Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this, because I definitely did! It’s just that i’m conflicted. These are two very complicated characters that have a lot of history but in all honesty, I didn’t feel that much chemistry between them. I think Lola is a dreadful friend and it’s one thing to be bitter and melancholic but to be that self absorbed, I’m not sure why Sloane even tried to be her friend at all 😭 And Brighton is just a mess. My thoughts are all over the place. This author is incredibly talented and I really enjoy her writing but I’m not sold on these characters. It’s not believable that they’ll work long term and to be quite frank … I don’t care what the excuse is, the only acceptable reason to be left at the alter is if you’re hospitalised or dying or if you’re kidnapped. Cold feet is a foul excuse and there ain’t no way I’d forgive someone for that.

This book was absolutely wonderful! I love a second chance romance and I really felt for both sides of this story.

Charlotte just needs a hug, honestly. And a lot of therapy, which I’m glad she got. All her walls, keeping people at a distance, made my heart ache.

For a while I struggled to understand how Brighton could do what she did, but then it hit me how hard it must have been to keep trying to have the hard conversations and having it swept under the rug that way, to not be seen, to feel trapped by the person you love most in the world.

Their reconciliation felt so deserved and I was so happy for them.

I LOVED the discussion about Adele being aromantic. The way she described her feelings about romance and partnership was so similar to how I feel about it. Every bit of aro rep like this I see helps me feel a little more comfortable in myself, so thank you, AHB.

There’s so many cute little moments in this book and some really fantastic side characters.

Definitely on my fave holiday reads list.

"Make the Season Bright" is a sapphic second-chance holiday romance that had its moments, but ultimately left me feeling disconnected. While there were some cute elements and plot points, I struggled to connect with the characters, who, at times, felt unlikeable. Unfortunately, I found myself not rooting for them to reconcile, which made the story fall flat for me

While I loved AHB's previous books, this one did not hit in the same way.

Charlotte and Brighton were interesting and complex characters, with developed backstories, however, their relationship was riddled with misunderstandings and a complete lack of honest conversations. I found the conflict lacklustre, especially by the 100th conversation that ended in a kiss, sex, or one of them avoiding the topic of their relationship breakup. I found them both quite immature.

On the other hand, I did enjoy their chemistry and the forced proximity of it all. I loved the part where they got snowed in! It would have been a great opportunity for them to talk about their past, but they avoided it altogether. Anyway, trying to be positive... The side characters were great and really pushed the story forward. And I was happy with the last few chapters.

I think what's hard about this book and the second-chance romance trope, is when you really don't think they should actually be getting back together. That's how I felt about Bright and Lola.

Lola was incredibly unlikable, selfish and blames the whole breakdown of their relationship on Bright despite never truly listening to her concerns when she voices them - about not feeling settled in NYC / feeling unhappy etc. You also find out that she also treats her friends poorly too.

Bright, although more likeable than Lola, still is flawed as well. I get that she had no choice but to leave Lola as it was the only way for her to understand her concerns she had tried to raise, but I absolutely would not have the time of day for someone that left me at the altar. You would be dead to me after that.

They both seem like toxic exes that should've been left in the past and the end felt drawn out and unneccessary.

Cute story, just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley & Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the opportunity to read this e-arc for my honest thoughts. I really enjoyed Delilah Green Doesn’t Care so I was excited to read this one.

I do want to point out that I went into this not looking at the blurb: had I known it was a second chance romance I probably wouldn’t have requested this title. But I went into this book blind, and unfortunately it is not a trope I particularly enjoy. I do want to also disclaim that my low rating has nothing to do with the writing either as I really enjoyed the previous book I have read from this author. I really like their writing style, the detail of the Berry home & the Christmas spirit was truly magical and immersive.

My main issues with this book lies within the main characters themselves. Firstly, they were not good people. I did not like Brighton, I was hoping by the end her character would be redeemed for me but unfortunately it was not. I found her extremely immature & selfish, she left Charlotte at the altar so why would Charlotte give her the time of day? The beginning of them meeting again where it’s Brighton getting angry that Charlotte is pretending she doesn’t exist is absolutely crazy to me: how can you be so far in your own head you can’t emphasise how hard that would be? How painful. So, off the bat I needed Brighton to convince me to like her: what made her redeemable enough to be the main love interest? What has she learned in the time since she left Charlotte at the alter? Not much it seemed. Also, this idea that they couldn’t have changed in the 5 years apart was crazy to me. From someone who had a longterm relationship with my high school sweetheart, this idea that you shouldn’t have change since was a red flag to me- granted I definitely wouldn’t be rekindling a romance with mine! And he didn’t even leave me at the altar. Now don’t get me wrong, Charlotte was quite selfish herself so I can understand how they fit together in that regard: her disregard for Sloane was sad. Here was someone who honestly deserved her time & energy and was ultimately she was being a terrible friend to.

