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macykey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Gun violence
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Classism, Gun violence, Confinement, and Panic attacks/disorders
bookishgoob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This short, holiday themed novella was okay. To no fault of the author, I didn’t enjoy it. It was well written, the characters were nice, the story was paced well & I love christmas. But, this story wasn’t for me. I don’t enjoy “insta love” stories and I don’t enjoy when books lean into the pandemic aspect of real life. They mention the pandemic several times, as this is supposed to take place post lockdowns (I still believe we are in a pandemic, but I also have a weak immune system so i’m more at risk than others are so it bothers me when the pandemic is brought up in a way that suggests that are out of it) The pandemic has been such a dark time for so many people, bringing it to a romance novel takes me out of the subject matter. On top of all that, I thought that the relationship was just.. too out there. He meets her in the street one day and then is obsessed with her? like i understand that that can happen but the way it did just didn’t feel as warm and gooey as i was expecting. This is my preference alone. I didn’t hate the book, I enjoyed certain parts of it and I don’t regret reading it, it just hasn’t been my favorite thing i’ve read.
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
mollydollydoodah's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Confinement
unwise_samwise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Gun violence
readwithelle's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement and Forced institutionalization
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
At least in the US, this is one of Bailey's self-published novels (I think it's traditionally published in the UK, unclear, all I remember is an Instagram post showing that Piatkus had the UK rights), it is unclear what, if any, editing process happened. There just seemed to be inconsistencies, and unexplained things. For example, Aunt Edna. Aiden was shipped off to live with Aunt Edna, but we don't know when, or for how many years. It's Aunt Edna a maternal aunt? Paternal aunt? Then there's the cousin... No mention of his parents and/or what they do.
Also I feel that Aiden is so positive, that it veers on toxic positivity. We see that he understands reality, and that there are issues, but he tries to see only the positive. It didn't quite work for me.
Overall I enjoyed the book, it began great, and the end tied up all the plot points like a bow (as a holiday novella should) - including the boundary setting with Nicole, but the middle was a slog. Let's face it, the side characters are the ones that really saved the book.
Content Notes: mentions of COVID, Stella is a recently released prisoner, toxic relationships, boss-employee relationship, desk sex
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Confinement
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Gun violence
marylinaris's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Stella was an interesting character, besides the obvious romantic plot she has to deal with her past jail time, re-entering society and a toxic friendship throughout the book. While these topics were continuously brought up, they are tackled on a very individual level and I felt like both were wrapped up a little too fast and too neatly in the end.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Abandonment and Gun violence
acelodie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Confinement
agnesbebon's review against another edition
3.5
I thought I was really going to dislike this after reading reviews. I think it’s pretty clear how this was a Christmas romance, I think it’s just different than the typical Christmas romance but I liked it. I also hate anytime any sort of entertainment mentions the pandemic, but I think it was fine in this. It didn’t make me stop reading like mentions of the pandemic normally do. I thought the story was cute!
Listened to this on audio, not sure how I felt about the actors, particularly when they were doing voices for the opposite character. I think that might’ve taken away from it so I might re-read in print.
Graphic: Confinement