The Night Before Christmas audiobook kept my attention just enough to get the plot in my head.
The audiobook had a very good narrator, Hannah Curtis.
The cover grabbed me, and my expectation was sure it would be a good story. But less it was not what I was expecting it to be.
Felicity and James or Penguin Man as she calls him. This was due to him showing up dressed in a Penguin suit.
The entire audiobook was dull and not one I would listen to again.
Thank you NetGalley and Nicola Knight and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook of The Night Before Christmas. This is my personal review.

This book started off cute, light and fluffy and then took a turn and became a downer. The whole penguin suit and cat sanctuary was sweet until it wasn't.

I listened to the audiobook and liked the narrator. The beginning of the book caught my attention immediately but unfortunately it fizzled out when the storyline got so slow around 15%. I DNF at 50%, I tried to give it a chance to get the initial appeal back but it didn’t by the halfway point. It just wasn’t the cute romcom that I was expecting. I’m sure this will be a favorite for some but this wasn’t the book for me.

Book Title: The Night Before Christmas
Author: Nicola Knight - Debut Author
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Hannah Curtis
Publisher: Dreamscape Media LLC
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Audiobook Pub Date: November 8, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 322

Aww this cute cover got my attention. I was sure this was going to be a sweet cozy romance.
However it wasn’t anything like I expected. Thankfully there was a HEA ending.

Story starts off fun with Felicity Brooks who works at the animal rescue center and volunteers to work Christmas Eve so her coworker can enjoy the Holiday.
This year on the night before Christmas her evening is disturbed by a stranger named James— dressed in a penguin costume holding a tiny kitten in bad shape. He found the little kitten on the side of the road. Felicity is sure a momma cat and perhaps other kittens are probably near perhaps hurt as well

At first I didn’t know why Felicity didn’t like Christmas. It seems someone who is so good with shelter animals would love Christmas.

We find out why Felicity has a bad association with Christmas ~ When she was a child her father left her mother at Christmas and more recently she went through the break up with her long term boyfriend.

However, there was an instant connection with Penguin Man that had me hopeful.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook.
Audiobook Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 8, 2024.

A confirmed Christmas hater, a guy in a penguin suit, and helpless kitties, the firm belief that Die Hard is indeed a Christmas flick…what’s not to love? Now while this story takes place during the holiday season and despite the title, this romcom is not solely focused on Christmas, the story just happens to begin on Christmas eve, which is when Felicity meets James.

Felicity works for an animal rescue and due her not liking Christmas she finds herself willing working on Christmas Eve, which is when James shows up at her door, dressed in a penguin costume and carrying a tiny kitten. They quickly click over their concern for the kitten (and her mother, which they locate) and their seemingly metal disdain for Christmas. Could this be the start of a classic romcom? Maybe if Felicity’s ex-boyfriend didn’t suddenly come back into the picture. Oh don’t get me wrong, many romcoms features exes. This story just took on more of a serious tone than I was expecting. Not that I’m complaining. It’s still a well crafted romance with some lighthearted moments, it just delivers a slightly more serious tale than one might expect given the adorable cover. If you’re looking for a holiday romance that leans a little more serious than your average Hallmark movie this might be the one for you. This is a solid debut for Nicola Knight. (3.5 stars…rounded up to 4 stars) As for the audio, Hannah Curtis does a very good job with the narration, making this book a pleasure to listen to. I’d like to thank Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced audio copy of the audio version of The Night Before Christmas.

Felicity doesn’t like Christmas. She hasn’t for years, so she’s shocked when a man shows up on Christmas Eve dressed like a penguin to help save a kitten. Penguin man is James, who also happens to dislike Christmas, and soon they find themselves growing closer. Their budding romance is disrupted when Felicity’s ex, Adam, shows up declaring his love for her.

I really struggled to connect with this book. The initial meet cute was fun and adorable, but after that the story went downhill for me. Both Felicity and James were fine, but I just didn’t feel the romance between them. The plot twist with Adam towards the end was just kind of strange and not believable.

I listened to the audio and thought the narrator was good. She spoke clearly, but even sped up it was a little slow for me.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape for a copy of this audiobook.

This was a very very slow burn romance. Felicity has a lot of trauma in her past relationships with her parents and her ex and stemming around the holidays. From the description, I expected more rom com however this definitely was not. It was a good story and the narrator did a great job with all the voices.

