✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Hannah and Gage get trapped in a elevator and sparks begin to fly.

💭 Overall Thoughts:
Okay, this might be a little predictable but it’s adorable. I enjoyed the chemistry between Hannah and Gage and the fake dating that turns to real dating pretty quick (with a lot less non communication than most fake dating books).

I really enjoyed the self discovery and growth piece here on Hannah’s part and how it ties into her connection with Gage without feeling like a “savior trope.”

It also had some great Christmagical elements with the holiday decorating and “trapped in the elevator” adorable scenes.

Overall, a fun read with some depth as well!

Highlights:
🎄 Christmagical
🧪 Great chemistry
🌱Character growth
🥰 Adorable meet cute

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen with request for review.

When neighbors Hannah and Gage get stuck in an elevator together with a bottle of win and a tin of Christmas cookies, they decide a fake relationship would make their holidays brighter. Gage won't have to worry about his family trying to fix him up. Hannah will have an excuse for not traveling to visit her family for Christmas, when she just saw them at Thanksgiving. She's expecting a big promotion at work, and she wants to focus her time on that.

But when the promotion falls through, Hannah's life is upended. Gage is a nice distraction from her job hunt, but chances are, she's going to have to move out of state in the new year. Even if they're falling in love for real.

No one is better than Samantha Chase at building fictional families that you can't wait to settle into for the course of a book. Hannah and Gage have tons of chemistry, and they're so cute together. But Hannah just can't see past the chaos in her work life, especially after the betrayal she feels. I love how Gage refuses to give up on her while she sorts herself out.

Narrator Elizabeth Cottle does a great job on the audiobook, creating an immersive and entertaining experience.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Rating (audiobook/book): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Steam (0-4 flame scale): 🔥🔥🔥 sexy romance

What I’m starry-eyed over:

🤩elevator meet-cute (close proximity)

🤩fake dating trope (my number one favorite) plus forbidden/impossible relationship

🤩good, fun, & funny main characters

🤩the banter and steam between Hannah & Gage are great

🤩sweet epilogue with honest, good communication and decision-making


What I wish/feel dizzy about:

💫 Hannah’s indecisiveness is a little annoying at times

💫 The components I love in a romcom are all there; however, the feelings did not tug at me as strong I like (desire, need, humor, love). It could’ve been me being busy and distracted or the narration—who knows?

When Hannah Christie and her handsome neighbor, Gage Lawson, get trapped in an elevator when Hannah is returning home from Thanksgiving, sparks fly between the two of them. Hannah regrets that nothing can happen between the two of them because she will be so busy with the promotion she is about to get at work. When the promotion falls through, however, she is surprised to find herself agreeing to be Gage’s fake girlfriend for the holidays to get his family to stop trying to set him up with women. Gage quickly realizes, however, that having her for the holidays isn’t enough; he wants Hannah in his life forever. Can he convince her that they belong together for real?

This was a sweet, fluffy romance with most of the physical activities taking place “off screen”. All the characters in the book were likeable (with the one exception of the workplace villain), and you couldn’t help but root for the couple to find their HEA. The descriptions of the cookies they were making made me want to go whip up a batch of my own hot chocolate cookies. This is a delightful escapist Christmas read.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Samantha Chase for an advance audio copy of this book. Hannah and Chase “meet cute” when their apartment elevator becomes stuck. They pass the time eating Christmas cookies, drinking spiced wine, talking and flirting. They also come up with the perfect plan to stop the unending meddling from their families. . . . .a fake romance for the holidays! The fake romance becomes all too real, leaving lots of decisions to be made for the future. The narrator has a very pleasant voice and the story flows smoothly. This is a fun and uplifting Christmas read, perfect for fans of Hallmark holiday movies!

His for the Holidays is a Hallmark Christmas movie in every way. After a meet cute in an elevator and hours of gorging themselves on Christmas cookies and wine, Gage and Hannah quickly become fast "friends" with an easy connection. Gage is constantly being set up and hounded about his single status by is family and Hannah is floundering in her job situation when she didn't get the promotion she had counted on. The two are thrown into a lovely fake dating situation for the holidays complete with ridiculous and over the top events Hallmark movies are known for that you just can't resist.

Elizabeth Cottle narrates this holiday romance and I found her voice very pleasing to the ear. Unfortunately she had very little inflection through out the audio and it was hard to tell when Gage was speaking and when Hannah was...there wasn't much voice change for the male and female perspectives. I feel like I would've enjoyed this book more if I had actually read it instead of listened to it, it just wasn't brought to life with this audio.

