I was surprised that Keyes had written a clean romance. It felt lacking in areas, almost like a writing exercise for the author rather than a passion project.

3.5 ⭐️

The perfect little Christmas novella during the holiday season! I loved getting to fall into the world of Will & Eve as they went from rival writers who both hate Christmas to lovers with great banter! If you love enemies to lovers, all the holiday activities & a short but sweet read, you will love Its Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am giving this book two stars because I decided that I won't DNF-it, despite wanting to do so after the half-way point of the book. Overall, the book felt like I am watching two puppets go through a Christmas-themed resort that I can only hear about but never quite see, or feel, or sense, and the puppeteer is rushing through the story. With all of my respect to everyone involved in this book, I think the story may have worked in a different format, simply not as a novella, although some parts of it were not quite my cup of teа. The book is supposed to be enemies-to-lovers, I couldn't quite understand why they are enemies though. Rivals, sure, enemies, though? Why they disliked each other, I truly do not know. To sum everything up, this book was too rushed for me to enjoy it and I don't think I would recommend it to anyone because of that.

Really cute holiday romance with cozy vibes and no spice. A little predictable, as all romances are, but that did not make it any less enjoyable. Perfect for anyone who loves Hallmark Christmas movies. This review was posted on Goodreads and Amazon as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book.

4/5 ⭐️

This was a very cute Christmas novella. It follows two colleagues who are duped into a trip to a Christmas themed town together for a travel writing job in order to compete for a promotion. This enemies to lovers romantic comedy has forced proximity and tons of Christmas cheer.

It starts off a bit slow and almost feels like the MCs are checking off boxes on a list while they’re in the town…which maybe they are I guess if they’re trying to hit the hot spots in the town? Their boss wants them to get the classic Christmas movie experience and it seems like they might when they run into people from their pasts. My only complaints are the pacing issues I’d mentioned and that I wish there was some resolution with them.

This was a very cute story. Sticky sweet, dripping with fluff. Just so much will they…won’t they? It’s not spicy at all, but you’re not missing it. I rarely say that.

Thank you to Julianna Keyes, the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was EXACTLY what I've been looking for in a Christmas story! From page one Keyes transports the reader to a cozy, MAGICAL (iykyk ;)) little Christmas village that is dripping in childhood nostalgia and vibes. Keyes has a way of making every setting come to life that gives you all the warm fuzzies when reading this quick novella. I wish it were a full length book! Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

🎄 workplace rivals to lovers
🎄 small town vibes
🎄oozing in christmas nostalgia and magic
🎄quick read (just over 100 pages)

3.5 stars
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” served as a nice, quick and fun novella to read to get into more of a Christmas spirit this year.

I think the dual POV worked well for the tone of the book and allowed things to stay more lighthearted and fluffy, and the characters were likable enough. Despite that, they were all very, very similar and it didn’t really feel like there was any distinction between them.

The plot was entirely predictable but I feel the story leant into that and utilised it well. I understand that this was definitely intended to be more of an atmospheric, cozy read rather than one with plot twists and unexpected developments, conflicts, etc.

I’d definitely recommend this, you could probably read it in one sitting quite easily as it is really quite short and very easy to read and digest.

Though, I do wonder about the cover art, why Eve has brown hair in that but throughout the book it’s referenced repeatedly that she has red hair. I mean, not just once or twice. Like it was a feature of most chapters, it felt like, so that kind of feels like a funny oversight but has zero impact on the story.

The classic hallmark christmas story but a little different.

I love hallmark christmas movies, as basic and predictable as they are.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas uses the classic christmas romance tropes to their full advantages while also changing them enough to not be stale or boring.
This was the perfect novella for the festive season. It's got the cozy and warm christmas vibes, the festive cheer, the rivals to lovers story and the happy ending.

The story felt rushed with the main characters Eve and Will lacking depth.

I know this was a Novella but I was hoping for so much more.

There are far better Christmas stories out waiting to give you that extra Christmas cheer.

I enjoyed this rivals to lovers story. It gives sweet Hallmark movie vibes with sarcasm and witty banter. I had a hard time getting into it at first but the 2nd half was great.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Victory Editing Co-op for early access to this title which was re-released this month. This novella is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit - two frenemy (or penemy as one tries to argue writing competitors could be called, to the chagrin of his friends) travel writers are thrust by their editor into a Christmas wonderland in Vermont for the week of Christmas. Both have to come to terms with their experiences growing up with the holidays, and their growing attraction for each other. This is a short, sweet novella that does a nice job poking fun at the tropes of made for tv holiday movies while also reminding the reader why those movies exist. I recommend this enemies-to-lovers fun for readers looking for a quick holiday escape. You just may want to book your own ticket to Noelville!

4-

A cute, clean, Christmas romance novella in which two rival travel writers are sent to the Christmas resort of Noelville to write up a story about the place.

It's a very chill story, and basically nothing happens, but it's cute and fun and full of festive cheer with a hint of ironic distance which keeps it from getting too cloying or sentimental.

