Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Noelle Douglas for providing me with this ARC.

This book is the kind you read wrapped up in a blanket with hot chocolate and a bunch of cookies. It's simple, sweet and intensely cozy and comforting.

I loved the strong, kind, whole, determined and gentle man Lawrence is. He's slightly shy to protect himself from the world outside and the possibility of being disappointed. He moved me so much, and I loved his relationship with the townspeople and his loving, supportive family. It's impossible not to fall for him.

Same goes for Elena: a city girl with a strong personality who's sensitive, sunny, endearing and loyal, with dreams kept under wraps to please her people. I loved her growth alongside Lawrence and his family, watching her realize what she really wanted for her life. Their relationship put stars in my eyes.

Noelle Douglas's writing was surprising. Her style was fluid and catchy, making me stay up late to keep reading. I especially loved the way she describes Lawrence's passion for baking, the way she takes us along with him every time he creates or tries out a new recipe. It was like I could smell the cookies coming out of the oven.

Reading this novel is like watching a Hallmark Christmas TV movie: simple, comforting, warm and no-fuss. A sweet and gentle romance that will make you feel so much love, joy and tenderness that you won't want to leave the book and stay in New Hope.

This delightful book is just what you need during Christmas time, cuddled up in a warm blanket by the fireplace, a hot chocolate in hand, and snow gently falling outside.

It tells the story of Elena, a woman with the soul of an artist, who works as the VP of marketing for a large cookie company. The company is opening a new branch in a charming small town, where the local baker, Lawrence, is determined to fight to keep his beloved bakery open. Those endearing characters really grew on me.

This fast paced story has all the comforting familiarity and coziness of a Christmas movie, complete with the small-town charm, the magic of the season, delicious cookies, and, of course, a happy ending.

Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Noelle Douglas for a chance to read this book for free. I’m leaving this review of my own accord.

What a sweet holiday romance. That small town enemies to lovers. Lawrence, and his dog Sugar, own a bakery in New Hope. They have been the local bakery in town. Elena is trying to move up in her career with Sparkle Cookie. She jumps at the chance to head up the new branch they are opening in New Hope. Now Lawrence and Elena need to figure out if the small town is large enough for the both of them.

I was really excited for the premises of this book, I mean who wouldn’t be? We’re talking cookies, and a dog named Sugar!! However it took me awhile to really get into the story. I felt that the first half of it had a very slow pace. The love story between the two feels a bit to instant love for me.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I really loved the way the author described details like Lawrence baking, the different cookies or the Christmas decorations around the town. The characters were enjoyable for the most part, especially on their own. It was still a nice read, I feel I just needed a little something more.

⭐ 3.5

First, let me say that this book reminded me why I love Hallmark movies. In fact, now I want to have a Christmas movie marathon right in the middle of August.

Elena and Lawrence were almost rivals, and “almost” is the key word here because from the moment they saw each other, they couldn't help but feel something, was it love at first sight? Let's just say it was. Lawrence is the town baker, and everyone adores him and It's no wonder because that guy is the epitome of a heavenly loaf of bread. He's worried about a bakery franchise coming to town and potentially taking away his business (as unfortunately happens in many cases). That's where Elena comes into the picture: she's the representative of that very franchise, there to address many questions but she didn't count on the fact that our baker wouldn't be intimidated. Their story is fun; you can feel the attraction. I particularly liked how Lawrence helped Elena see her own worth and made her feel heard (because, let's face it, she works for a boss who's better left unnamed). The romance was sweet and magical, befitting the Christmas spirit. However, they threw in a twist I didn't see coming, which left me a bit adrift because I felt it was a little unnecessary.

It's a quick read, and now, with your permission, I'll check out the latest Hallmark Christmas movie (because yes, they released quite a few in July).

📌I received an e-arc through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Alcove Press, for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review purposes.

