If you ask Tom Walsh (and most people), there’s something magical about NYC at Christmas time. If you ask Katherine Tate, she’ll tell you it’s the most miserable time of the year in the city. This could be one of the reasons these two are divorced. Just as Tom is ready to fly out to Chicago to see is family for Christmas and introduce them to his girlfriend (and maybe more 💍), he gets a call that Katherine’s been in a car accident and needs his help. Katherine never updated her emergency contact information, and Tom was automatically called. This is hardly the situation either of them pictured themselves in two days before Christmas, but with Katherine’s head injury requiring 24 hour monitoring, Tom can’t leave her in her time of need. So the two set off to Chicago where his girlfriend is waiting eagerly with his family. Tom is determined to get there before Christmas Eve in order to perpetuate a longstanding tradition, but everything that could go wrong goes wrong, turning the trip into a cross country mess.

The whole book takes place over just a day or two but it’s really well-paced. I was worried that the ending would feel rushed because of the timeline, but it really felt just right. There are a few of my favorite tropes: grumpy sunshine, second chance romance, and found family. I found myself really rooting for the characters, both individually and together. This is super sweet as a holiday read but also somehow doesn’t over do it with the Christmas vibes and I think you could read it any time of year!

This book was deceptive but in the best kind of way! I expected a romcom but what I got was a personal glimpse into dealing with regrets and what if's. I really enjoyed this book and will be re-reading it next Christmas!

As a lawyer myself, I really connected with Katherine and appreciated the contours of their relationship. The banter was also hilarious and so well done! I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend for a sweet rekindling of love holiday read!

An aspiring attorney who’s striving to become a partner at the firm she’s been at for 10 years.
When she gets into her cab just 2 days before Christmas there’s an accident. Now waking up in the hospital with a concussion and stitches, her emergency contact must either take her and watch her or she must stay in the hospital for the holiday.

The planes, trains, buses and automobiles are filled with one funny incident after another that has these two running, fighting, laughing and emotionally drained to make it to his Christmas Eve at his parents.

Such a fun and enjoyable read. It’s fun how much they hate each other. A great second chance romance

This was a super cute easy listen! I didn’t realize it was a Christmas romcom so I listened to it in February lol but still enjoyed it none the less!

It was an enjoyable read. I liked the chemistry between the two main characters, enhanced by the dual POV and both narrators. However, I think it would have benefitted from a dual timeline as well. One in present, and one in pas during their breakup.

Is this a holiday book? Yes it is. Did I need a lighter story to break up all the heavy books I’ve been reading? Yes I did. I’ve only seen positive reviews about this book and I’m pleasantly surprised to say that I loved it! It had wit, banter and a perfect second chance romance. I always love listening to romance on audio when there is dual narration and this was a good one. I definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

Katherine is an ambitious NYC attorney vying for the promotion her firm always grants at Christmas. And that's the ONLY thing she I looking forward to this Christmas season. But when she has an accident and has to be monitored for a concussion, her ex-husband is called because she never did get around to updating her emergency contact. Now she has to agree to head to Chicago with him for his family's Christmas.

Tom has plans to propose to his new girlfriend on Christmas Eve, but when he get's presented with taking care of Katherine, he can't leave her in the lurch. But of course this trip cannot go smoothly, and as they run into one roadblock after another, their emotional GPSes may be rerouting.
_____

What a fun read! I normally hate the "Are We There Yet?," trope but this one nails the humor and heart so well. I think because the travel mishaps made Katherine and Tom deal with the reasons their marriage failed and realize their own faults. I liked the themes of reconciliation and personal growth. And their chemistry and banter was top notch. What a fun holiday (but not too holiday-ish read)!
_____

This is a closed door, kisses only rom com. It does have adult language.

Oh my GOODNESS but I LOVED this one! The snark, the humor, the heart, the hilarity - it was all present in spades. The story is relatable and fun and just plain funny, but there is a tender underbelly that pervades the story that I also found compelling. I'm not usually a rom-com reader, but especially in audio format I found this to be a perfect combination of elements that delivered an intriguing, entertaining, and fabulous story. I am not normally a fan of dual-narration, but it worked perfectly here - and the two narrators were spot-on sublime in their intonations and storytelling styles. This is one I'm going to recommend to everyone!

This was a fun one to listen to. Katherine has an accident and they call her ex husband Tom, because she never updated her emergency contact. Tom has moved on and is planning to propose to someone new. In a funny adventure as they try to make their way to Tom’s family, their feelings change.

This was a cute Christmas story. The narrators did a phenomenal job with the banter and strong characters. I’m glad I listened to it as I think it’s better as an audiobook. I liked that Katherine was so strong. It just was a bit unbelievable at times and there were some plot holes but a fun read overall.

