My New Crush Gave To Me is Shani Petroff’s second novel with Swoon Reads. I read her first, Romeo & What’s Her Name back in February, and while I enjoyed it, it did seem on the younger side and wasn’t quite what I was expecting. However, I ended up really enjoying My New Crush Gave To Me and practically read it in one sitting!

Charlie Donovan is a passionate, driven, and very organized student. She likes her schedules and despises tardiness above all else. As co-editor of the her high school’s newspaper with her best friend, Morgan, her organization and schedules are needed. However, the party of the year is quickly approaching and she has no date. Charlie knows Teo, another driven student, would make the perfect date and boyfriend. She just needs to find a way to make it happen. She strikes up the plan to rig the newspaper’s Secret Santa drawing so that she will be able to pick out five gifts that will make him notice her. This turns out more difficult than she originally thought and is forced to enlist the help of Teo’s cousin, J.D., the perpetually late photo editor.

My New Crush Gave To Me is the perfect holiday rom-com. Shani Petroff does a fantastic job of bringing in the winter and holiday vibes. I loved reading about all of the holiday activities from decorating Christmas trees to singing carols to baking delicious treats, I am so ready for the holiday season to kick off now.

The romance is adorable. I loved watching Charlie fall for the boy, who is different than the ideal she has in mind, but who knows her and appreciates who she is. The development of their relationship is slow, which I really enjoyed. I love how she goes from hating J.D. to begrudgingly becoming friends to feeling something more. J.D. was such a sweet and goofy character that I couldn’t help but fall for myself.

Charlie’s friendship with Morgan was another plus. I loved how these two actually acted like best friends. They hang out with each, participate in the same extracurricular activity, and even start their own business together. They are supportive of each other and have each other’s back no matter what.

I loved Charlie’s personality. I am like Charlie in that I am very organized, passionate, and detail-orientated. I really connected seeing a character like this play out on the pages. Even though I am not as bold or loud as Charlie is, I appreciated this aspect of her character and admired how she wasn’t afraid to go after what she wants. I also liked how she stays true to who she is throughout her character growth.

Overall, My New Crush Gave To Me was the perfect book to get me into the Christmas spirit! I definitely recommend it to those looking for an adorable, fun holiday rom-com.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Charlie needs a date for the biggest party of the year, and she has her eyes set on Teo Ortiz. She uses her position as editor of the school newspaper to get to know him better, but Teo's annoying cousin J. D., the newspaper's photo editor, is always getting in the way. With her mother constantly busy with work, things aren't feeling very Christmasy. So Charlie tries to create a little holiday cheer of her own by rigging the paper's Secret Santa draw with a plan to win over Teo. The thing is, she might need J.D.'s help to find Teo the perfect gifts. Charlie always plans everything, but what happens when things don't go to plan?

This book is cute, funny, sweet, and wistful. It's also kind of predictable, but the journey is fun. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters, especially Charlie and J.D.

A light, quick read that will get you in the mood for Christmas.

Like getting into a cold bed in the middle of winter, it took me a little while to warm up to this one. I found it a little stark to begin with, and Charlie was a bit too officious for my liking. But the book slowly thawed in moments between J.D. and Charlie, and by the end, I was toasty.

I could see very quickly how J.D. was clearly the better choice for Charlie. He didn’t bow down to her demanding nature, encouraging her to loosen up a little. And it was so clear that he was into her; you could see his influence in gifts, or the way he engineered time with her. Every time Teo showed up, I wanted to usher him away so J.D. could have his special moments with Charlie. Teo was so…ordinary. Like just another teenage guy. J.D. was a sweetheart.

So if you’re looking for a cute contemporary to get you in the mood for Christmas, pick this one up! It’s really quick and breezy and sweet as hell.

My New Crush Gave to Me
Shani Petroff
Swoon Reads, October 2017
ISBN 978-1-250-13032-7
Trade Paperback

From the publisher—

Charlotte “Charlie” Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He’s a star athlete, a National Honor Society member, and the most popular guy in school. Plus he contributes to the school paper, where Charlie is a co-editor. Basically, he’s exactly the type of guy Charlie’s looking for. The only problem is―he barely knows she exists.