Holiday romance with two Grinch's - lot's of cute cats - a very slow burn - will they/won't they - banter - drama - awkward moments - heartwarming - self-healing - closed door romance - and how to people that hate Christmas becomes Christmas-people.

I personally needed a little more Christmas, romance and spice. But if you all for the self-healing, cute and awkward moments, a bit of banter, drama and tension - in a Holiday setting with some Grinch's - this might be for you ☃️

🎄🎧 BOOK REVIEW [ALC] 🎧🎄

The Night Before Christmas by Nicola Knight
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 322 pages
Original Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up to 4 for GoodReads rating system)

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for the ALC of this book. The opinions given are solely my own.

Synopsis:
Felicity Brooks hates Christmas. She is happy to work on Christmas Eve at her local animal rescue and she is actively avoiding the festive movies, music, and mood when a man shows up in a giant penguin suit with a baby kitten in distress. They immediately hit it off and have a mutual dislike for Christmas (due to own personal reasons to be revealed later). Sparks fly and Felicity is falling for the mysterious Penguin man, James.

Just when things are heating up, Felicity's ex, Adam shows up and begs her to take him back after being broken up for 3 years. She cannot deny the feelings that resurface and thus begins a love triangle that will surely end in heartbreak. Will Felicity choose James, Adam, or will they both break her heart??

Opinion:
The book starts out with quite a bit of humor, hence the man in the penguin suit, but really this book tackles a lot of serious topics on Felicity's journey to love. As we learn more about her, we see how her childhood trauma shaped her into the woman she is. I did enjoy listening to the book and thought that the narrator did an excellent job voicing the characters. I think I was hoping for a little more from the comedic side and this was definitely not a rom-com. I did enjoy the Christmas theme and did like how everything wrapped up. Pick this one up if you don't mind a bit more of a serious love triangle plot, but still with a happy ending!

I just read that this was her debut novel, so given that, I'm going to go from 3 up to 4 stars...as it was good, just felt like it was A LOT of ex-boyfriend drama that I could've lived without....

That being said, this was a solid rom-com!
Felicity works at a shelter, and after a sad and somewhat lonely upbringing, now does NOT like Christmastime at all... So, she decides to work at the shelter on Christmas Eve.
Of course, that's when a frantic knock sounds at the door asking for help. When she opens the door (albeit, VERY reluctantly...) there is a huge penguin costumed man holding an injured kitten.
YES, you read that correctly!

And so it begins...

The penguin is James. He is also NOT a fan of Christmas...but for different reasons.

As the two begin to get to know each other, A LOT of drama unfolds...including exes on both sides, friends, family, and a whole lot of nasty stuff going on.

**** TRIGGER WARNING**** I feel like if you are somewhat depressed, or just got out of a bad relationship, you may want to JUST AVOID this one...as there seemed to be a lot of triggers IMO...

Otherwise, just a lot of stuff going on that revolves around Christmas, the animal shelter, old relationships, friends, family and then....friends that cannot be trusted...as well as family in the same realm....

While the two of them are beginning to explore each other's worlds, Felicity's ex shows up and throws a wrench (more like a bolt of lightening) into the mix!

In the end, I did enjoy the book, but there were a lot of sad things going on too... I feel like just too much for one girl to handle...but again, this is just MY opinion...

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me, rounded up to 4.

#TheNightBeforeChristmas by #NicolaKnight and narrated nicely by #HannahCurtis.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an ARC of the audiobook which is being released in a few days on 11/8/24! So, look for it then!! (I believe the book has already been released)

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

I DNF'd at 28%. The story's premise is great, and the narrator is great, but but the actual follow-through? Not so much. I struggled to get into this audiobook, which I hate because I loved the blurb.

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

This wasn’t the happy Christmas story I was thinking it was going to be. Yes, Felicity met James at Christmas and was sour on the holiday from past traumas but this wasn’t a Christmas story. After having a bump in her would be live life she decided to return to her childhood home. Receiving information from the locals had her at odds from what she remembers being the issues of why her family life was so abruptly changed. This made her turn to self reflection as to why her life has gone the way it had so far. This was a heavy read considering there was a cartoon penguin as the cover. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

While the initial "meet-cute" between Felicity and James, a man in a penguin costume, was undeniably charming, the story quickly delved into heavier themes of heartbreak and trust issues.