4.5 stars. I loved the idea of this book and haven't read a romance like this in a very long time. This is about Katherine and Tom. They are divorced and they approach almost everything differently. She is a serious, slightly socially awkward lawyer. She lost her dad 9 years ago on Christmas so now she really hates Christmas. Tom is Mr. Friendly and well loved among everyone. Hes a sunshiney cinnamon roll and I loved the way he treated Katherine. In this book, Tom is getting ready to go home to his family for Christmas. His girlfriend had a girls' trip somewhere so she's meeting him in Chicago to spend Christmas with his family and he's going to propose. He's about to leave when he gets a phone call from the hospital saying Katherine has been in an accident and he's her emergency contact. He goes to the hospital and realizes she has a concussion and can be released, but she cant be alone and can't go to sleep. What does he do? He invites Katherine to come home to Chicago with him (and his almost fiance). Super weird, right? The trip home is a terrible trip. They get kicked off the plane, lost on a bus, etc. etc. and they're really struggling to get there. We get to see the dynamics of their relationship now as well as in the past and I definitely fell in love with them as a couple, even though they are very different. HOWEVER, the reason this is not a 5 star is because HE WANTS TO BE HOME ON CHRISTMAS EVE TO PROPOSE TO SOMEONE ELSE. That poor gal is in Chicago, with his family, who she doesn't know, just waiting for Tom and his ex wife to arrive. How awkward and terrible!! If the whole girlfriend thing would've been handled differently (or if his motivation for getting home would've been different) I would've given this a 5 star. But its not, so I'd say a strong 4-4.5 stars.

First word that comes to mind is terrible. I feel so bad for Lolo and that is it. Catherine has to be monitored for 48 hours SO TOM TAKES HER ON A FREAKING ROAD TRIP!?!? Seriously. This one hurt my head.

Cute, lighthearted, festive read giving all the feels and a second chance at love. This novel is perfect for a rainy (or snowy) day, a fire, and something warm to drink. I was caught up in the hilarity of the situations and how two people could seem to hate one another so much, but were actually still very much in love.

Katherine is an attorney, determined to make partner, in an NYC firm and completely married to her job. Unfortunately, this led to the demise of her marriage to Tom. An accident, turn opportunity, has landed Katherine in the hospital with a concussion. Her emergency contact is none other than her ex-husband. Unless she wants to spend Christmas in the hospital, Tom has to sign on to take his ex and watch her while attending the holidays with his family…and new girlfriend. What should have been a quick trip is detoured by a blizzard and several other hilarious events.

I listened to the audio production of the novel and both narrators did a fantastic job.

It’s never to early for Christmas books, right? The duo narration on this book was so good! Cutest little Christmas story about love and all the struggles that come with it!

Christmas is the best time of the year and truthfully what’s not to love about the holidays but not for the soon to be new partner at her law firm, Katherine truly despises it because nothing good happens to her during this time. Her father died on Christmas Day and just when she finally took some time off, she finds herself in the hospital with concussion, bra-less and her ex-husband by her side because really what good comes out of the holidays anyways.

Lauren Layne is back again with an hilarious rom-com second chance ex-spouses stuck together kinda novel and it’s truly the perfect palate cleanser you need if you are stuck like me in a reading slump.

Thank you NetGalley for this book.

Katherine, an ambitious NYC attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for 48 hours to make sure it doesn't get worse. Unfortunately, she forgot to update her emergency contact so the person they call is her ex-husband, Tom. Unable to be left alone, Katherine reluctantly agrees to travel to Chicago with Tom for the holidays. But thanks to a blizzard, what should have been a quick plane ride turns into an antagonistic overnight misadventure that stirs up old feelings even as Tom prepares to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.

I loved this book so much. The audio version was perfection, the narrators were great! I loved the timeline and that the two might have discovered that they should not be divorced after all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed the narrators, and though the story was generally predictable it still managed to be sweet and funny.

Second chance romance meets holidays! This was a delightful listen. The plot was original, the characters were hilarious, the development throughout the book was wonderful. The authors did an excellent job with this, and the narration was great!

Emergency Contact

I absolutely ADORED this holiday, second chance romance! I always love Lauren Layne's books, and this one written with her husband is no different.

A mash up of planes, trains and automobiles journey with these two ex-spouses to get home for Christmas warms could warm even the Grinch's heart. Brought together by sheer accident - literally - because Katherine forgot to update her emergency contact at work. Needing supervision as she recovers from her concussion, Tom drags her on a holiday travel nightmare as he tries to get home to his family so that she won't be alone in the hospital for Christmas. The time together forces the two to recall how much they loved each other - and still do.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators absolutely crushed it. They did an amazing job bringing Katherine and Tom's dry humor and antics to life from the page. I flew through it and listened in a day because I could not put it down. I highly recommend!

Check this one out for:
- travel mahem
- holiday, second chance-romance
- Hilarious support characters
- grumpy sunshine vibes

Thank you to Blackstone for the ALC! My opinions are my own.