But Charlie has a plan: rig the paper’s Secret Santa and win his heart with the perfect gift. The catch? She has no idea what to get him. Enter J.D. Ortiz–Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He’s easy going, laid back, disorganized, and spontaneous―the exact opposite of Charlie (and Teo). But he knows what Teo wants, so she’s stuck with him.

Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?

Sometimes, I need a change of pace from my usual reading fare and a light, romantic comedy can be the perfect palate cleanser, so to speak. Also, I don’t mind saying I’m starting to have a few Christmas-y thoughts and, besides, I love this cover 😉

Now, there are things about this particular story that plucked a few nerves. For one, this is about a bunch of privileged, pretty teens whose biggest problem is finding a date for the party of the year. Second, there were times when Charlie is kind of hard to like, not because she’s mean-spirited or anything like that, but because she is so unrelentingly rigid and opinionated. Still, she’s a good kid and gets a pass because she is, after all, a kid and can’t be expected to be swimming in maturity. In fact, a lot of maturity would take all the fun out of things, right? Now, for characters you can love, no one beats Charlie’s BFF, Morgan, because she really cares about Charlie and wants what’s best for her, and J.D. is a delightful sort of sideways Cyrano de Bergerac.

The plot is both lighthearted and filled with teenaged angst and it all works quite well. From the very beginning, I was pretty sure what was going to happen eventually and getting there gave me a couple of hours of pure pleasure. Who knows, I may just read another romcom soon!

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2017.

I typically enjoy a light, fluffy holiday read. This book was just too clichéd which made it less enjoyable. Not for me, unfortunately.

I so love YA books. This was such a fun book about the sweet kind of love - young love, love for another so pure that the lover puts the loved's desire above their own.

I enjoyed seeing the character evolution and actually getting to know the lead character; we peeled back layers of this character with each turn of the page. I initially thought that Charlie was too prickly and J.D. was a turd. But you know what they say, you can't judge a book by its cover. Each of the characters had more depth and/or layers than expected. The perfect guy isn't so perfect and the turd is actually more of a prince? And that prickly pear, she's got a heart of gold hidden beneath those thorns.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA and would love to review for this author again!

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso book tours for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

"Okay, you stop that this second. I'm not letting you be all bah humbug. You just need some Christmas Magic."

Charlie is kind of a scrooge this year, her mom has started working a new shift, she has no date for the big party and all of her usual Christmas traditions keep getting pushed aside or fall apart. The only thing she feels like she really has control over is her school work and the school paper. So with some help from her best friend Morgan, she decides she is going to turn things around and get the guy she has a crush on to go with her to the party.

"It's exactly like this: you don't like what someone says and you walk away. There's no real discussion. You make up your mind, and it doesn't matter what the other person thinks."
This book is a nice contemporary Christmas book. It's actually for the YA age range and the characters actually act like teenagers! Plus side this is also a mostly clean book.

I did struggle with this book, mainly because I couldn't like Charlie not only is she extremely controlling but if she doesn't like what you say she just walks away or ignores you and does what she wants anyway. This is extremely frustrating to those around her and makes the other people on the paper not like her too much. This also causes a bit of a problem when it comes to finding help for the perfect Christmas gifts for the persons he has a crush on. With a little bribery though Morgan is able to help her find someone to help and this is one thing's start getting interesting.

"It was an actual winter wonderland. I didn't know neighborhoods like this even existed."

Charlie is introduced into a world she had never been a part of. She sees what other family traditions are like and she gets to experience them. She also learns how to let go of some of the control and has fun for a change. She gets taken to some really amazing places and I'm not going to lie I'm kind of jealous. (Where can I find a person that does this type of stuff for me?)

As for the romance, I could tell really quickly what was going to happen, but I did find it fun to see how long it took her to realize what everyone else already knew. I am happy with the ending and I'm glad she does finally realize certain things about herself.

"My wish had come true."
One thing I do want to mention is this book was a good reminder for me to take a break this holiday season and actually have fun and not worry so much about stuff or making sure everything is perfect. Because at the end of the day that's not what it's about. It's about spending time with your family and taking in all that's happening around you.

So, I had just set aside two books that weren't working for me, and I was worried that I was falling into the dreaded reading slump, and then along comes this wonderful book. And seriously, when I was done with this book, I felt so buoyant, that I want to dance atop a mountain while making a joyful noise.

