This was a cute Christmas novella that is the third of a trio of books. I do wish I had read the first two, as the three MC heroines are all friends and so the first two and their loves show up in this one and I didn't know them as themselves, only as the friends of the h from this book. So be forewarned, you might want to start with the first book of the three, rather than with this one as I did.

Also warning, pre-marital relations do occur on page, but not described in detail, so if you prefer clean romances, this may not be a good fit for you. Considering a major plot point of this book was "should she go back to Italy to the villa every Christmas to have some fun with him", it is definitely not clean.

But of course, there is character growth and love and surprise and, my most disliked trope of them all in a romance, the lack of effective and adult communication between the two MCs.

I read a romance recently where the two MCs HAD effective and adult conversation and the romance didn't suffer for it. I actually felt that it made the romance that much STRONGER, so that trope doesn't need to happen, each and every time.

Also, we were only in the h's head, and TBH, she wasn't overly mature and it was sometimes painful to be in her head. She wasn't a bad person, but she was ALL over the place in her thoughts and I wasn't surprised that the H was confused most of the time by her actions and behaviors and it wasn't always endearing.

However, it was a fun and cute read that I did enjoy and I SO want to read about Thomas' story. He really got the short end of the stick in this and I want to see him get his HEA. I will definitely read more by this author. She is popular at our store and I can see why. Solid writing and stories and characters that are interlinked, creating a solid world for the reader; huge pluses. I am a fan of continuity.

Recommended if you enjoy historical romances that aren't squeaky clean. 3, solid wish I had started with the first of this trilogy, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and NYLA for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

A double booking leads to a sweet Victorian romp. Same Time, Next Christmas is a gentle and lyrical holiday romance set along the coast of Italy. Told in the first person, which did take a bit to get used to, it follows Portia as she tries to navigate sharing a house, a beach, and a holiday with one Jamison Fletcher. Not only does she discover him bathing in the surf nude --- so scandalous -- but she also finds herself slowly and inexorably becoming more and more attracted to him.

As a reader, I had a hard time getting into this book. At times there seemed to be an overabundance of infodump and it took me a very long time to warm up to characters. There was definitely charming scenes here and there -- enough to keep me reading albeit slowly. The romance itself is sweet/clean and definitely for those who like slow burns.

As for me, this wasn't my cup of tea. But it's still worth checking out if you like a sweet, slow build holiday romance.

Three stars.

Wow! A fabulous book. Very entertaining, captivating, and interesting sexy read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong characters. I want to read more from this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

A historical romance with nice storyline and plot. The characters are likeable and they are all well described. Would have liked that is was in dual POV and not in first person narrator. That would have given the story a lot more depth.

A sweet and lovely romance. Really enjoyable read.

This is a great story. I love this author's books and this is another terrific one. The characters are great and it's a fun story. Definitely another keeper!

Victoria Alexander gives us a charming historical Christmas idyll in a Pompeian villa between the widow Lady Redwell and artist and civil servant Fletcher Jamison. The rendezvous recurs in 1886, but then Veronica has to decide whether she will return. Cosy historical setting in London ballrooms and Italy.. How will the romance end?

This is a delightful take on the classic play "Same Time Next Year," adapted to fit the conventions of a historical romance. It took me a few chapters to get accustomed to the first person narrator, but I really enjoyed the the main setting- a series of Christmases at a villa in Naples in the late 1880s. I also enjoyed the honesty the characters have between them, despite the superficial details that they don't share until the end of the novel. Fletcher and Portia grow and change a lot over the course of the story, but that only helps to show how their relationship deepens as they as they learn more about one another- and themselves. Highly recommended for readers of historical romances and holiday romances.

A very fun read. Sort of interesting in the first person. But, as described, a play on "An Affair to Remember" with Portia, Lady Redwell, deciding to step out of line for the first time in her life. When her aunt gets called back to England, Portia decides to travel to Italy by herself with just her maid. Too bad the person whose villa they were supposed to stay at also loaned the house to Mr. Fletcher Jamison. Being alone together allows Portia and Fletcher to really get to know each other. While both declare that this is just one year, they also decide that they have the option to come back next Christmas.



Fours stars

This book came out December 13

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Same Time, Next Christmas by Victoria Alexander is a nice story. It read like a novella. The story is written in first person narrative. I've gotten used to most romances bouncing back forth between the two main characters and thinking how much more enjoyable it would be if I didn't have to be in the main character’s head. The main characters had some serious communication issues. Portions of the book dragged on unnecessarily. The dialogue was a bit repetitive. The setting was interesting. I would like to thank NetGalley, Victoria Alexander and NYLA for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Victoria Alexander has always been on my “must-read list.” She writes strong, even sometimes brash heroines, and heroes who while they make their share of mistakes, are stand-up guys in the end. Same Time, Next Christmas is no exception. It was fun getting to know Portia and Fletcher, under their real names and others, and the setting on the Italian coast was unusual and intriguing.

Portia 'had not expected [her] adventure to include a naked man swimming in the waters off the beach!'

A rather startling opening leads to a fascinating life's journey with a young widow in Victorian times. When Portia, Lady Redwell, decides to continue on with her Italian Christmas holiday despite her aunt and companion having to leave to return to London, she little guesses that an adventure would open up that would span Christmases to come. She little realizes that she will change forever. Portia is about to experience "What happens when we step out of the boxes we have always lived our lives in. When we dare to take a chance. To select the road untraveled. To accept, even embrace, the new, the unknown." A heady idea! Is Portia up to it?
When Portia finds a stranger swimming naked at her villa's private beach she is angry. Her holiday place is not for sharing! Fletcher Jamison must look elsewhere!
Ultimately Portia has to decide whether merely being content in any future relationship is enough. Or does she want the 'magic' that her two friends have. Will she settle for the type of relationship she had with her dead husband or does she want more?
Rarely impulsive, Portia finds herself being exactly that. I liked watching Portia struggle with that side of herself. A side that Aunt Helena comments, much to Portia's puzzlement, as being so much like Portia's mother!

