All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door is an amazing Christmas book and I loved every minute of it. Graham has been in love with Sarah forever and thinks they belong together. So, one day Graham makes a wish and wakes up to find he's dating Sarah. But, when new girl Piper comes into his life Graham soon realizes maybe everything he wished for isn't what he actually wanted. Great romance/ Christmas book for fans who love the movie It's A Wonderful Life. I can't wait to read Chelsea's next book!!!!

This was a cute holiday rom com that really made me excited for Hallmark movies. I loved the holiday setting and the overall backdrop of this story. The main character was very likeable and I really wanted things to work out for him. Sarah's character was a little flat but I believe that was don't to invoke feelings in the reader. Piper was wonderful and I loved her arc. Some of the stuff was predictable but endearing none the less.

This book in 3 words: Delightful. Entertaining. Wholesome. 

This book is like a sweet cinnamon roll, while wrapped in a cozy blanket, with a hot cup of coffee. All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door is sugary goodness, a perfect light-hearted read, dripping in holiday spirit. 

One of my favorite parts of this holiday adventure is the male protagonist. It was enjoyable to read from a different perspective and I thought it was well done. The voices and characters present in this book are just enough high-school without being too annoying. I thought the growth and change in self-awareness for our main character was a spectacular highlight. 

If you like Hallmark movies or books, this is right up your alley. A quick read to bring some light, holiday spirit, and young love in the mix. I recommend this book if you're interested in YA/Holiday/Romance. 

I was gifted an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Love can make people do things they never dreamed of doing."

Graham has been in love with Sarah since she moved into the house next door almost ten years ago. And the girl he loves is dating his best friend, Jeremy. She's off-limits but they're BFFs. Graham and Sarah. Graham is a little love sick puppy who makes a wish on a shooting star. "All I want for Christmas is Sarah Clarke." Wish granted. But there's a new girl. Piper. She is the kind of girl that makes a guy bow down and say...

All I want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door is familiar and heartbreaking all at once. The reluctant acceptance. Lessons learned. Tears will run hot against your cheeks. Don't fret! There is an HEA!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-It's A Wonderful Life & Wish Upon a Star
-gingerbread houses & Christmas cookies
-destiny & second chances
-miracles
-holiday music
-ice skating
-#IsThisAKissingBook: 16+ "But I wanted to kiss her in a way I've never wanted to kiss anyone before- not even..."

Thank you Chelsea Bobulski for an advanced copy! Released on October 28th, 2021.

Song: Second Chances by Gregory Alan Isakov

I feel really bad for saying this, but I was not able to get through three chapters of this book. I'm always up for a fun holiday romance, but I'm kind of over the trope of someone saying "omg wearing no makeup is so special." I don't know why I find this annoying, but I just do.

Do I think people will like this book? Absolutely. However, it was just not for me. I hope it finds other readers who can write a full review. Note that this is not a few review because I could not get through it, and from now on, I'm going to be more careful about requesting books.

This book made me in the mood for Christmas and it's only September, because of this book I already started watching Hallmark Christmas movies . This book was really cute, and a great read. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Christmas.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Winter is my favorite season, I love the cold, I love Christmas lights, but Christmas isn’t usually my favorite holiday. However, This book was so CUTE! I loved every minute of it and it actually has me looking forward to Christmas this year.

I loved the characters, the town, the bookstore, and even the parents.

This is a light, sweet, and even funny read. Usually I go for murder/mystery/thriller and that can get heavy after a while so this was the perfect pick me up book! Now I’m going to attempt to go find other books like this one!

I truly enjoyed this book, it was a great read.

*A special thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

If all you want for Christmas is a saccharine sweet tale of first love, you must visit Christmas, Virginia. I tend to intersperse YA reads among thrillers and literary fiction, but I would say this is for a younger reader. Which is great - if you are or are raising a younger reader. The teenagers in this novel are sweet, polite, do not drink or smoke or party or really do much but fall in love.

One standout - this YA book's protagonist is male - boy next door Graham, who works at the bookstore and pines away for his ballerina neighbor, Sarah. When he wishes on a star that she would be his girlfriend, he's unprepared for the fallout. Especially since he's already started falling for another girl.

I love magical realism and it seems that this will not be the only story in Christmas, VA. In that case, I would recommend this book and any that follow in the series to a young reader - or someone who has a real sweet tooth for fairy tales.

Graham and Sarah are next door neighbors. The logical way for fate to work out is for Graham and Sarah to be madly in love, have that special high school sweetheart to lifelong romance sort of relationship. But instead, Sarah is dating Graham's best friend Jeremy. One night, Graham wishes he was the one dating Sarah. The next morning, he wakes up and everything has changed. But will he find it's as magical as he thought it would be?

