This book had:
-brother's best friend (my favorite trope)
-forced proximity
-(sort of) enemies-to-lovers
-dual pov
-all the Christmas vibes!

It was a fun read, but not the most memorable. Nevertheless, I will continue to pick up pretty much anything Camilla Isley writes cause she knows how to deliver!

Hilarious and funny. Told from a dual point of view but I enjoyed that of the sarcastic and caustic FMC whose train of thoughts will make you laugh and laugh.

This plot follows the story of Nina and Tristan, ‘sworn’ enemies who can hardly stand each other and are now ‘forced’ to spend Christmas together.

Their volatile ‘relationship’ and antics was something else and initially it was fun to read about until it became juvenile and nervy.

I would love to see this on screen. The interactions and banter will make a great movie. This is such an easy read and a holiday romance despite the title.

If you love best friend’s sibling trope, enemies to lovers and Christmas then you will love this.

This was a great read! I would recommend it to a friend. I loved it! Five stars. This book is a captivating exploration of human emotions and relationships. The narrative unfolds through the lives of richly developed characters, each facing unique challenges and growth. The author’s prose is both lyrical and engaging, drawing readers into the story with vivid imagery and relatable experiences.

Ooh this was a lot of fun to read. The banter and pranks between Nina and Tristan are utterly brilliant. I couldn't get enough of them.

And as they say there is a very fine line between love and hate especially once you throw in some close proximity. Plus it's set at Christmas, and I just couldn't get enough of this book.

It's fun, it's flirty, it's festive, it's just fabulous.

We get to learn just why Nina and Tristan seem to be at war, as well as their true feelings that change over the course of the book. Of course Tristan being Nina's brother's best friend is an added complication and the fact they are all saying at Nina's parents for the festive period means that although there might be an attraction there is also a lot of subtle teasing, that is fabulous to read.

I devoured this book, read it in under a day and just loved every second of it. Another totally entertaining novel from Camilla Isley.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

First of all, I have to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a sincere review!🤍
I have to admit that Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the entire year and so reading books that take place at that time and convey that vibe to me always makes me excited. This book was really fun, I loved Tristan and Nina, and I loved their relationship! Nina gives Tristan the security he needs and Tristan brings a more fun Nina🥹
In short and in conclusion, they are both perfect for each other because they are able to understand each other's needs. I highly recommend this book if you want a fun Christmas romance that warms your heart!!!🤍🥹🎄

This is not a Holiday Romance is, as you guessed it, a holiday romance revolving around archenemies Nina and Tristan. Having kept up this rivalry since their teenage years, the two consistantly bicker, insult and prank one another whenever they meet. Doesn't help that Tristan is Nina's brother's roomate. Nor does it help that said brother invited Tristan to the family gathering at Christmas. During a snowstorm. Chaos naturally ensues.

I loved the beginning of this. The antagonism between our two leads was believable and the pranking was harmless and funny. It was really building up to be a sweet, kooky, holiday read. Things, however, took a dive massively around the middle. The instalove didn't sit too well with me and could've been developed a lot more, especially regarding Nina's feelings. There were times that I questioned the ages of the characters based on their mannerisms - their behaviour changed from late 20s/early 30s adults to teenagers.

An enemies to lovers romance,t he story of Tristan and Nina. He is her brothers best friend so she is forced to spend time around him, and they play pranks on each other all the time, but things turn out differently when they sped Christmas together. I liked how it was told from both points of view.

This is a cute little festive read. When I need something sweet, easy to get into with great female main characters, I'll always reach for a Camilla Isley novel.

This one follows Nina who has had an ongoing rivalry with her brother Dylan's best friend Tristan. She has her own issues and has always believed that Tristan has made fun of that for all the years that she's known him.

Every Christmas Dylan and Nina go back home from New York to their parents house and Nina is less than impressed that Tristan will be there too as she believed he was spending the holidays with his own family.

This is very much a brother's best friend/enemies to lovers book and I really liked Tristan's background with his family. It really added depth to the character. The novel is set over a couple of days so it felt like it goes from over a decade of hatred between these two to a romance very quickly but it was fun to read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧 narration

Revenge is sweet for Nina and Tristan in this cute enemies to lovers holiday romance.

Tristan is Nina’s brother’s best friend/roommate and the bane of her life since the very first time she met him. Always teasing her over the years, and never wanting to be in his company, she’s horrified when Tristan has been invited to spend the Christmas holidays with her family, who absolutely adore him.