Reasons why I wanted to hug this book

•Charlie was my type of girl. She was all about schedules and planning and she abhorred lateness (my personal pet peeve). I could totally related to her and her little control freak ways, but I was also pleased to see her grow and change a little over the course of the book.

•J.D. was probably one of my favorite things about this book. I wish I had had a boy like J.D. in my life in high school, because he was something special. He was smart, funny, a little goofy, and artistic. He was also so thoughtful and sweet. I adored his interactions with his little cousin, his parents, and his grandfather, and this boy totally won a place in my heart.

•Charlie and Morgan had such an awesome friendship, and I was totally jealous of them. I liked how they shared so much and had each other's backs. Everyone should have a friend like that.

•This book really put me in the holiday spirit. We got to share in so many holiday traditions, as well as see some new ones form. It was also fun unwrapping all the secret santa gifts. One of my favorite things about the holidays is finding the perfect gift for someone. That was one of the things Charlie and J.D. were trying to accomplish in this book, and I was elated to get to tag along on their search.

•I always enjoy a good enemies-to-friends-to-more story, and this one did not disappoint. The initial verbal sparring between J.D. and Charlie was quite amusing, but I really liked when their relationship grew into a true friendship, where they could confide in and rely on each other.

•Baking! Charlie and Morgan have a little baking business, and there is a ton of wonderful baking going on in book. I really need to find me a Jim Dandy recipe, because they sound ah-mazing.

Overall: This book was everything I was looking for and needed at the time. It oozed holiday charm, but also delivered a story filled with love, friendship, and family, which is also something I associate with the holidays. I just found myself with a severe case of the warm-fuzzies and a perma-smile on my face.

My New Crush Gave to Me was such a feel good and adorable novel. This book seriously made me feel all the warm and fuzzies! I love reading books that put me in the holiday spirit, and that book did just that! BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS!

The author did such a great job at creating a cozy and adorable winter atmosphere for this book. I would almost compare it to a Christmas Hallmark movie! There were so many fun Christmas activities that the characters participated in that made me crave the holiday season! I NOW WANT TO PUT UP CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AND START LISTENING TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!!

All of the characters in this book were interesting and relatable in their own way. Charlie, the main character, was a passionate and extremely dedicated girl. I really admired how she would always strive to be the best at everything she did. Sometimes she was too controlling and I was so happy that other characters pointed that out to try and make Charlie loosen up a bit! Morgan, Charlie's best friend, was such a sweet character! She was seriously SUCH a good friend to Charlie and I loved that their relationship was important to the story. I don't want to talk about the male characters as to spoil anything, but they were great too!

The romance in this book was freaking ADORABLE. The main romance of this book was predictable, but I still enjoyed watching Charlie discover her feelings. I knew right away how the romance was going to play out, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the romance! I still found Charlie's romance swoon-worthy and SOOOO cute!!! Seriously, it put a smile on my face and made me squeal out loud! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HOW CUTE THE ENDING WAS! MY SHIPPER HEART COULDN'T HANDLE IT! I also really liked the side romances as well. I was so glad that the author included those as well.

Overall, this was such a feel-good novel! This is a book that is guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit and put a smile on your face! If you love YA novels that make you feel the warm and fuzzies, then I would definitely recommend checking this book out!

4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review. 

What I Liked:

-There are a lot of YA books out there that I think are far too adult for the age group they’re marketed in, but I didn’t have that problem with this book. It seems geared more towards the younger end of the YA spectrum and is pretty clean. It’s the perfect amount of light and fluffy for a fun Christmas read.

-I liked the characters. Charlie is very Type A and likes to be in control, but she means well. Her best friend Morgan did a good job of balancing her out. JD is the polar opposite of Charlie, of course, and they often butt heads. As they come to spend more time with each other they begin to understand each other better and become friends. They had some sweet moments together and I shipped them.

-I love that cover! There’s an ugly Christmas sweater party in the book so it even ties in to the story well.

-Though I generally don’t like anything Holiday related until after Thanksgiving, this book did get me into the Holiday mood. I enjoyed all the holiday baking and liked the Secret Santa idea.

What Didn’t Quite Work for Me:

-I couldn’t really get on board with Charlie’s sudden crush on Teo. She basically just knew some stats on him when she decided he was The One. The way she read way too much into every interaction she had with Teo did remind me of being in high school, but it also kind of frustrated me. I also got frustrated by how clueless she was when it came to JD. A lot of the moments between them I thought were so sweet were kind of lost on her.

