Although pretty unrealistic, this is a fun rom-com holiday story with enjoyable characters - perfect for someone who wants to get lost in the magic of the holiday season.

This sapphic holiday romance follows teen actor Arden James and her former best friend Caroline Beckett as they find their way back to each other for a purely business relationship.

Arden is up for a huge role with a picky director who wants to prove that she’s a small-town girl, and Caroline will do anything to beef up her would-be journalist portfolio to get into Columbia. So, the two agree to a fake-dating scenario, where Caroline gets to write the article about Arden for Cosmo Magazine. Win-win, right?

💫 Wholesomeness alert! 😭 It's a sapphic, estranged childhood best friends to fake dating to lovers trope, and each sub-trope hit the exact right emotions <3
💫 I really loved all the holiday-themed events and dates, it was so much fun!
💫 Arden's arc was so "teenage dream" by Olivia Rodrigo coded, I was crying at the way she was exploited as a teen star 3 her character growth and her plot resolution was absolutely the best

-- ty to the authors, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

MAKE MY WISH COME TRUE is such a sweet holiday romance. After the first couple of chapters, I was internally yelling, "Just get together!" on every page. If you like escapist Christmas love, you should read this.
The quaint town of Barnwich is Christmas central around the holidays, but even the hot chocolate contest hasn't brought in the crowds like it used to. Good thing home-grown Hollywood star, Arden is back to help. But what exactly is she helping with?
We have all things Christmas, plus some Jewish rep; small-town hominess, and some happy gays and lesbians! Everything you need for a Merry Christmas (and Hanukkah)!
#NetGalley

YA sapphic holiday romcom with estranged best friends/first loves having 12 fake holidates that may or may not turn real by the end - really enjoyed!

Make my wish come true by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick is a YA sapphic holiday romcom.
I really enjoyed the story. It’s so well-written and easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect Christmasy small town romance. I’m also glad Arden found herself and what really matters to her.

This book was sweet but a bit too sweet for me. I don't like a great deal of drama in a romance but there was too little drama in this. I felt some of the plot points were far fetched, and I thought that the small town was a bit too idealized. It was an easy read though with likable main characters, so I would recommend this to people who really love a sweet Christmas romance.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

So this book is about 2 ex-best friends. One moves to LA to act, Arden, and the other is left behind in their hometown, Caroline, never to see or hear from her for 4 years. When it comes to benefit Arden, she comes back with a fake dating plot, but it also benefits Caroline to write an article on their wonderful 12 dates of Christmas as girlfriends, to help her get into her dream school for journalism.

The dates they went on were cute. They’re story was cute. But it wasn’t necessarily anything monumental. You get a bit of inclusivity with one of the main character’s being Jewish and wanting to have Hanukkah held in their only Christmas hometown, though it was just oddly placed. I think it could have blended in better. I gave it 3 stars because of how the book was written. It was written well, don’t get me wrong, but just not in the style I personally prefer.

But read this if you want a cozy, lesbian, fake dating trope story. It even has a little hate to lovers, though the hate is one sided lol.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a very sweet and light-hearted holiday romance.

I overall enjoyed the story. It’s well-written and an easy read, but it didn’t manage to fully grab my attention. The romance felt a bit rushed to me and I just didn’t really feel a connection to the characters. This might be because it’s YA romance, and I’ve sadly noticed that I struggle more and more with getting into these lately.

I do think this makes for a charming and festive read for the holiday season that a lot of people would enjoy. It just wasn't the right one for me.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a sugary sweet holiday ya romance and I ate it up! I loved both of the main characters but particularly Caroline had my heart. I loved the premise of fake dating for the article and going on 12 holiday dates on the 12 days leading up to Christmas. It was so festive and fun. I also loved that both of the main characters had what they believed to be unrequited love for each other. The pining was immaculate. This is definitely a book to put on your holiday tbr this year!

Make My Wish Come True 🎄🕎🎬👩‍💻

I just finished an ARC of Make My Wish Come True by the incredible wife-author duo Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick, and I’m completely in love. Having read many of their books, I can confidently say this is my favorite!

Arden James’ snarky, flirty confidence hides her deep hurt from being abandoned by her parents, and independently navigating life in Hollywood at such a young age. I adored how she gets under Caroline Beckett’s skin but knows exactly what she needs—bringing fun and adventure to their small town during Christmas break. Despite her fame, Arden is secretly normal, and I loved seeing that side of her. Caroline, on the other hand, is grounded by her amazing friends and family. Her siblings and friends who would literally pick her up from the airport in the middle of the night are such a heartwarming highlight. Riley, Caroline’s sister, was always cheering for her and Arden, while the other friends and siblings were understandably cautious of Caroline’s heart.

