4 ⭐️

This cheesy, steamy, small-town holiday romance got high marks for leaning heavily into the Christmas spirit and traditions. I loved the Christmasey town and Christmas Kringle contest that served as a main plot point. I also liked how the tropes shifted throughout and kept me on my toes.

But ultimately, I think I had more things that didn't hit for me than did.

My biggest issue was the length. I didn't realize until this book that I don't believe a holiday romance should be longer than 400 pages. Time is not on our side in December—we're busy people—and all I really want from a holiday read is quick(ish) story.

Cole was kind of all over the place imo. He went from being moody, rude, and Grinchy (but not in the way you think once you learn his backstory) to being soft and sweet, but also a dirty talker in the bedroom