I absolutely adore this book! I mean, Christmas and girl/girl love!!!?!??? Yesssssss!!!!! First of all, unrequited love is a favorite of mine for whatever reason... Second, Holly is just too sweet and fun. 

Third, I’m a huge fan of a light and fluffy book. Sometimes you just need a book that isn’t super complicated and you know it’s probably going to be a happy ending. After reading a bunch sad stuff with people getting offed on a regular basis, I just needed something sweet. This totally fit the bill. 

Honestly the only thing that would have made this better is more intimate scenes... I mean, just saying.... lol

I recommend this to romance lovers sooo adorbs. 

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bold Strokes books for giving me the opportunity read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!!

Will be posted on Amazon and my blog shortly.

3.25 - 3.5
What could be more perfect for a Hallmark Christmas movie set up -  Holly "Bah Humbug" is the successful writer of Christmas movie scripts despite her dislike of the season.  When she escapes to spend the holidays in Hawaii, she bumps into her network's tall dark and handsome executive who she's been secretly crushing on.  Hijinks and shenanigans galore -  with Holly regaining her Christmas spirit. Add a town devoted to Christmas and some sleigh rides and you've got all the elements for a fine afternoon of reading. 

 I enjoyed the book enough ... it hit the requisite Christmas smarm (i mean that in a good way) with some strong main characters with lots of banter and a bit of heat;  but, it just didn't hit the mark for me.  I'm usually a big fan of Ms Spencer's books - she writes a great story with lots of humour and chemistry.  There is humour and chemistry, but it just didn't come together for me.  The humour either fell short or was too exaggerated  and didn't quite find that sweet spot.   I was also really distracted by the secondary characters who were probably meant as smart and sassy but came across snarky and a bit mean - I really didn't like the interactions between Holly and her neighbour, it seemed to border on harassment at times.

This was a sweet and fluffy holiday read that I could easily see as being made into a Hallmark Movie. I loved the concept and the writing was good it just felt a little too familiar and insubstantial to me. Maybe I am just not that into contemporary romance novels and preferer books with a little more meat to them.  If you are looking for a quick and light read then this book is perfect for you.

3 stars

Holly Hudson has made a name for herself writing screenplays for a successful Christmas romance series at Wifetime. As great as that's been, her dream is to create a gay Christmas movie, but Holly's been told time and time again that the network is just not ready to make that leap. Enter Meredith Drake, a Wifetime executive who happens to be a lesbian—and super attractive. Meredith seems to be Holly's best bet to make her gay movie happen. When circumstances lead Holly and Meredith to the same Hawaiian resort during the holidays, the two women end up doing more than just talk business. Will Holly find the same happy ending as the characters in her movies do, or is that just a fairytale? 

cw: homophobia, brief mention of sexual harassment in the workplace

This book was kind of disappointing. The writing was great, but the plot made me shake my head so many times. This gave me flashbacks to that Hulu movie, "The Happiest Season." Maybe lesbian Christmas romances are just not for me :/

The Characters: Holly is cute and quirky, but she has some low self-esteem. Not the worst thing, I just prefer my MCs to be a bit more confident. I didn't like how Holly kept thinking Meredith was so out of her league. Speaking of Meredith, ugh. She was okay in the first half of the book, but then she treats Holly pretty shittily and barely apologizes. Honestly, thinking back, an earlier interaction with Meredith's snooty sister could have been a red flag. I get that it's a Christmas story and some things are glossed over, but I think Meredith really should have been held accountable for what she did. So anyway, I'm not a fan of her. The side characters were fine for the most part, but I think there were too many of them for me to keep track. Holly has a gang of friends, each quirky in their own ways, and it became a lot. 

The Romance: We see Holly crushing on Meredith a lot, but we don't get much from Meredith's perspective. It seemed like Holly was willing to let Meredith get away with anything because she couldn't believe Meredith would ever want someone like her. I didn't buy the falling in love bit, and I didn't really think Holly and Meredith worked well together. See: my dislike of Meredith.

The Plot: It was a little slow. It follows the relationship between Holly and Meredith, as well as Holly's attempts to get her gay movie produced. The beginning dragged out and then the end felt too rushed. 

The Writing: This part was solid. There were some funny lines, and everything flowed. 

All in all... maybe the main problem of this book can be boiled down to one point - there was too much going on. There wasn't enough focus on Holly and Meredith's relationship, and instead there was a lot of dialogue between Holly and the side characters. Obviously this doesn't have to be a bad thing, but when I don't believe the two MCs should end up together, there needs to be some more time dedicated to showing how they work well. I tend to really enjoy Elle Spencer's books, and I think she is the queen of angst. But this book didn't really have angst, just a plot point thrown in to create conflict, which never got resolved satisfactorily. 

Maybe this is one that should be left to the hardcore Christmas fans, but this book was not for me.

*I received an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have a love/hate relationship with Spencer’s books. Some of them I adore (30 Dates in 30 Days!), others aren’t really my thing, and that’s okay. The Holiday Treatment kinda fell into the okay category for me. It had SO MUCH potential, but some of the choices Spencer made for her characters didn’t sit well with me and so the story sorta fell flat.

