Take Me Home for Christmas is a heartwarming and humorous story about a pediatric resident who will do just about anything for her family – and a man who grew up without one. It’s also so much more than a fun “fake boyfriend” romance…Mia’s journey is about finding the courage to step into her own destiny. Hope you enjoy the swoony romance and the holiday cheer…and that you enjoy Mia and Brax’s path to happily-ever-after as much as I did writing it!

I thought I was going to read a funny and sweet Christmas story and I found so much more!
Mia D’Angelo, third-year pediatric resident, was in love with Braxton Hughes, but he broke things up between them just after she told her sick mom that she’d finally met the perfect guy. So she kept going with the stories, just to get her through a very tough time. When her mom’s health crisis ended and she thought things had settled down, her family wanted to meet this wonderful boyfriend for Christmas. So she asked (okay, begged) just about every male I knew under forty, except for Dr. Braxton Hughes.
So when her car is packed and she’s down to no one, magically, there he is, duffle in hand, melt-me smile on his face. Keeping it professional is going to be a whole lot harder than she thought. Especially when he charms her parents, her whole family, and even her dog. And Dr. Wrong…well, he’s suddenly looking awfully right.
I loved almost everything about this book, but it’s definitely not a rom-com. Both characters are amazing and well developed, but their past are tragic and heartbroken. There are a few TW, but mostly the C word and losing a love one. It’s about grief, second chances, forgiveness and letting the past go. I was really moved by this story and it’s the kind of romance every girl just loves. The only reason I don’t give this book 5 stars is because the sexy times were closed doors and that’s a shame because the chemistry between these two was HOT.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Loved reading this book. This was a fun, light, heartwarming holiday rom-com that is perfect for any time of the year. A holiday rom-com, fake boyfriend, family story that is the perfect mental getaway. Mia and Brax have lived very different lives so the holidays and family bring up very different things for them. Mia never wants to disappoint her family so has been telling them what they want to hear. Oops! Now she needs a fake boyfriend to make her mother smile. Brax, her ex, who unceremoniously dumped her, wants to remain good friends as they work together and just happens to be her direct competition for a job they both want. He is somewhat guilted by a mutual friend into playing the role and shows up as she is ready to head home. He is an amazing Dr, but emotionally damaged and stunted and honestly, a crappy friend. She does all she can to never allow him to break her heart again, but succumbs to his fake sweetness, just as everyone who meets him does and then it happens again. Will they, won't they, can they make it work? Of course, as that is what we read this genre and author for. Their happily ever after was fabulous. It’s a great read that already has me looking forward to the next in the series.

I loved Mia and Brax. This story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, deals with tough health subjects, but ends up bring out the best of possibilities in the end. Mia and Brax were dating for a short time but he brakes it off but Mia never tells her mom and so she needs a fake boyfriend to bring home for Christmas, she has it all figured out she thinks! Things happen and those plans fall apart at the last minute. Brax steps in and offers to be the fake boyfriend.

All the ways this could go wrong, but could it also go right? Who knows, so many things kept from each other, things from both of their pasts. Not small things either all are pretty big things and play a big part of who they are and how they live their lives, or don't live them in some ways. There fears are tied in to the past as well.

This book gave me all the feels, from the heartbreak emotions to some laughing, the heartwarming and in the end the feeling of healing. There is some angst. This gives you the feel of a great hallmark Christmas movie! I look forward to reading more in this series and more from this author, she is new to me!

Mia has herself in a bit of a pickle relationship wise. She decided that since her mom was going through cancer treatments she wouldn't tell her about the breakup with her boyfriend Brax. Fast forward a few months, still hasn't told her family about the breakup and they're expecting her to bring home the boyfriend for the grand introduction. Through a friend Brax finds out about the problem that Mia has found herself in, and rather than have Mia take home some weird choice of partner, he volunteers to go as her stand in boyfriend, who surprisingly to him, has his name!
I love the way Miranda L created the story, the love, the acceptance, the Christmas fun. The characters were believable and easy to remember.
A Christmas setting...who can resist!
Overall a great Christmas read. I give it 4*,

Thanks to NetGalley, Miranda Liasson, and Hawthorn House for allowing me this arc copy in exchange for my opinion on the book.