There are no great obstacles to overcome or misunderstandings to resolve, no high drama, just two people who aren't overly fond of Christmas succumbing to some holiday magic.

I particularly enjoyed how Will got into the sledding, and it reminded me of childhood winters in Norway and how exhilarating it is to go down a steep hill at breakneck speeds. It's absolutely not only for children (say the adult who still delights in water slides). And now I'm once again sad that The Netherlands is so flat. And that it's again shaping up to be a grey and rainy - rather than white - Christmas.

If you love cheesy holiday movies but are also aware of how corny they are, this book is for you.

If you are looking for a quick holiday read with witty hallmark movie vibes look no further than It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

“The jaded city folk come to the quaint, snowy town and learn the true meaning of Christmas. The story isn’t what changes. The people are.”

The author took this storyline we have seen time and time again, but with a witty twist. I loved the peppering in of their articles. It had me laughing out loud and was conflict free if you just want something light and fluffy that you can finish in one sitting.

No spice

Definitely a sweet hallmark inspired Christmas book! Two rival writers who despise Christmas are sent together (unknowingly) to a town called Noelville: where Christmas exists all year long. As they explore the town and the traditions, they (no surprise) fall in love. This novella is full of holiday magic! 🎄♥️

I enjoyed it overall, a quick and heartfelt read. The two main side characters were fun but I think it felt too forced at moments. I get that it was about making the town quirky enough for the leads to bond. Maybe toned down a smidge and I'd have loved them!

Overall a sweet holiday read!!!! Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

This book came on the perfect time. Although I'm a helpless romantic and I love some Christmas magic, this year I wasn't feeling it. So when I started the book and saw that the two main characters where cynics, it was right up my alley. This book has all the ingredients for your perfect Christmas novel: enemies to lovers (not necessarily Christmassy but it is definitely my favorite trope), forced proximity, Christmas setting and magic. Although it might not sound original, the delivery took the cake. This book made me feel cozy, warm and happy. It had the perfect balance of banter (I felt myself smile while reading), sweet (but not overly done, which was perfect) and great chemistry. I actually loved how there was the tension up until the end, with the book ending with a kiss, which just felt so romantic and left me feeling all fuzzy inside. Definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming, light Christmas read.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas is the perfect novella to give you a Hallmark Holiday vibe. I absolutely loved the setting of Noelville, the Christmas village. The main characters, Eve and Will, are co-workers and their nemesis to lover story really highlights the miracles of Christmas. They also had such great banter. They sling some hilarious jabs back and forth. The way it all came together made the perfect little 2-3 hour read. Perfect for a cold afternoon, snuggled under a blanket.

A cute and short holiday read.

Eve and Will are witty and the banter is great. I’d love to visit Noelville as a Christmas lover, so this definitely put me in the holiday spirit.

It took on the classic Hallmark movie vibes with two rival coworkers being shipped off to an overly festive town to discover the true magic of Christmas, save Christmas, and maybe find love along the way.

I was drawn to It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: A Novella by Julianna Keyes because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love the idea of a cosy holiday rom-com with rival travel writers? The premise had everything going for it—enemies-to-lovers tension, a magical Christmas town named Noelville, and the promise of biting banter with a side of gingerbread. Unfortunately, while the story had its moments, it didn’t quite deliver the holiday magic I was hoping for.

Let’s start with the premise. Eve Sherwood and Will Fowler are both travel writers, each vying for a promotion. To determine who deserves it, their editor sends them on a week-long assignment to Noelville, a Christmas wonderland where snowflakes and seasonal cheer are on tap 24/7. Forced to share close quarters and write the sappiest holiday story of their careers, Eve and Will are meant to start as antagonists and end up tumbling headfirst into love. And yes, that’s exactly what happens. It just doesn’t happen in a way that feels...earned.

The problem isn’t the setup—it’s the execution. Both Eve and Will feel like paper dolls. Eve is the cynical, overworked woman who doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas. Will is the grumpy, slightly condescending man who also doesn’t believe in Christmas but somehow has enough charm to pull off being her love interest. These archetypes can work, but only if the characters are given depth. Here, they aren’t. Their rivalry is half-hearted, their chemistry barely smoulders, and their romance feels rushed—like the novella length forced the author to skip over the messy, delicious parts of falling in love.

And Noelville! What a missed opportunity. A town that’s literally Christmas 365 days a year should have been a playground of sensory delights. I wanted to smell the cinnamon in the air, hear the jingle of sleigh bells, and feel the cosy glow of twinkling lights. Instead, Noelville felt generic, like a Christmas set piece rather than a living, breathing town.

3.5* The setting of this book feels like a snow globe come to life, full of quirky charm, sleigh rides, and "magical moments" lol. The story leans heavily on holiday clichés, but the witty enemies-to-lovers dynamic keeps it fun. It was predictable, but if you’re craving a cozy holiday romance, this one’s a treat!

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It was a cute and cozy Christmas novel that was well written. It is a perfect holiday story to help get you into the Christmas spirit. I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Net Galley ARC