As for the story itself, if you're looking for a quick and easy read during the holidays I feel like this would be right up your alley. I said before it was like a Hallmark Christmas movie and I can't express this enough. The meet cute, the insta-love and the ridiculous reasons why they endure this fake dating trope. Gage seemed overly sweet, like he repeatedly asked her to be his fake girlfriend after she already said she didn't have time. He did anything and everything to just keep her in the fake dating relationship, he kept trying to support her and her job efforts just going over and beyond for her, I just didn't feel like she did the same for him. Hannah was a bit annoying, I did feel bad for her not getting the promotion but she was really annoying in the way she kept pouting about it. Also it was a bit confusing how they would mess around but then kept calling themselves "good friends". Usually in a fake dating trope the characters are only showing PDA when interacting with others until they can't deny feelings anymore and finally get together, but they will stop saying they are fake dating and just start dating for real...but that wasn't the case with this story. Hannah and Gage are kissing and messing around (everything is pretty fade to black here, nothing graphic) when they are just by themselves but then wake up the next morning and just go back to being all "WE ARE IN A FAKE RELATIONSHIP". I found it odd.

Overall, I would give this three stars and would really encourage you to read it in print instead of listening to it, I think it would be more enjoyable that way. Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for providing me with this audio arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
His for the Holidays is exactly what it advertises; a sweet, flirty, tons of Christmas feels, small town romance. Definitely a Hallmark type of book in an “everything magically works out” plot, this book was just a little too on-the-nose for me. I love a good fake-relationship trope and a stuck-in-an-elevator meet-cute and had high hopes for the beginning of the book. Hannah Christy meets Gage Lawson in their apartment elevator and after realizing neither of the two are excited about seeing family for the holidays, Gage devises a plan to fake-date Hannah in order to avoid his mother and sisters match-making attempts. I find that fake dating works best when neither party are generally interested in the other and through various events, outings, accidents, and family get-togethers, the two parties slowly realize they should be more than fake. Unfortunately in His for the Holidays, it is more of an insta-love attraction and Gage and Hannah take their relationship to the next level way to quickly for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good hook-up, but the “fake” aspect became lost all too quickly and the book read a little more expected and flat after that. I found it hard to believe that Gage and Hannah would actually experience closeness in such a short timespan and just generally didn’t find either character that deep making it hard for me to engage with the storyline.
Elizabeth Cottle was an engaging narrator and I would listen to more of her audio narrations in the future. It wasn’t for her lack of voicing the characters that I was not very interested in Hannah and Gage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not my favorite. I thought the storyline had so much potential. I love when people are thrown together (the elevator) and I love fake romance tropes but this one wasn’t for me.
I must be a prude because I didn’t appreciate the e sex talk. It was a closed door romance but there was enough talk and actions beforehand that I would not want my daughter reading it.
I also was super annoyed with the female main character. She wanted all the perks of a relationship but wasn’t willing to commit. It seemed like it was all about the sex for her. Not my thing— it wasn’t wholesome enough to be a hallmark.
The narrator was ok but I listened to it at double speed. It would have dragged at normal speed I’m sure.

A power outage traps strangers Gage and Hannah with three tins of her mother's Christmas cookies and two bottles of wine in the elevator of their apartment building. As they get acquainted Gage shares that his mother and sisters are constantly trying to set him up with potential wives and Hannah is up for a coveted assignment at work. When Gage asked Hannah to pretend to be his girlfriend at an annual Christmas party in his mom's apartment building she turns him down. But after finding out she didn't get the work assignment and had some unexpected time off, Hannah decides to.go with Gage.

I like the characters and the story line in this book. Gage can be a bit whiney when dealing with his mother, but in retrospect that's true to nature. I mean who wants their mom finding them dates?

This is definitely a book to get you in the Christmas spirit with the decorating of the apartment building lobbies, the family get-togethers, and the crashing Christmas tree. The narrator is excellent on this audio version, definitely adds to the enjoyment of the story.

#NetGalley #Christmas #Romance #Family #DreamscapeMediaLLC #DreamscapePublishing #SamanathaChase #ElizabethCottle #HisForTheHoliday

I liked this book. It reminds me of a mix between the movies New Year's Eve and Holidate. I loved the narrator and the story. Hannah and Gage get trapped in an elevator together for hours and over holiday cookies and wine, they get to know each other and hatch the idea (for Gage) to get a holidate for the upcoming Christmas season. At first, Hannah is not up for the job with an upcoming expected promotion at her workplace to focus on. When someone else is picked for the promotion, Hannah reconsiders being Gage's holidate with plans to pack to move for a new job afterwards, but before she can run, they become snowed in! This holiday romance came with the typical Hallmark romance challenges. First, the two main characters fight and deny their romance, then they find themselves pointing out each other's flaws in order to put walls up. The ending is both surprising and romantic. Overall, this was a great holiday read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC audiobook for an honest review.
Audiobook: His for the Holidays
Author: Samantha Chase
Narrator: Elizabeth Cottle
Publication: January 11, 2022
His for the Holidays is a funny, sweet, holiday romance. It definitely has the feel of a Christmas Hallmark movie…kind of predictable and a little cheesy, but it still will make you smile and laugh and go awwww...
Hannah and Gage meet in an elevator which breaks down. While they share cookies and wine and conversation, Gage mentions his family’s goal in life seems to be to find him a woman so he can get married and have children. Hannah suggests him finding someone to pretend to be his girlfriend to let him off the hook. And so, the story unfolds. Hannah ends up being the one to fill the girlfriend role, but the pretending between them feels very real. As Hannah spends time with Gage and his family it’s hard for her to remember her plan that this relationship is just temporary, especially since she is seeking jobs which could take her away from her current location.
This audiobook gave me all the warm Christmas feels. If you are looking for a sweet holiday romance, this one is for you!

