The Christmas Crush is like if Hallmark movies, furry puppies, and hot cocoa were mixed and baked. The perfect holiday book to cozy up with!

What a cute read! First book I have read by Noelle Douglas and definitely not my last. Was a super cute, fun read during the holiday season.

Thank you to Net Galley and Alcove Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review. This book was a cute holiday romance. It gave off cozy small town vibes. However, the plot was slow at times. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies then you will love this book!

Elena Voss is all business when she arrives in the charming town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, tasked with launching Sparkle Cookie’s latest location. But the locals? Not thrilled about a corporate chain crashing their small-town holiday magic. Especially not Lawrence Higgins, the town’s grumpy but beloved baker, who’s determined to keep his family bakery from being overshadowed. Their first meeting? Frosty. Their second? Even worse. But when a cookie competition forces them to work together, Elena starts seeing Lawrence as less of a holiday roadblock and more of a potential Christmas miracle.

This book serves up a full batch of holiday romance staples—small-town charm, enemies-to-lovers sparks, and a competition that basically guarantees romantic tension. The chemistry between Elena and Lawrence is fun, with plenty of grumpy-sunshine banter and just enough sweetness to balance it out. The festive atmosphere is a major highlight—think twinkling lights, snowy streets, and cozy bakery vibes. That said, the plot does feel a little by-the-numbers, and if you’ve seen a Hallmark holiday movie, you can probably guess where this one is going. But hey, sometimes a predictable holiday romance is exactly what you need.

I’m giving “The Christmas Crush” 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s warm, festive, and has just the right amount of romantic tension, even if it doesn’t bring anything super new to the holiday romance table. If you love baking competitions, enemies-to-lovers slow burns, and a town so charming it practically comes with its own Christmas market, this one’s worth adding to your holiday TBR!

“The Christmas Crush” by Noelle Douglas is an enjoyable holiday story. It features the rivals-to-lovers trope, a contrast between small-town and big-city life, and a setting that feels like a classic Christmas movie. I read the ebook while listening to the audiobook.

The story follows Lawrence, a small-town baker, and Elena Voss, a marketing executive promoting her company’s cookie business in a new town. Their first interactions are tense, as Lawrence worries that the new bakery chain will take his customers and threaten his business.

I liked both main characters, though I felt the third act breakup could have held a little more tension if it had to happen. However, I still enjoyed the story, especially Lawrence’s grandmother, Sugar the dog and the town’s Christmas traditions. The setting of New Hope, Pennsylvania, contributed to the cozy holiday atmosphere. I think a shorter length and more gradual romantic tension between the characters would have made it more engaging.

Overall, it is a sweet, predictable, and closed-door romance that makes for a pleasant Christmas read.

Audiobook review:
Kim Churchill did a good job with the narration for this audiobook! She was able to bring both the FMC and MMC to life, making it easy to follow along. The character distinctions were spot on and even when the story slowed down a bit, the audiobook kept me hooked and pulled me right back in. Definitely a fun and engaging listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the gifted ebook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was made for the Romantics who adore and are a fan of Hallmark Christmas Movie because this book serves those vibes in the best way!
It had all the Hallmark Characteristics
- Small Town Romance
- Big City Girl + Small Town Boy
- Enemies to lovers
- He Bakes
- He is a Dog Dad

What more can we ask for, this holiday book was cute and sweet!

Thank you for the ARC and we cant wait to share it with people in the Holiday season.

I LOVED this book. Noelle Douglas does such a great job weaving an intriguing story that readers will fall in love with like I did!! I would highly recommend this read to anyone who loves holiday romance books!!

Hallmark Christmas movie lovers, this one is for you!
Small town romance✔️
Enemies to lovers✔️
Hot lovable baker✔️
Man’s best friends(dog)✔️

It has everything someone would want in a small town Christmas novel. I really enjoyed the banter between the two main characters.

This was such a sweet book! If you love Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, you'll love this story of a woman working for a corporate cookie company that is rivals with a small town baker. I definitely felt the chemistry between Elena and Lawrence and their relationship was fairly realistic, and I was rooting for them the whole book!

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

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Big city girl, small town boy, dozens of cookies, and a holiday contest is the perfect recipe for a Christmas love story! Elena works for Sparkle Cookie and is doing everything she can to climb the corporate ladder. Lawrence is the local baker who isn’t looking forward to the new chain bakery moving into his small town of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Spark fly in the cutest way! I know Christmas has come and gone but add this to your holiday TBR for next year!

A sweet and fairly quick Christmas read, that I finished in one setting. While it wasn't a favorite and I won't be adding it to my Christmas rereads, it was still worth the read.

I really wanted to up my tbr so I went in blind with this one and it did not disappoint. I really liked this story and the cover is just beautiful. This is for sure a reread for me.

A fun enemies to lovers read. If you like Hallmark movies then you will definitely enjoy this cozy read. This book had small town charm, cookies and the magic of the holiday season. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was super cute and the perfect holiday romance. I loved the small town vibes and community sprinkled throughout. I am always a big fan of bakeries in books and this one definitely stood out.

