This was my first time reading something by this author and I enjoyed the story. It's a beautiful tale about the emotional journey of love, sacrifice, and redemption. Ten years ago, Noelle made a difficult decision to leave Winterburg and raise her child alone, keeping the truth about her daughter Holly’s father from Nicholas, her best friend’s brother. Nicholas has now returned for Christmas, and now with Noelle’s return to her hometown with her daughter, feelings that have never truly faded begin to rekindle.

The author does a nice job of capturing the internal turmoil Noelle faces as she confronts the consequences of her decision while also navigating the rediscovery of her love for Nicholas. I loved the character of Holly who added an extra layer of sweetness to the narrative, offering both innocence and wisdom as she becomes the bridge between her parents.

The story isn't just about romance, but about the power of forgiveness, the importance of family, and learning to embrace the past in order to build a future. The setting of the holiday season adds a touch of magic to the storyline, creating the perfect backdrop for healing and reunion.

This is a heartwarming and emotional story that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. I listened to this as an audiobook and it was a lovely experience, as the narrators did a really good job of bringing the story and characters to life.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

2.5 ⭐️
Daddy December is a cute holiday spicy novella. The story is sweet and heartwarming but had some flaws that didn’t massively make sense. The story could have benefitted from some development, although this isn’t always possible with a novella.
Overall it was alright although it did have a few shortcomings.

Thank you Dreamscape Select! I got this as an ARC and just got to listen to it. I loved the banter between Noelle and Nick - I need more of them! I loved this story and would love a full length book about Noelle, Nick, and Holly!

This is my first book by Linzvonc, and it was a great introduction to her writing and fictional worlds! Daddy December was a quick holiday novella with some fun characters that have me ready to read more of her books, and it was perfect for the holiday season.

I love a good secret pregnancy/child and a good second chance romance, and Daddy December had both. Noelle and Nick head up a strong, well-thought-out cast of characters that built a story I was invested in from the first chapter. Holly, Noelle's daughter, was so cute and fun to read about, and I was excited for her to learn more about her father. Having Nick back in town made Noelle face the music and explain the things that had happened between them so many years ago, resulting in the adorable Holly. I enjoyed how Nick was able to jump into his father role pretty quickly with Holly and he and Noelle were able to get to know each other again. Linzvonc did a fantastic job writing characters that I loved getting to know but I do have to say that I wished that there had been just a little more to the story. The story had a great outline, but some parts felt rushed, and it could have benefited from more fleshing out. I enjoyed the story, but I was left wanting more out of the characters and their connections.

I listened to the audiobook at 1.5x speed and absolutely loved it. The narrators - Maxine Mitchell and Scott Rose, were fantastic. Their intonation, different character voices, and ability to draw emotion from me made for a great audiobook experience. I will definitely be looking for more from these narrators!

Overall, Daddy December would be a perfect read for someone looking for a quick, holiday romance with all the feels and a great audiobook. I wanted to rate it higher, but felt that the lack of depth to the characters made it feel a little light and rushed. I rate Daddy December 3.5 stars.

3.5 ⭐️; this review includes both good and bad feedback.


Noelle was incredibly aggravating. Not only did she make a terrible and selfish decision 10 years prior, but she continues to do it now. She continues to judge Nick, not listening when he explains that he has an ex, not a current fiancée, and making assumptions and saying bitter, ignorant things — she has no right to be angry or upset that he was ever with someone else, and no right to treat him like garbage when *she* left him and *she* pretended the baby didn’t exist. And working at a diner that makes her work practically naked? Get real, girl. And then she fucks him in his truck but tries to act like they can't go back home because their daughter will "get confused"? Unprotected sex when you're *still* acting pathetic about him and the last time? And she's telling him that she "isn't wearing anything underneath" her Christmas onesie, and that he shouldn't either . . . While their daughter is there?