Felicity's past experiences with Christmas and relationships cast a shadow over the holiday cheer. I found myself wishing for a lighter, more festive tone. While the exploration of deeper emotions is commendable, it didn't quite resonate with me.

The single POV narration might have benefited from a dual perspective to offer a more balanced understanding of both characters' inner worlds. Overall, The Night Before Christmas may appeal to readers seeking a more drama filled, slow burn holiday romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book. I voluntarily listened and gave an honest review.

Another holiday romcom of a couple Grinches who meet, while rescuing a little fur baby, and eventually fall in love. Sounds like my kind of story. I knew from the get-go; I was going to like Felicity. Never mind that she’s a Grinch (I really don’t care about that), and that she would rather spend her holiday with animals than with most people (I know a lot of people like that, nothing wrong with that), Felicity is good people in my book! LOVE HER!!!

Then there is James, drop dead gorgeous, too good to be true, rescuer of a kitten who got separated from her momma in a storm. LOVE HIM!!! Then he and Felicity go back out and rescue momma kitty, who was looking for her lost baby. Lol, loved the Die Hard names that momma and baby were bestowed. Love that movie!!! Great holiday movie!!! Hubby and I watch every year!!!

The book summary lays out the whole primary storyline so I’m not going to repeat it. What the book summary doesn’t mention is that Felicity is a bit of a hot mess and her life for the last three years since dumping her fiancé, Adam, on Christmas day has been kind of pathetic. It wasn’t until she found that working at the animal rescue was exactly what she loved and needed. Then all at once, the entrance of two men who are vying for her attention to totally confused her and make life oh so complicated.

Most of the story revolves around Felicity and James getting to know each other better, which is complicated because James has his own relationship issues. James is also aware of Felicity’s relationship issues with the reemergence of Adam and is cautious about jumping into something more with Felicity. However, it’s in the second half when Felicity decides to confront and deal with some long-buried childhood trauma that has affected her life ever since.

The character development of Felicity was well done, especially in the second half. The rest of the cast seemed more like extras with rather slim character development. The pacing and storylines were on par for a decent holiday romcom. However, the second half turned into more than a holiday romcom. The writing also started out like the typical holiday romcom but took a turn into a drama in the second half and definitely got better. I’m usually not a fan of domestic dramas, but I liked this one because there were so many passages that had me cracking up one minute and the next minute got really heavy. I also really enjoyed the ending. I’m looking at an overall rating of 3.9 that I will round up to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia #TheNightBeforeChristmas

The Night Before Christmas by Nicola Knight was an enjoyable Christmas read, filled with holiday warmth and charm. Despite the title, this book isn't really related to the classic story—something with "penguins" in the title would actually fit much better and would have been much more original. Still, the story was sweet and had just the right touch of romance and humor for the season. A standout line from Adam, "I just don’t think I can live without you," perfectly captures the heart of the story and adds to the cozy holiday vibes

I just listened to a great holiday book. The Night Before Christmas by Nicola Knight was a wonderful listen.

3⭐
Genre ~ contemporary fiction
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ book ~ September 24, 2024, audio ~ November 8, 2024
Publisher ~ Dreamscape Media
Est Page Count ~ 322 (49 chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 45 minutes
Narrator ~ Hannah Curtis
POV ~ single 3rd
Featuring ~ debut, a bunch of ex drama, slow burn, will they or won’t they, no steamage, cheating references

Felicity & James meet when he shows up, dressed as a penguin, at the animal rescue she works at with a sick kitten on Christmas Eve.

It determined that they both are not fans of Christmas and have a soft spot for animals, so they have a sort of comradery in those respects. However, I never really felt the connection between them. Perhaps because ex's are brought into the picture and took up way too much page time. I'm fine with an ex showing up, but just briefly enough to get kicked to the curb again.

Overall, I liked this well enough for a debut, but there was just too much ex-partner drama for me. I did like her writing style, just not this particular plot, so I would give this author a go again.

Narration notes:
She did fine, but it was so slow sounding at 3x that I wish there was a higher option.

I liked this audiobook, it was well narrated and the characters were engaging. For me though, as much as I wanted to LOVE it, it just wasn’t as exciting as I wanted and at times I found myself zoning out a bit.

It’s a cute holiday read. It was kinda slow for me, and I felt there was something missing, but I enjoyed it overall. Very well written and the narrator was good as well!