Fantastic holiday romance! This is like reading a Hallmark movie. I loved Mia and Braxton's story. The way it was told through both of their eyes really added to the story. Highly recommend this holiday romance!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Favorite Quotes:

We had to pick up the pieces after Grace left us and somehow put ourselves together again. Which we did, but ever since then, it seemed I was always looking for the part of me that she took with her.

A woman in a bright orange jumpsuit waved to her and left out the door. Either she was an escaped con or at the height of fashion, I wasn’t sure which.

Being the object of his smile still felt like being in the light of the sun. Warm and wonderful.

My Review:

An excellent kick off for a new series and I’m already greedily plotting to amass every installment if they are as engaging and absorbing as this one. Ms. Liasson is a master at synthesizing endearing characters and I adored and admired her primary and secondary character creations. The writing was well-paced and polished while unfurling a realistic tale with real world issues, hits of amusing humor, heart-squeezes, and insightful and empathetic observations. I was quickly pulled into the characters’ vortex and held there while the well-honed narrative continued to flow like smooth jazz. I covet her skills.

This book deals with a very tough subject, but Ms. Liasson writes it beautifully. I loved the characters of Mia and Brax as we learn about their challenges on a pediatric cancer unit. Brax is going home with Mia as her fake boyfriend. She has a loving and very protective family. Brax only has his sister. A fantastic and sweet Christmas read that will warm your heart!
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley, however, I voluntarily wrote an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

A multilayered story centered around a fake boyfriend trope. The two main characters Mia and Brax dated briefly but Mia didn’t tell her family that they broke up. He agrees to pose as her fake boyfriend for the holiday weekend. It quickly becomes a second chance romance, but both of them have issues to work through. I really liked the dual point of view, Mia’s family, and the epilogue. The author gives a content warning for childhood cancer, I would also advise there is limited swearing, references to sex, fade to black romance scenes, and death of a sibling. It was a quick, entertaining read. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I received an advanced copy via NetGalley. A positive review was not required and all opinions are my own.

I love holiday books and this one was so delightful! I highly recommend curling up with a blanket by the fire and reading for that warm and fuzzy feeling!

Miranda Liasson is one of a very few authors whose books I buy without hesitation because she can beautifully incorporate heavier themes that poke at a reader's emotions and talk about hard things, and yet her books always leave me feeling happy and hopeful. This is one of those books.

I have to confess that this review is difficult to write because the book was very hard for me to read from the first pages. Please keep in mind that this is my personal experience, your mileage will vary! Being a 24/7 caregiver who has gone through a hard (and continuing) battle with leukemia with my dad, and then a battle breast cancer with my mom (also ongoing) both in the last five years, there were some still-exposed-nerves hit for me that other readers might not have. I say this not to discourage you from reading this, because the hard parts of the story are actually really handled beautifully and respectfully, but just sharing my personal experience that it wasn't easy to read. I shed more than a few tears reading this one that I didn't expect from a holiday story. This is why I always have kleenex on hand when reading a Miranda book.

Although the heavier themes were harder for me, I adored the scenes where Brax and Mia went to her hometown. It was so realistic, and it really was like a Hallmark movie (that's a compliment) and I devoured every moment in that world happily. I wish I lived somewhere like that. I would never leave. And the humor in the book did add a levity and lightness that made it a great holiday read. (SLIGHT SPOILER to the end of this paragraph.) I especially loved the scene at the party. The confrontation could have gone so many ways, but I really loved the way the way it did. From the dress to the shoes to the conclusion of the drama, it wasn't perfect and it was everything that I could have wanted from the whole situation.

If you're looking for a light, fluffy, emotion-free book for the holidays, this isn't necessarily that, BUT(!) it is a beautiful, well written book with Christmas scenes that are painted so perfectly they could be a painting, and hope for the future, so you should give this one a read.

(Posted to Amazon as a verified purchase review, but the review is pending)

Mia D’Angelo is going home for Christmas. It has been a long year as she is a third-year pediatric resident and does not get a lot of time off. She also has promised her parents that she will bring her boyfriend Brax along for the holidays. There is just one little problem. Brax and Mia broke up months ago and she did not have the heart to tell her parents as her mom was struggling with a health crisis. The countdown is on and Mia is trying to find a Brax replacement.

When Braxton Hughes finds out Mia need a fake boyfriend for Christmas, he is a little weary. He was dating Mia, but broke it off because he does not do long term relationships. They are still friends, but Braxton can not stand the idea that she will take someone else home, so he offers to go along.