I thought this was a great Christmastime book. I wouldn't say it's necessarily a Christmas/holiday book, other than it is set in Christmas, Virginia and it takes place during December. There is some mention of Christmas traditions, but for the most part they could just be "winter" traditions. It was also a really quick read for me (one evening). I did feel like it lacked a little in depth and character development, but that isn't necessarily something I'm looking for in a holiday read.

I would definitely add this to your list if YA, Christmas/winter, romance, and alternate reality are themes you enjoy!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door definitely gave me those It's a Wonderful Life vibes. Instead of seeing his family without him, Graham wishes for the girl of this dreams: Perfect Sarah.

Now I didn't really get his obsession with the girl. Yeah, they were best friends and she was dating their other best friend but I didn't see the chemistry. Like the romance kind. Maybe he just liked the idea of dating her and just really loved her like a friend. Once he started dating Sarah in the alternate universe, I sat back and patiently waited for him to figure it all out.

Mostly because he had way more chemistry and pizzazz with Piper. Just saying. Luckily for him, and really everyone involved, things work out in the end. We just had to go through the Rubik's cube full of drama beforehand.

In the end, things were a bit predictable but it was easy to devour. I'm also in the mood for winter to come my way. Heck, I'm always in the mood for winter. I will definitely need another holiday book soon and maybe, just maybe, I will look out for another one of Chelsea's books! Especially book 2!

This book was very cute and endearing and it set me in the right mood for christmas time. I know it’s a little early for that but to be honest, Christmas is my favorite time of the year and it’s never too early to get in the right mood for that.

I liked Graham as our MC, he is loveable and sweet. He’s set his heart on his neighbor, Sarah and is madly in love with her for years when a wish upon a star grants him to live in a world where Sarah is his girlfriend.

There isn’t much chemistry between him and Sarah and I didn’t quite get his obsession with her and why he tried so hard to make it work between them, when it was pretty obvious that being together with her didn’t make him happy.

For me, in the end there was a little too much religious stuff to feel comfortable and I think this book could have easily done without it. It did for most of the time, but in the end it suddenly turned super religious, something I do not feel good with.

This was genuinely perfect since I’m obsessed with the girl next door boy next door plots in books. The main male character in this book was flawed oh absolutely. He wasn’t perfect and he had his moments but he did make me swoon and I don’t say that often at all! He made me extremely happy and the romantic couple itself had me grinning ear to ear they were so perfect to me. This is perfect for those who want to get into the Christmas spirit all around. 5 out of stars of course!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! It was very fun and I enjoyed every minute of it! I was a fan of Graham and Piper from the beginning and I was super happy they ended up together. I really enjoy books that are based around Christmas, and this is a great book to get you in the holiday spirit.

I would definitely recommend this book for someone who wants a fun holiday read! I will definitely be reading this one again during the Christmas season.

3.5 Stars
If I was to describe this book with one word it would be “Hallmark”. This is a cute, sugary, light read perfect for anyone who binges Hallmark Christmas movies!

In Christmas, Virginia everyone knows everybody & Graham has known Sarah his entire life. And been in love with her almost as long. The problem? Sarah has been dating his best friend for the past 2 years.

When he finally gets the courage to tell her how he feels & is rejected his last hope is to wish on a shooting star.
“My gaze catches on Sarah & Jeremy sitting in the front window of the diner. . . I tear my gaze away from them. . . A silver flash streaks across the sky. A shooting star. Feeling like an idiot, I close my eyes and mutter ‘All I want for Christmas is Sarah Clarke.’ “

But getting everything he wanted is nothing like he expected. Dating Sarah Clarke altered reality in ways no one expected. Suddenly his best friend is a popular jock, Sarah wants to attend Juilliard & Graham is falling for the new girl in town, Piper. Somehow, Graham will have to get everything back on track before he looses the one he loves forever.

This book was a fun, super fast read. Heavy on the RomCom Christmas clichés! (But sometime that’s just what you need!) Good writing, likable characters, easy read.

A Hallmark movie in book form!

This book was great, definitely five stars. It was basically a Hallmark movie in a novel form, and if you're looking for a light-hearted romance book then this is the book for you. It has everything a romantic Christmas book should have, wishes, miracles, etc

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for an honest review

My first Netgalley book, and what a way to start! All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door was an adorable YA Christmas Romance novel that I read in one afternoon. I typically don't love books that take place in an alternate world or dream-like sequence, but I think Chelsea Bobulski did a fantastic job of keeping the plot moving. Far too often, I see books get lost in the alternate world, and then the main premise is lost. I had some unanswered questions and would have liked to see a little more of Piper and Graham together and the day after conversation with Sarah, but overall a delightful read. Highly recommend!

