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lezreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
She had a way of making Fiona feel calm even amidst the storm brewing inside and between them, even as she stirred the storm with her own hands, her own words, her own unique effect.
3.5 stars. This was so dang charming! Coincidentally, I think its the third or fourth book I've read where a woman goes home with a guy as his fake girlfriend for the holidays and ends up falling for his sister, but it's a fun premise, and none of the ones I've read have been all that similar to each other, so it still feels fun and fresh. In this, Fiona and Michael have been best friends in college for years, and he asks her to be his fake girlfriend so that his huge family will stop nagging him about getting a girlfriend and settling down. Fiona agrees, but pretty much from the first morning, she feels a strong pull towards his little sister.
This had all the holiday romance classics, and a few others. I loved the atmosphere of a huge, boisterous family, and it's fun seeing elements of the chaotic Christmases that I'm used to. The snowball fights and gingerbread baking competitions were so fun, especially with the backdrop of Lizzie's relentless flirting and the undeniable attraction. At first I wasn't too sure of how much I liked the progression of the attraction and relationship, because I'm not a huge fan of infidelity, even fake infidelity. But the things we learn in the latter half definitely made up for it. It's a very standard plot, with one person freaking out about breaking 'the friendship code' or whatever by falling for their friend's sister, but Fiona as a main character was super adorable, and she made it so relatable and fun. The friendship between Michael and Fiona was also really cute; they were like siblings themselves. Lizzie and Fiona has so much chemistry; I especially liked the snowball fight scene and the cinema scene. It's a short book, so it's pretty much only showing us the beginning arc of their relationship, but they have enough meaningful conversations and connection, and the author makes you believe that there's really something here. I wasn't the biggest fan of the racist grandma plot at first, but by the end, I did enjoy how it ended. Not everyone can change their ways because of the ~magic of Christmas~, and that's realistic.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Nicole Blessing, and really liked it! I'm no expert on American accents or southern ones, but this all sounded great to me. A quick simple read, but a really romantic and steamy one, with so much great holiday cheer. <333
“And you think it’s not okay, but it is. It’s okay to want me.”
laconni4's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
misha_ali's review against another edition
5.0
Unlike most romcom-style books with a large cast of characters, this one does a great job of setting apart the different McElroys and their personalities, along with really fun and hilarious interactions between all the characters. If I had to describe this book in a word, it would be charming.
brencoombs's review against another edition
3.0
Not as strong as Hughes' previous books and I didn't fall in love with these characters like I did those in her previous books.
maddiebo97's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
becloseau's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
mpimental's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
mediumyellow10's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
See this book is what Happiest Season wishes it was!!! I think my favorite thing about this was how the family dynamic was presented both as Fiona was getting to know the family and "dating" Michael and in the fallout of Lizzie's coming out. There were so many sweet moments that made me see my own family in it but also wish my family could be better and I appreciated and ached at all of the complexities within that. ahahahaha anywayyyys fun and cute!!
rakhya's review against another edition
4.0
This is the very first book I read by Hughes.
I was impressed by how much I enjoyed the story and the cast of characters.
The romance was good, but what stayed with me after the initial gratification was the fantastic ensemble of the McElroy family. This is the kind of family I'd love to be a part of.
I was impressed by how much I enjoyed the story and the cast of characters.
The romance was good, but what stayed with me after the initial gratification was the fantastic ensemble of the McElroy family. This is the kind of family I'd love to be a part of.