This book is an adorable sapphic YA Christmas/Hanukkah romance. It is childhood best friend to strangers to lovers and the connection between the two FMCs was so sweet and genuine. Even after so many years apart, their friendship was so clear and I loved watching them find their way back to each other. This book isn’t my favourite by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick (that would be She Gets the Girl and Forget Me Not) and there were a few moments where I lost interest a bit. But overall, if you are looking for a cute sapphic holiday romance, this is a great option!

Thank you to Simon and Schuester, Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick, and Netgalley for a fee e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

3.75 stars, rounded up. 

This book was cute! It was a light, fun read with great holiday vibes. I liked the chemistry between the main characters and there were several swoon-worthy moments. Overall, I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a sweet and cute sapphic holiday rom-com!

First off I received this as a Arc so thank you to the Author and the publisher for that. So I have read At least one other book by this author and just having a look at my score on she gets the girl. So I am not sure why but I think this book may be a reprint. So again this is a Young Adult lesbian romance and definitely in the G rated category. Its a were in love but didnt know it book and then fell apart and then came back together Hollywood VS small town girl book . I won't lie and near the end I got a little teary for a sec. It's a fun book and held my interest well. I did feel maybe a epilogue may have been nice but perhaps we will get a book 2 out of this as there is room left to grow. overall I would give this a 4 STAR and that is mainly based on the shortish ending. Well written and few if any spelling errors for those that freak on that stuff. If you like YA then give this..and her other books a try. Also there is another young lesbian Cheerleader in this book we could see a branch book on maybe...nudge nudge to the author.

Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC! I love everything these two write, and this was no exception. I loved the nuance they brought to the classic "hallmark town" setting and their commentary on young actors in Hollywood! The romance was super sweet and I frankly just had so much fun reading this, I inhaled it in one sitting!

I’m a simple person.

I love Christmas. The cheesy holiday offerings always get me. They bring me smiles and tears and then more smiles watching people celebrate the holidays.

I love romance. I love seeing characters grow throughout the story.

This book has everything I love and I was hooked reading Caroline and Arden’s story.
I have Christmas books and movies I watch ever year. This fits in perfectly with Home Alone and Eggnog and will be a great holiday reading tradition for years to come.

I LOVED this 🥺. Two of my favourite authors and a Christmas setting - I was so so excited. The story is wholesome and cute while also dealing with deeper themes. I really enjoyed the relationship the main character rekindled with her grandmother and also the relationship between her grandmother and the other character. Would highly recommend!

This story is literally the book version of ‘tis the damn season AND dorothea, but also lesbian and beautiful. It is seriously such a wonderful read and it carried so much within its pages.

I expected this book to feel like candy canes and jingle bells, but it actually felt like a fireplace that stays on while you drink hot chocolate quietly on Christmas morning. I have tears in my eyes as I write this review and my heart grew ten sizes. Even the Grinch would get teary-eyed at this, probably.

Rachael and Alyson always write compelling stories that not only make you smile, laugh, and kick your feet in the air, but also make you feel seen. And this was no exception.

I seriously think this book stands on its own outside of the holiday season simply because of the strong message it carries. It is a beautiful story about the place that makes your true self come alive and about the people that see you despite the walls you put up.

Arden and Caroline are beautifully fleshed-out together and separately, and it made me really happy to be able to experience this story from both of their POVs. I fully believed in the reasons they belonged together, as even the smallest of gestures showed me their connection.

I have so much more to say and so little words to say all of it. I don’t want to spoil any of it for you because this was too beautiful not to be experienced with fresh eyes. I will be rereading this upcoming December.

also, because it needs to keep being mentioned: the word lesbian is beautiful and this book never runs away from it !!!!!!!

thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for always pulling through for me and my silly YA sapphic romances.

and most importantly, thank you to Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick for making me experience the young, uncomplicated sapphic romance I never got to experience as a teenager. As long as you keep writing these, I will personally keep making people read them. These stories deserve so badly to exist.

• hollywood actress arden returns to christmas-themed small town with a plan to fake date her ex-bff caroline in order to better her image to get a coveted role
• fake dating AND enemies-to-lovers AND ALSO KINDA friends-to-lovers!!!
• the miscommunication trope was HIGH on this one but it worked for me in this case. both characters had things to hide but it added layers to the story
• very very very low steam rip