I honestly wished this story was more about the found family, how their friends got them through this painful time and how they were better people for it. I wish it was more the perspective of each friend finding their romance during the holiday season & how all their stories collided. I genuinely think I would of loved this more if they decided that they were meant to be in the past and that was okay, and that they would forgive each other for the pain but reminisce on the love they did have.

But, I just want to clarify that this is just based off my own personal preferences & also influenced by my own personal experience: this will be a great book for people who enjoy messy characters, good spice & second chance romance. The Berry household was warm and cozy, and the Christmas spirit was there to hold you tight throughout the story. It definitely got me excited for my own Christmas traditions. 2.5 stars rounded down to 2 stars on goodreads.

Ashley Herring Blake has done it again! Make the Season Bright is the ultimate Christmas treat of a book that had me hooked from start to finish. Lola and Brighton completely stole the show for me. Their banter was sharp, clever, and full of sparks, and I couldn’t get enough of the way their relationship unfolded. It’s heartfelt, tender, and packed with moments that made me swoon.

The Christmas setting was everything I wanted and more. It felt cosy and magical, adding just the right amount of festive cheer to balance the emotional beats. And let’s not forget the side characters—they were absolute stars. From meddling mates to delightful family chaos, they brought so much heart and humour to the story.

This book is such a brilliant mix of emotions. It’s got the perfect blend of heart, tension, sadness, and spice. One moment I was tearing up, and the next, I was grinning like a fool. If you’re after a story that feels like a warm festive hug (with a bit of heat thrown in), this is the one for you.

With classic tropes like grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, second chances, holiday romance, and slow burn, Make the Season Bright is packed with everything you could want in a feel-good Christmas romance. Ashley Herring Blake is officially on my auto-buy list, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

2nd chance holiday romance

Exes end up stuck in a house together and have to attend group dates while pretending they didn’t previously date because their story is awkward af. Oh, and one left the other at the altar years ago. It's messy.

You can't go into this one ready to take sides with these characters. They both clearly need to work on themselves and once you get the backstory their actions start to make sense. Their story broke my heart more than it warmed it, as both characters are in PAIN every time they see each other. They’re emotionally immature, which makes their 2nd chance romance difficult to root for.

If you’re looking for an easy to digest lesbian holiday romance, this book isn't for you. If you want to feel pain? Sure, go for it. The author does a fantastic job at hurting everyone in the process of writing this book. Not even the side characters are let off the hook. This IS a HEA, but at what cost? 😛

eBook copy supplied by the publisher Hachette AU/NZ, all opinions are my own.

- sapphic romance
- holiday romance
- childhood friends to lovers
- second chance
- forced proximity (snowed in)
- found family
- dual pov (third person)

Premise: you're a part of a string quartet, and you're invited to spend the holidays with one of your mates in small-town Colorado. But who also happens to be there? Your ex-fiance, who left you at the altar five years ago (she's the sister of your friend, because of course she is 😅).

Naturally, there's a lot of feelings to unpack there, as neither has moved on from that fateful day. They're also quite flawed, realistic characters. However, there's a nice balance between these heavier, more poignant moments and small-town holiday festivities. Herring-Blake also always nails those quintessential found family vibes.

I didn't love Make the Season Bright *quite* as much as the Bright Falls series, but it's still a heartfelt holiday romance. I personally just struggled with third-person pov these days. I did try the audiobook, though, for a hybrid read, and I would recommend it as well.

I have to DNF. Page of death: 118.

I always give a book at least 100 pages because I feel like that’s a fair go, and this book is just not for me. The second chance trope isn’t working for me, because I can’t see a reason why you would get back together with someone that left you at the altar. That info being dropped from the get go was wild. I did consider slogging through to find out the reason, but I ended up deciding that there’s no ‘good’ reason to leave your partner at the altar! That plot point aside, I did not feel the chemistry between the main characters at all, and found both of their personalities as dry as unbuttered toast.

Thank you to Hachette & NetGalley for the ARC.

A cheery queery Christmas indeed!

What a genuinely wholesome, funny, swoony REAL LIFE story.