-I thought the end was  a little too abrupt. Things worked out very easily, very quickly for Charlie once she realized who she really wanted and I would’ve liked her to have to work a little bit harder for the happy ending.

Overall:

Overall, I enjoyed My New Crush Gave to Me. It was light and cute with likeable characters, even if Charlie was frustrating sometimes. I definitely recommend it to fans of YA Contemporary holiday reads.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

*Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

My New Crush Gave to Me is a fast paced, realistic, warm and fluffy spectacular. Secret Santa and secret crushes go hand in hand as main character Charlie navigates high school woes and foes during the holidays.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story and its ability to realistically portray the awkwardness and sometimes foolishness of high school kids with crushes and the lengths they’re willing to go to get noticed by said crushes.

Charlie really needs a date. With the social event of the season fast approaching and no boyfriend in the picture, Charlie sets her sights on class hero Teo, a star athlete and all around good guy, if not a bit self absorbed. He’s kind of out of her league but Charlie doesn’t really care about any of that. All she can picture is showing up to the biggest party of the year on Teo’s arm, but unfortunately Charlie isn’t even a speck on Teo’s radar. But then she gets the brilliant idea to meddle with the newspaper staff’s secret Santa. With a little help from her arch nemesis J.D., who just so happens to be Teo’s cousin, she just might end up with the date of her dreams.

Hijinks ensue and realizations are made in this humorous holiday tale. I loved the different relationships at play throughout the story, especially the one between Charlie and J.D. They’re always arguing and sniping at each other, but once they start working together and finding commonalities, their relationship begins to change and it was just so nice to read about.

Charlie is strong and assertive and not afraid to go for what she wants. She doesn’t take anyone’s crap and while sometimes she needs to lighten up a little, overall she’s a pretty well developed and likeable main character.

J.D. is an adorable goofball who loves photography and Christmas, and is probably one of the greatest gift givers ever. The thought he puts into choosing gifts for people is so personal and special, it made me love him even more.

Charlie also has a best friend named Morgan, who is quite sensible and most often the voice of reason when Charlie starts to go off the deep end. She’s always supportive, and just a really great addition to the cast of characters. Her friendship with Charlie was also wonderful to read about because it was purely good, and healthy. They never tried to tear each other down.

Overall, this was a really fun read. It’s the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter day with a cozy blanket and mug of hot chocolate.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Charlotte Charlie Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He s the school s star athlete, in the National Honor Society, invited to every party, contributes to the school paper (where Charlie is co-editor), and is about to be featured as One to Watch in a teen magazine basically, he's exactly the type of guy Charlie s meant to be with. The only problem he barely knows she exists.

But Charlie is determined to be Teo's date to the Christmas ball. And she has a plan: To rig the paper s Secret Santa so that she can win his heart with five perfect gifts. But to do that she needs help. Enter J.D. Ortiz Teo s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He s easy going, laid back, unorganized, spontaneous, and makes a joke out of everything the exact opposite of Charlie (and Teo). But he s willing to provide insight into what Teo wants, so she s stuck with him.

Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?

What I Liked:

I've been in a weird reading slump lately, in which I've been reading half as much as I did earlier in the year. I've enjoyed what I've been reading, for the most part, but it has been hard for to read as much as I used to earlier in the year (which is hilarious because earlier in the year I was busting my butt during my last semester of college). I picked up this book last night on a whim; I had just gone shopping earlier in the day and I bought a bunch of things for people for Christmas. I've really been in a Christmas mood and this book seemed perfect. And you know what? It was a really great read.

Let me start by saying that I wouldn't usually go for this type of story - in which the girl decides she is into this one guy, and she starts to go after him, but along the way she realizes that this other guy who she has been hanging out with is the guy she really likes, and UGH how will she choose? I hate love triangles and anything even remotely close to being a love triangle, so the presence of two guys/potential love interests in the story is usually enough for me to back far away. But I will say that Petroff executes this type of story perfectly. There is no love triangle, despite Charlie thinking that Teo is the perfect guy for her. But I'll get to that.

