Freshly heartbroken, the last thing Callie wants to do is complete an Advent calendar filled with holiday challenges... but then finds herself reigniting her holiday cheer and possibly falling in love again. Callie is ready to shut herself in and have a quiet Christmas, especially after her childhood sweetheart broke up with her and has moved in next door with his new girlfriend. Callie is determined to avoid him at all cost, not go home for the holidays either, and just try and get the holidays over with, but her meddling sister is determined to bring back some holiday cheer and help Callie find a new love. Her sister stages an intervention of the holiday sort and gets her to participate in a homemade Advent calendar challenge, filled with activities that are meant to get Callie to go out of her comfort zone. Then Calle meets a very handsome Chef who could possibly have her be willing to give love another go. Can Callie find her holiday cheer again and open her heart up to romance again during this Christmas season? This was a cute and light hallmark-esque Christmas romance. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for an easy holiday romance to read!

Release Date: October 22, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Holly Cassidy (favorite author), also writing as Hannah Mary McKinnon (thrillers), returns following The Christmas Wager with another charming, festive, and nostalgic holiday rom-com, THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN.

When a young woman is not up to celebrating the upcoming holidays due to a recent heartbreak, her sister intervenes with a fun and challenging Advent calendar that will brighten spirits and a new romance in this dazzling and lively holiday novel, which will get you into the holiday spirit!

About...

Callie Elise Meyer, an accountant, is not in the Christmas spirit. She has to see her ex at the office, which is bad enough. She is a Grinch. She wants a season pass this year.

After her recent breakup (Oliver) and moving to a new town (eight months ago), she wants nothing more than to run and hide.

The last place she wants to be is next door to her ex and his new girlfriend, Sarah (marriage). His parents lived next door to hers. Callie and Oliver were together for ten years, and now he has been dating someone for six months and is ready for marriage.

Anita is determined not to allow her sister to give up on love. She offers her a spare bedroom and a shoulder to cry on. Callie cannot see herself trusting someone with her heart in the next gazillion years. However, she has no clue what is in store for her professionally and personally.

Anita, Callie's sister, plays a pivotal role in her journey. She stages an intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge, a clever and heartwarming twist that pushes Callie out of her comfort zone and helps her regain her confidence.

Starting Dec 1st and the countdown to Christmas, Dec 24th, Callie finally agrees and meets a charming pastry chef, Marco Lancaster (29), owner of a catering company called Dessert Dudes at Central Kitchen, who might be what the doctor ordered and reignites her belief in herself, the holidays, and love.

Callie likes that she can be herself around Marco.
Open, honest, and vulnerable.
Not Cautious Callie.
Not Calamity Callie.
No pretending to be Cool Callie.
Just Callie.

"Not til we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves. —Henry David Thoreau

My thoughts...

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN is a delightful, fun journey filled with heartwarming moments. The creative, lively, and festive atmosphere, coupled with the romance, will warm your heart. Each day's mission is a joy to discover, and anticipating what's behind the doors adds a touch of magic to the story.

From baking, Christmas traditions, Dazey, eggnog, cookies, Christmas sweaters, cheesecakes, lattes, holiday family traditions, trees, books, sledding, movies, helping the needy, lots of fun games, pets, romance, caroling, unexpected gifts, friendship, bookstores, family, trees, snow, cocktails, chocolate, glamming, sisterhood, food drives, a bad boss, humor, toy drives, music, puzzles, lists, Christmas miracles, second chances, and so much more! (plus all things Switzerland).

Who would have thought that an Advent calendar challenge could be so thrilling? This adventurous, uplifting, and clever journey, crafted by the brilliant Holly (HMM), is a favorite magical Christmas rom-com with Hallmark vibes. It's a fun-filled ride that will keep you entertained until the last door is opened!

I loved the Epilogue—Christmas Day one year later—the characters, and the entertaining trip to Fallbrook. Get this gem on your winter reading list.

From Holly's enchanting rom-coms to her gripping thrillers as Hannah Mary McKinnon, I've been a huge long-time fan and have read all her books. Her ability to captivate readers with her storytelling is truly admirable, and I can't wait to see what she has in store next!

Recs...

