*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

I liked it, especially for a Christmas novel. Luckily here we weren't too too focused on the holiday and were more focused on rekindling the love between Charlotte and Brighton. A second-chance altar ditch? Hahaha YES. There were parts of that that didn't quite feel resolved, almost like an instalove of getting back together. I did enjoy all of the descriptions of music, maybe not the lyrics. I was almost more interested in Wes and Sloane's story, though it doesn't look like we'll get a sequel. Also the sex scenes were HOT, way hotter than Bright Falls.

But ultimately if you're looking for a Christmas book, this will make your reading bright!

I was so excited to see a new Ashley Herring Blake book coming out, even more so when I saw it was a holiday romance! Just like all of her other books I've read, this did not disappoint. Filled with the perfect amount of spice, angst, and humor, Make the Season Bright was a true treat to read! Can't wait for another!

Two exes, one snowy cabin and a whole lot of festive drama. Five years after being left at the altar, Charlotte is doing just fine. New York, her string quartet, and zero ex-drama—until Christmas. A holiday retreat in Colorado seems perfect, until Charlotte realises her ex-fiancée, Brighton, is crashing, too. With Christmas dating events, cookie decorating, and some unwelcome nostalgia, old sparks start flying. Can these exes survive Christmas without rekindling what they lost?

Happy holigays, indeed!

I’m a sucker for an atmospheric read and in Make the Season Bright—as with the Bright Falls series— Ashley Herring Blake delivers on all fronts. The holiday setting with all the staples you’d expect (cookie baking and decorating, snowy outdoor activities, and snow also being an extra character that causes trouble…and magic) brought all the cosy holiday vibes and added a magical layer to this second chance romance.

I quite enjoyed the pairing of a very Hallmark-esque setting with the realistic fallouts that come from a romantic relationship that ended in tears.

Trust that I personally would hold a grudge for the rest of my life if someone left me at the altar, but somehow, the author made this second chance romance work and, more importantly, convinced me that Charlotte and Brighton should give this thing another go. Second chance romances are notoriously hard to get right because you have to show both why the characters belonged to each other in the past even if it didn’t work out as well as why they should now, after hearts were broken and years of distance, try to reconcile. Blake excels at showing the unresolved emotions between Brighton and Charlotte that work particularly well with how opposite they both are. Charlotte’s more reserved and closed-off nature paired quite well with Brighton’s more extroverted, light-hearted personality.

What makes a great romance for me is when I can see the characters grow individually and this book delivers that as well. Brighton, who is determined to make things right and Charlotte, who is struggling with her anxiety and the way it impacts her life on a daily basis, undergo a lot of necessary growth before they can truly reconnect, which makes it so easy to root for them.

What I will say though is that I occasionally felt like conversations and characterisations cut off right before they could get deep enough and truly reveal something to the reader. That was especially the case with Charlotte for me. While we do learn that she is more closed off and scared of getting hurt again, I wanted the story to dive deeper into those feelings and what inspired them even before the whole leaving someone at the altar situation. Similarly, Brighton and Charlotte getting back together felt somewhat unresolved – instead of talking everything out, they give in to their desires which was definitely a good time (the spice was spicing, if you catch my drift) but left me wanting a little bit more relationship work.

Lastly, another highlight and as is a common pleasure with books by this author, Make the Season Bright features a diverse cast of kooky secondary characters that brings the found family trope to life. I always marvel at how Blake makes every character stand out so clearly even with limited page-time, but from band members to Sloane’s relatives, everyone just added a little something to the story that made it feel so much more well-rounded.

Cosy up this festive season with Make the Season Bright, a refreshing second chance sapphic romance that blends humour with heart and delivers all the festive shenanigans your heart could ever desire!

This book was amazing. It had the perfect level between angst and happy moments throughout the story. Make the Season Bright is a second chance holiday romance which was amazing!!!

Yes, it’s only October, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to get excited about the holidays! September to December is my absolute favourite time of year, and there’s something extra special about that lead up to Christmas for me. It just feels like the most magical time of the year, as Hallmarky as that sentiment may sound. Little wonder, then, that I am such a fan of the holiday themed romance novel. And to get one from Ashley Herring Blake, a writer whose work I have enjoyed immensely thus far? Yes please.