It all starts with invitations to Noelle Hawkins' Dec. 26th party, in which the theme is the Lovers' Ball, and everyone has to come with a date. Too bad Charlie's boyfriend Ajay dumped her recently. Charlie can't go to the party alone, and she certainly can't let Zakiyah (the newspaper's dating columnist and resident nosy snob) find out that she doesn't have a date. So what's a girl gotta do? Find someone who she might be interested, and get him to like her and be her date. Teo Ortiz is perfect - he is smart, good-looking, athletic, and charismatic. But in order to charm Teo, Charlie needs help, and the only person that can help her is J.D. Ortiz - Teo's cousin. J.D. is irritating and always late and always pushing Charlie's buttons, but he knows Teo really well. Charlie strikes a deal with J.D. in order to get J.D.'s help. But the more she spends time with J.D., the more she questions what - and who - she really wants.

I feel like Christmas-themed YA books aren't really a thing? There are so many Christmas romances in the adult romance world, but not so much in YA. Let me tell you, I am all for more YA Christmas romances. I love Christmas, and the feeling of joy and togetherness it brings. And Christmas romances have a quality of magic to them. This book was seriously adorable!

I hadn't read any reviews for this book until after I read it, and I have some thoughts on other people's thoughts. I'll try to discuss those as I go. One thing that someone mentioned was the lengths that Charlie went in order to get nice gifts for Teo (she has him for the Secret Santa program that the school newspaper staff is doing). I saw no problem with this, and I'll explain why below.

But first I think it's important that I talk about how much I adored Charlie. Charlie and I are pretty much the same people. We're planners, down to exact minutes and tasks and to-do lists. We deal with organization and perfection and do not tolerate lateness (seriously, I do not understand how some people are consistently late to everything?!?!?!?!). I related to Charlie on so many levels because I wa exactly her in high school, I was her in college, I am still her, and I've always been her. You know the phrase "it takes one to know one"? I understood Charlie.

And I suppose that is why I didn't find her shenanigans creepy or weird at all. Charlie is the editor of the school paper, and Teo is an occasional contributing writer. He, Charlie, Morgan (Charlie's best friend and co-editor), and the rest of the newspaper staff decided to do a Secret Santa among themselves. Charlie had a crush on Teo and came up with a way to get Teo as her Secret Santa, so she could get him the perfect gifts to charm him and they could go to Noelle's party and ride off into the sunset. I have been in Charlie's shoes. I've purposely taken this route or that route to class, in hopes of passing by my crush. I've tried to learn his schedule as much as possible so I could catch him "unexpectedly". Is it creepy? Eh, it might sound so. But in high school, for a shy girl (I was shy then, at least), this was the way to go. I was playing the long game, the long subtle game. And so was She went out of her way to get the most perfect gifts for Teo.

And that's where J.D., the newspaper photo editor and Teo's cousin, came in. J.D. and Charlie antagonize each other on a constant basis - he is always late, she hates his lateness and his ideas for the newspaper, he hates how she only wants her way and no one else's. They argue and bicker all the time, and it pains Charlie to ask for J.D.'s help. But as she spends more time with him (shopping for Teo's gifts, going over to J.D.'s house in order to spend time with Teo, etc.), she realizes that she had J.D. all wrong, and she had misjudged him.

J.D. is a little goofy, very creative/artistic, and super thoughtful. He loves to antagonize Charlie, and he doesn't sugarcoat things when it comes to her. For example, he tells her that she is too much of a control freak and that she doesn't like when things don't go her way. J.D. is confident and charismatic like his cousin, but he is more thoughtful and sweet (even if he doesn't show those traits - the traits appear many, many times through subtle things he does). And hey, a bonus - he has abs! A cute and talented photographer who is also smart, thoughtful, and confident (though not in a jerk way)? J.D. is an awesome catch. And it's cute how he subtly chases Charlie, even though he is fully aware that she is trying to charm his cousin. J.D. was playing an even longer game, and he definitely "won". The guy is so sweet!

I love how Charlie and J.D.'s relationship is initially. They argue and disagree so much, and the tension is delicious. I love enemies-to-lovers kind of romances, and this one was superb. Charlie doesn't pick up on their chemistry at first, but it's hard for her to ignore after a while. They get along better as they get to know each other more (especially in Charlie's case), and then they become kind-of friends... and then Charlie realizes that she no longer knows exactly what she wants. Was Teo a built-up fantasy in her head, a perfect guy for her on paper? Does he know her at all?