THE CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN is for fans of the author and those who enjoy Katherine Center, Emily Henry, Emily Giffin, Rebecca Serle, and Mary Kay Andrew.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 22, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
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The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy is a delightful holiday read that captivates from the very first page.
I immediately got the Hallmark movie vibes again!
TCC would be an excellent choice for readers who love Hallmark, are looking for a sweet, heartfelt story with characters that will make them want to keep reading.
I absolutely loved every single second of this book. It was such a delight, it was so fun, always something happening, it was cute and swoony and adorable. It's the perfect read to get you into your holiday feels I can assure you!
Such a fun Christmas rom-com!

I absolutely loved her debut The Christmas Wager and knew immediately I had to get my hands on her second romance story! Which she did not disappoint!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank You NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Recently dumped Callie wants to ignore Christmas this year but with the help of her sister, she arranges a Christmas countdown for Callie and someone to help her with them. Marcus is a baker who helps her with this countdown. With all the time their spending together, will it lead to love?

I would give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars. It was such a delightful Christmas read. It felt like reading a Hallmark movie within a book. I love how it was a closed door romance of a book, however some of the closed door sex scenes seemed a little out of place. I loved how the romance was driven by honesty and worked hard to bring that out.

I adored all the Christmas elements in the story. From sledding to making Christmas cookies, to hot chocolate. It just made the books a perfect festive read.

Cute romance to read around the Holidays! Would still absolutely recommend to others who like holidays romances!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was so cute and a perfect holiday read. I loved the idea of an advent calendar pushing her outside her comfort zone and help her heal after her breakup. I loved the relationship with Marco and her special relationship with her sister. This will check all your holiday read boxes!

I am a sucker for a holiday romcom with all the hallmark movie vibes. This was a heart warming story where the MFC rediscovers herself and her love of Christmas with them help of her sister after a breakup. I could totally see Netflix turning this into a movie that I’d watch every year. If you’re looking for a cheesy romance with puns, I think you’ll love this book!

📖: The Christmas Countdown- a standalone

✍️ By: Holly Cassidy- new to me author

📃 Page Count: 316 e-ARC

🗓️ Publication Date: 10-22- 24 | Read: 10-20- 24


🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Holly Cassidy for this ARC 🎄! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌎Setting: Fallbrook, NY and Pineville, VA

Genre: Adult Fic, Contemporary Romance, Holiday

Tropes: matchmaker, pet friendly, LGBTQIA+ rep, sisterhood, book lover h

☝🏾POV: 1st person, single

⚠️TW: H cheated on by ex,

💭Summary: Callie is heartbroken over being dumped by her boyfriend Oliver. Callie doesn't want to go home for the holidays or even celebrate because she doesn't want to run into her ex whose family lives next door. Callie's sister Anita wants to bring her out of her comfort zone and have some holiday cheer, so she enacts their family's Christmas Countdown. She arranges treats and tasks for Callie to complete for twenty-four days until Christmas. When Callie goes Christmas tree hunting, she meets Marco. They hit it off with corny jokes and puns, and later agree to help each other. Callie will help with his taxes and business bookkeeping in exchange for him doing the Christmas Countdown with her.

🚺 Heroine: Callie Meyer (27) an accountant @ Whitlock & Blake Recruitment firm

🚹 Hero: Marco -a chef w/ a pastry business Dessert Dudes

🎭Side cast:

• Anita-29, Callie's sister who gifts her w/ Christmas Countdown to cheer her up. She gives her Advent calendar treats and tasks for the 24 days until Christmas.

• Vince-Marco's business partner and BFF

• Oliver-Callie's ex-boyfriend who dated for 10 years. Their mothers are BFFs and next-door neighbors. He and Callie still work together.

•Ruby Rowlinson-Marco's ex-girlfriend

• Sarah Barratt-Oliver's media famous fiancée

• Hazel-Callie's coworker and friend

• Joe-firefighter Anita tried to set Callie up with

•Dazey Rocket-Anita's cat, hilarious roof scene w/Callie

🤔My Thoughts: I loved the concept of the Christmas Countdown. Anita really came through for Callie during her time of need. My older sister has done similar things for me showing unconditional love and support. Both Callie and Marco were nursing broken hearts, and they met at the right time. I loved how Callie changed from being a recluse to taking on adventure and standing up for herself. Marco was a sweet guy, a little naive about Vince but encouraged Callie to have some fun.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 2/5-kissing and off-page hook ups
😭: Emotion 4/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5

Callie has changed her job and life for her lifelong love Oliver.
Oliver breaks up with her and Callie is in mourning for months.
Her sister Anita develops an advent calendar to buoy Callie’s spirits and bring her back to the land of the living.
An entertaining story of relationships and changes that we all go through in trying to make sense of our own lives.
Marco is a delightful man brought into her life with ups and downs.
Loved the realistic tone of family and their interfering ways.