Make the Season Bright follows Charlotte and Brighton, exes who are forced to spend Christmas together in a small town after their own plans go awry, and their best friends — sisters, unbeknownst to either of them — invite them to come home and spend Christmas with their family. Throw in a week-long singles event designed to pair people up for festive activities and you have two ex-fiancées who have to confront their issues one way or another.

When it comes to second-chance romance, there are two things I’m particularly interested in: making sure we get enough of their history prior to the start of the book, and understanding the stakes of their breakup so it’s extra satisfying when they get back together. These options feel obvious, of course, but the execution of it can really make or break a book for me, and in the case of Make the Season Bright absolutely make it in my opinion. It was one of the few times where the “issue” to overcome didn’t seem like it could be overcome with a single conversation, but one that took work, and compromise. Not to mention the way Herring Blake puts emphasis on their friendships outside of the relationship, as those relationships were equally key in Charlotte and Brighton’s healing journies.

It might be a tad too early for Christmas just now (I wouldn’t know I’m literally listening to Christmas music as I write this) but Make the Season Bright is definitely not to be missed as the weather starts to turn colder.

Make the Season Bright is out now. Special thank you to Berkley for the advance copy for review purposes.

2.5 stars. I fully expected to love this one. I adored the Bright Falls series by this author, this cover is stunning, andddd it’s a Christmas/holiday, sapphic, second chance romance?! Fully expected to love it, second chance is one of my top tier tropes. But this just sadly didn’t wow me.

Charlotte was ditched at the altar by her fiancée five years ago, but her life in New York is grand and she is part of a strings ensemble! The holidays are coming up and one of her ensemble mates invites Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado. Charlotte arrives and runs into her ex Brighton, who is staying with her friend (the sister of Charlotte’s friend).

I just found these characters both so unlikeable and kinda annoying so it made it hard to get into their story. Like I legit didn’t even want them back together. It didn’t help that the plot was a bit of a bore as well. That said the author’s writing is solid, I’ll still read more from them in the future, this book and the characters just didn’t work for me.

Gosh this book was so lovely, I truly missed reading Ashley Herring Blake’s words. Two exes forced to meet each other again after a terrible ending, the beginning of this story after Charlotte and Brighton met again was so good! I felt so many emotions, the writing immersed me completely because the way I could feel what each character was feeling had me in awe and all I wanted was for them to jump each others’ bones right away! Towards the end, I absolutely loved how each character despite their flaws came to their own realizations and chose to do better for themselves so that they can be what their partner deserves. I loved it!!

I am a fan of Ashley’s writing plain and simple. There hasn’t been a single book that I haven’t enjoyed and this book proves that to be true! I love a holiday romance, and I am a sucker for a good sapphic romance, so enjoying those two things together made this book so much fun! I will absolutely be reading it again around the holidays!

"December was the month the universe conspired against Charlotte and rained down an amalgam of mishaps, everything from a mundane red wine spill on a white blouse to the disaster five years ago she wouldn't even let herself think about anymore."

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake is the “cheery and queery” romance that will have readers wishing they had their own “Two Turtledoves” holiday to experience and features every bit of holiday magic that one should expect out of a holiday themed romance. A standalone that packs a punch, Make the Season Bright is equal parts emotional as it is terrifically horny.


Holiday Tree in NYC plaza via giphy
Charlotte and Brighton haven’t seen each other in 5 years…since one of them *ahem* never met the other at the altar. I’ll give Charlotte some big props, but I don’t think I could easily come back from that feeling. I admired Charlotte’s tenacity to make it as a classical musician in New York City although I truly felt for her as much of the first half of the book, Charlotte is still grappling with so many unresolved feelings towards Brighton but her mother as well.

"Fresh start meant friends. Fresh start meant Charlotte could hold anyone's hand she wanted and Brighton would toast to their happiness."

Brighton is a musician of the singer/songwriter variety. Recently kicked out of a newly viral girl band, Bright is looking to find her footing in a world where she hasn’t been steady since she’d been with Charlotte. When both Bright and Charlotte show up in a small town in Colorado to ring in the holidays, neither woman is prepared to confront the 5 years of silence that lay between them.


holiday vibes via giphy
I warned you earlier: Make the Season Bright is emotional, it’s angsty, and it’s so horny. Both Charlotte and Bright clearly have no problems picking up where they left off in the sexual chemistry department. With as much on page “lovins” that happens the amount of pining between the women is second to none.