Like I said before, I wouldn't usually go for this type of book. Charlie spends nearly the entire book thinking that Teo is this perfect guy. But she also spends the entire book with J.D., getting to know him indirectly. The romance is perfect, in my opinion. I never felt a love triangle coming because there was none. And for those who might wonder, Charlie only ever has feelings for one guy, and she only kisses one guy. No love triangle, no messiness, no confusion.

I loved Charlie and her friend Morgan's friendship. They are supportive of each other, especially Morgan. Morgan goes along with all of Charlie's crazy schemes and helps her out, even when she knows Charlie is doing too much. Morgan realizes before Charlie does that J.D. is the guy for Charlie, and Morgan is such a good friend when it comes to this. I love how she and Charlie have a baking business. I love how she (Morgan) is in a healthy, committed relationship with a guy (Ira) and yet she is still an amazing friend to Charlie. This was wonderful to see!

The ending of the book was perfect, exactly what I wanted. Well, I might have wanted a tiny bit more (like an epilogue), but I can't complain too much because the ending was great. I love it when a girl goes after her guy (usually it's the other way around, so I get excited when I see it this way). This story warmed my heart and actually made me feel nostalgic about high school (and that is a first!).

What I Did Not Like:

I so wanted an epilogue! To see how the couple was doing, as a couple, in the future. I mean, I suppose using my imagination is cool too, but one more chapter would have been lovely.

And I wanted more kisses! With all of the chemistry that Charlie and J.D. had, I was expecting some steamy makeout sessions (or at least, a bunch of small scenes with lots of ~tension~). But that's okay! The author does a good job of creating the chemistry without there being much physical interaction. Still, I wanted more physical swoon!

Would I Recommend It:

Contemporary romance fans, holiday romance fans, Christmas fans in general - this is one for you. It's so cute and so fun, and it captures some high school teens really well. Seriously, take it from someone who was exactly like Charlie in high school - the author captured the teenagers really well. Plus, with the spirit of the holidays incorporated in every page, this book proved to be entertaining and magical as you might expect. I'm here for all of the YA holiday romances!

Rating:

4 stars. I was already in a Christmas-y mood and now I definitely am. This author has written a wonderful story with an adorable romance, and I love how much the holidays are a part of the story (and not just Christmas, actually). I will definitely be looking out for more by this author!

All Charlie wants for Christmas is a date to her friend Noelle's big birthday bash. So Charlie and her best friend Morgan put together Operation Secret Santa in hopes to woo Teo the "perfect" boy. After all Charlie's scheming is Teo who she really wants.

I struggled a little with this book because Charlie is type A squared. She looks down on anybody who doesn't match up to her belief system. Although this is a major part of the plot to the book; spoiler alert, Charlie learns her lesson and becomes a bit more humble and fun loving on her journey to obtain the "perfect" boyfriend.
I will definitely recommend this book.

It appears that the more used adjective to describe this book is "cute." I don't disagree, it was very cute. It will be the perfect book to read around the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket!

Charlie needs a date. Her friend's aptly named birthday party, "Lover's Ball," requires all the attendees to bring a date. Now that her boyfriend has moved away and she's broken up, Charlie's now dateless & feeling pressured to bring a +1.

She doesn't think anyone is of boyfriend material--at least, until she meets overachieving Teo Oritz, football (and baseball!) star, NHS member, and popular golden boy. Charlie has her eye on him, and she'll do whatever it takes to get him to take her to the ball.

Even if it means rigging the Secret Santa drawings or dealing with his annoying cousin, J.D. Oritz, who grates on her every nerve with his lack of time-keeping skills and argumentative behavior.

But when things don't turn out the way she expects, Charlie may float or flounder.

This was a really cute story. I would compare it to a Hallmark Christmas movie, but for teens. Really, any Hallmark movie would suffice.

My New Crush Gave to Me is a super sweet, albeit trope filled, holiday romance. It's everything you could want.
I came into reading this novel with an entire plot planned out in my head & a specific set of expectations, and this novel met them all. I spotted the plot from a mile away. It's one of those warm, feel-good stories that makes everything bubbly like champagne.

