usually i love second chance romance, but i spent so much of this book thinking they shouldn’t get back together until a lot of therapy. which was honestly very disappointing because i usually really love Ashely Herring Blake's books

This book was the perfect gay Christmas novel. I have loved everything by Ashley Herring Blake before and this is no different! It gave me all the feels while I was reading it. The angst was good, the forced proximity was great. I had a lot of fun reading it even though I wasn't reading it during Christmas time.

those gays are MESSYYYYY like just TALK TO EACH OTHER. Okay, this is actually my favorite Ashley Herring Blake book since Delilah Green. Right from the start I just really was enjoying, and I'm not even a big holiday book reader but the vibes were fun. This made me kinda nostalgic though and miss my ex slightly.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC. I loved Ashley Herring Blake's Delilah Green series. The characters are so real and relatable and the sexy scenes are very steamy! I knew I would enjoy this one-off (for now) holiday novel, even if it is 90 degrees outside.

Lola and Bright were childhood friends who realized, as they got older, that there was more than friendship between them. But when Bright pulls a runaway bride, Lola builds walls of steel around herself and Lola shatters into a million pieces. So when they find themselves face-to-face for a Christmas escape, there is no escaping the feelings that are stirred up like flurries on a December day that quickly turn into a blizzard. There is, in fact, a blizzard in the story and, whowee! those are some hot scenes!

Again, Blake's characters are fun and funny and complex and messed up and terrified and gorgeous and ultimately very brave. Even the surrounding cast is so vividly drawn that you want to go hang with them on a Friday night with several bottles of rosé. There was definitely a lot of strife in this story of lovers who break in a devastating way but eventually find their way back together. But the emotions are so strong, you never doubt it will all work out in the end. And that's pretty much why I read rom-coms.

This pains me to write because I love Ashley’s other works but this one did not work for me at all. I found the two main leads to be extremely unlikable. They danged why Brighton left on their wedding day for the first half of the book just to discover she didn’t want to live in New York?? Then move! There were WAY too many side characters that had so much page time I really struggled to keep up who was who. The scenes mostly felt very random and were just one shots that were sewn together to make a full book. Overall didn’t work for me and I don’t think the couple should be together. Oof.

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ '𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮... 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓽. 𝓘𝓽'𝓼 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓾𝓵, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓘'𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓸𝓻 𝓷𝓸𝓽. 𝓘'𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷 𝓝𝓮𝔀 𝓨𝓸𝓻𝓴, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘'𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷 𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓼, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘'𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷 𝓖𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓗𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷.' ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆


Alright... I really had to think on this one for most of the day because there's so much that I enjoyed but quite a few things that I didn't like. So, that being said, I think I'm going to setting on:

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 3.25 Stars ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 𖢔 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 ⋆꙳❅*❆

Brighton and Charlotte have known each other since childhood, been in love with each other since they were around 12-15 years old. Grew up together, went to college together. The two were living in New York City together and were about to get married when Brighton walked out on their wedding day. Runaway bride style.

Five years later, Brighton is living in Nashville and Charlotte is still in New York doing her thing. When Christmastime comes around and both ladies are invited by a friend to a Christmas get away in Colorado. As they both show up with their friends, they are caught off guard at seeing each other again, not expecting to run into each other. The first time in five years, the first time since the wedding never happened...𓍯𓂃𓏧♡

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 𖢔 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ⋆꙳❅*❆

My feelings are still a little conflicted about this one. While on one hand I adored Brighton. She's charismatic, sensitive, outgoing, she's at least pretty decent at communicating. I felt the polar opposite about Charlotte.

Charlotte is and meant to be written as closed off, on the surface seems a little unfeeling, she's pretty self-absorbed. She doesn't communicate well at all. She's the type of friend who will listen and nod but never really offer any advice because she's too busy with herself of course. But at the same time, never really opening up. I'm just going to say it. I loathed her.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The thing is, I have no real issue that Charlotte is this way. What I do have an issue with is that she wasn't really fleshed out. Aside from a couple sentences near the end, we or well, I have no idea why she is so closed off. What she is so scared of. What happened in her life to make her the way she is.

As far as I could tell, Brighton was caring and attentive, always putting Charlotte first. I have a hard time believing that Charlotte thought that the girl that has loved her almost her whole entire life would bail on her. Except she did. I get it. But after many years of dealing with dear old Charlotte and Charlotte being Charlotte is blind to anything that Charlotte doesn't want to deal with.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ When I tell you this FMC pushed my buttons and ticked me off.