The flashbacks to their childhood friendship, woven throughout the fake 12 dates for the Cosmo article, were so well-developed. You really feel the depth of their bond and how right they are for each other, and from the moment Caroline agrees to Arden’s fake dating plan, I was rooting for them all the way. From stealing a Christmas tree to attending a high school basketball game, every moment is full of charm and warmth.

This book delivers everything—friends to lovers, one bed, fake dating, holigays, two lovable lesbian main characters, and thankfully, no queer awakening trope! Plus, we get Jewish representation with fun new Hanukkah traditions, a sassy and independent Korean grandma, and a small-town Pennsylvania setting. It’s one I’ll be recommending to everyone, and especially my students!

#MakeMyWishComeTrue #RachaelLippincott #AlysonDerrick #FriendsToLovers #FakeDating #Holigays #LGBTQYA #JewishRepresentation #arcreview #netgalley #Koreanrepresentation #queerromance #sapphicromance #readmorebooks #bookreview #readqueerbooks #MustRead #TheNovelLesbian

A YA, small town, celebrity romance. Arden James is a Korean American who left her small home town at the age of 14 wanting to act. It is now four years later and there is a starring role that she really wants. The director likes her acting but not the party image she has in Hollywood. When she claims to come from a small town and have a serious girlfriend he challenges her to prove it. She returns to her grandmothers house and has to ask her old best friend, Caroline Beckett, to be her fake girlfriend for two weeks. Caroline in returns gets to write an article about her that may help her application for a college journalism program that she wants to attend.

This leans heavy on cute Christmas & Hanukkah small town happenings and the dazzle of having a celebrity in the mix. There are sledding dates, hot chocolate tastings, helping grandma at her diner and of course a karaoke night. I like the pair when they when they are catching up and speaking honestly with each other. I’ve read similar stories where the characters are are a bit older that work better. Arden’s storyline of being so successful in acting and also being emancipated at 16 from her parents is a lot. (I know it happened to Drew Barrymore, but it is rare.) Also the transition from teen actor to adult roles is a big step that isn’t addressed. Caroline’s character and friend group are more realistic. She is still in high school.

I liked the cute reuniting of best friends and hometown storyline. This book is kissing only and appropriate for 8th grade and up. This is my third book by the author(s) and I will look forward to the next. (3.5 Stars)

Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick have done it again! "Make My Wish Come True" is a heartfelt, warm holiday YA novel that truly shines. They create chemistry between their leads and the romance feels all so sweet and tender. I was rooting so hard for Caroline and Arden. What I really loved was how flawed they made both girls. They both had heavy conflicts within themselves as well with each other, but the girls naturally bring the best out of each other and it's the cutest thing ever. 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. It always makes the story so much better when you can get both perspectives from the MCs. I fully believed in the reasons they belonged together, as even the smallest of gestures showed me their connection. The dates are so adorable, and the way they put so much care into showing Hanukkah celebrations/traditions alongside the usual Christmas fare was great. Caroline was probably my favorite. She didn't let Arden go on any of her crap and she called her on it a lot which Arden needed at first. She knew what she wanted and she went for it with her writing and that was really nice to see. She really did try to be a great friend/person to everyone around her and I think it showed. I did love Taylor and I liked that even if she and Caroline didn't end up working out they did stay friends. I 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. Thanks to Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick, Netgalley and Simone & Schuster for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I have absolutely loved what the wives have published so far, and I plan to continue to do so with whatever they have coming next.

This is exactly what you would expect, which is a good thing. This is a Christmas romance, so you won't get heavy angst or tension. You will get two well-rounded characters, each with their own baggage and own hopes. You'll get snappy dialog and supportive friends.

The middle part of the book is a series of (fake) dates in this Christmas-themed town, so you get hot chocolate tasting, tree cutting, sledding, gift shopping, the whole thing. You want some serious Christmas (with a bit of Hanukkah) in your romance, you got it.

I don't think this was a goal, but the book turned out to be an absolute trope-fest. Of course we have Christmas, but also small town, return to hometown, first love, second chance, fake dating, Hollywood, celebrity, unrequited love, problematic parents, senior year, and a bit of women's basketball. There's even a wood-chopping scene. I'm sure I missed a few.

As I was reading, I kept making a (probably unfair) comparison to another small town, return home, second chance book that I read recently, [book:Always a Love Song|44301214]. That book is a richer and deeper experience, though it isn't trying to be a Christmas romance, of course. Might want to read that now and save this one for December.

