This was a great retelling of how the grinch stole christmas. Was it possibly the straightest thing I have read this year? Yes, did I love it, also yes. I love the rhyming at each chapter as well

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“How My Neighbor Stole Christmas” by Meghan Quinn is a twist on the Grinch (if you couldn’t tell from the title…)

& honestly, it was a big miss for me. I powered through but it was just ok! It was a little too cliche and I had to wait way too long for the naughty parts lollll.

However, as always, big thanks to @read_bloom for the ARC! This was released October 15 so grab it for a light read going into the week of Christmas! 🎄 #netgalley #arc #bloombooks #howmyneighborstolechristmas

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TV movie editor Storee returns to Kringletown after a decade away to care for her Aunt Cindy. Storee enters the Christmas Kringle contest at her Aunt's request, where she must prove that she has the most Christmas spirit of anyone in town. But it turns out she is up against her childhood friend, Cole, who is inexplicably mean to her. As Storee and Cole battle it out while making candy canes, decorating their homes with lights, and wrapping gifts, the ice in Cole's heart begins to crack. Suddenly, the competition is not just about the Christmas spirit, it's also about who will open their heart.

This was a cute Christmas story with just about every Christmas activity included. I definitely felt the holiday spirit when reading the book and the Christmas-themed spice was super fun. However, I struggled with the humor in the book. I did not enjoy the narrator speaking to the characters directly as it took me out of the story. There was also a Grinch-esque poem to start each chapter, which was too much for me. In my opinion, the MMC was excessively mean to the FMC and she forgave him way too quickly. Overall, this was a fun book but not one I would go out of my way to recommend.

3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

If this book was a pizza it would be extra cheese…and I love it!! Quinn was very creative in bringing in elements of the original Grinch story but making it her own. And the love story between Storee and Cole was cute (put also SUPER spicy, my goodness)

I’m giving this 3.5 stars cause the side story with her sister felt unnecessary (also Taran was awful!). And I felt that the book got a tad long at the end.

Overall, one of my favorites of the year.

Was this a fully- holiday, totally “how the grinch stole Christmas” coded book?! YES! It was cute, albeit a little “hallmark” cheesy at times… but it was a very fun holiday read. It is a longer book, and the spice doesn’t come in for a WHILE, so definitely more of a slow burn. But, iykyk 😅

I commend the book for infusing elements from the Grinch because I love that movie/book. The rest of the book was really not great. I didn’t like really any of the characters and their relationships seemed really weak to me.

🎅🏼 How My Neighbor Stole Christmas - Meghan Quinn

4 ⭐️ - Screaming this from the rooftops, LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK. This one is cute and cheesy, but done as a duet and the listening experience is top notch. If you’re a fan of the storyline of The Grinch, this one seems obviously for you.

This was a cute, laugh out loud, spicy holiday romance. It had hilarious banter between our main characters, a fun and ridiculous Christmas competition and a spicy childhood crush, enemies to lovers romance. I think it was a cute take on The Grinch in an obvious different way. I loved the narrator at the beginning of each chapter. I’m glad I read this one, but it had no business being almost 500 pages long. I HIGHLY recommend the audio.

I didn’t come into this expecting to love this as much as I did. In fact I felt really weird about it because how are you making this an actual re-telling? But y’all this turned out so well done! Don’t get me wrong, it’s long af, but it was really good and I really could not stop laughing.

Y’all this book was hilarious. I think if it wasn’t I really would have DNFed it because whyyyyyyy is this contemporary romance 10+ hours?! The book itself is 480 pages! Anyway, there were many times I laughed so freaking hard I almost woke up my kid. Like the lights on his house scene? Or the 50 foot Santa? Lordt I almost burst a blood vessel trying to make sure I didn’t laugh too loud. I don’t want to give too much away, but she was a hot mess and it made her hilarious.

The length seemed to be a bit of an editing issue. I think if some of the competition had been cut or if some of the bantering had been cut it would have been fine, but it was just too much book for me. I found myself taking breaks because I kind of had to. But even still, this didn’t stop me from telling everyone I was reading this and I was loving it. Because I did in fact love this so much.

Despite my original thought about this, the story was so good! I loved it so much. I mean I knew how it would be to write a grump, but I thought it was going to be an enemies to lovers or a grump/sunshine. But it was so much more than that. With the narrator and all. It was so much fun! Quinn did a damn good job at making this an actual Grinch retelling and not just the tropey story I was expecting.