Holly (Holiday) Hudson left her little Christmas-town as soon as she was able to. As a lesbian, she felt like she didn’t belong in a somewhat conservative town where it is basically Christmas all year-round. Her rambling got a little too intense for me in the beginning, but it got better. I liked her as a character and I could definitely relate to her.

Meredith Drake is quite the mysterious woman. See, this book is told in the third person, but we mostly see Holly’s side of the story and I feel like I didn’t really get to know Meredith. It’s a shame because she’s totally my kind of character and I would’ve liked to get to know her a little better.

I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone, but at some point, Meredith decides to do something that I personally never would or could have forgiven, and I have a hard time believing Holly would. I get this action was taken to bring unnecessary conflict, but really?

Even though the plot wasn’t my favourite, the writing and the pacing of this book were on point! It’s always a pleasure to read a smoothly written novel and Spencer is really good at her craft.

Overall, The Holiday Treatment is a lesbian rom-com romance that unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations. I wanted it to be 100% fluff and laughs but alas. This one wasn’t for me. That being said, Elle Spencer is a really good writer. She’s proven it before and I will definitely pick up whatever she comes up with next.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
(Full review on my website)

Love it!!! this is one that could be a  hallmark movie you would love to watch. The story is all you need funny, sad, and a little bit of sex. What more could a girl want on a cold night. Once again i loved it.

Looking for a gay Hallmark movie in book form? Look no further.

Meet Holly - a young story editor for the holiday division of the Wifetime Network. Holly hates Christmas so much that instead of joining her parents in her hometown of Christmas Cove, Vermont, she buys a ticket for a vacation-for-one in Hawaii every year. Talk about "bah humbug".

Here's the catch - during her vacation this year, Holly hooks up with the girl of her dreams, Wifetime executive Meredith Drake. Oops. Will this vacation rendezvous turn out to be true love or just a Hawaii fling? Only time, and maybe some reading, will tell.

Thanks to Elle Spencer, Bold Stroke Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. 

This book was downright adorable, and I was sucked in from page one. I adored Holly - I loved her friend, I loved her awkward banter, I loved her stubbornness. I appreciated the juxtaposed personalities of Holly and Meredith. The ending was adorable, and just what I needed this year. Most of all, I loved the underlying storyline about Holly's desperate need to write a successful gay Christmas movie.

The only real drawback that this novella presented to me reared its head when the novel "cut to black" at the end of Holly's vacation to Hawaii. I felt as though Meredith's sister was definitely abrasive, though I was left questioning what I knew about her and how that part of the story ended - especially given the nature of Holly and Meredith's relationship later in the book. In my humble opinion, I would have loved to either see more of her character developed, or for meeting her to be cut out entirely. 

In short, if you are looking for a feel good, gay as can be holiday read - you've found the right one. Loved it!

An honest review thanks to NetGalley.  I really liked this book, but anything by Elle Spencer I am destined to love.  Holly is such a likeable character and watching her fight and continuing working for a holiday romance with a gay lead was amazing.  Obviously the conflict between the two love interests was a bit irritating, everything with her all of a sudden becoming Holly's boss with no warning threw me for a loop.  The characters journey and the feel good atmosphere from this book makes it a great Christmas romance.

This book was my first for this author, and boy oh boy, was I not disappointed! Funny, heartwarming, amazing characters - a truly perfect feel-good read.

To be recommended!

I was really drawn to the premise of The Holiday Treatment and the overall message this book aims to send. It was refreshing to see a sapphic Christmas story and I loved that Holly wanted to develop a gay Christmas movie. However, I had a really hard time getting into this book. I didn't feel connected to the characters and did not enjoy the dialogue. To me it felt like Holly's character was trying too hard to be quirky. I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it was not for me.

This was a very fun Christmassy romcom, with a few steamy scenes. The first part of the story was excellent, balancing nicely between romance and comedy. But the second part was where the story lost me. The big conflict hindering their relationship is totally illogical, given things that were said before, and the wronged party is entirely too quick to forgive, making the conflict even less meaningful than it already was.

Despite all of that, I'd still recommend this if you're looking for a light Christmas romance.

The Holiday Treatment is a fun, sapphic holiday romance that follows Holly Hudson, a story editor for the Wifetime Network's Christmas movie division. Every year she helps to produce a successful - straight - holiday romance for the masses, when what she really dreams about is writing a gay Christmas movie that her younger self (and her present-day self) would love to see on the screen. After being shot down (again), Holly takes her customary trip to Hawaii for the holidays only to cross paths with Meredith Drake, one of the producers at her network. They have a brief and steamy fling that fizzles when they return to reality as Meredith takes on the role of Holly's new boss. Vowing to keep their relationship professional and to make Holly's gay Christmas dreams a reality, the two struggle with their new dynamic.

This was a fun and easy to read holiday story. Holly is a likeable character who's trying to find a way to make her dream a reality while also trying to balance out her own personal struggles.

