Super cute idea! I love the backstory and animal shelter setting. I'm not always the biggest fan of Christmas love stories but it was cute.

I really wanted to love This Christmas - the premise had so much potential! An animal shelter fundraiser, a charming small-town setting, and a meddling but well-meaning grandmother all sounded like the perfect recipe for a heartwarming holiday romance. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me.

Despite the cute concept, I found it difficult to get through. The story never fully pulled me in, and I struggled to stay engaged with Sam and Keegan’s romance. I usually love a supportive family, but I the book would randomly switches to the grandma’s POV for no real reason, but didn't add to the story. It felt unnecessary and pulled me out of the story, her involvement felt like enough from afar.

On top of that, I had a hard time differentiating the character voices, which made the dialogue and internal monologues blur together. Keegan, in particular, lacked emotional depth. Her POV never felt fully fleshed out, and I struggled to understand her motivations behind why she refused to accept her feelings for Sammi. And while I appreciate the intent behind highlighting the “progressive” choice of having two queens instead of a king and queen, the book kept bringing it up in a way that felt forced rather than natural.

I know others might enjoy this one, but for me, it was a struggle from start to finish.

Enjoyable Christmas novel, a bit predictable but then most novels of this ilk are.
Some good characters and lots of dogs!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of This Christmas by Georgia Beers. Unfortunately, I was unable to view This Christmas before the archive date. I have read another Georgia Beers novel and enjoyed it so I look forward to finding this book out in the wild.

a fun, holiday themed book that animal lovers are sure to enjoy. it is difficult to write christmas books that feel like anything more than a quick holiday read, so i don't fault the author for that, but this is also not something i would go out of my way to recommend as it doesn't particularly stick with the reader.

I liked the overall concept, but the writing was just not for me. I found it quite forced, to be honest.
I did enjoy the side characters, which gave the book a few funny situations. Plus I found them to be interesting, meaning that even if they are side characters, they have somehow a bit of protagonism to them. In fact, I think some were even more interesting than the MCs.
The MCs were really cute with eachother, but i was not expecting there to be such a big miscomunication plot. I was hoping it was just wierd between them, but they are actually friends who just do not talk about their issues. It felt frustrating at some point.
If I had to recommend it, I think it would fit with a more younger audience, people who have just become 18 or perhaps up to 21? I found it a bit childish-like at some point, so I feel like it does not work for a more mature audience. It is fun, tho. Just too childish for me in relation to comunication.

Sammi and Keegan were in a relationship, but Keegan got cold feet and ran away. They both spend the next year trying to avoid their feelings for each other, until Mia, Sammy's interfering grandmother, becomes matchmaker.

This Christmas is a heartwarming, cosy Christmas Romance, with mostly lovable characters, lots of rescue dogs, and an all round happy ending, making it a most enjoyable easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for letting me read a copy of this book in return for my honest review

I really loved this book, it was the festive vibes I needed at the time. Such a sweet, quick, easy, holiday read, with very likable characters . I even recommended it to friends.

A very cute Christmas romance

Sammi and Keegan tried to date before. But it didn't work out because Keegan freaked out and bailed. Since then, they've been dating other people, dancing around one another and never quite speaking. But when the animal shelter plan to elect a King and Queen for the Christmas parade and they end up elected together, they start spending a lot of time together. Surrounded by dogs and the holiday spirit, and with the discreet help of Mia, a talented matchmaker, old feelings come creeping back... Will they allow themselves a second chance?

This book was really sweet and fun. I liked that it was a second chance romance and a slow burn at the same time. It gave the characters time to get to know each other again, and the fact that they were surrounded by adorable dogs while doing this made it all the more entertaining. The romance was cute and absolutely beautiful, I loved seeing their feelings grow, how they got jealous when the other one had a girlfriend. It was like they were the only ones who didn't realize they were meant to be together and it was both fun and gripping to read. I liked that there was a matchmaker in the works to help them realize it, but I wasn't a fan of the change of POVs to secondary characters in some chapters. It's a personal taste, of course, which didn't prevent me from enjoying the book. All in all, a beautiful wlw holiday romance with dogs and dreams!

