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A review by brooke_review
The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Imagine running into your ex, the one who got away, in the buff serving drinks at a friend’s holiday party. If it sounds like the stuff of nightmares, welcome to Maya Bashir’s world. Maya’s world has just been turned upside down, having left both her job and relationship, and she’s headed back to her childhood Scotland home with her entire life packed in the back of her car. On the way, she stops at her friend’s home to rest, and it is there that she is reacquainted with Sam Holland, her ex. ‘Tis the start of Zoe Allison’s new Christmas novel, The Ex-Mas Holidays!
The Ex-Mas Holidays follows Maya and Sam as they adjust to Maya being back in their hometown and taking up an instructor job at the ski resort where Sam works. The more and more time that Sam and Maya spend together, the harder it becomes to deny their still lingering feelings for each other. The only problem? Sam’s toxic girlfriend, who is the reason why Sam broke Maya’s heart in the first place. Maya saw him kissing her the night she wanted to profess her love to him … but did everything really go down as Maya perceived it to be?
If you guessed that The Ex-Mas Holidays revolves around the miscommunication trope, you’d be right … it does seem to be a theme among holiday novels as of late. Depending on whether you love or hate misunderstandings between potential lovers will determine which way this book will go for you. I don’t outright dislike the trope, but it can become frustrating in a book as long as this one - you just want the characters to air their grievances and move on instead of harboring ill feelings toward each other. As it is, Sam and Maya really don’t have a heart to heart about their conflict until the near end of the novel, making this book one long build-up to a conversation we know is bound to eventually happen.
Sprinkled among Sam and Maya’s reunion is conflict with peripheral characters, including Maya dealing with her father’s expectations of her life, and Sam being emotionally abused and manipulated by his narcissistic girlfriend. These relationships provide a bit of meat to this story, making it just as much about two young adults coming to terms with their lives, as it is about the budding romance between them.
However, this book is not without problems. Maya is the daughter of an immigrant father; however, there is so little mention of her family’s culture that I frankly cannot remember where her father originated, aside from the odd choice of her being referred to as a mixed race girl at one point in the novel. Furthermore, Sam’s girlfriend is terrible, but conversations revolving around her vile behavior come off as if being read from a guide on dealing toxic people. Buzzwords such as gaslighting and narcissist are frequently thrown around and do not gel well with the story, making them feel disjointed and out of place in the novel.
As it is, The Ex-Mas Holidays is a light Christmas read that will satisfy anyone looking for a little Scottish charm and cheer. This book includes a lot of cute flirting and banter, and is not overtly explicit in content, falling more in the mid-range for steaminess.
The Ex-Mas Holidays follows Maya and Sam as they adjust to Maya being back in their hometown and taking up an instructor job at the ski resort where Sam works. The more and more time that Sam and Maya spend together, the harder it becomes to deny their still lingering feelings for each other. The only problem? Sam’s toxic girlfriend, who is the reason why Sam broke Maya’s heart in the first place. Maya saw him kissing her the night she wanted to profess her love to him … but did everything really go down as Maya perceived it to be?
If you guessed that The Ex-Mas Holidays revolves around the miscommunication trope, you’d be right … it does seem to be a theme among holiday novels as of late. Depending on whether you love or hate misunderstandings between potential lovers will determine which way this book will go for you. I don’t outright dislike the trope, but it can become frustrating in a book as long as this one - you just want the characters to air their grievances and move on instead of harboring ill feelings toward each other. As it is, Sam and Maya really don’t have a heart to heart about their conflict until the near end of the novel, making this book one long build-up to a conversation we know is bound to eventually happen.
Sprinkled among Sam and Maya’s reunion is conflict with peripheral characters, including Maya dealing with her father’s expectations of her life, and Sam being emotionally abused and manipulated by his narcissistic girlfriend. These relationships provide a bit of meat to this story, making it just as much about two young adults coming to terms with their lives, as it is about the budding romance between them.
However, this book is not without problems. Maya is the daughter of an immigrant father; however, there is so little mention of her family’s culture that I frankly cannot remember where her father originated, aside from the odd choice of her being referred to as a mixed race girl at one point in the novel. Furthermore, Sam’s girlfriend is terrible, but conversations revolving around her vile behavior come off as if being read from a guide on dealing toxic people. Buzzwords such as gaslighting and narcissist are frequently thrown around and do not gel well with the story, making them feel disjointed and out of place in the novel.
As it is, The Ex-Mas Holidays is a light Christmas read that will satisfy anyone looking for a little Scottish charm and cheer. This book includes a lot of cute flirting and banter, and is not overtly explicit in content, falling more in the mid-range for steaminess.