Callie has had a rough year. Her long time crush turned 10-year boyfriend, Oliver, dumped her earlier in the year. To drive the knife deeper, he quickly moved on with a local news correspondent. To boot, Callie and Oliver work in the same office. Her sadness, although understandable, has resulted in a lack of social life and complete absence of Christmas spirit. Her sister, Anita, sets up a holiday advent mixed with gifts and tasks she must complete. Callie agrees to whole heartedly throw herself into the tasks on the condition that her sister stops trying to set her up with people and also accepts her refusal to go back home for Christmas. (Did I mention that she and Oliver’s families live right next to one another and their moms are besties??).

In the first task, at a tree farm, we have a sweet meet-cute with Marco. He becomes her task companion when Anita needs to leave unexpectedly for business. Together, Cassie and Marco find their Christmas spirit and begin to defrost their frozen, break-up hearts.

Although this Hallmark movie worthy story is all sorts of holiday season fun, at its heart it’s about growing up, losing yourself in love, finding yourself, and letting go of what no longer serves you.

Grab this one for the holidays!!! @hollycassidyauthor I am a fan!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for this #advancedreaderscopy it was a perfect pre-holiday read. Pub date is 10/22/24.

#2024bookchallenge95of75
#thechristmascountdown
#netgalley

Thank you to PRHAudio for the ALC and Holly Cassidy and GP Putnam and Sons for the ARC! We are super excited at The Buzz for our first Christmas novel!!

Callie is far from being in the Christmas spirit this year. She is still heartbroken from her childhood sweetheart, Oliver, dumping her and the last thing she wants is to spend Christmas at home with both of their families. So when her sister tasks her with an advent calendar filled with treats and fun activities, she is hesitant but really has nothing to lose. Her meeting a charming baker is just icing on the cake.

This story was just what I needed! I could relate so much to Callie, in how she was learning to stand up for herself. Like Callie, it took me some time to realize my own worth and to stand up to people who don’t value you. I wanted to cheer for her by the end, because she had grown so much and figured out she was deserving of true happiness. Overall, this was the perfect holiday read! A sweet small town, a beautiful relationship between sisters and a little romance too. If you enjoy feel good holiday stories, don’t miss this one!

“The Christmas Countdown” is out now! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@book_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Growing up I loved doing an advent calendar, so the premise of this book really drew me in. I enjoyed the tasks that Callie had to do and how her sister reminded her of past family fun with each task.

I am not a huge fan of the instant love trope, but in a way Marco and Callie’s relationship didn’t feel too fast. The third act breakup was an interesting twist.

This book is a fun holiday read that will get you in the mood for baking cookies, ice skating, singing carols and all the holiday activities.

Thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for providing the ARC.

The Christmas Countdown was a cozy, hallmark-style Christmas novel. While I enjoyed the puns, the main characters personalities fell kind of short for me.

A holiday novel about finding happiness and love again. Callie, who has been dumped by her childhood sweetheart, just wants to spend the holidays alone. Her sister, Anita, has other plans and stages an intervention in the form of an Advent calendar. The Advent calendar tasks push Callie out of her comfort zone in a good way. She (of course) meets Marcus, the super handsome baker, who (of course) volunteers to complete the Advent calendar tasks with her.

I loved this book. The Christmasy vibe, from the ugly sweaters and sledding to the hot cocoa and holiday baking, was perfect. The story line kept me interested and the romance was super sweet without being cheesy. The perfect comfy, cozy, Hallmark-ish read for the holidays!

This was seriously one of the most fun holiday reads I’ve experienced. I absolutely loved the Advent tasks of this one! It was a fun holiday read that will be one of my favorites for a while! Such a fun and cute romance!

Thanks Penguin and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

In this charming holiday romance, heartbroken Callie plans to skip Christmas to avoid her newly-engaged ex-boyfriend, but her determined sister Anita has other ideas. Reluctantly, Callie joins in on Anita's custom Advent calendar for December, leading her on a journey that helps her open not just presents, but her heart as well.