This book was insanely boring . Very very dull plot line and flat characters . Not very Christmas-y . Probably my least fav Christmas book read this year unfortunately!

**Thank you to Alcove Press for this free digital review copy.**

This was a cute Christmas read that felt pretty low stakes because while there were some major hurdles to jump over, I never doubted that things would work out in the end. A small-town baker who learned everything he knows from his precious Nana meets and falls for the VP of marketing for a big chain cookie place that is moving into his territory. Can they make the relationship work? Sure! Will they fall apart because of miscommunication? Only very briefly! It really helped that the FMC didn't like her job or have any real loyalty to the chain cookie place, so while she wanted to succeed at her job, when another opportunity presented itself, it wasn't hard to leave and switch her loyalty to her love interest. There were semi-complicated family dynamics, but even those were really not bad, especially considering the drama and the trauma I've read about in a few other novels recently. I appreciated the lighter feel of this book and only rolled my eyes at its cheesiness occasionally.

Talk about a sweet holiday romcom that will warm your heart! "The Christmas Crush" is a delightful holiday romance that captures the magic of small-town charm and the clash of corporate ambition. Noelle Douglas weaves a tale of love, cookies, and community that will leave readers with a smile on their faces.

New Hope, Pennsylvania, is a picturesque town where everyone knows each other's business. Local baker Lawrence Higgins, along with his loyal dog Sugar, has been a beloved fixture in the community for years. Their cozy bakery specializes in homemade cookies, and Lawrence takes pride in creating treats that warm the hearts of his customers.

Enter Elena Voss, a career-focused marketing executive from Sparkle Cookie, a large cookie conglomerate. When Sparkle Cookie opens a new branch in New Hope, Elena sees it as her chance to climb the corporate ladder. But the townsfolk aren't thrilled about the arrival of a big company that threatens their small-town feel. Lawrence, in particular, is determined to protect his bakery from being overshadowed by mass-produced cookies.

Elena and Lawrence butt heads at a town hall meeting, their opposing goals clear. Elena wants to prove herself and make the new branch a success, while Lawrence wants to preserve the heart of New Hope. When a cookie competition forces them to work together, sparks fly—both in the kitchen and outside of it. Their chemistry is undeniable, but can they find common ground between corporate ambition and hometown values?

Elena is driven, ambitious, and fiercely competitive. Her determination to succeed clashes with Lawrence's passion for tradition and community. Lawrence, with his flour-dusted apron and warm smile, embodies the spirit of New Hope. Sugar, the adorable canine sidekick, steals scenes with his antics.

As Elena and Lawrence navigate their differences, their relationship blossoms. The slow burn romance is heartwarming, and readers will root for them to find common ground. Noelle Douglas skillfully balances the sweet moments with the challenges they face, making their journey all the more satisfying.

"The Christmas Crush" captures the essence of the holiday season—the warmth of freshly baked cookies, the joy of community, and the magic of unexpected love. It's a feel-good read that reminds us of the importance of connection, especially during the most wonderful time of the year.

Noelle Douglas has crafted a charming romcom that combines humour, heart, and a dash of holiday magic. If you're a fan of Tessa Bailey and Maggie Knox, this book is a must-read. Grab a cozy blanket, a plate of cookies, and immerse yourself in the enchanting world of "The Christmas Crush."

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️/5

Tropes:
🍪 Rivals to Lovers
🍪 Forced Proximity
🍪 Small Town

This was my first cozy read for the festive season and it set a pretty high bar, it was lighthearted, warm and was everything I wanted (it is responsible for me eating cookies at 10pm).

Elena is a career woman with a difficult boss, who she is eager to please for the promotion she’s gunning for and Lawrence (the hot baker) owns his own mom and pop bakery in an idyllic small town. They couldn’t be more different until their rivalry heats up and they start to question how thin the line between love and hate really is.

I enjoyed this, it was an easy cozy read and I liked Elena and Lawrence’s dynamic. This book explored corporations vs independently owned shops and the impact they have on one another by exploring mass producing vs making a batch of a family recipe from scratch and while I’m sure it wasn’t that deep, I was on board with Sparkle Cookies ✨downfall ✨

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC it was the best title to kick start my festive reading tbr.

This was such a sweet Christmas romance book! I got all the Hallmark feels and was swooning over Lawrence and Elena's relationship!

I enjoyed the concept of big city girl who works at a large cookie corporation falling for small town baker. I liked the journey of self discovery that Elena's takes while trying to find her own voice.

Ugh, I always feel like such a grinch DNF'ing Christmaq books but I just thought this wasn't that well written. I didn't get far in at all and yet there are already so many things that don't make sense. The female main character is written extremely inconsistantly, and the guy is just kind of there. He's an extremely forgettable main character. The plot is also so incredibly cliche, and there's 0 nuance to it. I was on the fence about DNF'ing it but after reading MANY reviews I just came to the conclusion that this book at its very, very best will probably barely hit a 3 star for me, and that honestly isn't worth the hastle I'm already experiencing with this book. Christmas romances are supposed to be an enjoyable time!