The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas is a cute Christmas romance that follows the love story between Lawrence and Elena, while they navigate the rivalry between their businesses. Lawrence is the owner of Sweet L’s, he started baking with his grandma and then went on to fulfill his dream by opening a cute little bakery in his hometown, New Hope. Elena, on the other hand, works for Sparkle Cookie and is suddenly tasked with making sure their new grand opening (in New Hope!) goes smoothly.
If you turned a Hallmark movie into a book, this is probably the result you’d get.

I was really excited for the premises of this book, I mean who wouldn’t be? We’re talking about cookies, about two business rivals and it’s also christmas. But it took me quite a bit to get into the story, I found the first half of it to have a really slow pace. The love story between the two feels a bit insta-lovey, which is not my favorite vibe. Overall I enjoyed this book. I really loved the way the author described details like Lawrence baking, the different cookies or the Christmas decorations around the town. The characters were enjoyable for the most part, especially on their own. Some of their characteristics clashed too much, and I didn’t really understand how they connected with each other and made those sides of them work together. It was still a nice read, I just needed something more.

Rating: 3 stars
Release date: Oct 8, 2024
Insta Love
Business Rivals
Fade to black/Closed door

Get ready to completely melt!! This love story is just absolutely darling. It made me so excited for the holiday season and all the sweetness.

This is your typical sweet holiday romance- small town, MC owns a bakery that's either in competition with the town's a new bakery or is about to lose their bakery, insta-love with their competitor.. It felt like your average Christmas romance, but with much more filler parts in it and not the most likable characters. I wanted to love this one, but unfortunately, I found it difficult to get through in a sitting. 2.75 rounded up

Thank you NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Noelle Douglas for this ARC.

I was really excited to get this ARC to read, because I love a good Christmas romance, but I just couldn't like this. Lawrence and Elena were both just off for me. Lawrence was non-stop anxiety, Elena was just annoying. I really, really tried, but it just wasn't for me.

This is a cute Christmassy read. If you enjoy enemies to lovers and small town romance then this is one for you. It was a little cringy for me at times especially with all the pet names but that’s just me. I did struggle a little to get used to the third person narrative but I got there in the end. A cute festive read for any lovers of romance

First of all, thank You, Netgalley for the ARC granted. A sweet and romantic Christmas story. Initially It took me a while to get immersed in the narrative, but it was mostly because I couldn't focus totally. However, I could enjoy the story as the pages were being turned, and as always, the couple love scenes were pretty cute and felightful to read.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

What a sweet cozy Christmas read. This is a fast read that’ll get you in the holiday mood. It features enemies to lovers, small town, rivals and a slow burn romance. The characters are built slowly and you will learn to appreciate their past and what makes them who they are.

Just looking at the cover, you know Christmas Crush is going to be a good book! Guess what, you’d be right!

Despite the scorching summer, it is easy to dive in to this Christmas world, where we follow Lawrence - small-town bakery owner - and Elena - marketing VP at a cookie corporation.

This book had me hooked since the beginning with our main characters' personality, which are so in-depth and well-written, the emotional connection that I formed with them was huge. This is a book that, for me, challenges gender archetypes, as it's often that we read about the FMC owning a bakery, and not a man, and about the MMC who has a corporate job, and not a woman. Lawrence made me fall in love with him as well, but Elena is also a strong character that I admired.

This is not a 5-star for me, as the story felt a bit too much insta love for me. I'd rather have learned about them forming a bond/friendship, instead of diving straight into the first date and so on.

Thank you to Net Galley and Alcove Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas 🍪
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Release Date: Oct 8 2024

I enjoyed this cute and quick Christmas romance!

I liked the premise and the characters and thought it was a well written story! Some moments felt a bit cringey, especially the usage of some of the pet names, but overall it would be a great addition for your classic holiday romance reads this winter.

2.5 Stars.

🍪 The vibes:
- business rivals
- Cookie businesses
- Christmas setting
- a cute dog named Sugar
- Instalove

🍪 My thoughts:
We have Elena who works in marketing for a huge chain cookie shop, Sparkle Cookie (sounds very much like Crumbl. ). And then we have Lawrence - the owner of the local cookie shop Sweet L’s. When Sparkle Cookie has its sight on the small town New Hope, Pennsylvania for its newest branch, Lawrence has to find a way to make ends meet with his struggling cookie shop.

