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jusuwa's review against another edition
3.0
This Teenage Christmas rom-com wasn't for me but I am sure many others will love it.
book_katalog's review against another edition
emotional
funny
4.0
Setting: Arizona and NY.
Paige Collins experiences 2 parallel worlds that revolve about her decision to stay or go on vacation. I loved the ending. Cute and swoony.
Paige Collins experiences 2 parallel worlds that revolve about her decision to stay or go on vacation. I loved the ending. Cute and swoony.
feel_o_sofie's review against another edition
3.0
Allereerst vloog ik door dit boek heen en genoot ik van de heerlijke kerstsfeer. Het is dan ook echt het perfecte boek om te lezen tijdens de feestdagen en een aanrader voor de fans van bijvoorbeeld Let it Snow of Dash & Lily. Het boek volgt een bepaalde formule die zoveel romantische kerstfilms ook volgen, waardoor je weet waar je aan toe bent en dat is precies wat ik wil in een romantisch kerstboek! Ook heeft dit boek een serieuze ondertoon en is de keuzestress van Paige een belangrijk onderdeel van het plot. In mijn mening voegt dit echt iets toe en ik kon mij zelf goed identificeren met deze representatie.
Lees een uitgebreide recensie op mijn website .
Lees een uitgebreide recensie op mijn website .
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
This YA holiday romance had amazing mental health, anxiety and panic attacks rep!! Paige is cripled by decision anxiety - constantly wondering what if. What better plotline than for her to hit her head and experience two different versions of Christmas - one where she goes with her mom to New York City, and another where she goes to spend the holiday with her best friend and longtime crush. Great on audio and highly recommended!! I loved the discussions around therapy, both Paige's reluctance to be a financial burden and not thinking her problems were serious enough to warrant therapy (something I think a lot of people struggle with).
kaylee_123b's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.5
z_brarian's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the premise of two doors and which one to walk through, while wondering what happens when you walk through one and not the other. How does it change your future. Kind of reminds me of Sliding Doors Movie. Paige’s anxiety got to me and it was good to see the different coping mechanisms she used, in addition to finally agreeing to help. This was a good holiday read.
kaylareadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
*Before I jump in to my review, I want to thank the author and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed in any direction due to this fact.*
There is nothing more in the world that Paige Collins hates than making choices. Each and every choice she has to make sends her into a spiral, feeling like she’s going to explode. There is nothing in the world that Paige Collins wants to do more than get out of Gilbert, Arizona and see the world. When she’s given the choice to either go to New York with her mom or go to a romantic cabin getaway with Fitz, her best friend and possibly maybe something more, well Paige just doesn’t know what to do. Told in two different time lines, Paige gets to experience both.
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! I do want a give a trigger warning for anxiety as Paige does experience intense anxiety throughout the novel.
Okay, let’s talk about the characters we meet in this story! First we have Paige, Paige is passionate and smart and loves everything fiercely. She makes lists for everything and bakes when she gets overwhelmed. She’s a good friend and daughter. Then we have her two best friends, Fitz and Clover. Both of them love Paige and want whats best for her, even when Paige doesn’t know what that is. And her mom, Matilda, cares about Paige and wants her to live her life in a way that makes her happy no matter what she has to sacrifice for her.
When Paige goes to New York, she meets Columbia University student Harrison and his dad Tyson. Her and her mom are staying with his family in Manhattan. I love Manhattan in the winter and getting to read it through the eyes of someone who has never experienced snow and Manhattan before. Both Paige and Harrison are hurting in different ways, the friendship that develops between the two of them is sweet and raw. I would love a book about Harrison.
When Paige is in Williams, Arizona with Fitz and his family, she gets to know his sisters who are much older than him. Each one is unique and has a different personality, she also gets to know his brother in law and spend times with his nieces and nephews. There is snow, Fitz, new friends and old flames. Fitz is sweet, kind, loving and a talented baseball player. Fitz loves love, he has always loved grand gestures and Paige has always dreamed of being on the receiving end of one of Fitz’s grand gestures. Fitz is the one who grounds Paige during her moments of panic, helping her get through the tough moments.
I could relate to Fitz, Harrison and Paige in so many different ways. Fitz is a hopeless romantic and I love love and romcoms more than anything. That warm fuzzy feeling is one of my favorite ways to feel. Harrison is dealing with different change and heartbreak, something I have dealt with. And then we have Paige. Paige who has dreams, passions and deserves the world. But due to the anxiety she experiences, she can’t get herself to truly enjoy the life she deserves and I understand that. I have lived that way for awhile too and getting the help you need to be able to live your best life isn’t something we should be ashamed or scared of.
I absolutely loved this book more than anything. This is by far one of the best books I have read in a very long time.
There is nothing more in the world that Paige Collins hates than making choices. Each and every choice she has to make sends her into a spiral, feeling like she’s going to explode. There is nothing in the world that Paige Collins wants to do more than get out of Gilbert, Arizona and see the world. When she’s given the choice to either go to New York with her mom or go to a romantic cabin getaway with Fitz, her best friend and possibly maybe something more, well Paige just doesn’t know what to do. Told in two different time lines, Paige gets to experience both.
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! I do want a give a trigger warning for anxiety as Paige does experience intense anxiety throughout the novel.
Okay, let’s talk about the characters we meet in this story! First we have Paige, Paige is passionate and smart and loves everything fiercely. She makes lists for everything and bakes when she gets overwhelmed. She’s a good friend and daughter. Then we have her two best friends, Fitz and Clover. Both of them love Paige and want whats best for her, even when Paige doesn’t know what that is. And her mom, Matilda, cares about Paige and wants her to live her life in a way that makes her happy no matter what she has to sacrifice for her.