A NetGalley ARC

Publisher's Description:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author, Victoria Alexander, comes a romantic Christmas historical—which features the happily ever after story of a fan favorite—and how one little impetuous moment can lead to the miracle of love!

My friends have always considered me the most proper among us. But no one was more surprised than I, Portia, Lady Redwell, when I decided to flee the matchmaking efforts of my family to spend Christmas in an enchanting villa on the coast of Italy. My admittedly impulsive plans were immediately complicated by the presence of a certain gentleman, Mr. Fletcher Jamison, who insisted he had a claim on the villa. It was only in the true spirit of Christmas that I agreed to share the villa with him. His charm, his blue eyes as dark as the December seas, and the laugh that oddly seemed to fill my soul were not considerations.

That I returned again for Christmas is due entirely to the charm of the villa, and nothing at all to do with the fact that he too would be there.

My friend Veronica has often said those least likely to bend are most likely to snap.

It appears I have snapped…

My Thoughts:

I truly enjoy reading the romantic tales spun by Victoria Alexander. They are delightfully funny with charming and interesting characters Unlike other books I have read by her, this one is written entirely in first person, dedicated to the thoughts of the heroine. I don't usually care for books that are written this way, but this one is totally engaging and a can't put down read.
Portia is usually predictable and most likely a bit stuffy. In order to escape the matchmaking efforts of both family and friends she goes on what she terms as an adventure. She arrives at the villa her aunt has procured for their stay in Italy, sans her aunt who suddenly returned home to London. There she finds a gentleman, Mr. Fletcher Jamison who claims he has procured the villa for himself. Their first meeting is very memorable as Mr. Jamison is quite naked and swimming in the sea. After what seems to be a misunderstanding of graphic proportions Portia agrees that they should simply share the accommodations. This leads to a very unusual love story.
How can these two resist their pull toward each other?
I gave this delightful Christmas mix up 4.75 of 5.0 stars for story line and character development and a sensual rating of 3.75 of 5.0 flames. This book does not contain graphic love scenes but the chemistry simply sizzles between our hero and heroine, all seen from the heroine's thoughts.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this story which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

At first, I did not like Portia, Lady Redwell. She seemed to have an annoying case of that upper class superiority thing going on. And then, well, I just relaxed and stopped taking her so seriously. When Fletcher Jamison came into the picture, even Portia relaxed – a bit.

Portia and Fletcher are both fun, entertaining characters. They play well off of each other, arguing and agreeing, fighting and apologizing. Neither has been quite truthful with the other, but they have decided to treat this as a getaway. What happens in Italy, stays in Italy. They are able to relax and enjoy each other’s company even though there is no indication that the relationship will ever continue.

But it must, because ‘Next Christmas‘ is part of the title.

Despite the fact that it took me a while to warm up to the heroine, I truly liked Same Time, Next Christmas. It is enjoyable, light reading but with a heartfelt story line that will make you smile. 5 stars!

Through NetGalley, I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Same Time Next Christmas kind of drug for me. It was a sweet romance but I didn’t love the characters and just couldn’t really involve myself in the novel.

The best of regency lies at the hands of Victoria Alexander. From her quirky characters to her enchanting tales, she knows what it means to captivate readers. From humor to heart, Same Time, Next Christmas piles on the charm. From beginning to end, the most endearing of moments is the ones that surprise us all. Fletcher and Portia bring sentiment to life and take romance to heart in this flighty and flirty tale.

I'm a big fan of Victoria Alexander and I love all of her books, including, this book. Her characters, Portia and Fletcher were believable and fun. There was humor to the story due to the way they talked with each other. I highly recommend this book along with the authors other books.

Finally, I have found a Christmas book that I really like! Now, I know the cover is ugly verging on ominous; however, that isn’t a reflection of the book. Same Time, Next Christmas was a great read, funny and heart-warming…as well as a little surprising.

I say surprising because if someone had described the heroine to me, I would expect not to like her. She’s all about propriety and rules of proper behaviour…maybe a little bit stuffy. But, what actually happened was that I found her prickly personality charming. As did our hero Mr Fletcher Jamison, the friction between them was fantastic and was great at building the chemistry between them.

When I first read this, it seemed to be one of those stories where the whole situation could have been sorted out with a single conversation. However, the characters, especially Portia grew and changed a lot during the three Christmases this spans, that I think if events had happened at different times, that perhaps the ending would not have been quite so happy.

One of my favourite Christmas books this year, it was funny and heart-warming, the perfect read to curl up with this festive season.

A good romance. The characters have amusing dialogue and you experience Portia's feelings. This book is written in the 1st person, from Portia's POV, which differs from the majority of VA's novels. I'm not a big fan of 1st person, so it took a little while to get into the story. *I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Another great read by Alexander. She is one author I can always go to for a great, fun read. This one is set rather remotely in Italy by the sea. Portia and Fletcher are both staying at a villa with only servants around. Portia is rather straight laced but has a quick wit. I liked how she opened up to Fletcher. Fletcher was a layered character himself and very likable. I haven't read the first two but after meeting her friends in this one I really need to read them. Thomas was a bit of a mystery to me. Will we see him again? Overall this was a perfect Christmas read. I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable Christmas regency romance filled with miscues, misunderstandings, and mistletoe all on the road to true love and happily ever after.