Published by St. Martin's Griffin on September 23, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
All bets are off when a single-minded photographer and a professional hockey player are forced to spend a week together on his sister’s Christmas tree farm, perfect for fans of Jenny Holiday and Maggie Knox.
Maisie Smart has a don’t-look-back policy–not on the choice she made to be a photographer (despite her family’s wishes) and not on the one-night stand she had six months ago. Sleeping with someone she barely knew was out of character; sleeping with a professional hockey player who bolted the morning after is a whole new level of embarrassing. Getting invited to spend the week at Tickle Tree Farm with her family this Christmas is a sure way to fill her with holiday spirit. Until the universe throws a Grinch in her festive plans in the form of the one man she hoped to avoid.
Nick King is a mess. After a significant injury lands him on the bench for every game for the rest of the month, he has more time to dwell on the one night stand he can’t get out of his head. With time on his hands, his anxiety hovering, and the holidays around the corner, he figures visiting his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm will be a good way to lie low and sort himself out. He’s in for a surprise when it turns out Maisie is staying at his sister’s and his attraction for her hasn’t lessened one bit in the last six months. Apparently, neither has her anger at him for bailing. But Christmas is the time for second chances, and the forced proximity may help Nick and Maisie unwrap feelings neither of them can walk away from twice.
It was a one night stand that left a big impression on both Maisie and Nick. When their worlds collide for the holiday season, Nick makes a play to win Maisie back. Can this one-night stand turn into forever?
As expected, this story was sweet and adorable. The first half of the book was festive and packed with so much holiday cheer. I loved spending Christmas on Tickle Tree Farm with Nick and Maisie's families, but I was even more excited about Nick's determination to win Maisie back.
He handled their one-night stand poorly, but he was ready to regain Maisie's trust and recapture her heart. I wanted that so badly for Maisie. She was the black sheep of the Smart family, an artist in a clan of academic over-achievers. The vibe between her, her siblings, and her father was good, but mom was terrible. Sullivan tried to soften that for me by saying how Maisie felt loved and how mom was always held to high standards by her own father, but I still wanted her gone. Maisie was too kind and sweet to have that negativity in her life. And she was extremely successful as a photographer! I really struggled with mom.
But I loved Nick! Nick had grownup in a single parent household with a mother who saw her children as an inconvenience (what's with the mothers here?) He served as caregiver for his sister and was super protective of those he loved. The dynamic between him, his sister, and his precious nephew was perfection. I loved that family's energy.
The second half of the story focused more on Nick and his personal struggles. He had been rehabbing following a knee injury and found himself dealing with some mental health issues related to his career. He had some big, difficult choices to make regarding his future, and I was glad he had Maisie by his side to be his sounding board and source of support.
This was a sweet and delightful romance with a big focus on family and friendship, honesty and trust. I LOVED that Sullivan brought in her couples from Can't Help Falling in Love and A Guide to Just Being Friends. There is nothing I adore more than a crossover, and I hope there are more coming our way.
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on September 30, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Enchanted Realism, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
Some people are Christmas people, but Jill Jacobs is most certainly not. She hasn’t been ever since her hometown love broke her heart on Christmas Day three years ago. After that, Jill moved to L.A. to pursue her dream of becoming a screenwriter. She hasn’t been home in years to avoid her ex, but this winter she finds herself back in drab, suburban Illinois for the holidays.
After one very hazy night, Jill wakes up to a hometown that's filled with jolly neighbors, covered in pristine white snow, and shimmering with the smell of nutmeg. She realizes that this is more than just a bad hangover… she's stuck in a Heartfelt movie. One set in her town, starring real people from her life, including her family, her high school crush (uber perfect, owns a bakery, and definitely a Christmas Person), and of course, her ex —handsome as ever and now exclusively clad in plaid flannel.
The only way out of this bizarro world is to complete the plot of the movie, including a holiday bake off and a cookie-sweet love story. To get home in time for Christmas, Jill must act out a picture-perfect holiday romance with the one that got away, all while her ex watches on. Fa la la la freaking la….
After her relationship imploded, Jill fled her hometown for L.A. where she hoped to become the next big screenwriter; however, some times things don't go as planned. Now, with no job and few prospects, Jill agreed to a family Christmas and returned to the site of her many failures. After a night of a few too many adult beverages, Jill found herself in Sweetville, a place straight out of a Heartfelt movie but filled with people from her hometown. Stuck in this sticky-sweet place, Jill must figure out how to "open her heart" and return to the real world.
This book felt like a blend of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life with a touch of Hallmark charm and a bit of snark. Jill was not a "Christmas person". She was a bit jaded, and her most indelible holiday memory was her break up with a man she could not forget. Being back in her hometown highlighted all her failures - the boyfriend she lost, the boy she never caught, the friendship she didn't nurture, all regrets of her past. Sweetville seemed like her second chance to course correct, and maybe, choose a different path.
As a Hallmarkie, I was all over that Heartfelt world. It poked fun at all the tropes and storylines that have moved millions to happy tears while also acknowledging that fact. It was fun celebrating the holidays and participating in the cookie contest, but what really thrilled me was the second chance romance storyline.
I will admit, Jill was a hard sell, but I bet people who have lived in the shadow of a stellar sibling or felt like a failure could relate to Jill on some level and give her a little leeway. Her growth was slow, but there was growth and self realization. She came to many important conclusions about her life and perceptions that resulted in a really sweet ending for Jill and everyone else involved.
The mix of sweet and cynical was perfect for me, as I think I am a mix of sweet and cynical myself. The story was packed with lots of Hallmark charm and cheesy holiday antics that had me laughing and smiling. In the end, I felt warm and fuzzy and that's what I expect from a holiday romance.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
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