Girl likes boy. Girl enlists boy's cousin to help pick gifts. Girl ends up falling for cousin. Girl realizes her mistake, talks to cousin, and boom shaka laka! We wrap it all together with a neat little bow.

It's the tropiest, most cliché thing you've ever read. It's a Hallmark movie, but in words. It was absolutely adorable.

I'm quite the sucker for Hallmark movies, and this fulfilled my expectations as a fluffy read. If cute, cliché stories aren't your cup of tea, this probably won't be the book for you because it's the epitome of cute & cliché.

But, if you do like reading predictable, cute romances, then My New Crush Gave to Me might just be your next favorite read.

The holiday spirit penetrated this novel and you could find it lurking in every corner--perfect for the fall and winter months ahead.

The characters are all well-developed and had their own flaws.

Charlie is someone who loves a lot of structure and sticking to a plan, so when things stray from her plan (Operation Secret Santa), things in Charlie's bubble will get shaken up. She doesn't deal well with these circumstances, and there are moments when you might not agree with the decision Charlie makes.

Teo is the main love interest, and everything Charlie would want. There's not much more to him, because this is a novel about Charlie and J.D., not Charlie and Teo (as much as she may want it to be Charlie and Teo).

J.D. is the sidekick/new love interest, and is much more complex than Teo. He's perpetually late and keeps secrets and is sweet as he does kind things for people, even when they're rude to him (ahem, Charlie).

Then we have a set of minor characters, ranging from the best friend & her boyfriend to family members and other girls at school.

This novel is fairly short, just shy of 300 pages (basically a breeze compared to those 500 page books), which makes it fast paced and structured, except with a 5 part body instead of a 3 part (because there are 5 gifts = 5 hurdle points = 5 part body).

The change of heart and really dynamic points for Charlie happen in the last 10-15%, and it's like the fast ending of a Hallmark movie where you're left wanting more of Charlie & her love interest at the end.
And although Petroff does the entire Hallmark structure down to a T, I was left wanting more that wasn't the actual Charlie romance.

As much of a hopeless romantic I am, I still like a little deeper meaning that was lacking in this novel. The only message I could interpret was "Don't judge a book by its cover" and messages about love and significant others.

I was hoping Petroff would break the cliché. Maybe change the ending to Charlie and the love interest being friends for the time or her throwing aside society's beliefs and proving to those mean girls that she doesn't need to take a man to the party.

This would have made a much more meaningful message, but the novel was still executed nicely.
There also seemed to be a lack of diversity. I was hoping for some more LGBTQ+ representation, and I would have even taken it if it was a side character. There were subtle mentions on skin tone, but they weren't the focus. (Luckily this isn't an actual Hallmark movie and not all of the cast has to be white).

Although My New Crush Gave to Me had some pitfalls in originality and meaning, I still found it an enjoyable read that really got me into the holiday season. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes Hallmark movies or cute romances with happy endings.

You can preorder My New Crush Gave to Me from any major booksellers or buy it in stores when it comes out on October 31st!

(Also, isn't the cover the absolute cutest? One of the editors at Swoon Reads hand knitted the cover, which is so cool!)

P.S. my review will be going live on September 28th & it will also be posted on twitter on that day :)

What a cute holiday book. At the start, Charlie is a little difficult to like. She is a major type A personality (which isn’t a bad thing), but she often times tends to come off a little mean. Right off the bat, her relationship with JD is intense. They argue all the time and view the world very differently. As they start interacting more with one another, Charlie becomes more relaxed and relatable.

The supporting characters really made this book. JD was a great character! He was spontaneous, fun, thoughtful, and super sweet. There were also lots of dealings with his family in which they did all the typical holiday activities. Morgan, Charlie’s best friend, was so awesome! Morgan tries to be the voice of reason with Charlie, which doesn’t always work. I found their interactions to be extremely entertaining. Overall, this book has a sweet romance, great supporting characters, and of course holiday fun that makes it easy to get into the holiday spirit!

A lighthearted and cute Young Adult romance just the way I needed. And so hard to put down I read this in one sitting. A 3.5.

It's kind of funny how a Christmas-themed novel is released on Halloween. But yes, the plot centers around a secret santa that control-freak Charlie uses to get the perfect date for a lovers' extravaganza a classmate is giving the day after Christmas. But to have the perfect gifts to her Mister Ten Teo Ortiz, she will have to make concessions and ally with his cousin J.D., who seems to know exactly how to drive her nuts. While Teo is the date she needs for the party, is he the one she wants?