Whew. Now that I got that off my chest. The side characters were amazing. Especially Sloane and Adele shout out to those queens because they are amazing, fiery and tell it like it is type of friends. I especially appreciated Sloane telling Charlotte what a self-absorbed, oblivious to anyone else type of person she was.

The setting was wonderful and vivid and gave me all of the Christmastime feels. From the twinkling lights to all of the fun and festive things they got up to while on their trip. I loved snickerdoodle. ⋆˚🐾˖°

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The communication or lack thereof annoyed me throughout the story. Even at 95% there wasn't a clear resolution, and it was summed up in the epilogue. It bothered me that instead of talking things out these two just jumped into bed together. I mean, I get it, but it wasn't a resolution to their issues and while I surely never got to see what Brighton even saw in Charlotte - they both deserve to be in a healthy relationship. Even after finishing the book, I don't really like these two together.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ If you're wondering how I came up with 3.25 stars with all this complaining I'm doing. Brighton. Her growth was great, and I just loved her and cheered for her. I got all misty eyed with where she was at by the end of the book.

It was honestly a pretty engaging story and held my attention, the spice was hot, the situation was relatable.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ If Charlotte had her revelation a little sooner, if she had more development and growth that was shown and not told to us the reader - this would have likely been at least a star higher.

Despite my issues, because I did still enjoy it - I can definitely recommend this book.

P.S. I'm going to need the December Light single to be released asap, Ashley. I've had the song in my head for days now and I've never even heard it. 🎤🎶😉💗


ೃ⁀➷🎄Second Chance
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 🌟Childhood Friends to Lovers
ೃ⁀➷🎄Sapphic Romance
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 🌟Christmastime
ೃ⁀➷🎄Only One Cabin
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ☃️Snowed In
ೃ⁀➷🎄Musicians
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 🌟Holiday Romance


Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for gifting me with an advanced digital copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own. ❤️✨🎄

First, thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this book. Normally I'm a mood reader and would wait until the holiday season to read this kind of book but this one called to me. So good, excellent tropes.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ATC in exchange for an honest review!
I have loved every book I've read by Ashley Herring-Blake and this one was no different. This story hit all the marks for me: forced proximity, fake dating, childhood sweethearts, and so much angst! Super spicy without taking away from the storyline, and the character growth for both Lola and Bright were *chef's kiss*. Also, any book with music as any part of the story is a win in my opinion. I loved this book and I think you will too!

Make the Season Bright was a well-written, cute queer read perfect for the upcoming holiday season. I enjoyed the dual narrators and discovering more about Charlotte and Brighton's past and relationship. I thought both main characters were compelling and had good character growth over the novel. I also liked how both characters did the work to improve and heal themselves before their relationship. The setting and premise of Two Turtledoves was also very cute and I found the supporting characters to be funny and interesting. Overall, a great holiday read and I foresee this becoming a popular pick at the library this winter!

This is cute, certainly a very fun gay holiday romp that was a lot of fun to read and follow along. So angsty, full of emotions and most importantly, full of love. Another great and amazing romance from Ashley Herring Blake! This was a fun and refreshing holiday read.

ARC Review: Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
Pub Date: October 1

When exes Brighton and Charlotte find themselves stuck in a Winter Wonderland town during Christmas, they agree to keep their past relationship a secret and resolve to just ignore each other. However, the towns holiday dating events throw a wrench into their plans. Despite the forced proximity, Charlotte doesn't think she can ever forgive Brighton for leaving her at the alter and doesn't want to hear Brighton's explanation. Both characters have hurt each other in the past but as they spend more time together, they both wonder if there's a path forward for them.

Second chance is always a tough sell for me but I ended up really really liking this one! Both characters had a lot of growth to do and seeing a lot of that happen on page was really satisfying. I really was on the edge of my seat wondering how the characters were going to get their HEA - and of course they do! Charlotte and Brighton felt like really good contrasts for each other and I really loved them together.

Read this for:
- Second chance
- Sapphic
- Only one cabin
- Snowed in
- Musicians
- Holiday Romance

My one complaint about this book (I would have rated it 4.5 stars if that was an option) is that the rekindling of their relationship happens sort of suddenly for me.

