A holiday romance and I get to go back and visit Junebug Farms!!! Count me in. This was a fast paced, low angst holiday charmer. Dogs, a meddling grandma and fun holiday events! Yes Please. Georgia Beers is the master of classic romance book and this one fits right in.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book. I am providing an honest review and all opinions are my own.

Well, what a pleasant read This Christmas was. I’ll be honest and say the cover is what drew me to this book. You put dogs on a cover and I am there. Thankfully, I wasn’t scorned by such a beautiful cover and this book was a highly entertaining read.

I read the entirety of This Christmas in one sitting without putting the book down. For something to grab my attention like this is pretty usual at the moment, so that speaks volumes for how much I enjoyed this. Also, it was fairly short which is also a win in my eyes. Nothing felt too rushed and the shorter length made a lot of sense. I think if the events dragged on too long or the author tried to put in more, it would have gotten too repetitive.

I loved absolutely every dog mentioned in this book. Although as a whippet owner, I was very sad there wasn’t a single mention of a sighthound. Everything was a lab mix or a staffy, which is fine because I adore staffies (and all dog breeds).

The banter between Sammy and Keegan was great and you could tell they still liked each other from the get-go. It’s funny that Jules (the woman Keegan is dating to begin with) was written as a huge red flag (she doesn’t like animals), meaning you want Sammy and Keegan to get together even more. The way the author describes Jules is quite comedic as well, you can tell that the author really didn’t want you to like her.

The shelter sounded like such a lovely place and while it is sad that animals do end up at these places sometimes, Junebug was written like a 5 star hotel for dogs, cats, pigs and more. I’d volunteer there in a heartbeat.

Christmas events and the day itself were sprinkled throughout This Christmas so the festive vibes were definitely there. My favourite event was the dog biscuit making. I love the idea of a bakery that only makes treats for animals, so cute.

I’d highly recommend checking out This Christmas if you’re looking for a cute but short read for the festive season.

Rating: 3.5/5

When Junebug sponsors the annual Christmas parade to raise money and awareness for their shelter, the staff have a plan: the king and queen of the parade will spend the holidays filming adorable Christmas vignettes to bring in donations and find forever homes for lovable pups before Santa comes.

What they don’t know is that Mia Sorenson, volunteer dog walker and superior matchmaker, is about to rig the voting so that her granddaughter, Samantha, and Sam’s friend Keegan, win queen and queen of the parade. Sam and Keegan have been dancing around each other for years, and if Mia doesn’t do something, they might never realize they’re meant to be together.

Georgia Beers delivers another fun sapphic romance! Seriously, you can't go wrong when you put your people in an animal shelter. <3 The romantic chemistry wasn't hot sparks (for me), but I still really enjoyed the dance they had with each other. I love sapphic Christmas stories! Pick this one up for a fun read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

I had hopes for this one, but sadly it just wasn’t for me. I was excited to see that we were being brought back to Junebug Farms, but alas, the love story felt a little forced, and I really didn’t feel chemistry between the two main characters. I tend to enjoy the majority of Georgia Beers’ stories, but this one just didn’t seem fully developed. The story began very, very slowly and I struggled to figure out what was going on. I felt a lot of details were left out – and these details seemed very important to the ‘incident,’ – and that’s where the author lost me. I need more of a connection to the characters and their story to who they are to each other. Even though I didn’t have luck with this one, I’m sure I’ll read the author’s next story.

2.5

Sammi, an amazing dentist, is close with her mom Maggie and her badass grandma Mia, who volunteers at the local animal shelter. After a hookup with Keegan, a sweet kindergarten teacher, left her confused last year, she's still into her and finding it hard to move on. The animal shelters' fundraiser is coming up, and Sammi and Keegan find themselves getting to know each other again and may be rekindling their relationship.

I really liked this story! I loved getting to know both Sammi and Keegan. I'd love to visit Junebug Farms! I want to grow up to be like Mia when I'm 80, and I also immediately fell in love with Beckett. This is a great Christmassy read!