🍪 Things that I enjoyed:
I love the descriptions about the baking elements. Everything sounded super delicious. This was very christmasy which I love to see. There’s Christmas lights and a cookie swap and Christmas songs. I also enjoyed Lawrence’s bond with his Nana. And lastly- of course I love to see a male baker. Who doesn’t love a baker?

🍪 Unfortunately, I had a lot of issues with both Lawrence and Elena as well as the overarching plot. I struggled to understand Lawrence or Elena on a deeper level. I didn’t feel like I got to see their personalities or why they were in love. They had a physical attraction and I get that, but I struggled to see the emotional connection. I would consider this an instalove story which I typically struggle with.

🍪 There’s a lot of nicknames that pulled me from the story- baby, honey, sweetie, Sweetheart. The pet names were too much for me.

🍪 The boss felt a little villainy - which isn’t my favorite vibe. It kept it feeling a little bit on the cheesy and more on the unrealistic side.

Overall- The conflict made me dislike Elena the most and I had a hard time moving forward after everything that was said and everything that happened

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.

Note- fade to black; language
Release date: October 8, 2024.

Thank you so much to Noelle Douglas Alcove Press, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

*note- posted on bookbub, Storygraph, Instagram, goodreads, and barnes and noble. Links provided. Will be posted on Amazon after release date when Amazon allows me to.

This was a sugary-sweet holiday romance - one that I’m sure fans of Hallmark Christmas movies will love.

While I’m not normally a fan of sugary-sweet, and at times found it formulaic and cloying, I did enjoy the book overall and I’m sure there are lots of readers who will love exactly this kind of story.

I was pleasantly suprised to find moments of depth and insight sprinkled throughout. Also, and this is probably the writing nerd in me, but there were a couple of truly beautiful sentences. Sometimes a good sentence can save a whole book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book!!! Such a good story and great writing style. This was my first by this author and will not be my last! Such a good book. It had me hooked from page 1.

A sweet Christmas read, quick and easy - perfect for the holidays!

Small town baker, Lawrence, and big gramma's boy is faced with a big cookie company moving in, with Elena at the helm. He's worried about rising rents and a heartless bit city cookie store. Elena is trying to prove to herself and her family, she can handle her current job, even with a hard boss. It's set in small town, during Christmas, enemies to friends story, with a cute dog and yummy cookies - it totally reads as a Hallmark movie. It's sweet, fast moving and an easy read.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

DNFed at 54%

Listen. I was very excited for this book until I actually got it. When I started reading it, I immediately disliked it but I tried to finished it, I really did.

There were too many unnecessary details in the writing. I don't need to know that someone crouched down to find cookie cutters in the cabinet and then rose to cut the cookies. Just say "and then he cut the cookies" or something like that. There were so many unnecessary details that didn't drive the plot forward at all, like why do I care that Lawrence appliances were too expensive? Nothing came out of it anyway. It felt like a high school student writing anything on their essay just to reach a certain word count. Unnecessary and distracting.

From what I've seen, people didn't like Elena but liked Lawrence, but I had the opposite problem. I love Elena, she was witty, strong, hardworking and opinionated. Lawrence, on the other hand was an anxious mess who had a boner for his granda. Seriously that's how he acted. His Nanna this, his Nanna that... Just give it a rest. You're an adult man, act like it. He was so annoying, honestly, I couldn't stand him most of the time.

The relationship between Lawrence and Elena was too insta love for me, and poorly developed. There were too many scenes they didn't spend time together and the focus was on other characters (*cough* Carmen *cough*) and I felt like they didnt really know each other. I couldn't feel the connection between the characters at all.

It was disappointing. I hoped for something else, tbh. It wasn't my cup of tea, but In sure this book will get many fans for it's Christmas small town feels.