Oh, how fun this was! I wasn't too fond of Charlie but it never got in the way of my enjoyment—it didn't help that I identified with her a lot... probably the reason we didn't hit it?—, but the book was precious. Surely, there wasn't much for me to call unforgettable, yet this didn't make any difference.

Just a few side characters were more round but they made up for the rest. I really loved Charlie's best friend Margot. I have repeated this ad nauseam, but it's always a win when a YA novel portrays good friends. I wish Charlie showed a little more appreciation, to be honest. So there was room for a big fight, and I'm glad it doesn't follow that unnecessary route. Phew.

It's also good to note how religion is present here without being the main topic—unless you consider Christmas as a religious event. It's very rare for a common novel to remember some teenagers do have religions they follow. And we've got two here, Christianism and Judaism. Kudos.

Details apart, the main plot was a lot of fun. I loved how the chemistry between Charlie and J.D. evolved without having to turn Teo into a jerk. That's hard but it's also my favorite sort of love triangle. Also, the many times Charlie tries to win Teo's attention really brought me back to those days. I can't accuse the book of not being real enough. Argh, lol.

I think it lacked the extra meat and that's why this isn't a full 4 or 5 stars. This was cute, quick but that's it. You'll love reading it, if it's your cup of tea. And yet, it didn't go beyond expectations. Also, Charlie could have been a little more charismatic or learned much from the whole experience.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

3.5 Stars

My New Crush Gave to Me is the perfect holiday read for all your contemporary needs. We follow Charlie Donovan as she searches for her dream date to Noelle Hawkins’ annual birthday party. Charlie is convinced she’s found her guy in Teo, star athlete, stellar GPA, and absolutely no clue she exists. Charlie enlists JD, the school paper’s resident photographer and Teo’s cousin, to help get the perfect secret santa gifts so she can land her dream guy. But not everything goes as planned along the way, and Charlie has to figure out who and what she really wants.

Things I Liked
This book gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings! This was honestly the perfect book to read after a super weird paranormal and get me back in a happy reading mood. This is such a great holiday read to cozy up with. I loved seeing the caroling, tree decorating, secret santas and all the fun holiday traditions - it made me want colder weather asap.

All of the relationships in this books are swoony and adorable. Even though there is a bit of an insta-infatuation on Charlie’s side with her and Teo they have some really cute interactions. Morgan and Ira are toothachingly sweet, and Charlie and JD’s banter is matched by none.

Morgan was such a great best friend to Charlie. She’s super spunky and supportive. And an amazing baker too! I also love reading about bakers in YA because I LOVE baking and it’s fun to see characters who share your hobbies. And I loved that she and her boyfriend were Jewish and talked about Hanukkah and their traditions as well.

JD was the arrogant-yet-thoughtful guy who works with Charlie on the paper, and helps her with her crush on Teo, his cousin. I really liked him! He was such a genuinely good person with such a happy nature, despite his slacker persona . I loved his relationship with his parents and how he and Charlie grow to be friends.

Things I Didn’t Like
Charlie was probably my least favorite character. I liked that she was focused, but she was a little too rigid for me. She was a very my-way or no-way type of person and I just didn’t connect to her like I did others. But I did like all of the dynamics with the other characters, so she didn’t ruin the story for me or anything. I just didn’t click with her.

I almost finished this book in one sitting, that’s how easy it was to read. The only reason I didn’t was because it got late, and I was tired. My New Crush Gave to Me was the perfect fluffy contemporary book. Holiday books are always fun and instantly make me happy, and this one is no different. We get great banter, cute flirting, fun holiday activities, and all the wonderful drama of high school politics. This is a book that has such a pure entertainment factor, you can’t put it down.

I received a copy of the book from Swoon Reads via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Charlie is a stickler for being on time and organized. She loves attention to detail. J.D. is the opposite or is he? He loves attention to detail in his photos. Charlie was a bit irritating at first with her rigidness but when J.D. tries to help her win over his cousin, Teo, she seems to loosen up a bit all in the name of capturing Teo for a date to the Lovers Ball. J.D. draws her out bit by bit in hilarious ways. She discovers more about herself and how others may not be what they seem. I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.