Ashley Herring Blake has never missed a day in her life. This book? Stunner. I loved the cathartic emotional journey this book took for both main characters, paced perfectly for the second chance circumstance of the book. It did not feel like instalove. The flashbacks gave depth and context that allowed the moments in their present timeline to flourish and feel impactful. Gorgeous book.

There's nothing like reading a Christmas book on the Summer Solstice. Ashley Herring Blake knocks the romance genre out of the park. It was so fun getting to know a whole new set of characters, set in a Hallmark-esk town during the holidays. I loved everything about this book and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy. There was so much good angst and pining and love and heartbreak. Normally I hate when the worst comes between the couple towards the end but it was done so beautifully in this book, I will definitely be picking it up again during the holiday season.

Ashley Herring Blake has done it - made me fall head over heels for her two leads AND the supporting cast of characters - again! I've been waiting for this book since I read the preview chapter for it when I read the galley of Iris Kelly last May and it was well worth the wait. Brighton and Charlotte have the most wonderful and compelling love story, full of desire and care and riddled with misunderstandings that they are able to grow through and eventually find their happily ever after. I will forever read and by anything Ashley Herring Blake writes and will do my best to sell it to anyone who will listen to me for more than 30 seconds. Spicy, sweet, clever, compelling, and beautiful, I absolutely adored this book. This is THE holiday romance of the season for me.

I loved the Bright Falls series and was excited to be approved for this arc! As a huge fan of holiday romances, the cozy winter holiday vibes were spectacular in this. Ashley Herring Blake does a fantastic job of writing very real characters - we still see some of the well loved romance book tropes while also having characters who have relatable experiences. Lola and Bright's relationship has deep history and this definitely feels a little more angsty than the Bright Falls series because of it. However, there are still lots of moments of joy! I loved seeing the tenderness and care that Lola and Bright showed for each other while also realistically working through the challenges they faced as a couple. As usual with AHB, there's a great cast of side characters as well! All around loved this book (and would love to see some spinoffs featuring the side characters!).

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the arc!

Ashley Herring Blake writes romcoms SO DANG WELL.

If you’re looking for a constant sappy, lovey romcom.. this probably isn’t for you. This book had the nitty gritty. It had real problems that real relationships face and it had the struggle of loving someone so deeply you sacrifice a part of yourself.

I loved both Charlotte & Brighton, and at the beginning I was so angry that Brighton wasn’t MORE apologetic for this second-chance romance. But as the book went on and you learn truly what their love was, and how love should be. They were both absolutely right in their own way about their feelings.

The spice was SPICY and the love was true & deep. Just the way I love my Ashley Herring Blake novels.

It was Christmas-y & sweet. I enjoyed this novel SO much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Five stars no notes. There’s a reason AHB is my go-to sapphic romance author! I highly recommend this story - even in the summertime, this was the perfect unputdownable romance.

Absolutely beautiful.

This book was the most beautiful story of right person wrong time, second chance romance. There is so much emotion, so much love.

This had everything I’ve come to love about Ashely’s writing with a sprinkling of what makes holiday romances great.

I’m a little speechless. This is a must buy, must read. Don’t miss out.

I think I often forget that I'm not crazy about Christmas\holiday-specific romances. So I did knock off half a star because the deeper setting didn't appeal to me.

That said, Ashley Herring Blake knows how to balance the emotional and the spicy (if you've read her Bright Falls series you already know this) and the story between Brighton and Charlotte doesn't disappoint!

If you've liked her previous work, or if you're looking for a fun spicy lesbian romance with emotional depth, this is a good read for you. If you like Christmas romances, too.

I love Ashley Herring Blake so much I didn't even mind reading a Christmas book in the middle of summer. She handles her characters so well, and I swoon pretty much the entire time I read her books. This one was really sweet despite the extra big emotional baggage each character is toting around. There was a little bit of emotional whiplash in the middle, but it didn't super detract from anything. I love AHB ♥

I really liked this one! Not my favorite from her because I’m not a big holiday girlie but the smut was great and I loved the characters.

This book is so heartwarming as you follow Brighton and Charolette. This book is all about healing from past traumas, letting people in, and starting new. The love all the characters have for one another is beautiful and powerful to see. This is so much more than a romance, its a book of acceptance and peace.

I don’t typically love a holiday romance, but I’ll read anything Ashley Herring Blake writes! Make the Season Bright had cute holiday festivities mixed in with an emotional (sometimes angsty) second chance romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. The music aspect was also lovely and done so well!

I've read the three other titles from Ashley Herring Blake and was looking forward to this one, too. I was not disappointed with this one either, I love her writing style and the way she builds her characters. I'll recommend this book once we purchase this title, and look forward to reading Blake's next title. Thanks, Netgalley for the early access.