When Paige goes to New York, she meets Columbia University student Harrison and his dad Tyson. Her and her mom are staying with his family in Manhattan. I love Manhattan in the winter and getting to read it through the eyes of someone who has never experienced snow and Manhattan before. Both Paige and Harrison are hurting in different ways, the friendship that develops between the two of them is sweet and raw. I would love a book about Harrison.
When Paige is in Williams, Arizona with Fitz and his family, she gets to know his sisters who are much older than him. Each one is unique and has a different personality, she also gets to know his brother in law and spend times with his nieces and nephews. There is snow, Fitz, new friends and old flames. Fitz is sweet, kind, loving and a talented baseball player. Fitz loves love, he has always loved grand gestures and Paige has always dreamed of being on the receiving end of one of Fitz’s grand gestures. Fitz is the one who grounds Paige during her moments of panic, helping her get through the tough moments.
I could relate to Fitz, Harrison and Paige in so many different ways. Fitz is a hopeless romantic and I love love and romcoms more than anything. That warm fuzzy feeling is one of my favorite ways to feel. Harrison is dealing with different change and heartbreak, something I have dealt with. And then we have Paige. Paige who has dreams, passions and deserves the world. But due to the anxiety she experiences, she can’t get herself to truly enjoy the life she deserves and I understand that. I have lived that way for awhile too and getting the help you need to be able to live your best life isn’t something we should be ashamed or scared of.
I absolutely loved this book more than anything. This is by far one of the best books I have read in a very long time.
thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Two choices: two different paths laid out for Paige this holiday season. How will she ever decide?
maryhannawilson's review against another edition
4.0
Paige Collins lives in fear of making the wrong choice about anything, even simple decisions. That is why when she is faced with the decision of where to spend Christmas, she has no idea what to do. Should she join Fitz (her best friend and long time crush) and his family at a cabin in the woods or fly to New York City (a dream destination) with her mom? Luckily for Paige, she won't have to choose because in this creative story her life divides into parallel paths and she gets to experience both and determine which choice has the happy ending she desires.
The "sliding doors" concept of this story was so intriguing. The readers are continually taken from the unfolding events in one choice (NYC) to the unfolding events in the other (cabin in the woods). I enjoyed watching the two destinies slowly unfold. Brilliant and fun concept.
I've included this in my recommended holiday reads for young adults, but parents should be aware that the focus in this young girl's mind is definitely romance and physical attraction (often typical for a high school senior). She thinks a lot about how close she is in proximity to the two male characters. Nothing physical happens beyond kissing and while she kisses one character quite a bit, there aren't a ton of details.
Her best friend has joined a youth group and has taken a vow of purity until marriage. This same friend gets engaged over Christmas break and the main character makes a comment about how young she is and how she just wants to have sex. It's not portrayed negatively but serves to show what a bad friend the main character is because of her own anxieties about life and committing to a decision.
As a parent of kids with anxiety, it did bother me that this poor girl's anxiety was so crippling and yet, she made it to the middle of her senior year without any professional help. Thankfully, it is finally discussed in the end, but it was hard to read just how much coping she had to do without an understanding of what was going on.
Overall, it's a fairly innocent holiday romance for teens but the focus is 100% on her crush on her best friend and how much it impacts her thoughts and actions. I think kids 15/16 and up would enjoy the concept and the story.
The "sliding doors" concept of this story was so intriguing. The readers are continually taken from the unfolding events in one choice (NYC) to the unfolding events in the other (cabin in the woods). I enjoyed watching the two destinies slowly unfold. Brilliant and fun concept.
I've included this in my recommended holiday reads for young adults, but parents should be aware that the focus in this young girl's mind is definitely romance and physical attraction (often typical for a high school senior). She thinks a lot about how close she is in proximity to the two male characters. Nothing physical happens beyond kissing and while she kisses one character quite a bit, there aren't a ton of details.
Her best friend has joined a youth group and has taken a vow of purity until marriage. This same friend gets engaged over Christmas break and the main character makes a comment about how young she is and how she just wants to have sex. It's not portrayed negatively but serves to show what a bad friend the main character is because of her own anxieties about life and committing to a decision.
As a parent of kids with anxiety, it did bother me that this poor girl's anxiety was so crippling and yet, she made it to the middle of her senior year without any professional help. Thankfully, it is finally discussed in the end, but it was hard to read just how much coping she had to do without an understanding of what was going on.
Overall, it's a fairly innocent holiday romance for teens but the focus is 100% on her crush on her best friend and how much it impacts her thoughts and actions. I think kids 15/16 and up would enjoy the concept and the story.
maddieg's review against another edition
5.0
This book took me a little bit to get into and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I ended up really enjoying the story! Paige was a wonderfully developed character and was so real and relatable, that everything she did made me love her even more. I saw a lot of myself in her and I think that's why I liked her so much. The way Kara McDowell laid out the two different story lines, but both made them have the same outcome of Fitz and Paige getting together was unique and suspenseful. In each individual scenario, I was wondering just how each story would play out and it kept me turning the page. Both stories were so cute with the ultimate ending and it was obvious just how Fitz and Paige were meant to be. I did like Harrison as a character, but could tell he didn't make Paige feel the same way as Fitz did. This was a wonderful holiday romance and I would recommend!
Favorite Quote: "But what if you're the best thing that ever happened to me?"
Favorite Quote: "But what if you're the best thing that ever happened to me?"