This is kinda a modern Christmas carol retelling. The guy has this life he wishes for and then realizes while it comes true it was maybe not what he wanted after all. But then kinda abuses it as well. I honestly was not a fan of the main male character and thought him to be selfish and a jerk.
I really was hoping for something warmer for a holiday read but it wasn’t awful either.

I received an advance copy of, All I want for Christmas is the Girl Next Door, by Chelsea Bobulski. Sometimes you find, when you get something you want, its not what you actually wanted. Graham wanted to be Sarah's boyfriend, but she is dating his friend. Then the unthinkable happens, Graham is dating Sarah. but is this what he really wants?

I need to stop trusting covers and cute blurbs.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tons of people are going to like this. It’s lighthearted. It’s got that fun Christmas vibe. It has moderately likeable characters. However...

I couldn’t get into this. I went in expecting a light-hearted story about a young guy who realizes that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but it turned into something a lot different.

Graham (the MC) has been obsessed with ‘the girl next door’ Sarah since the day he met her (when they were like like 6, because a 6 year old understands ‘love’) but she’s dating Graham’s best friend, and is very happy. Graham is of course jealous and wants to be the one dating Sarah. It’s a pretty basic storyline. I wasn’t expecting deep philosophical thoughts here.

HOWEVER. After wishing on a shooting star (or praying, or getting a miracle - it depends which chapter you’re reading) Graham wakes up and has been dating Sarah for the past two years. Graham then proceeds to act like a complete idiot, ask stupid questions and ignore Sarah to flirt with bookstore girl, Piper.

90% of the book is literally Graham going on not-dates with Piper, meeting Sarah to kiss him and convince himself this is the girl for him, and then telling us over (and over and over and over) again that if he wasn’t meant to be with Sarah then the wish (or prayer or miracle) wouldn’t have come true.

Graham is one of the most annoying MCs I’ve read in awhile. He constantly picks apart Sarah’s decisions, rarely compliments her and never does anything to address her jealousy (except continue to ignore her to spend time with Piper). At one point he joins Sarah’s family (WHO HATE HIM, BTW) in a tree decorating competition, and then because they’re taking it too seriously, he’s a completely d*ck and doesn’t even try. He then tries to blame Sarah’s family for being too serious about the competition. No wonder her family hates him. He’s known Sarah for most of his life, has been dating her for two years and acts like that around her family? I hate him on behalf of her family.

Graham makes no effort to be a partner in his relationship with Sarah. They never talk. He snaps at her about everything. He constantly insults her (over her diet). They never discuss anything of value and he still thinks that they’re made to be together.

Anywhy, while Graham is supposed to be dating the girl of his dreams he’s actually spending a ton of time with Piper because of convoluted reasons that were absolutely unnecessary. They have to build some stupid float for the stupid Christmas parade (this never really pays off and was honestly just a plot point to force Piper and Graham to spend time together). Graham and Piper end up spending countless hours alone and of course Graham lusts after her. He refuses to talk to Sarah (or Piper) and continues to date Sarah while flirting with Piper. He feels guilty for a few seconds, but never long enough to do anything about it.

At one point Piper and Graham get into some fight. I don’t even remember. Sarah and Graham get into a fight. It’s all painfully obvious from the get-go how things are going to end.

EXCEPT IT ISN’T. I’m still BEYOND irritated by how the book handled this whole ‘wish fulfillment’ aspect.

So, the idea is that you don’t really know people as well as you think and that it’s easy to idolize people beyond who they are, yadda, yadda, yadda… But then it becomes about saving a life???

I’m not going to include spoilers, but the whole thing takes a weird tone shift and gets VERY RELIGIOUS and Graham ends up praying and asking for a miracle and then the whole thing is about what God wants and it was… odd.

Then Graham just wakes up and it’s the day after he wished on the star and he ends up dating Piper and no one learned anything.

The blurb specifically says that Graham and Sarah bring out the worst in each other, but that’s not true. Depending on how you look at it, Graham pushed Sarah to have bigger dreams. She actually had goals and ambitions, but then I guess those weren’t her ideas because they were Graham’s? It was never explained in a convincing manner. These kids are 16 and literally had no lives outside of Christmastown. They had no hobbies, no goals, no ambitions. They were so boring. Then Graham and Sarah have ambitions, but I guess they were too big? If you’re confused, don’t worry, the book doesn’t really explain any better than I am right now.

I guess the book wants you to believe that having big dreams and making sacrifices for those dreams is bad. And you should want to stay in your small town forever. (shrug - I honestly don’t know)

There are some LOOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG sentences in this book. Literal thought vomit coming from Graham’s head. Most of it is completely pointless and rambling and adds pretty much nothing to the narrative. There’s a long run-on sentence about how Graham doesn’t have a car, but it’s okay because everything in town is only ten minutes away but then later they have to walk for 15 minutes to get somewhere… so I’m confused.