The romance itself was also very good. HOWEVER, I didn’t love how he was acting to her. She had no idea what had happened and even when he could have told her, he didn’t. I didn’t understand why this made him mad at her? It didn’t make any sense to me. And for him to be holding that grudge too for years and saying all those weird ass little sayings? He was aggy as hell sometimes. I wanted her to walk away and cuss him out. I was very glad that I was not her because I don’t know that I would have stayed lol But I’m also petty sooooo. But when they finally got together, I was fanning myself. Everyone has said this, but THE CANDY CANE SCENE? I am never going to look at one the same lmao But the place and the way it was done? Are all her books like this? Have I really been missing this the whole time?

The holiday-ness of this one was amazing too. The town was very much a Who-Ville type of thing? Each character was in charge of something Christmasy in the town. And I really loved that. I do wish we got to see the reindeer more, but I realize that isn’t super important and it was something that actually mattered in the grand scheme of things, but still lol

This was so much more fun than I thought it would be. I’m not sure if I enjoyed it so much because it was a holiday story or what, but Lordt I know that I need to read more of Quinn’s stories. I definitely need to know more about what she’s written!

I had the absolute best time! The Christmas rhymes at the beginning of the chapter was the cutest touch, added a whole star because of the thoughtfulness and Christmas vibes while reading. It is impossible to not feel immersed in a Christmas movie while reading this silly and fun story about Storee and Cole. Thank you so much for letting me read this early, SO fun.

“If you allow fear to take over your actions, then you’re never going to accomplish anything.”

Everyone in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot, but there is one who certainly has not. Cole Black has been lacking in Christmas cheer for many years now. It’s a time when he hides in his home and doesn’t come out. Except this year, something is different..Storee Taylor is back in town and she’s brought some holiday cheer with her. Store hasn’t been back to Kringletown in many years but when her Great Aunt Cindy needs her help she shows up, and gets entered into the town’s annual Christmas Kringle contest…much to the annoyance of Cole. Now these two are at odds and bantering faster than one can make a candy cane. Who will win? And who will be the first to meet the other under the mistletoe?

This book was so cute! I’m definitely a fan of the enemies to lovers trope and Meghan Quinn surely did not disappoint in this aspect. The banter and tension were *chef’s kiss* Truly a classic enemies to lovers.

Not to mention the fun little references to the Grinch throughout the duration of the book. I won’t give them away but let me just say that I love Max!

Meghan Quinn truly knows how to round her characters, the evolution of Cole throughout the book is probably the most profound in a way that pulls on your heart strings.

If you’re looking for a fun holiday romance with spice then I highly recommend this book.

4.5 stars - This would be amazing to see on Netflix! If you enjoy a small town holiday competition between families, then you'll love every moment of this story. You also might never look at a candy cane the same again...don't say I didn't warn you.

3-3.5 stars. Very mixed feelings on this one. Several of the descriptions are overkill and the first third or so I really skimmed to the dialogue. The whole competition is silly, but that’s kind of the point. Theres competitive banter and some obvious vibes. Once things take a turn things heat up, but it’s a little convoluted with the town and family drama.

The grinch is my favorite Christmas movie so the tie-in and grinch-fic was fun to me, as well as the narrator.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

So sweet and festive and enemies to lovers and also second chance romance. I loved the premise of a Christmas town and a Grinch retelling and I always love a dual POV. I really appreciated that Max/Atlas was the sweet golden retriever and I really hope Quinn gives him his own story (maybe for next Christmas???). I will say I was a bit shocked at the ending and feel like maybe we could have used a touch more closure but another great read.

This holiday romance will have you giggling and coming back for more!

I LOVED this one! How The Grinch Stole Christmas has been a classic favorite children's book, and movie of mine for as long as I can remember. The hilarious nostaligia and fun easter egg nods to the original concept really brought me so much joy!

I loved the aunt's antics in getting our FMC and her sister into town to take over her place in the competition! And our lovable grumpy hero made me laugh out loud more times than I can count with his inner monologues about her! I LOVED that there was a narration piece similar to the Grinch movies, so although I received an e-ARC of this once, I also purchased the audiobook simply to enjoy the experience that much more! 10/10 recommend snagging the audio version if you enjoy reading in that format, and love the Grinch too!