Nick was pretty great. He immediately wanted to be involved in his daughter's life and be the perfect dad, deciding in seconds to move countries to be able to be there for her. He even claimed he was "stupid the last ten years", as if *he* were the reason they weren't together and he didn’t know about his daughter. The one thing I didn't really like was the borderline pressure for her to have another baby with him.

There were a few repetitive areas where there should be some extra editing done, and there are way, *way* too many uses of the word 'pussy' and 'fuck', as if the author wanted to use it as much as possible — it made all of the spicy scenes far less enjoyable as it sounded clunky. There were far too many spicy scenes for people who haven't seen each other in ten years and have their daughter in the next room, and she wouldn't be ready to have him in her within literal seconds.

Overall it was written out well with a good plot. The female narrator was a little aggravating, opting to make every word waver when Noelle was supposed to be crying, versus just the dialogue. I did have to listen to this at almost 3x speed as it was really slow, but I had no issues with the male narrator.

I really enjoyed Daddy December. The story line was well done and I liked Noelle and Nicholas. They worked really well together and just took things with stride. Holly was so cute. The audiobook narrators Maxine Mitchell and Scott Rose did a really good job with the narration. They were a really good fit.

"Daddy December" is a best friend's brother romance and a second-chance romance all rolled into one.

Ten years earlier, Noelle and Christian were secretly a couple. No way did Noelle want to let her best friend know she was in love with her older brother! But when Noelle saw the acceptance letter to Oxford that Christian had received, she didn't want to hold him back. So, she broke up with him. Little did either of them know at the time that she was pregnant with his baby.

Fast forward ten years, and Noelle has returned home to Winterburg to raise her daughter. After losing all of her other family, she wanted to raise Holly in a place where Noelle could recreate the many memories she had of her own childhood. Given that Christian had never returned home after leaving for Oxford, it seemed like there was little risk in the choice. But in no time at all, their paths cross, and the sparks fly.

While I enjoyed this short read, there were elements that just seemed too simple to be believable. For instance, Christian and his parents very quickly decide to forgive the fact that Noelle never told them about Holly. While it's healthy not to dwell on the past, it just seemed too cut and dried. And I didn't enjoy how demanding Christian was during intimate scenes (which were too open-door for my likes).

So, overall, while the story had potential, it fell a bit flat for me.

Thank you to Linzvonc, Dreamscape Select, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Daddy December dives right into the central conflict between the FMC and MMC, which is refreshing for a novella. The quick pace ensures there’s no waiting around for the story to kick off, and the open-door, very spicy scenes are undeniably hot.

However, the story feels a bit repetitive, making it challenging at times to fully immerse myself or feel eager to find out what happens next. While it’s meant to be a quick and sweet read, some parts veer into the unrealistic, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

That said, if you're looking for a steamy and brief escape with low commitment, this novella serves as a decent option.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

second chance christmas with a hidden secret
Nick come back home after years being apart and he aee the girl he left behind Noelle who is now aware of her decision to keep quiet. she decide her future so Nick would have a future. they are mean girl and family drama

I did an in-depth review on TT that was taken down for language, so just know that this book is deliciously spicy. But beyond that, Daddy December sneaks up on you in the best way. This novella had me 100% invested from the first page, with its second-chance, secret child, ex drama, and the *perfect* amount of Christmas. All of these things are SO easily overdone but LIZVONC keeps every plate spinning without fail.

PROS:
- The drama is DEEP. Between the baby daddy being Noel's bestie's brother, and the holiday stress, it could easily have played out in a cheesy way. Instead we get a raw, messy, emotional and festive soap opera-esque story that you can power through in just a couple hours.
- Dual narration: GIVE ME MORE. I was nervous as I hadn't listened to either of them before, but I absolutely loved the narrators, Maxine Mitchell and Scott Rose. They gave a hell of a performance, and I fully believed they were Nick and Noel as I listened. Which then brings me to...
- The steamy scenes were quite literally perfect, and I need other smut authors to take notes. These felt intimate and sexy without the language being played up to me feel like I was intruding. I hate when books say things 'in bed' that no one would ever say, but the dialogue in Daddy December was fully realistic and fresh. 12/10.