I adored this.
The dual pov, the descriptors, the length of time the story panned through, the ups and downs…
This was a really beautiful read.

I really loved how each of the main characters developed their self awareness and grew from their mistakes.

ADORED the queer representation- ‘are the straights okay?!’ - cackled.

This would truly make such a magical Christmas movie that I would watch on repeat the entire season.

A delightful queer seasonal romance. The cast of side characters were great. The Christmas vibes were vibing. This is second-chance, friends-to-lovers, with forced proximity and music woven through it. 3* because although solid, the relationship development itself felt a little underdone. Still, glad I read it, and glad Ashley Herring Blake continues to give us more sapphic romance.

And thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc, I was stoked to get my hands on a copy of this ASAP.

This was really well done!

Only Ashley Herring Blake could write a second chance romance (that had one of them leaving the other at the altar on their wedding day!) and make me actually care about them getting back together.

AHB's writing is wonderful, evocative, and has me hooked every single time.

The characters were wonderful, the scenes and imagery were spot on - I could picture everything so perfectly.

“Too much? ” Brighton shook her head “Good girl,”

Five years ago Charlotte was left at the altar by her fiancé, since then she’s hit rock bottom, moved to New York and put herself back together. No thanks to her mother but thanks to her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quarter.

The holidays aren’t one for her, so Sloane persuades her and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado. They can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and spend more time practicing for her upcoming tour.

When they arrive Charlotte discovers Sloane’s sister also brought a friend home for Chritmas and it’s none other than Brighton, her ex fiancée.

Brighton just wanted to have a quiet Christmas, leave the drama of her former band (how kicked her out) behind her. Instead she’s pretending like she’s never met her ex. Which doesn’t go as smoothly as anticipated when Sloane’s mothers tried to set with all up in a series of dating events.

As time goes on their guards begin to slip down and their memories take over. Until reality sinks in and they realise it’s all in the past for a reason, but is it?

I’d read anything and everything Ashley writes and when I saw a Christmas novel I jumped at it. Thank you for this advance copy of Make the Season Bright. I know it’s Christmas books in October but this is the one you want on your shelf come December first.

It’s got Ashley’s signature sapphic romance with childhood friends, second chance romances, snowed in only one bed, musicians and a whole lot of Christmas, and did I mention it’s spicy! It’s in stores now and is a must read!

Make the Season Bright is a sapphic second chance holiday romance.

Unfortunately, this was at times frustrating with characters that I didn't connect to and that were at times quite unlikeable.

Some cute enough elements and plot points but I just was not rooting for these characters to get back together.

I did not enjoy this as much as her Bright Falls series.
Unfortunately I found Lola unlikeable but gave her a chance. I just didn’t see any chemistry between her and Bright.
I also really didn’t like Herring Blake’s writing in this one. So much info dumping but also too much dialogue???
I think there were meant to be funny moments but I didn’t laugh out loud.
Also, the supporting characters seemed immature.
Sorry, this one just wasn’t for me!

This delivered absolutely everything it promised. Hallmark vibes, second chance romance, sapphic, humour and forced dating.
Oh, its also an emotional rollercoster.

Oh my gosh! This was a wonderful Christmas read! I absolutely adored this book and I would recommend for a fun, easy to read Christmas story.

A super fun holiday rom-com that follows ex-fiancees Brighton and Charlotte as they unexpectedly reconnect five years after Brighton left Charlotte at the altar, as they both wind up invited to the same family Christmas ... lots of music and winter activities, Christmas cheer, and angst. I really loved these characters, and their stories both individuals and together. Wonderful supporting cast too!! (Sloane and Wes have my heart <3)

If you like complex, at times messy characters, second-chance romance and Christmas rom-coms, I'd definitely recommend Make The Season Bright :)

🎄 make the season bright review 🎄

A queer, Christmas, hallmark style rom-com is exactly what my brain needed 😍

Charlotte (Lola) and Brighton share a messy history and never thought they’d see each other again. Being somewhat forced together at their friends’ family’s place in Colorado for the holidays was not in either of their plans💞

Cue so many adorable laugh out loud moments, cheesy rom-com style set ups, and a perfect writing style, everything in this story just works so well!
I loved reading about their history that was slowly unveiled and the “cheery queery” gang of friends made for an amusing read ☺️

This was the first story by Ashley that I’ve read, and I will DEFINITELY be reading more!! The writing and the plot and everything was just perfect💖

Tropes:
🎄 forced proximity
🕊️ lovers to exes to lovers
🎄 one true love
🕊️ queer rep