I won't spoil anymore for those reading this, but this reader feels this holiday romance will be at the top for MUST READS and gifting this season!

Storee and her sister are temporarily moving to Kringle to help take care of their great aunt after she suffers a broken hip. Kringle is a town where Christmas never sleeps and goes on year round. Great aunt Cindy convinces Storee.to participate in the yearly competition that showcases the person with the most Christmas spirit. In the process, Storee is reconnected to next door neighbor, Cole. They have a past and neither seems to be too happy to see the other. When Cole enters the competition, game on. They might decide the competition isn’t the only thing they want to win.

This is 100% a made for tv movie, except for all the crazy sex that couldn’t be shown on regular tv! While nothing was a big surprise, this was a fun holiday book. This was my first Quinn book, so I’m not sure if the spice level is so high in all of the books she writes!!

I originally passed on this book due to the cover art. But then I saw it getting rave reviews on IG and decided to give it a try. Cute premise custom made for a Hallmark movie but I just couldn't get past the stilted characters and dialogue. This was a DNF for me.

Okay, so this book was adorable to start. It was like Hallmark's Haul Out the Holly meets How the Grinch stole Christmas. A town obsessed with Christmas, two individuals who had a slight past, a competition for who is the most Christmasy.....and all of the stanzas reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. I love it to start out....

....and then, while we knew there was sexual tension, we had chapter upon chapter of sex scenes. The book ceased to be about the Christmas competition and instead about the sex. And graphic sex scenes that honestly felt written by a horny teenager. I like them semi classier.

So honestly I got really annoyed with this book. It's a hard one to recommend because it started so far from what it could have been

Oh my goodness!!! What a fun read. This is my second Meghan Quinn, and I absolutely loved it! I find that with a lot of holiday romcoms, they can blur together due to their similar nature, but How My Neighbor Stole Christmas stands out on it's own.
After her great aunt Cindy breaks her hip, Storee and her sister go to stay with their aunt during the holiday season (reluctantly) for the first time in a decade. 10 years prior she had humiliated herself in front of the whole town, so she isn't necessarily jazzed about the long-term visit. Cindy lives in a Christmas-all-year-round town called Kringle (Whoville) where they take their annual Christmas Kringle competition very seriously. Because Cindy is unable to compete this year, she tasks Storee to win the 2024 Kringle title in her honor. Unfortunately for her; however, her grumpy and Grinchy next door neighbor catches wind of this and decides he wants to steal her Christmas glory and compete against her.
This novel focuses on their enemies to lovers dynamic in the modern timeline, but it is important to note that they also had a friendship prior to the decade that has passed between the two seeing each other, so it is also a second chance romance in a way.
My favorite part of this book was the festive competitions and quirky characters. Oftentimes the setting and background can get lost in a romance, but I fully felt immersed in this town. There were a lot of cameos to the Grinch, which was so fun to see and the humor in this book was unmatched!
The steamy scenes were quite steamy indeed- cough cough candy cane scene....... Quinn knows how to get a girl excited, that's for sure! The romantic scenes between the two were full of love and emotion but were also dirty af - my favorite combination.
My biggest critique was that I felt that the backstory between the two was glanced over a bit too much to get the full emotional payoff of their second chance. I do agree that the book is long, so perhaps it was cut down for that reason, but I did notice that. In addition, it wrapped up really fast.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this and rated it 4.5 stars. Hoping that maybe she will continue to write future festive books in Kringle.

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read a new one by one of my favorite authors about one of my favorite holidays!

I mean, let's face it, Meghan Quinn has done it again. The humorous situations and banter that she comes up with is unmatched.

Storee heads back to Kringle Colorado with her sister to take care of their elderly aunt and she runs into her old friend/crush Cole and from there, rivalry and hilarity ensues. Of course this is a rom-com from the master so obviously there's some steam involved but the way this book was written was just *chef's kiss*. It's like watching a Hallmark movie but funny and witty and sexy.

Instantly became one of my favorite holiday reads!

Really liked the first 25% or so! Looooved the narrator aspect and all of the nods to the actual Grinch movie. I liked the two MCs but didn’t really like how the romantic piece went from literal zero to one hundred. Some of the spice was just a bit gross in wording and because there wasn’t much build up of an actual relationship, I didn’t feel any chemistry and therefore wasn’t attached to the characters. I do think many who like heavy spice will enjoy. I loved the small town aspect and the competition component- that was sweet.