"Forgiveness wasn't forgetting. But it was just as real. Just as healing."

Luckily for me, I was able to buddy read with fellow bee, Val. She and I bemoaned Charlotte’s December streak of bad luck and were equally enchanted with the idea of “Two Turtledoves”: a dating/social hour for singles who want to mingle during the holidays. Val said this, “This small town, second chance romance was nostalgic, endearing, and so relatable to an emotional person like me.” I couldn’t agree more.

You have plenty of time to read Make the Season Bright before the holidays are over. Ashley Herring Blake writes the most vivacious and alluring heroines. I am absolutely addicted to the way she unfurls the romance throughout the story. Make the Season Bright is a fantastic queer romance and should not be missed! It’s available now! Go get your copy today!

Five years after being left at the altar, Charlotte Donovan finds herself spending Christmas in a small Colorado town with her former fiancée staying down the hall. 
 
Brighton Fairbrook thought she was just going to spend Christmas with her friend Adele and Adele’s family; she never expected her beloved Lola (Charlotte) to be there, too. 
 
But Charlotte seems closed off now, and she doesn’t want anyone to know that she and Brighton know each other. She’s adamant that no one should know the two of them used to be together. 
 
And Brighton tries to support Charlotte’s wishes, but so many memories come flooding back. 
 
With such a storied past, how can the two of them stay away from each other? 
 
I'm typically not a fan of second chance romance books—all that angst hurts my heart—but I am a fan of this one. 
 
At first, it’s easy to think of the hurt and betrayal as being one-sided here—Brighton did leave Charlotte after all—but they were both so young when they planned to get married. Both of them made mistakes. 
 
At a glance: 
* Dual POV
* Musicians
* Sapphic
* Second chance
* Both FMCs are stuck in different ways
* Forced proximity
* Holiday romance
* Childhood friends to lovers to exes to lovers
* Snowed in
* Christmas-themed dating events

Read it for the love, the friendships, and the character growth. It will put you in the Christmas spirt, pull at your heartstrings, and give you the warm fuzzies. 

4.5⭐️
 
I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley. All review opinions are my own.

Thank you to PRH for inviting me to tour and review Make The Season Bright, with the audio available through PRH Audio and the Libro.FM ALC program.

I really wanted to enjoy this read. I love a good slow-burn, second-chance romance, but something about this one didn’t quite land for me. The initial breakup—a wedding day, left-at-the-altar situation—felt like an issue that should have been resolved through healthy communication. Unfortunately, I also found the two main characters flat and generally unlikable, especially in the way their post-breakup behaviors seemed hurtful. For example, the plot point involving the wedding day song didn’t work for me and came across as unnecessary.

I couldn’t find myself invested in their story and wasn’t rooting for the "happily ever after" (I’m not sure they were truly right for each other or fully resolved their issues). The plot fell short of my expectations, particularly since I’ve enjoyed this author’s previous works. However, I did appreciate the music setting and the secondary characters, though the overall story didn’t quite bring the holiday cheer I was hoping for.

A delightful holiday romance that will captivate readers who adore lighthearted, feel-good stories about second chances, forgiveness, and the magic of love, making it a perfect fit for fans of heartwarming, LGBTQIA+ romance novels.

The chokehold Ashley Herring Blake's adult books have on me is truly astounding and I hope it never changes. I fell in love with Charlotte and Brighton so fast, and because of that, this book broke me REPEATEDLY. Spice and character development AND characters that reminded me of a few of my D&D characters (for different reasons) - I was doomed from the start. As with Bright Falls, I'll be reading this over and over.

Laughing, crying, throwing up in love with this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC in exhange for an honest review!

5/5

Steamy, queer, and charmingly holiday themed. Excellent characters, music storyline, and lots of humor round this out.

Thank you to Berkley for the free book cause Ashley Herring Blake is an auto-read author for me so I was so excited to get her take on a Christmas romance! And as I expected it wasn't all cheery all the time- the angst of the first 50% or so had me twisted up in knots, it gave me similar vibes that reading Delilah did. To be completed honest I was like HOW are they going to reconcile as ex-fiances, the breakup and the not speaking for years only to be unwittingly thrown together for the holiday was so emo. But they did it and I actually totally believe in their eventual HEA because they both really worked on their own personal issues.