I loved a lot of elements in this story:

Holly's friends who live in her apartment complex. She spends a lot of time with them and they're a big part of her life and the story. They meddle, commentate and advise her on her love life and they were just a fantastic addition.

I also really enjoyed Holly's backstory - we get to meet her parents when she visits her hometown (a town that markets itself on the Christmas holidays!) and it's all very adorable. I wish we'd spent more time there, because it was so charming.

One thing I did struggle with was the resolution of the conflict. There's a 'grand gesture' towards the end of the book, and while I'm normally good with a big, grand gesture, this one didn't come with the level of grovelling you would probably expect to see, given the extent of the betrayal? To me, it felt a bit rushed.

Overall, it was enjoyable, but I would have just liked a little more depth.

A great holiday read! If you're looking for an LGBT Christmas read b/c the Hallmark channel has failed you then look no further because Elle Spencer comes through!

This was a fun read! Do you like Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies but are one of the many who wishes for a lesbian Christmas movie from them? So does Holly Hudson! As one of their top writers (if not the top writer), she is determined to make a gay Christmas movie.

She’s going to need the help of Miranda, one of the top execs and the woman who she had a fling with in Hawaii, to make it happen. But is Miranda as invested as Holly is?

Throw in some entertaining, great friends of Holly and a Christmas loving hometown, and this book has all the feels of a gay Hallmark, Lifetime, or Wifetime, movie. A little cheesy, but super fun read for the holidays.

DNF at 45%

I've been dying to read something by Elle Spencer for quite a while now, and I was so excited for the Hallmark-esque premise of this book, but sadly I feel the execution was a bit off. I didn't enjoy the main character's voice at all and I think a lot of the tongue-in-cheek jokes were a bit too try hard and instead came off a bit awkward. I might pick this up again next year because it did start off really promising, but for now I have so many other books I want to read than trying to trudge through this one!

The Holiday Treatment is about two queer women (a writer and an executive) who work on Christmas movies for the "Wifetime" network, which, despite the name, is a thinly veiled Hallmark Channel. They each end up at the same resort in Hawaii on Christmas and things unfold from there. Boss/employee romances aren't my favorite so it took me a bit to get into this, but I wound up really liking it, and it's a must-read for Hallmark Christmas movie fans. Spencer is one of the better writers I've found so far in f/f romance as far as actual writing craft, and this has a great blend of just enough angst with lots of delightful holiday stuff.

This book is our lesbian Hallmark Christmas movie! I loved it from beginning till end. 

Holly is the Christmas romance writer for Wifetime network. She hopes to write the first LGBTQ holiday movie. She has a little not so little secret, she hates Christmas. And has spent the last several ones at a sunny beach vacation. 

Until his Christmas when she ends up in Hawai with her co-worker, Meredith. Thrown together, they spend Christmas together and get involved. 

Once back at work turns out Meredith is now Holly's new boss. Which for Meredith is enough reasons to break up with Holly. Holly focuses on getting her LGBTQ Christmas movie and hopes Meredith will help her achieve that.

But things don't go according to plan. Holly's neighbours make for a bunch of quirky supporting side characters completing this delightful and a times angsty book.

The Holiday Treatment is a holiday romantic comedy with a fun first half that kind of lost steam in the second half. There was chemistry and humor and if you're looking for a fairly light read, this is the book for you this holiday season.

This book had me at lesbian Christmas romance! I keep saying I want queer christmas movies!!! And queer christmas books and queer Disney characters. I want it all ok, but make it LGBTQ+ thanks!

The Holiday Treatment was so cute, a great bunch of characters, who I now wish truly did exist as I want to befriend them all.

Holiday Hudson works for Wifetime Movies and desperately wants to make a lesbian Christmas movie. She has already written a successful straight typical M/F Christmas movie series, and is desperate to see herself represented and to have the happily ever after in the movies and in real life...

The only thing that bothered me a little bit was Holly, the main character had some terrible jokes and cheesiness! Sometimes it was a little bit much for me.

So Holly whilst working at Wifetime, spots a stunning coworker called Meredith, who just so happens to be also in Hawaii for Christmas like Holly. 

A trip to remember for both Holly and Meredith, but things start to get complicated when they both return to work...

Ooo and another favourite moment was definitely Christmas Cove, Holly's home town, and where her parents still live. I need to visit, It sounds magical. (I hope it actually exists, cause it should.) I truly want that christmas spirit all year.

Overall such a brilliant Christmas book and the ending just made me smile and ignite my happily ever after heart.

I did mostly enjoy this, but had a bit of a rocky time with it. I really liked the premisse, and the execution didn't quite live up to my expectations. I was expecting the focus to be more on actually producing the gay holiday movie, but it was really just the road leading up to actually starting to work on it. Maybe that's on me for assuming. Secondly though, this was my second time trying an Elle Spencer book and I think her writing is just not entirely for me. Her brand of humour especially doesn't work for me really well. If it does work for you, I think this will be a really good read!