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A review by simonlorden
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
4.0
The publisher made an ARC of this available on NetGalley. This is my honest review.
A trope-y, comedic Christmas second chance romance with winter-y shenanigans, being snowed in, and a singles competition. With a cast that is almost entirely queer, which is really kind of refreshing.
Brighton and Charlotte have been friends since they were 12, dating since they were 17, and engaged to be married... until Brighton doesn't show up on their wedding day. Five years of silence later, they meet by accident when their respective friends invite them to a Christmas-y getaway.
Here's the thing: it's hard to read a romance book when I have zero sympathy for one of the characters. Sure, Brighton had her own reasons for leaving Charlotte standing at the altar alone, but those reasons didn't really justify the humiliation and heartbreak for me. It didn't help that once they met again, it was Brighton who started out with the passive aggressive comments at dinner in front of everyone. Like, girl, you don't have the moral high ground, you just look like an asshole.
For those reasons it took me at least half the book to really come around to Brighton and root for them to be together. Thankfully there were other factors that saved the book for me - mostly Charlotte's arc to become a better friend, and her fascinating December curse. I also liked Brighton's side-plot with the former members of her music band, and the story of the song she wrote for Charlotte.
In summary, I had some issues with Brighton's behavior, but it was still an enjoyable, comedic and heartfelt wintery read. With a lot of cheery queers.
A trope-y, comedic Christmas second chance romance with winter-y shenanigans, being snowed in, and a singles competition. With a cast that is almost entirely queer, which is really kind of refreshing.
Brighton and Charlotte have been friends since they were 12, dating since they were 17, and engaged to be married... until Brighton doesn't show up on their wedding day. Five years of silence later, they meet by accident when their respective friends invite them to a Christmas-y getaway.
Here's the thing: it's hard to read a romance book when I have zero sympathy for one of the characters. Sure, Brighton had her own reasons for leaving Charlotte standing at the altar alone, but those reasons didn't really justify the humiliation and heartbreak for me. It didn't help that once they met again, it was Brighton who started out with the passive aggressive comments at dinner in front of everyone. Like, girl, you don't have the moral high ground, you just look like an asshole.
For those reasons it took me at least half the book to really come around to Brighton and root for them to be together. Thankfully there were other factors that saved the book for me - mostly Charlotte's arc to become a better friend, and her fascinating December curse. I also liked Brighton's side-plot with the former members of her music band, and the story of the song she wrote for Charlotte.
In summary, I had some issues with Brighton's behavior, but it was still an enjoyable, comedic and heartfelt wintery read. With a lot of cheery queers.