natalie_cooper's reviews
538 reviews

Tangled in Tinsel by Trilina Pucci

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

This was exactly what I expected it to be and I can’t really fault it for that. I enjoyed the characters and the setting and the spice was good. I honestly thought there would be more of it but the amount was just right. It did wrap up really quickly and I wished there were a couple more chapters for everything to get explained but it was still a good time. 

Snowed In by Catherine Walsh

emotional lighthearted slow-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

3.0

To be honest I was pretty disappointed in this. This book is always recommended around the holidays and is so many people’s favorites and I just didn’t feel that way. I loved the setting and being back in Ireland as well as getting to see the families again. I enjoyed the holiday winter elements and thought the balance of that plus normal life was done well. And I enjoyed the first third when they were figuring everything out. That’s where my enjoyment ends. Something just simply wasn’t clicking. I lost interest and didn’t care what happened to either characters. I thought there were too many side characters from the past and there was never enough information to explain who they were. I thought this book like the first in the series was incredibly slow moving which I don’t necessarily hate but I would’ve liked the story to have picked up a little faster. So I definitely prefer holiday romance to this and now that it’s over probably will never think about it again. 

Snow Harm, No Foul by Hannah Cowan

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was exactly what I think of when I think of holiday novellas. A ton of spice, insta love, snowed in, and a semi grumpy man. It was fun and sweet and such a quick palette cleanser. I would’ve loved for it to have been a little bit longer just so I could’ve seen more of them but none the less I had a great time. 

Dashing All The Way by Chelsea Curto

emotional 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

4.25

This was everything I want a holiday novella to be. The best meet cute, spice, a sprinkle of plot, great side characters, a touch of holiday elements, and great build up to the relationship. I loved Finn so much. He was so caring and considerate while pushing both himself and Margo to be their best selves. I loved the running element and what that added to their dynamic. The initial meet cute and then the other couple of meet cutes were so good and made me giddy. I didn’t mind the age gap and it made the spice great. The son annoyed me which he was supposed to do but I wanted him to be a part of a bigger climax. But ultimately Chelsea Curto doesn’t miss because this was another great read. 

Sneaking Around with the Player by Rebecca Jenshak

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? No

3.0

This was a cute fun time. I liked this a lot more than the first one and I think that was mainly because of the main characters. I loved the dual athlete element and how they built a friendship before falling in love. This didn’t feel rushed which is impressive for a novella however I would’ve liked there to have been a little more build up before they got together. I also didn’t love the brother and what he brought to the story but nonetheless this was a cute holiday read. 

Hostile for the Holidays by Erin Hawkins

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This might be my favorite holiday novella that I’ve ever read. I read the whole thing in like 2 hours and not once was I bored. I loved jasper from how caring he was to how down bad he was for Stella. The story didn’t seemed rushed at all and I think it’s because they had history between the two of them and there were little sprinkles of that history throughout the book. I loved the small town setting and the rivals to lovers element. I also loved the Christmas vibes and how cozy they made the story feel. I could’ve easily read another 200 pages of this couple which I feel like says everything about this book. 

My December Darling by Lauren Asher

emotional lighthearted medium-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

3.0

While I did enjoy this I thought I was going to enjoy it way more than I did which was disappointing. I just never connected with the characters which meant as the story went on I got bored. I did like the idea of them both and liked their banter but once they got to know each other I felt like the banter was lost and their dynamic was just one I wasn’t interested in. I did enjoy being back in lake wisteria and both the Christmas and wedding elements. I also liked getting to see Catalina’s family and how close they all were. So ultimately a bit disappointing of a read but I still had fun. 

Christmas at Fox Ridge by Bailey Hannah

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This was everything it needed to be in the sense that it was fast easy and cute. I liked the setting and the almost cowboy like element. I loved that she was an artist who specialized in nsfw work since I’ve never read a book with that as a plot point. Their meet cute was great and I love when a grumpy guy melts for a girl. However I did get a little bored and it started to feel a bit repetitive at times. All in all a fun holiday read. 

Axes & O's by Kayla Grosse

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I think this is the hottest book I’ve read this year and possibly of all time. The spice was incredible and while there was a lot of it I loved every bit. The spice added something to the story and I loved the story just as much. Getting to see all of their walls come down and open themselves to finding and trying something new was so interesting and fun to read about. This is the kind of balance I want in a Christmas book. A couple mentions of it and it certainly has the vibe but there isn’t a constant reminder that it’s Christmas. I loved the snowed in setting and the cabin in the woods. I also loved Morgan and thought she was such a good fmc. This was my first Kayla grosse book but I doubt it’s going to be the last because I had such a good time with this. 

Gifted To His Dad by J. Wilder

3.0

Quick fun spicy can’t really ask for much more. There wasn’t a whole lot of depth but at the same time I wasn’t expecting there to be. It was a spicy holiday read and for that I enjoyed it.