What begins is a battle to be civil to one another, but they can’t stop playing games and trying to out do one another. Nina was quite immature and childish at times, but when Tristan (and us as readers) understand the hurt that his nicknames caused her, plus the way her family doesn’t support her when she needs them the most…I let that immaturity slide.

First time reading this author, I was kindly sent an Arc via NetGalley, but I actually ended up listening to the audio. The narrator’s did a great job and with the duration of approximately 6 hours, it kept me entertained whilst doing the jobs around the house. It was just a nice read, and this time of year I think a lot of readers want those. It was a good pallet cleanser and entertaining read for those that love cosy, festive rom-coms.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧 narration

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really fun Christmas book. I enjoyed it from the very first page!

A fun festive romance . A case of enemies to lovers . Imagine hating your brothers best friend to falling in love with him. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry.

The more they fight it more they want it .

This was such a fun, fast and cute read. I really love an enemies to lovers and forced proximity trope so this was just a perfect read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nina is spending the Christmas holidays with her parents and brother. And Tristan. Her brother’s best friend who has spent many holidays with their family in the past, yet they do not get along. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager, Nina has found ways to get back at Tristan, finding herself in an unspoken decade long prank war.

That is until she realises that there may be more between them than the hate she first thought…

I loved the way Nina and Tristan kept each other on their toes and wound each other up. They have great banter and really bring out the fun side of each other. When you’re reading this kind of book, everyone always knows what’s going to happen but I find the way it does happen is always what can make or break a book and I think Camilla did it brilliant with this one.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves an enemies to lovers romance! Thank you Camilla Isley, Boldwood books and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

this was a fun holiday read with a rivals to lovers plot. i loved the holiday setting, it really made me excited for christmas. however, i did feel that the motive for “hating” each other didn’t seem like that big of a deal to me with nina coming off as a bit overdramatic sometimes. i also think that the actual relationship felt a bit rushed, leading to a bunch of miscommunication which i never like (and dylan was also overdramatic in my opinion). but overall it was a fun romcom.

Ah, I loved this one. Enemy to lovers but make it funny. The MC was funny and the chemistry between the characters was impeccable. It was a very funny read.

This was an instant 4.5 rating! I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers trope . This book has heat and chemistry between Nina and Tristan makes me giggle and kick my feet up in the air! Childhood crushes always gets me.

Thank you for the ARC! I've already went and purchased my physical copy to add to my library!

If you love books about the magic and romance of the holiday season—or if you’re just looking for a cozy read to enjoy after another busy week—This Is Not a Holiday Romance is as festive as a Hallmark Christmas Movie—with a little extra spice.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

This is Not a Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley is my first holiday book for this year and I'm so happy about that because I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story begins with Nina trying to avoid her brother's best friend, Tristan, whom she calls "The Prince of Darkness". The two of them absolutely don't get along and when Nina finds out he will be spending Christmas with their family, she is furious as she had planned a nice relaxing vacation. But, when the two of them bickering constantly begins to cause problems for the rest of the family, Tristan realizes that he's had enough of it and actually finds Nina attractive. His mixed signals have her feeling topsy-turvy leading to the two of them deciding to have a short-term secret romance. They have to be careful though because they definitely don't want Nina's brother to find out what is going on. The story is cute, fun, and festive with some spice thrown in.

Absolute delight! This festive rom-com follows Nina Thompson, who dreads spending Christmas with her brother’s best friend, Tristan—the guy who has been her nemesis since they were teenagers. But when they get snowed in together, their prank war takes a surprising turn.

Isley’s writing is witty and engaging, making it easy to fall in love with the characters and their hilarious antics. Nina and Tristan’s chemistry is undeniable, and their journey from enemies to something more is both heartwarming and entertaining. The festive setting adds an extra layer of charm, making this book a perfect holiday read.

If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers stories with plenty of humor and heart, “This Is Not a Holiday Romance” is a must-read.

Whilst this is not a holiday romance it is a fun, festive friends to lovers novel set during the Christmas holiday period.

Friends to lovers and forced proximity are two of my favourite tropes and together they always make for a great story.

The characters are wonderful and I loved the build up of the burgeoning romance between Nina and Tristan, their banter and japes.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

This is Not a Holiday Romance is an enjoyable and highly entertaining festive romance.

This holiday rom-com had everything I could want in a holiday book, and then some. The story of Tristan and Nina’s budding romance and their efforts to conceal it from everyone was both exciting and emotionally resonant. There were moments that tugged at my heartstrings just enough to make me fall in love with this book.