🎄🎄🎄/5

Thank you for the ARC! My whole heartedly response is…It was.. okay. It wasn’t a bad read at all, good for the holiday time but this might not be my #1 pick out of all the holiday choices this year.

Why? Maybe it’s my personal take but I wasn’t super into the grandma POV and what not. I knew it was part of the story but it felt a bit too much for me. I think that made it hard for me to be all about their relationship.

It's so nice to visit Junebug Farms again.
But be careful. As soon as you see one of the cute animals and maybe play with them for a bit or just pet them, you'll fall in love! Guaranteed!
Lots of super cute doggos and we meet a few old acquaintances again.
Sammi and Keegan are friends and have a crush on each other .
It all starts off so promisingly, but the story would be told after the first page if it didn't get complicated.
At least that's how it is for Keegan when she breaks away from Sammi's actually wonderful embrace.
Sammi is confused and disappointed when Keegan simply withdraws with an apology after a great evening and incredible kisses and plays the friendzone card.
This is how it goes for the two of them and their story starts eleven months later.
They don't talk about it anymore and both just go on with their lives and occasionally see each other as friends. Friends who are hurt and disappointed and a little jealous when the other is dating someone else…
It's good that there is a wonderful grandmother who makes sure that the two of them get a little help in finding the right path again.
The path to each other.
It's wonderful Christmassy and often sweet and heartwarming!
Everything a beautiful Christmas romance should have. With a happy ending, of course!
Thanks to Georgia Beers, Bold Strokes Books for this ARC!

I really liked the premise of this book, friends to lovers forced to spend time together sounded really cute. But unfortunately, something about the relationship between Sammi and Keegan just didn't work for me. I wasn't really feeling their chemistry and their "friendship" seemed weird and distant. From the description I was thinking they were friends from childhood or best friends for a long time. Instead, they are friends for only a few years and hangout sporadically, have their embarrassing incident, and then text with an occasional hangout into the present time. It just didn't really give me the vibe of mutual longtime pining, angst, and chemistry that I typically prefer in a friends to lovers trope. Also, I didn't really like Keegan's actions in the beginning. She pulls away from Samantha during the prologue scene, and doesn't explain herself at all, just says, "I can't." Then, she proceeds to hardcore friend-zone Sammi and dates someone else out of the blue. She also knows that Sammi is jealous, and it doesn't seem to matter to her much. I didn't get any sense of longing or regret on Keegan's part for the first half of the book. There is a lot that is told and not shown in this book regarding their "friendship", and I think it really detracted from the romance for me. It made it difficult to care about the characters and whether or not they ended up together.

Despite these issues, however, there were still some great things about this book. I really enjoyed how supportive both of their families were, and the fundraiser scenes were still pretty cute. My favorite part of the book was Beckett, and I'm very glad he and Sammi had a happy ending.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite Georgia Beers. I think it's a cute holiday romance but despite the description didn't quite feel like a true friends to lovers trope to me. 3.2/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

A classic love story by Georgia Beers. This has all the qualities of every Beers novel. I enjoyed this light read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

I could not put this book down! I truly love the way Georgia Beers writes—her style is always cozy and charming. Keegan and Sammi are perfect for each other, and I love how relatable their story is to anyone who has crushed on their best friend. It was also so special to have a reappearance of Junebug Farms. That series is one of my absolute favorites from Georgia Beers. Everyone loves the way dogs bring people together! It’s very cute the way Junebug Farms is like one big happy family, and the way the story unfolds makes the reader feel like they’re part of this family. I wish this was longer or at least wish a second part was coming! Thank you for the perfect holiday book. I highly recommend it to all of my friends and family.

I liked the set up of the novel. It’s a combination of friends to lovers while incorporating insecurities and heartbreak with Christmas.

The two main characters work off each other well but there are times the book drags even in a shorter book.

Where the story really drags is the POV of the Grandmother. Those parts of the books are unnecessary and takes away from getting to know the main characters.

It’s closer to 3.5 stars but I rounded up for Christmas.

Thanks to NetGallery and the Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For the most part I enjoyed this story, it certainly wasn’t a straight forward romance. Plenty of cute dogs, returned characters from previous books and lots of Christmas atmosphere to get you in the holiday mode. Perhaps the thing that irked me most was the incident that the whole story is based on. I just didn’t feel that it was believable, in the sense that, a conversation would have cleared everything up or why Keegan was feeling how she did in the first place. There wasn’t enough background for the behaviour to be explained fully. Keegan blew so hot and cold I am not sure I warmed to her.

Mia almost felt like the main character for this story, not Sammi and Keegan, I certainly enjoyed her input but it at times felt like two very different stories happening. It was enjoyable but I guess I wanted more of the main love story. It’s a three and half story for me.

2.5⭐️

No me gustó.

