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A review by justbookedup
The Holiday Claus by Ann Einerson
4.0
This is a super sweet, feel-good holiday novella. You have the brother's best friend trope done perfectly well here. Our FMC Lila has had a crush on her older brother's best friend Brooks since she was a teenager. That type of she falls first but he falls harder vibe is strong here. You have the magic of Christmas (including a Christmas wedding - not our MCs), a meddling grandma, some forced proximity (one bed) action & adorable small-town vibes that fit perfectly into this Hallmark-like Christmas story with added spice.
Qᴜɪᴄᴋ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ: ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴀʀɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴋɪꜱꜱ, ʙʀᴏᴏᴋꜱ ʜᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʜɪꜱ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ'ꜱ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ, ʟɪʟᴀ, ᴏꜰꜰ ʜɪꜱ ᴍɪɴᴅ. ʜɪꜱ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ ᴠɪꜱɪᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ʜɪꜱ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʟɪᴅᴀʏꜱ ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ꜱᴛᴀʏɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʟɪʟᴀ ᴏʀ ʜᴇʟᴘɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʜɪꜱ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ'ꜱ ʟᴀꜱᴛ-ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇ ᴡᴇᴅᴅɪɴɢ. ʙʀᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴘʟᴀɴɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʜɪꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ & ʙᴜʀʏ ʜɪꜱ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʙᴜᴛ ꜰᴀʟʟ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴏᴘᴘᴏꜱɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏᴀꜱᴛꜱ?
This is a holiday novella so you get to know these characters super quickly with little to no true development. Billionaire grump Brooks turns from a heart of coal to the spirit of Christmas fairly quickly but it's a sweet & subtle transition that gave me all the feels, especially when he gives into his feelings for Lila.
Lila is sweet, caring and wears her heart on her sleeve. I love her interactions with Brooks as she doesn't shy away from her feelings. The added bonus of her dog Winston creates some fun moments between them. You have to wait for the spice but when it hits, you will be satisfied.
This is a nice appetizer for the next book in the Aspen Grove series as we get a sneak peek of Harrison & Fallon's story that will be released next year. Ann Einerson knows how to do small-town spice and I just can't wait to read her next book.
Qᴜɪᴄᴋ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ: ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴀʀɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴋɪꜱꜱ, ʙʀᴏᴏᴋꜱ ʜᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʜɪꜱ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ'ꜱ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀ, ʟɪʟᴀ, ᴏꜰꜰ ʜɪꜱ ᴍɪɴᴅ. ʜɪꜱ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ ᴠɪꜱɪᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ʜɪꜱ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴍᴀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʟɪᴅᴀʏꜱ ᴡᴀꜱɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴜʀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ꜱᴛᴀʏɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʟɪʟᴀ ᴏʀ ʜᴇʟᴘɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʜɪꜱ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ'ꜱ ʟᴀꜱᴛ-ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇ ᴡᴇᴅᴅɪɴɢ. ʙʀᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴘʟᴀɴɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʜɪꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ & ʙᴜʀʏ ʜɪꜱ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘ ʙᴜᴛ ꜰᴀʟʟ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴏᴘᴘᴏꜱɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏᴀꜱᴛꜱ?
This is a holiday novella so you get to know these characters super quickly with little to no true development. Billionaire grump Brooks turns from a heart of coal to the spirit of Christmas fairly quickly but it's a sweet & subtle transition that gave me all the feels, especially when he gives into his feelings for Lila.
Lila is sweet, caring and wears her heart on her sleeve. I love her interactions with Brooks as she doesn't shy away from her feelings. The added bonus of her dog Winston creates some fun moments between them. You have to wait for the spice but when it hits, you will be satisfied.
This is a nice appetizer for the next book in the Aspen Grove series as we get a sneak peek of Harrison & Fallon's story that will be released next year. Ann Einerson knows how to do small-town spice and I just can't wait to read her next book.