I will say, this was wonderful to read in June, at the very beginning of Pride month. I always look forward to reading Ashley Herring Blake and Make the Season Bright did not disappoint! My soul tends to crave a little bit of winter when it's hot out, all sunny and bright. Wintery Colorado setting aside, I found myself very quickly taken by Charlotte. The opening scene took me back to an old Christmas film "Mixed Nuts" and I'm not sure if that was intentional or not but I appreciated the trip down memory lane. I'm not a huge fan of any person who stands people up (even in little ways) but despite that, the characterization of Charlotte made me hope for her to reunite with the woman she most wished to love. This will be a great recommendation for anyone looking for a sweet Christmas romance. I do have this issue with more than one story by Ashley Herring Blake, where I wish that one of the protagonists was crushing on a different character. In this book, Charlotte and Sloane have a wealth of untapped chemistry. They even have the same type in men! Either way, thank you for the adorableness, Ashley Herring Blake!

I could not put this book down. I was fascinated by the main characters and their relationship to everyone around them. It had sweet holiday moments without ignoring the reality of what had brought these two friends turned lovers turned enemies to this moment. And yet the ending was still romantically satisfying.

Make the Season Bright is so classic Ashley Herring Blake I stayed up all night and read it in one go. Former childhood best friends turned lovers turned exes — Charlotte and Brighton — find themselves stuck together during Christmas, five years after one of them left the other at the altar. It's sweet and it's sexy and it's heartbreaking and it's full of so much longing I could feel it in my bones. Plus: A praise kink and the body heat to stay alive (warm) trope! Who could ask for more? The thing Blake does so, so, so well is address the traumatized kids inside her grown up characters, and then find ways for her couples to empower each other to be stronger and better and healthier together. I've read a lot of reunited ex romances over the years, and usually they're lacking in the showing department in terms of their previous relationship. I get it. We can't all be Jane Austen's Persuasion. But Blake balances Charlotte and Brighton pasts and their present day story perfectly. Fans of the Bright Falls series (it's me, I'm the fans) are gonna devour this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Ashley Herring Blake, and Berkley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I’m a fan of this author’s work and was excited to see this one pop up on my feed. The cover is STUNNING and the story is really cute and perfect for the holiday season.

This book follows Charlotte Donovan and Brighton Fairbook after they accidentally meet again while staying at the same house for Christmas. They were engaged years ago, but Brighton left Charlotte at the altar, leading to a lot of tension when they meet again.

This one reminded me a lot of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, which has been the only book from this author that I absolutely loved. The other two in the series weren’t really for me, but this one brings back the same feelings I had for the first one. It made me happy, sad, laugh out loud, and more while reading.

The romance is written very well and I truly believed and cared about all the heartache and affection that surround these two characters. The spice is also amazing. **Spoilers** The only thing I didn’t love was the breakup towards the end - I thought it was unnecessary and I think they could have found a solution without it.

Overall, though, I loved this one. It’s sweet and kept me on my toes the whole time. I recommend it! Especially for this Winter - I think it would be the perfect read for those months.

god bless this year’s christmas releases, honestly.

this is my first ashley herring blake, and i now know what the hype is all about—and it’s so decidedly deserved. this one is everything i want in a christmas novel—beautiful representation across genders, the most fun ensemble of characters (i need a manish, sloane, and adele spin-off honestly; and dear god, NINA BERRY WHAT A WOMAN), and of course—our very own christmas grinch, charlotte.

i saw a lot of myself in charlotte, especially in the way she kept her guard and walls up, too terrified of letting anyone in. i also saw myself in her wardrobe, being an avid black turtleneck fan. anyway. i also saw myself in brighton—how much she yearns to find her footing and place when everyone else seems to get ahead of her. i loved the way the two interacted; how Ashley fleshed out on what initially forced the two apart in a way that justified everything else that came after. it’s a lesson on second chances, forgiveness—both of other people and ourselves, and what happens when communication is done properly. this was warm, wintery, fun, AND emotional; the perfect romcom to settle down with. (i don’t care if we’re months away from christmas, i’m going to look for hot chocolate now)

on my way to grab all the other ashley herring blake titles, because this one was a gorgeous read.

(seriously can we please get a backstory on sloane and adele’s mom? i need deets)

Ashley, you have done it again! I love absolutely everything you write and cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy of this book.

Brighton and Lola's points of view were so well defined. I could clearly and easily tell that there were two sides to their story and history together. I liked how each other's experiences slowly unfolded throughout the story and how they came back together time and time again. The pain these two felt in seeing each other really did me in. Watching them fall back in love with each other and find their way back to each other while still holding true to who they were this time around was beautiful. The undercurrent of music that was woven into this story was stunning.

Thank you for everything that you write!

Ashley Herring Blake has done it again, this time with a stunning sapphic Christmas romance between ex-wives as they reconnect through a small town matchmaking event. Watching Lola and Bright grow individually and rediscover the new versions of each other was such a treat, balanced beautifully against a holiday backdrop, the support of a queer community, and a love of music. This will definitely be among my go-to recommendations during the holidays.