I loved the influence of music in this as they are both professional musicians (one more "successful" than the other) and it's such a powerful way to express yourself and connect to others. The small town forced proximity shenanigans also brought some levity to the story.

Okay also, for some reason this felt spicier than Ashley's other books but I think objectively it's still the typical amount of scenes and detail she usually does so maybe that's only saying something about me. To be clear, I loved. We always need more open door Sapphic romances.

In conclusion, I LOVED this.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC!

I absolutely adored Make the Season Bright. This was such a heartbreakingly sweet second chance romance. Charlotte and Brighton have so much history from being best friends to girlfriends to fiancées to essentially strangers. I loved how fate brought them back together and during the loveliest season of all they rekindle their relationship. I enjoyed the fun banter with all of the characters. The added fake dating was an entertaining touch. Not only was this book about love but a lot of it was about being able to forgive and push past trauma to move on. This would be great on your holiday TBR.

4.5 stars! This was the perfect holiday second chance romance story. Bright and Lola are so unbelievably cute together and their story had me not wanting to ever put this book down! With cute singles events planned like cookie decorating, horseback riding, and an open mic night complete with Mistletoe Margaritas I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie. If you love second chance romance with great spice and all the feels of a holiday Hallmark movie this one is for you!

Publishing 10/1/24

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Two exes stuck in the same house for Christmas and the undeniable attraction between them. Charlotte Donovan was left at the alter by her fiancee five years ago, her fiancee who was her best friend and the love of her life... who never told her why and ran off. Charlotte is now focusing on her position in the string ensemble of the Rosalind Quartet and her life in New York.... except when her ensemble mate invites her to spend Christmas with a few other people and she gets surprised to see that said ensemble mate's sister is none other the ex fiancee who broke her heart??? Christmas is about to be a disaster. Brighton Fairbrook wanted a happy Christmas but its getting a bit hard when her band kicked her out and stole her song... and her ex is pretending like they've never even met each other. Brighton knows she messed up when she ran off at her wedding with Charlotte but seeing her again has her desperate to get a second chance... if only she could convince Charlotte to give it to her. This one missed the mark for me unfortunately because I honestly did not feel like Brighton deserved that second chance with Charlotte. I love a good second chance romance but honestly I just didn't find myself rooting for Charlotte and Brighton to get back together. After five years and after the "incident" I honestly don't think I would forgive Brighton.... maybe it's just me but realistically I don't see how someone who completely broke your heart, ran off at your wedding, and never explained why in 5 years and suddenly wants a second chance.... deserves one. The "reasoning" behind it just didn't feel good enough at all, especially when you find out that they were best friends since they were 12 and they couldn't even properly communicate? Nope. So if you like a second chance romance set during the holiday, maybe this one would work for you.

Release Date: October 1,2024

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

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

During the holidays, some people act like Buddy the Elf, and some people want the opposite vibe. Make the Season Bright is for someone who wants to feel seen when December isn’t always a time of joy. Charlotte, for example, hates Decembers. Most of the worst days of her life have taken place during a December.

Charlotte and Brighton were childhood best friends who ended up falling in love, and even becoming engaged. But Brighton left Charlotte at the alter, and they haven’t seen each other since. When they both end up at the same house to celebrate Christmas, will their old flames rekindle? Or can they pretend they don’t know each other?

I loved seeing all of the flashbacks to watch them meet, become inseparable, and then realize their feelings for each other. I also loved some of the forced proximity shenanigans - especially the string of singles events they were forced to attend with their group of friends! Each of the characters was really vibrant, and I really enjoyed getting to know all of them.

I feel like a lot of my favorite contemporary romance authors came out with books that were just a tad bit too angsty for me this year, which is mostly on me and my mood reading preferences. The vibe of this one was just so melancholy! So while I liked it, it wasn’t my favorite by Blake, although it may end up being yours!

▪️𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
▪️𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
▪️𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺
▪️𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴

i LOVE a christmas romance and this one hit all the markers.. second chance, childhood friends, forced proximity, AHEM *FOUND FAMILY* AHEM. i loved the musicians touch with this one, and the angst was pure perfection. highly recommend🎄
thank you @netgalley & @berkleyromance for this amazing eARC⛄️