CONS:
- The drama was deep but our characters? Not so much. I would've loved to get more dialogue including Nick & Noel's pasts, or how things happened in the first place. (Prequel/sequel please??)
- You have to be willing to suspend belief a good bit for any of these tropes to work well. But even for smut this was too far. A strip-club in a cutesy Hallmark-style Christmas village? I mean... I guess?
- Silly beef here but WHYYYYYY didn't this come out just a few weeks earlier?!? I would've done ungodly things for this to have dropped in time for the holidays, because we all know the magic fades when the trees come down :'(

At the end of the day, I will absolutely read it again this December. And I will 1000% choose audio again over a physical/digital copy because these narrators hit it out of the park. Just remember to let go of all expectations for realism, and enjoy the (many, steamy) ride(s). 🎄

This is a perfect fit for readers who adore second-chance romance, family drama, and Christmas magic, and are looking for a heartwarming and spicy tale of love, forgiveness, and redemption.

This audio was amazing. Such a cozy read. Definitely recommend listening to this. Perfect for the December TBR

The only reason I finished this book is because I ran out of listening minutes on Spotify and this was the only audiobook I could listen to since I got it as an ARC on netgally.

Reading that book was like running a marathon in flip-flops—short on paper, but it felt painfully endless. The plot felt underdeveloped and juvenile.

And don’t get me started on Nick. He wants to know his daughter, yet can’t spend two minutes thinking about anything other than s*x. He also JUST got back together with Noëlle and is already talking about having more babies and not needing any protection during s*x.

The only good thing he did, was buy a painting set for Noëlle. And it only took him the entire book …

It’s safe to say I didn’t like it. Which is a shame because I had high hopes for this book.

But to end on a good note: the audiobook narraters were great and did a good job.

A quick, easy listen that brings spice and an HEA. If you like second chance romance and/or accidental pregnancy this is a great read for you.

Loved this super sweet and spicy novella! It tackled a lot of emotions in such a short timeframe, and was written really well!

The voice actors were good. I enjoyed listening to them. The story itself was a good end of the year, fast paced romance, great for helping me reach my reading goal. It wasn't bad, but it felt too rushed. All problems were created and fixed in what felt like one chapter. What felt like it should have been the middle of the story, where things started getting good, was actually the end. I was surprised that I'd hit the end of the book and a little disappointed at how fast everything ended. Why does the cover art look like it was created on someone's desktop using paint?

3.25 stars

If you like secret baby and a very quick read, this might be for you. But while this book wasn't terrible, there was quite a bit I didn't love and I think secret baby might just not be for me. At times the timeline made no sense and the child at times acting much younger than 10 and other times much older than 10. The forgiveness of such a massive lie happened way too quickly with everyone except the best friend (which also, she knew it was his child for a while but as soon as it was confirmed she gets incredibly angry about it?) The ex-fiance coming to town was random, weird, and resolved incredibly quickly. Felt completely unnecessary. Same with the FMCs job, felt very random just to add conflict but it didn't make much sense to the character or story. Plus, they got it on in the parking lot of her job when she left saying her child was sick? You're just asking to get caught and fired. And speaking of, the lack of discussion about contraception/health until it was too late made me a little uncomfortable.

However, the saving grace was the audiobook narrators, especially the female narrator Maxine. She was absolutely fantastic and was the main reason I continued reading the book. Great acting and her male voice was one of the best I've heard from a female narrator.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.

What a joyfull story.

The romance, the care with the kid and the resolution of things makes everything so adorable!! I loved it.

Everyone has Christmas themed names and no one is upset that you hid a love child for ten years. The perfect hallmark Christmas gift and I couldnt help but love the cheesiness.

Great holiday read! I was looking for an easy fun read and this was it! There was no dragging or unnecessary dialogue which I appreciated it! Very cute story with a happy ending!