There are so many sapphic Christmas books now! Well, relatively, so many. There were zero just a few years ago. I think I’ve read all of them and I am jazzed to say that Make My Wish Come True absolutely stands out among this newly formed crowd. Teen acting sensation/bad girl Arden and aspiring teen journalist Caroline are such fun and relatable characters, and so is their second-chance romance. Christmas towns can seem like Dollar Store Stars Hollow thanks to the Hallmark machine, but not Barnwich! I would actually like to visit! And try the hot chocolate! This is one of the few holigay books I know I’ll visit again and again. Just lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

A second chance sapphic romance between a rising star and a small town girl who have to go on twelve fake dates together to convince everyone they are in love despite their past. Arden James is Hollywood's rising teen actor and she is known for her reckless reputation and for partying hard... but her reputation might cost her her dream role. Her publicist tells her to make a lie to convince the director that she's the perfect small town girl that would be great for the role... but that means going back to her actual small town and facing her ex best friend and the one girl she's always had a crushed on and left behind. Caroline Beckett adores her small town life, she's working to get into her top journalism program and trying very hard to avoid all news about her former best friend/first crush, Arden. Yet when Arden suddenly shows up and asks Caroline to be her fake girlfriend for twelve holidates in their Christmas obsessed town and let Caroline write an article on Arden.... Caroline agrees. Yet this means that they'll both have to face their old feelings and hurts as well as the undeniable crushes on each other... but as the holidates begin to feel real, can they make a relationship work when they live two completely different lifestyles? This was a a very second chance best friends sapphic romance and I loved the Christmas vibes of this one. This was a cute read and one that would make a fun one for the holidays. I loved that no matter what Arden and Caroline did really love one another despite the years apart and it was sweet to see them finally get their happily ever after. This would make such a cute Christmas rom com! Highly recommend for your holiday TBR.

Release Date: October 1,2024

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

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

MAKE MY WISH COME TRUE BY ALYSON DERRICK & RACHAEL LIPPINCOTT 

I've read books by both of these authors separately but reading a romance CO-WRITTEN by wives? Who are in love? I'm literally misting up just thinking about it. And the book is SO EXCELLENT it makes it even better!!!

Caroline is fighting her "am I trapped in my dying small town existence" worries during her senior year in high school. Arden is struggling to sort out if her bad girl persona is just who she is now as she balances Hollywood life with all she's had to abandon to get it. She gets an opportunity to star in a role to change everything. The catch? She needs to go home for the holidays and be the subject of an article about how she's finally public with her "long-term girlfriend" and former bestie, Caroline who hates her for leaving, by the way. 

They come to an agreement: fake dating for Arden to get her dream casting in exchange for Caroline getting to write the article, which is sure to help her get into Columbia and away from the small town Arden escaped from with barely a word four years ago. But with the distance that's kept the other away evaporating over hot cocoa contests and late night karaoke, both find themselves wondering why this fake relationship feels so real. And when reality creeps in again, will they be able to face it?

Here were my very fave things about MAKE MY WISH COME TRUE:
Christmas-obsessed hometown
Unrequited crushes
I never forgot you not even once
WRITING AN ARTICLE BUT ACTUALLY FALLING IN LOVEEEE

#amreadingromance #bookstagram #review #romancebooks #romancelandia #romancereader #romancereads #books #bookrecommendation #simonandschuster #arc #netgalley

Make My Wish Come True follows Arden James, an up-and-coming actor, looking to finally snag the biggest role of her career. At first, it seems like a shoo-in but all the bad press surrounding her recently almost causes her to lose it. To save face, her agent pretends that she has a girlfriend, Caroline back home and the two are going to spend the holidays together.

The director agrees to give her another chance and Arden has to go back home to face everything she left behind and convince Caroline to fake-date her. At first, Caroline is still hurt from how Arden left but she agrees if she can write an article about Arden. Arden's agent pulls some strings and the two embark on the 12 fake dates of Christmas.

From the start, it's clear Arden and Caroline still have chemistry. Ultimately, it's a PR mission to make Arden look as good as possible. However, as most of us know, their feelings aren't so fake and the two quickly start to develop stronger feelings than just friendship. Coupled with the setting of Barnwich being the Christmas capital of Pennsylvania, these two have so many great dates from a hot chocolate contest to sledding to caroling.

I also enjoyed how Caroline was Jewish and she spoke about the struggle of not feeling like Hanukkah got as much love as Christmas in her town. While things did play out like a Hallmark Christmas movie in the best way, Make My Wish Come True was such a fun read, perfect for the Christmas season and those craving some sweet sapphic love.

If you haven't picked up anything from Rachael Lippincott or Alyson Derrick before, then make sure that Make My Wish Come True is on your list for the Christmas season.

I absolutely loved this.
Both characters slowly grew on me but I fell for them both and I was so invested in their entire relationships, to each other and to their families and friends.
It was honestly one of the best romances I've read in a while. I loved everything about it, I could picture the setting so well and it was such an integral part of the story. I just had the best time with this and felt everything they felt. I will, without a doubt, reread it and I can't wait by more books by these authors. I could not recommend this more.