The book is filled with cozy Christmas traditions, from sledding and ugly sweater parties to cookie baking and ornament making, capturing all the festive feels. The romance is sweet and wholesome, with relatable characters that are easy to root for. Callie’s character growth shines throughout, and the loving (if somewhat nosy) family dynamics add depth and warmth to the narrative.

Overall, this delightful holiday read is perfect for curling up by the fire on a cozy winter night in anticipation of Christmas day!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

After being dumped by her long-term boyfriend, the last thing Callie wants to do is celebrate the holidays. When her sister, Anita, comes up with a fun advent calendar to distract her and add some holiday cheer, the last thing Callie expected was for it to bring her holiday spirit back. She also didn't expect to find love again but when she meets a handsome and funny baker and starts doing the advent calendar activities with him, will she be able to resist his charming self and how he makes her feel?

This was such a fun twist on a holiday romance and I really enjoyed it! The advent calendar of treats and activities was such a fun idea and Callie and Marcos's chemistry was immediately obvious. I also loved how Callie gained her confidence throughout the challenge and finally stood up for herself and what she needed. This was the perfect read to start getting into the holiday spirit!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

Leading up to this year's Christmas Day, Callie's sister has decided to give her an Advent calendar with 24 days of tasks and treats. Hopefully, this "Christmas Countdown" will help Callie overcome her heartbreak from the previous year. The holiday-themed tasks include cookie-baking, snow-sledding, and donating food and gifts to the poor.

I loved the idea of an advent calendar filled with merriment for the holiday season. I could see implementing something similar with my own family. The two main characters were a bit too much of a Mary Sue and a Marty Stu as her romantic interest. Both characters lacked flaws and seemed a bit too picture-perfect. Otherwise, it was a cute read for a lighthearted Christmas romance.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

This was so sweet! Callie is going through a tough time with romance, so her sister lovingly creates a challenge to help her find love! This has holiday hallmark movie vibes, and is such a sweet, feel-good, pleasant surprise of a book that leaves you with a smile!
Thank you to Holly and NetGalley for letting me read this adorable holiday romance!

I love Hannah Mary McKinnon’s thrillers so when I learned through THE BUZZ that she released a Christmas novel, I jumped at the chance to read it! Thank you for the free/gifted book Putnam Books!! The Christmas Calendar did not disappoint and definitely got me in the festive spirit!

Callie is still reeling from a breakup as the holidays approach. When she learns her ex partner (and hometown neighbor) of ten years is now engaged just mere months after their split, Callie knows there is no way she can face her family or hometown for Christmas. To get her in the Christmas spirit and bring back an old tradition, her sister creates an advent calendar alternating treats and tasks.

I loved the advent calendar concept, the treats and tasks Anita came up with, and that Callie put herself out there to complete the activities and find her festive joy. The love interest(s) were great - if not a little too good to be true! - and the connections felt authentic. Callie was a good person and it was easy to root for her. I also appreciated that she had so much personal and professional growth during the book that took place outside the romantic interests.

If you’re looking for a clean romance to help you get in the holiday mood, I can’t recommend this one enough!

Callie has given up on love after a bad breakup with her childhood sweetheart (and now colleague). She plans to spend the holidays in isolation, but her sister Anita has other ideas. Determined to lift Callie's spirits, Anita creates an Advent calendar filled with cheerful holiday challenges to push her out of her comfort zone - alternating treat and task days. Despite her reluctance, Callie agrees to participate and meets charming baker, Marco. As they complete the tasks together, Callie’s attitude toward love and Christmas begins to change, leading her to wonder if the Advent calendar might open both their hearts to new possibilities.

4 stars

Now this was a cute one! Aside from Anita and her coworker Hazel, Callie doesn't have much of a community yet in her new hometown, so the idea of her staying alone for the holidays just to avoid her ex at her family's annual gathering feels super lonely. Insert Anita's clever and heartwarming Advent calendar and this story had its own unique path to the holidays. This book gave me great ideas for new traditions to start with my own kids! The alternating and related treat and task days were such a fun idea and Callie's new baker beau Marco made for a perfect activity partner. There were various twists and turns of the story that kept my interest and I enjoyed the festive feels! Be warned though: it will make your sweet tooth itch for all the goodies!

Thank you so much to Putnam Books, Holly Cassidy and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early copy of The Christmas Countdown in exchange for an honest review of the novel.