What transpires is a family full of warmth ready to welcome Braxton into their family. How long can Mia and Brax keep up the charade? Will the magic of Christmas find it’s way into their hearts?

MirandaLiasson brings us another heartfelt Christmas novel full of family, small town folks and the hope of love. The novel does touch on the loss of loved ones, but it is so beautifully written into the story that I could not imagine it without. The characters are so loveable and you can not help but fall in love them all. I was also excited to see that this is the first book in the Doctors of Oak Bluff series, so I am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. My sincere thanks to the author Miranda Liasson and Hawthorne House Press for my advanced copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily. Come home for the holidays with Mia and Brax.

Wonderfully romantic and richly emotional, Mia and Brax’s story really tugs at the heartstrings. Both find relationships difficult because of childhood trauma, but ultimately Brax is there for Mia when she needs him. It’s hard to categorize this book as it’s both a fake relationship and second chance romance, since Mia didn’t tell her sick mother that things with Brax were over. It’s sweet and hopeful, despite the theme of childhood cancer and leaves you feeling happy and upbeat. It’s the first in a series and I’m looking forward to exploring subsequent books.

This book was such a heartfelt book that it made me cry. I really liked Mia and how her losing her twin sister at a young age to leukemia led her to become a pediatric doctor in a children's hospital in Wisconsin. I also liked Brax, who worked at the hospital too. The book was special because both characters needed to overcome their pasts in order to have a future they longed for. I was drawn to the characters, their strengths and their vulnerabilities. The more I got to know Brax the more I liked him. He was such a charismatic, loveable character. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Brax and Mia work together and briefly dated. They are still friends, but the mutual attraction they share is still there just under the surface.

When Mia needs a fake boyfriend to take home for the holidays, Brax offers to help. It doesn't take long before their feelings come to the surface and they fall even deeper for one another. I liked the dual POV because you get to understand their motivations and relationship fears. It allowed me to better connect with them both.

I liked Mia and understood how she thought she was doing what was best even when she should have just been honest. She had a good heart and was a relatable character. Her and Brax were well matched and the story flowed well.

Take Me Home for Christmas by Miranda Liasson is book one of a brand-new series, The Amazing Doctors of Oak Bluff . I didn’t realize this at first but so glad to begin reading the first of the series. A story sensitive to the work done by these pediatric residents and doctors, romantic yet still full of the struggles that they have been through to get to this place in their lives.

Truly a heartwarming holiday romance that includes Mia D’Angelo, third-year pediatric resident, as well as Dr. Braxton Hughes. Their fake relationship did not start out as fake but ended months before this story or the dating became serious. Strong on emotionally complexity and love for family, I enjoyed it immensely especially the marvelous epilogue. A story for the holidays but also anytime you need a pick-me-up romance.

Take Me Home for Christmas is book 1 in the Amazing Doctors of Oak Bluff by Miranda Liasson and a great start to this series. 4.5 stars

Such a sweet Christmas story filled with laughter, romance, white lies, second chances, some angst, fake dating, letting go of the past to find their HEA…read on for Brax and Mia’s story

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley
. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my, I couldn't have loved this Christmas story more! Beautifully written with a fun and entertaining storyline. This book has it all and draws you in from the first page. It's such a good read. and I loved all the characters. The humor and chemistry was everything I could have wanted. A cute holiday romance that is warm, witty, and absolutely wonderful. I just loved it.!

Mia D’Angelo, a third-year paediatric resident, finds herself in desperate need of a boyfriend, after she tells her mother that she has met the One, just to keep her happy when she was ill. However, Mia then has to find the perfect guy to bring home for Christmas. After asking every man that she knows, except for Dr. Braxton Hughes, the biggest commitment-phobe this side of the Mississippi. As she is about to leave, Braxton offers up his assistance.
This is sweet, clean romance between two very likeable characters. The second chance romance was a surprise, which seemed a first to be a fake date. There was plenty of enjoyable banter between Mia and Brax, which lightened up the mood when it dealt with some issues. A warning that the first chapter explores childhood cancer.
This book I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Enjoyed reading this piece. I've been having a slump for a month now and this book cures it. It's fast paced and easy to follow. Although it sometimes seem like reading a fairytale (it is a fairytale Wana lil) that is too good to be true but hey a little sparkle doesn't hurt. Needed this pick me up to lighten my mood. Would love to read the next book in this series soon ❤