The Twelve Loves of Christmas – 3.5/5 ✩
What a fun holiday read! I was thrilled to get this ARC approval – I’ve never read an advent calendar style book and I loved the idea of having one story every day leading up to Christmas. For a reader, this is like the dream advent calendar!
Overall, the book was lighthearted and fun, exactly what you want when you think of a holiday read! My only piece of criticism is that I wanted more from some of the stories, but that’s the nature of short stories, they’re short. I’d give the book a strong 3.5/5 stars!
- A Merry Little Christmas, Jessica Joyce
- This story was SO CUTE, I want MORE! It was my favorite of the bunch
- Jessica Joyce is such a talented writer. She conveys emotions so well
- Tropes: second chance romance, forced proximity, bringing a fake date to the family function
- Decking His Halls, Alexis Daria
- I love a brother’s best friend romance and I liked that the characters openly communicated with each other
- Tropes: close proximity, brother’s best friend
- I’ll Be Home for Ex-Mas, Alexandria Bellefleur
- I loved the nostalgia, but I wanted MORE! It felt a little too quick and I wanted to dig deeper into the characters’ emotions
- Tropes: second chance romance, reuniting after years apart
- Someone to Hold On To, Elise Bryant
- Cute story, very lesson-heavy, especially when you find out who the thief was. I wish there was a little bit more romance
- Trope: Friends in unlikely places
- Ho Ho Oh No, M.A. Wardell
- I LOVED the angst and the cuddling. It was so CUTE
- I liked Philip, he was quirky and self aware
- Tropes: Mistletoe, only one bed, grumpy/sunshine
- Twelve Seconds to Forever, Rebecca Jenshak
- I like it, but the end was so abrupt and open ended and we don’t get to see them together – I wanted MORE!
- Dual POV
- Tropes: Best friend’s brother, forced proximity
- A Solstice Kiss, Olivia Dade
- Oh, it was so cute! Felix was adorable and KIND and I really liked Ellie’s growth. I LOVED it!
- Tropes: Time abroad, making an ex jealous
- All Roads Lead Home, Joss Richard
- The nostalgia!!! It was cute and sweet! Loved this one.
- Tropes: home for the holidays, small town, reuniting with childhood best friend, friends to lovers
- Skipping Christmas, Rebekah Weatherspoon
- Tropes: neighbors, not going home for the holidays
- Holiday Blackout, Susan Lee
- Lighthearted and cute workplace romance
- Dual POV
- Tropes: Work frenemies, second chance
- Hope This Helps, Sarah Hogle
- The millennial references were funny
- I know it’s a short story but I really needed more at the end!
- Tropes: emailing, enemies to lovers
- Is It New Year’s Yet?, Zakiyah N. Jamal
- Very cute! Really great display of the tension and making you WANT these characters to be together
- Tropes: childhood best friends, friends to lovers, kissed but it got weird now we’re facing the music and admitting feelings
Thanks to Atria Books for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