I recommend if you like holiday romances and dogs!

"There was something there. Love? Something close. Definitely."

Such a cute cozy holiday read. Was a fun read over the holidays. I couldn't put it down. Absolutely recommend to anyone who loves romance and cozy holiday vibes.

This was such a lovely cosy read, perfect for Christmas time with likeable characters and a fast pace!

Oh my gosh! This book tugged at my heartstrings so much that I shed tears. It was a beautifully written story that took me on an emotional journey. While there were tears, there was also laughter. This might just be in the top five of Georgia Beers’ books. It was a great little holiday read that I would definitely read again.

Who doesn't love a feelgood romance? Especially one with animals involved! This Christmas encapsulates everything good about (mostly) clean (there is one fairly detailed scene in the last 10% of the book) cosy romance books and makes it better by topping everything with a sprinkle of animal love.

This book had me rooting for everyone, human and animal (except for Jules...we'll ignore Jules). It was so easy to read, so enjoyable and cosy that I found it hard to put down.

This Christmas follows the story of Sammi and Keegan, the two parade queen's voted to represent Junebug Farms no-kill animal shelter during promotional events leading up to and at the annual Christmas parade, along with a selection of the dogs up for adoption at Junebug Farms. The two have history, of sorts, a "big embarrassing thing" that they agreed to never mention. But nothing will stop Mia, Sammi's matchmaking grandmother, from pushing the two towards each other, convinced they are meant to be.

Full of laughter, a sprinkle of awkwardness, a whole load of love, and a little bit of heartache (mostly for the animals), this is a perfect, feel-good, cosy Christmas romance. I'm not sure whose happy ending I was rooting for more, Beckett's (one of the dogs) or Sammi's.

I absolutely loved This Christmas. I think this will be a Christmas staple to read every year. It’s a feel good book and full of funny characters right down to the dogs

A nice christmas romance, this novel is low-stakes, low-angst. Perfect for a cozy, sapphic read this season!

This book has dogs automatically 5 stars (kidding....maybe) Sammi amd Keegan are friends but everyone thinks they should be more and they almost were once - in order to help the dogs! - they are going to have a parade and a king and queen and guess who that ends up being! (Not the dogs) - this was part of a series but definitely works as a stand alone it was a fun lighthearted Christmas read that I could see as a Hallmark movies

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book. Here are my honest thoughts and review.

Samantha and Keegan are the cutest couple, and I absolutely loved the meddling grandmother, Mia—she was the highlight of this story! Sometimes people just need a little push, and Mia provides that for both the story and our main characters, making her a delightful and pivotal part of the plot.

This was my first time reading a book set in an animal shelter, and it worked so well. The setting added a unique charm and warmth to the story. If you’re a dog person and love romance, this book is a must-read!

The story was predictable, but that didn’t take away from its enjoyment. It delivered a sweet, slow-burn romance with a cute setting and a heartwarming HEA, perfect for Christmas.

Thank you, Georgia Beers, for creating strong, independent women as your main characters—capable of navigating life’s challenges without relying on a man. This refreshing approach adds depth to a contemporary romance and makes the story even more empowering.

This was such a lovely read.

It starts with Keegan completely freaking out during a make out session and Sammi and bailing, and then picks up a year later when they are just good friends, having never properly spoken about what happened that night. But it's obvious to everyone, especially Sammi's grandmother Mia, that they still have feelings for each other.

So Mia hatches a plan. She ever so slightly tweaks things at the animal rescue where she volunteers, so that Sammi and Keegan both end up going on a series of fundraising and awareness events for the rescue. And, of course, such close proximity, especially at Christmas, leads where we all know it will.

If you love a good festive story, with low stakes, you'll love this one. I loved every minute of it. Truly.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. Overall not a bad story, just not for me.might be my age of over 60, but just couldn’t get into the story.

I got 20% into the book before I had to DNF the book. I love the premise of the book and would recommend to friends and anyone looking for a cozy Christmas book. However, I am not the biggest fan of third person writing when reading. That is the only reason that I could not complete the book.