Thank you NetGalley & Bold Strokes Books for an ARC of This Christmas!

A queer love story centered around a no-kill shelter? Count me in! When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to request it. I was so happy when I was approved that I started reading it immediately. My first holiday novel of the year! Never too early right?

I immediately fell in love with the story, the town, Sammi, Keegan, Mia, Maggie and all the doggies! The writer made it extremely easy to connect with the characters instantly.

This was the cutest, most charming holiday read and I recommend everyone pick it up immediately!

What a way to get into the Christmas spirit. This Christmas has everything you could ever really dream of having in a Christmas romance. Adorable dog? Check. Friends to lovers? Check. Tones of pining and figuring out feelings in the most adorable of circumstances? Check. I really enjoyed seeing this story play out from the perspectives of both main characters, which only made the story more and more satisfying to read as it progressed.

2.5⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this eARC.

The thing that drew me to this book was the cover and then I read the blurb and I was like "wow I really think I would love this book", but I'm sad to say that I did not enjoy this much at all.

I really love the premise of the book... Friends to lovers and forced proximity are some of my favourite tropes but unfortunately something about Keegan and Sammi's friendship and romantical relationship did not sit right with me. I was very surprised to find out that they hadn't been friends since like childhood which I think would have made this book a lot better. Cause to me it feels like there isn't enough background and backstory to them, to enjoy their friends to lovers romance.
I also struggled to see chemistry between them. I do think their "falling out"/embarrassing incident was pretty awkward and sort of silly because what do you mean you are friends and have never talked about it or even addressed it for literally a year but still go out for dinner and lunch sometimes?

Thank you to Georgia Beers, NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What a cute read! Who doesn't love a second chance romance AND a no-kill animal shelter!? I loved seeing so many different point of views and the honesty between the two main characters - They set boundaries, made their voices heard and respected other people views and voices as well - loved!

I would have loved to have seen a LITTLE more christmas-y vibes in the book but the winter vibes it was giving off were fire! This book would make for a great transition from spooky season into the holiday season!

This book was practically freaking perfect. Keegan and Sammi started something a year prior, but, Keegan got super spooked and ran away, friend zoning Sammi. But, it's about to be Christmas, and Sammi's grandmother Mia has a plan to make them spend time together. A fundraiser for Junebug Farms animal rescue to raise money. Where (in this case) two Queens will do Christmas-y stuff with dogs to raise money and awareness. The whole book from start to finish was amazing.

The characters were pitch perfect (oh Mia, Mia). All the dogs were so well written and all different too (now I need to find a Cat centric Christmas lesbian romance too). And, the pace of the book was good too. It was like a really good Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie (like and Under the Christmas Tree or Season of Love). The Christmas shone through, as did family with a capital F, and the romance was awesome too. All around 5 star novel!

I was a bit confused because I thoughts the mains had been friends for ages, tried more and gone back to friends. They hadn’t. This only became to clear to me about 18% in. This may have accounted for me not quite settling in at the start. However a couple of paragraphs later, I find they were friends for a few years.
All that said, I enjoyed the book. It’s a romance, so of course there is a happy ending and I enjoyed the journey to it. I got a wee bit teary eyed, not at the romance but some of the secondary characters aka doggies.
An enjoyable Christmas romance. Although the tendency to put super in, super often as an extra descriptive word was a wee bit distracting! 3.5 up to 4.

If This Christmas doesn't get you in the holiday spirit, I don't know what will. It has all the feels, plus snow, home-made cookies, lots of adorable dogs and cats and fun holidays activities. There's a sweet grandmother, who you can't help but love and a no-kill animal shelter. I know! It's a lot, but it comes together so nicely in typical Georgia Beers fashion and when she introduces you to the MC's Keegan and Sammi, you are going to love them too. You just can't help yourself. So do yourself a favor and buy the book! Merry Christmas and you are welcome!