There are also some gross sexualizations of Piper throughout the story. First, Graham is INSANELY jealous of some random guy who gets coffee with Piper (please remember that he’s in no way shape or form, responsible for Piper or her actions or are they dating), but then we also get stuff like this:
skinny jeans that are so tight they’re practically illegal in thirty-nine states
She looks like Santa’s daughter, if Santa’s daughter went to private school during the week and rock concerts on the weekends. The kind of girl that makes a guy bow down and say, “We’ve not worthy.”
I have to fight the urge to shout at her to change before she gives some guy - the kind of guy who would think he’s not only worth but that he somehow deserves the right to use and abuse her until he’s done with her - the wrong idea.
“You know how those guys are… They see a girl in a skirt and boots, and suddenly they lose all brain function.”
[she] swipes her finger over the whipped cream and licks it off, completely unaware that half the guys in the room just dropped their ice creams on themselves.

All this sexualization of Piper is gross. Just because Graham has perverted thoughts about Piper doesn’t mean every guy in a 400 mile radius also has the same thoughts. It was gross to read this kind of stuff over and over and over again.

Piper attracts the wrong kind of attention because she’s wearing a skirt and you can see her knees, but Sarah walks out with her sweater hanging off her shoulder and she’s the most precious thing in the world.

The book really misses the mark for me because at no point does Graham TRY to be a better boyfriend to Sarah. The only time he tells her to think about her future is AFTER the big blowup at the dance. And it’s WELL after he’s decided he’s in lust with Piper.

The world-building is flimsy at best. This is supposed to be the magical town of Christmas, but it sounds like pretty much any small town that gets all festive during the holidays (it more or less screamed Stars Hollow from GIlmore Girls - we’re a quirky smalltown who does everything at 500% all the time, but the only thing we do is Christmas).

I wanted this to be a cute book about finding yourself and realizing that what you think is best isn’t always the best.

I wanted Graham to put as much effort into spending time with his girlfriend as he did his not-girlfriend. I WANTED GRAHAM TO GROW A BACKBONE AND HAVE A REAL CONVERSATION WITH ANYONE instead of just moping and whining when things went wrong.

Dropping me into Graham and Sarah’s relationship (two years in) and then having Graham act like he got a personality transplant bothered me. Obviously something was going right for them to be together for two years, but Graham never tried to get to know the new Sarah. He didn’t actually want the new Sarah, he wanted the old Sarah, but for her to be with him and want his dreams. As the reader I never got the impression he cared about Sarah. He lied to her, went out of his way to annoy her and acted like an idiot 90% of the time he spent with her.

I never liked Sarah as a person. Old Sarah knew how Graham felt about her and used it to her advantage to essentially get a second boyfriend who would step in whenever she needed anything. She never had a real personality and I found her incredibly boring. The new Sarah had the goal of becoming a ballet dancer and whined about everything. She was tiring. Even after all the drama between Graham and Sarah she STILL REFUSES TO LET HIM GO. She can’t imagine not having him as a friend, blah blah blah. Sarah was a selfish manipulator who wanted a boyfriend but kept Graham around to use as her emotional punching bag.

Piper was pretty boring too. Aside from being obsessed with Little Woman and being the child of a couple mid-divorce she didn’t really have much going on.
Graham was whiny and annoying. When he wasn’t those things he was sexualizing Piper. Or crying about how his wish had to be right.
Jeremy was just the random guy that was dating Piper. We honestly never to to know him as anything but some random name to drop when needed.

The ENTIRE book can be summed by two quotes FROM the book:
shouldn’t I have been obsessed with Sarah this whole time?

When I take Sarah into my arms, I don’t think about Piper in a fuzzy white sweater in a dusty old barn, the scent of pine needles and jasmine perfume thick around us, her gray eyes deep and vibrant as a storm-wrenched sea. I don’t think about body pressed against mine, her breath fanning my neck, or the sudden desire I felt to run the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip. I focus on Sarah and don’t think about Piper at all.

This was a fun light hearted ya book that I believe many will enjoy. Graham. Where do I even begin? Firstly, I ADORED Graham. He was the perfect male character. Was he flawed? Absolutely! Do I think he was realistic? That’s what made him more the more special to me. Graham had this moments as many male protagonists in ya books do. But this was a given and I think the authors gradual progression of Graham’s character was perfect, it’s rare for me to feel like men in ya books make me swoon but this one did 100% and I believe he will continue to do so. This was a lovely ya book to get me into the holiday season which really isn’t that far at all. It’s something I would definitely pick up again closer to Christmas. This was perfect and I cannot wait to re read this in the near future. It was the perfect holiday read. 5 out of 5 stars!