirit this year. But her sister isn’t going to let that stand. Harkening back to their childhood, she creates an Advent calendar for Callie to do that will attempt to make her enjoy this holiday.

It’s a rom com, so obviously there’s a romance, which I liked, even if I felt that the last obstacle to the HEA could have been resolved by both of them taking ten minutes to just talk to each other, but isn’t that how it always goes?

Mostly, I just really enjoyed seeing Callie grow and become more comfortable with herself, and what she wants. She stands up for herself to her boss, her parents, and her sister, as well as her ex. I think her figuring herself out was the highlight of the book for me.

Definitely recommend for a fun holiday read!

I absolutely LOVED this book. If you're looking for a book to get you into the holiday spirit and just feel cozy, this is the book you need!! It's June and I'm feeling in the Christmas spirit already.
loved that this book wasn't just a predictable romance story, don't get me wrong I love those as well, but I love guessing what's going to go right and wrong.
My one and only thing that didn't feel natural was the letter at the very end. It did feel like the author was trying too hard to give us a good epilogue but the format of the letter didn't make parts of it feel natural!

One other thing was on page 59, this line is either a typo or just very confusing, “not in a quite a few years.”

The (literal) heat of summer had me dreaming of cooler days, so a Christmas book was just what I needed in my life. This was just a fun holiday read with a side of some feels. Callie is navigating the heartbreak of a break-up with her childhood sweetheart who is also a coworker. To cheer her up and get her in the holiday spirit, her sister Anita creates an Advent calendar challenge. As she starts working through the calendar, she connects with Marco. Marco helps her with some of her challenges, and as you might guess, there may be something more there. This was like reading a Hallmark Christmas movie (and that's a good thing), and I loved the plot developments of this one as Callie navigated her calendar/life. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this October 2024 read!

Man! Holly Cassidy is the queen of the most heartwarming, cute, wintery, Christmas stories! I read The Christmas Wager last year and didn't know if I would love The Christmas Countdown as much but there was no reason for me to worry! It feels like your reading a Hallmark Christmas story that makes you feel like you are sitting next to the fire and smelling pine and cinnamon (even if I'm currently reading this in June in the South). The chemistry, the friends to lovers, the surrounding drama, the character/personal growth, and everything else combines in this book to make SUCH a cute story that will make you want it to be December RIGHT NOW! This was such a great read and I guess you can say I'm going to be celebrating Christmas in July because this put me in SUCH a holly, jolly, wintery mood!
Thank you so much to G.P. Putnam's Sons for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review!💖

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Another hit Christmas romance from Holly Cassidy!
I loved the Christmas wager so was super excited to get a peek at her latest work. As before, Cassidy has given us a Hallmark movie in a book, but much much better (because books are better than the movies I don’t make the rules). Tropes, fun, sweetness, and Christmas spirit abound. Give this a read!

"The Christmas Countdown" by Holly Cassidy is a heartwarming holiday read that brings the magic of a Hallmark movie to the page. Callie, struggling after a breakup, finds her spirits lifted through an Advent calendar filled with festive challenges created by her sister, Anita. The charming tasks lead her to meet a delightful baker, sparking a sweet and believable romance. Cassidy's engaging writing and festive atmosphere make this book a perfect way to reignite your holiday spirit and belief in love. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment and look forward to revisiting it each holiday season.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy is the perfect Hallmark movie in a book! Callie, in full Grinch mode after being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, gets a holiday intervention from her sister Anita. Armed with a homemade Advent calendar filled with cheerful tasks, Anita pushes Callie out of her comfort zone and back into the holiday spirit.

Reluctantly playing along, Callie meets a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs. As they strike a deal to complete the Advent calendar challenges together, their shared experiences open up not just one, but two closed-off hearts.

This story is so heartwarming and cute, with a delightful trope that will melt your heart. Cassidy’s writing is engaging and festive, capturing the magic of the holiday season perfectly. The chemistry between Callie and the baker is sweet and believable, making their journey from strangers to something more truly special.

I loved every moment and can’t wait to read it again this holiday season. It's the perfect festive read to reignite your holiday spirit and belief in love.
Thank you to the NetGalley team for providing me with the ARC to review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy. I was so happy to read a Christmas story in June! You can never start Christmas themed books too early.

Callie is going through a rough patch. She moved to a new city with her longtime boyfriend. She also got hired at the same company. After being there for only a few months Oliver dumps her for someone else. Thankfully Callie can move in with her sister Anita who lives in the same town. Callie is devastated by the breakup and is in no mood to celebrate Christmas. Anita puts together a Christmas advent calendar of boxes filled with either a task or a treat.

This was an enjoyable read. Definite Hallmark vibes, which I love.

I am a fan of hallmark Christmas movies and this gave me the same feeling! Had different tropes and the advent calendar idea?! Yes please.

I love this author and this books was great! I really enjoyed the tropes, as well as the character development! Her characters are so realistic and lovable, and I didn’t want to put it down!

I loved this! I really enjoyed The Christmas Wager so I was super excited to be approved for this one. It did not disappoint. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I can't get enough of holiday books! This one was chock full of the holiday feels. I loved the challenges Anita comes up with for Callie and it doesn't hurt that she has a hunky guy to complete them with! The romance aspect was super cute. I loved how clean and innocent it was. I'm not a big fan of smut so this was perfect for me. Four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Callie is suffering from a huge breakup. Her sister, Anita, creates this great advent calendar to help her get out of her funk.
This was so cute and fun! I loved all the advent challenges and treats! I loved that Callie got to get back to feeling like a kid and recreating childhood memories. I adored that Anita brought it some of their childhood ornaments.
I loved the food talk in this book. I liked how Callie has great memories of making lots of different cookies and treats with her dad. This book made me research Switzerland more and want to go there!
Callie and Marco's relationship, how it develops and how much fun they have together was great! I liked how they were open with each other and were honest about how they had both been hurt, but were working on trusting again. I also liked the chemistry between them, you could feel the heat that was developing as their feelings grew.
I adored this book and I think it will be a well loved Christmas novel.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Such a cute Christmas romance! The perfect thing to put you in that Christmas mood. The Advent calendar idea was so good.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

It's giving Hallmark movie in all the good ways. All the cozy Christmas feels made this such an enjoyable read. I don't give out many 5 stars but I can't think to rate it lower lol. This is definitely worth a read