3.75 rounded up

If you're looking for a low stakes holiday romance with adorable dogs, this is a good pick. I loved all the shelter fundraising scenes, and that's when Keegan and Sammi were at their best. There are some aspects of this book that fell flat for me, but overall it was a cute romance to get into the holiday spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This was a good read! I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. The story was well written and engaging. I would definitely recommend!

I found Sammi and Keegan to be so cute together! I just wish it didn’t take them so long to confess their feelings for each other. I also wanted this story to he longer. I love this writing style and I adore this author. It just would have been more fun to explore the relationship going deeper or having more personal experiences between the two gals. Maybe the story could have extended into more seasons where we see how Beckett changes. I am already looking forward to the next GB release and I do recommend this beautiful tale every holiday romance enthusiast!

Loved the characters as well as the upstate NY and shelter settings. The point of view of Sammi's grandmother Mia seemed a little out of place when the story was about Sammi and Keegan, but maybe the author had to condense the plot line. I overall enjoyed the story and the main characters; definitely a good one to read as it gets cold outside and close to the holidays. Also, there are shelter doggies!!!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc

A cutesy Christmas cosy read. I enjoyed this one and would recommend if you’re after a light easy to read Christmassy romance

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC.

I always like a friends to lovers, forced proximity trope. Forced proximity is one of my favourites and friends to lovers can be amazing. I enjoyed both Keegan & Sammi, however, something felt distant about their friendship in general. The vibes and chemistry were not there. I understand there was a reason in the prologue for the "falling out" but the relationship was awkward and I couldn't get behind it until the very end. There isn't enough background on their friendship for me to really appreciate their friends to lovers romance.

The entire first half of the book, I wasn't a huge fan of Keegan due to the prologue because she never explained herself. Sammie seemed mature and understood her emotions and it felt like Keegan and her were polar opposites. Toward the end, Keegan does become more relatable but I feel this should be explained earlier on to make her character more valued.

I did enjoy all the characters in general though and the heartwarming messages within the book. I loved how supportive the families were and that this book showcased a shelter. Shelters are especially issues near the holidays (I own 5 fur babies), and I love that this was in the book. I did enjoy the entire ending too, it made me smile and I felt the romance at the end.

Overall, it was a cute read and I did enjoy it.

4.5 Stars

This was a very enjoyable, cozy holiday romance. This Christmas follows Sam and Keegan, friends that attempted a date a year previously, but the moment was too big for Keegan, and she ran. A year later, they are still friends. However, Sam's grandmother, Mia, ever the matchmaker sees an opportunity to reunite the friends through the local animal shelters holiday fundraiser event. Sam and Keegan are powerless against adorable puppies, and holiday cheer as they reconnect.

I love Hallmark holiday romcoms. I know they are the cheesiest movies ever and many are poorly acted and absolutely ridiculous, but I love the happy warm feelings that they invoke. And This Christmas has all the same feelings. As I was describing this book to a friend, they remarked it sounds just like a Hallmark Movie. I liked Sam and Keegan and the adorable dogs. I had not read the Puppy Love Romance series, which this book takes us back to Junebug Farms. I definitely will be reading them soon, but I imagine it will be nice to see those characters again but having not read them, did not affect my reading at all.

All in all, I really love this book. It will join my favorite holiday reads at the end of the year. The only thing that keeps it from a full 5 stars is that while I enjoyed Mai's POV sections, I wished there were more with Sam and Keegan. I would recommend this for fans of of lighthearted holiday romances.

A somewhat typical formula of Christmas story, we have two idiots MCs hopelessly in love with each other but too chickenshit to move forward, couples with adorable fur babies along with feisty matchmaking granny. I said typical but doesn't mean I enjoyed any less. It's a sweet and low angst story with Christmas theme, and hey sometimes you just want to read something like that. This is a perfect book to read in winter times with hot chocolate and cuddles from your fur babies.