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bring_me_a_book's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A cozy Christmas read. I love Jenny Bayliss’s Christmas novels. They have more depth than your typical meet-cute, sugary sweet romance. Jenny delves into the lives of her side characters as well as her main characters, so the relationships feel real and familiar.
This isn’t a superficial Hallmark-like story. There is humor, conflict, friendships, and romance. It is definitely worth a read.
Audiobook narrator Elizabeth Knowelden is perfection (even at 1.5x). I look forward to listening to more of her work— and she has narrated a LOT that are already in my list!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
nicolewithbooks's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
Pinning of past lovers, cheatingcady_sass's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
November book club pick
This showed promise but was overall lacking for me. The chapters are way too long, there are way too many inconsequential characters that add nothing to the plot (NOT the 12 dates), there is so much filler “Christmas” content that only exists to remind us of the hallmark movie world they live in. By the time I was halfway through I was just skimming the pages of descriptive Christmas shit and looking for the next line of dialogue. Don’t even get me started on the plot holes 😂 (Except for Laura and Matt, no one does ANY work? Ever? How do they have any money?)
Honestly I would overlook ALL of that if the romance felt satisfying, but it didn’t. We went from 0 to 100 real quick and the story was not fleshed out enough for it to feel believable. We basically rambled on about shitty dates (that were very entertaining, don’t get me wrong), then suddenly she’s realizing she’s in love with him, then they’re professing their love for each other and happily ever after. I NEED MORE! If you LOVE hallmark Christmas movies (even the bad ones) this is for you. But only you. This is a very niche audience.
Lastly, can you be more on the nose than naming the cafe “the pear tree” in a Christmas novel? OF COURSE there will be a partridge in a pear tree at some point 🤣
This showed promise but was overall lacking for me. The chapters are way too long, there are way too many inconsequential characters that add nothing to the plot (NOT the 12 dates), there is so much filler “Christmas” content that only exists to remind us of the hallmark movie world they live in. By the time I was halfway through I was just skimming the pages of descriptive Christmas shit and looking for the next line of dialogue. Don’t even get me started on the plot holes 😂 (Except for Laura and Matt, no one does ANY work? Ever? How do they have any money?)
Honestly I would overlook ALL of that if the romance felt satisfying, but it didn’t. We went from 0 to 100 real quick and the story was not fleshed out enough for it to feel believable. We basically rambled on about shitty dates (that were very entertaining, don’t get me wrong), then suddenly she’s realizing she’s in love with him, then they’re professing their love for each other and happily ever after. I NEED MORE! If you LOVE hallmark Christmas movies (even the bad ones) this is for you. But only you. This is a very niche audience.
Lastly, can you be more on the nose than naming the cafe “the pear tree” in a Christmas novel? OF COURSE there will be a partridge in a pear tree at some point 🤣
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
amberinpieces's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Blood
linesiunderline's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This should absolutely be made into a holiday movie. It would be WAY more entertaining to watch than most of the schlocky stuff on tv during the holiday season.
There’s so much to enjoy in this light, fun read. It’s super festive. It has cute (if predictable) romance tropes. The quaint English village vibes are PERFECTION - really, sense of place is a definite strength for this author. As a bonus there’s a lot of scrumptious food writing worked into the storyline. Kate is a very likable heroine with a sense of humour - in some ways a little reminiscent in her energy of Bridget Jones but without being so hapless and out of control.
If you’re after an easy holiday read, I think this could be just the ticket. And the audio is lovely!
There’s so much to enjoy in this light, fun read. It’s super festive. It has cute (if predictable) romance tropes. The quaint English village vibes are PERFECTION - really, sense of place is a definite strength for this author. As a bonus there’s a lot of scrumptious food writing worked into the storyline. Kate is a very likable heroine with a sense of humour - in some ways a little reminiscent in her energy of Bridget Jones but without being so hapless and out of control.
If you’re after an easy holiday read, I think this could be just the ticket. And the audio is lovely!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexism and Grief
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, and Sexual content
shannonxvx's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, and Infidelity
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