I feel like passing out, this was extremely good. Lola and Brighton’s story was heartfelt and so heavy on the forgiveness. With a past like theirs, it was hard to overcome the pain but they slowly make it and as a reader, I felt very rewarded, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I loved The Bright Falls series so much. I was very excited for a sapphic Christmas romance from Blake. I'm a sucker for a good second chance romance. And this absolutely held up to the hype I'd built in my head for it. I will say, however, Brighton is a little bit insane for being like 'well you didn't want to hear the thing I didn't say' just as like an autistic person that was so frustrating as a plot point that I did have to walk away and come back to it. And Charlotte has more restraint in the beginning than I think I ever could. But the right person wrong time narrative is so incredibly well done. The chemistry oozes off the page and both leads are so well written that I found myself wrapped up in both of their heads and not wanting to leave. Charlotte's self seclusion as a protection method to actually human person again arc is so well written that I felt myself tensing up with her. Brighton's developing of a backbone felt so satisfying when she confronted the Kaites. And that hallmark ending was just so phenomenal. Easily my #1 rec for my queer holiday booklist

𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚:
Five years after being ditched at the altar, Charlotte Donovan’s life in New York is pretty great—until she shows up at a cozy Christmas gathering in Colorado and finds her ex (Brighton) there too. Forced to spend the holidays together, old memories and feelings start to resurface, but there’s a lot of unresolved hurt that might keep them apart.

𝑴𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔:
I loved how different yet compatible Brighton and Charlotte are—it felt very yin and yang, with their contrasting personalities complementing each other perfectly. I also absolutely loved all the side characters and the relationships and drama they brought to the story.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝑫𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
I struggled weather the reason they initially didn’t work out could have been worked out with better communication or if it was pivotal to character development. I went back and forth and ended up liking it, but it wasn’t my favorite.

𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆:
I can’t put any favorites without spoiling things so something that made me LOL was “oh, December, you fickle little bitch.”

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈:
4.5/5 (rounded up)

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔:
Second chance romance, Christmas lovers

I found the characters very unlikable and a little flat. The story did not convince me that the main characters should have gotten back together.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and lovable. The pacing was perfect and left you wanting to read more. I can't wait to read more by this author!

I'm always a sucker for holiday-themed romance, and this was no exception. While bits of the story seem a bit far-fetched, I still really enjoyed the journey through their relationship. I think our patrons are also going to enjoy it, so we will be purchasing a copy or two for sure.

I was SO excited for Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake. I’m a huge fan of her work and sapphic Christmas romances, so this book seemed like it was made just for me. Sadly, it didn’t quite hit the right notes.

The story about Charlotte and Brighton reuniting over the holidays had a lot of potential, but I didn’t really buy into their second-chance romance. The Christmas setting and all the festive activities were super charming, but I just didn’t feel the emotional connection between them was strong enough. For me, a second-chance romance needs to really convince me that the characters are meant to be together, and this one fell a bit short.

Blake’s writing is, as always, warm and engaging, and the holiday vibes are on point. But even though the book has a lot of heart, I ended up feeling a bit let down. If you love holiday romances and Blake’s other books, you might still enjoy it, but I was hoping for a bit more.

Got approved for the new Ashley Herring Blake ARC, thank you so much 💜 yes I read a Christmas book in July/august lol. I think romance is hard for me because I haven’t really felt like I love someone romantically in years. Meeting new people at 28 is so hard. Don’t wanna get in a depression spiral over a book, but it’s hard! The book was good, but it was hard to like either main character. Charlotte was a horrible friend and I’m supposed to think Brighton can be redeemed after leaving her fiancé at the alter??? The lack of communication with these two was so frustrating. I do love the author, the writing was great of course, but the characters were not that likable to me unfortunately. 3⭐️

58/100

the literal sapphic, angsty, childhood best friends to lovers to strangers, second chance romance, christmas book of my sparkly dreams!!! this left my heart feeling so overwhelmingly overflowing and warm and fuzzy and i truly truly truly loved every! single! second! of it! yes, even the many seconds where bright AND charlotte were pissing me off (said with love!! i just wanted them to work it out so bad!!)!!
this felt like a very painfully raw, GENUINE! love story and i really adored seeing these messy, scarred characters work through their individual fears and hurt and find their way back to each other!
another thing i really love in ashley’s books is the friendship and this was no different! i was so invested in all the side characters and their journey’s and happiness!! these relationships really added so so much to the book for me and i just loved seeing it!!!
the one thing that bumped this down a star for me was probably just a little lack of depth at times? while i loved all the characters and loved lola and bright so so so much i never felt the bone deep connection and pull in my heart that i feel reading some of ashley’s other stories and i think it’s because some plots and conversations just didn’t have the depth i wish there was.
all in all though this was a super lovable holiday read and i would recommend it a hundred times over!!!!