Al principio pensaba que Sam merecía algo mejor después de lo ocurrido en el prólogo, y aunque la alejó, la seguía como una tonta. Sin embargo, al ver cómo hablaba de Jules, la novia de Keegan, me cayó mal, porque al final ambas se merecen la una a la otra. La que sí se salvó fue Jules.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a swoon worthy seasonal romance. It has such a Hallmark vibe to it! The characters were quite relatable. The Sweet dogs were a great additive to the story. Sammi's grandmother was an absolute treat of a character. Her personality was the best. I love the second chance trope and how it was presented. It gets you into the feels of the holiday season. It feels like you should be cozying down with some hot chocolate. This book will definitely put a smile on this your face!

I received this book as and arc read from NetGalley

This book is perfect for the holidays. I love a good romance book that involves that helps get you in the spirit. The shelter dogs is the perfect added bonus. It makes you want to go volunteer at the local shelter or maybe even bring home a new furry friend! Great read. 10/10, I recommend!

This Christmas by Georgia Beers is a heartwarming holiday romance that perfectly captures the spirit of the season. With its adorable characters and festive setting, this book feels like a cozy Hallmark movie brought to life.

As always, Beers' writing is both charming and engaging, creating a world that's easy to get lost in. If you're looking for a feel-good romance to curl up with this holiday season, this is the one.

The book is gave me a lot of Christmas feelings which is a good thing and thus I rate this book rather high. The whole addition of cute dogs did not hurt either. A nice easy read with a very low spice level, fade to black level even when they finally hook up 90% into the book.

However, I got a bit frustrated about the extreme slow burn and how Keegan behaved until the very 10% remained of the book. Unbelievable that Sammi just accepted it for so long. I also did not love the sudden grandmother POV, absolutely no need for that.

Straight out of the sapphic Hallmark Christmas bag, this one hits all the festive feels! Rescue dogs, meddling grandmas, Christmas, and love is such a heartwarming combo, and this book delivers on every front. It’s predictable but in the best way, like the comfort of your favourite Christmas movie.
The rescue dogs and Christmas miracles will leave you smiling—what more could you want for the holiday season?

I received an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley which I am very grateful for. I mean what is not to love romance, Christmas and rescue dogs, sign me up. This cute little romance has me all fired up for Christmas now. I feel like the characters are super relatable and who doesn't love a kind, sassy, matchmaking grandma. This is a short read which is a perfect palate cleanser between two heavier reads (I read mainly fantasy but do enjoy a short romance or thriller in between to just lighten the mood). If Hallmark movies were a book it would be this one, I highly recommend it for the Christmas season.

This Christmas was a cute holiday romance that featured two people, Sammi and Keagan, who had been out on one date which lead to some intense feelings that Keagan could not handle, so she ran away from their makeout session. Sammi never understood why. Keagan then promptly started dating someone else.

The story revolves around Sammi’s grandmother, Mia, playing matchmaker to try and get Sammi and Keagan together via the kennel where they volunteer.

Some things that I enjoyed the book included the dogs and the volunteer activities that Sammi and Keagan did as “ queen and queen” of the kennel. I never really did understand the “big, intense” feelings though that caused Keagan to originally run. That plot point seemed weak. The spice factor in this story is also on the low side. 3.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and BetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Really solid holiday romance with second chance trope. It's light and rather quick read, great for the upcoming holiday weekends. Georgia Beers can write an entertaining romance. There are dogs, holiday and winter activities, and pining. The book is very mild on the spice scale.

The romance itself with forced proximity was worth 4 stars but I didn't really care about the grandmother. To be more exact, I didn't like the feeling I got that the novel was as much or even more about Grams than it was about Keegan and Samantha.

In romcoms it's usual to have meddling friends or relatives. It can be annoying or something positive that pushes the story forwards. In This Christmas, it was the latter, and it worked - but I didn't like that Grams had her own POV sections. It misguided the attention from the main couple and took time and space from knowing them better. I think having the 3rd POV can go both ways depending on the reader.

This story has just about every ingredient for a perfect hallmark-style holiday in book form - the holiday season, adorable adoptable animals, meddling family members, and a second-chance romance between the two main characters.

The story is told in alternating perspectives of both main characters, as well as one of their grandmothers, which provided interesting and unique perspectives on the events in the novel. Sammi, and Keegan were both realistic and relatable, and I want to be like sammi’s grandmother when I grow up!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this lovely spicy christmas book

this book has all the elements in a christmas book that you could want.... dogs and cats that need rehoming and a bit of match making from a grandparent to pave the way for love.....

when the organisers of a cats and dogs home have some of their funding go they have to come up with ideas to raise money to keep the animals fed in their care....and a king and queen idea was formed...only this year its a queen and queen pageant..... what could go wrong...or right

its a fun read with the added elements of christmas. animals and a bit of spice...

This Christmas was a sweet holiday romance with a lot of cute dogs, a meddling grandma, a Christmas campaign…and some agonizing “I can’t share my big love feelings!!!!” from one of the MC’s.
The characters were very human and tangible, and I loved getting to see the perspectives of not only both love interests but also the grandma. That was so endearing.