Hannah was anxious to get to her apartment after a long Thanksgiving with her family. She gets on the elevator and at the last minute her sexy, good looking neighbor, Gage, comes in also. They have never spoken to each other, just a nod in the lobby. Before they get very far, the elevator stops and they are trapped. With hours together, they get acquainted. The great Christmas cookies from Hannah's mother and the bottle of wine given to Hannah as she entered the elevator eases the tension and they share what is going on in their lives. Hannah is anxious about a work promotion and presentation she has the next day. Gage is frustrated because his mother and sisters are always trying to fix him up with one of their female friends. Christmas is coming and Gage dreads the holidays. While playing truth or dare on the elevator, Gage dares Hannah to be his girlfriend for the holidays. She agrees. Gage's mother manages a 55 and older apartment complex and the women are always trying to out do each other. The life at the senior living center is fun, Gage's mother is loving and needy, and Gage's sisters and their families add to the activities at Christmas time. This was a great book with humor and romance, and a good look at what holidays should look like.

I really liked the concept and there's a possibility that if I read it as opposed to listening to the audiobook that I may have rated it better. I liked the narrator but the voice for Shawna right in the first few minutes was a bit much and kind of hurt my ears. The narration in between dialog was really good but I found some of the dialog between the characters to not be very believable. I also think Gauge came off as kind of controlling and childish at times. I was already foreseeing their break up before they even officially were a couple. Also a scene in the beginning where they were locked in the elevator bugged me. They were in there for hours, drank two bottles of wine, and nobody had to pee??? It has the basis to be a really great christmas love story it just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Great solid and sweet holiday romance. Will fulfill the holiday romance needed for the season for sure.

The male main character and the narrator of this book were both great but this book had one of the most annoying female main characters that I have ever read. She was so unlikeable it made me want to DNF the book. I can understand her disappointment in not getting the promotion, but she was overly confident to begin with. As a result of not getting the promotion she got an entire PAID month off. For most people this is a dream around the holidays. She incessantly complained about this, when honestly this seems to be ideal to not receiving a promotion. In addition, her entire complex related to her family being disappointed in her was contrived and exacerbated by herself and only herself. Gage's mom was also quite annoying. These two characters really ruined the book for me. I will say I did like the ending and the little twist at the end, but it did seem a little rushed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute Christmas story of finding love and what you want in life. Hannah and Gage meet when they get stuck in an elevator together. He keeps her calm and she tears down all his defenses. They fall in love. When Hannah finds out Gage's family is pressuring him to get a girlfriend, she decides they should fake-date for the holidays. What could go wrong there, amirite?

Fake dating is one of my favorite troupes, but I felt during this you forgot it was fake. It all felt real, which I guess was the point, but I like my fake dating to be a little more 'fake'. I like there to be drama and people finding out they aren't really dating, which didn't happen here. Everyone believed them.

Gage and Hannah were cute together, though they both could be boneheaded. The chemistry was definitely there, though!

It was a good, fast Christmas read. I loved the narration. Wasn't mind-blowing, but not bad at all!

His for the Holidays was a good read by Samantha Chase. Hannah Christy is eager to get home after a family Thanksgiving with her armload of Christmas cookies. She plans on eating her treats in solitude while preparing for the promotion she is vying for. Those plans change when she finds herself trapped in an elevator at her apartment building with her sexy neighbor. Gage Lawson finds getting trapped in the elevator as a welcome reprieve, after bring with his match making family for Thanksgiving. He wouldn't mind staying stranded and not going back home for Christmas. Gage ends up coming up with the perfect plan, a fake romance to get make Christmas with their families more jolly. Hannah agrees to his plan but she never thought this could become a forever love. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read more by the author.

I enjoyed listening to a copy of this book from NetGalley because this is one of my Top 5 go-to authors. I love the fact that the story is set in some of my favorite places in North Carolina.

This book has a little more warmth than previous books by this author, but not so much that you can’t recommend the book to your mom and her friends.

Gage seems like such a gentleman and Hannah is the lucky one to get stuck in the elevator with him. I love the empowerment that Hannah gains towards the end of the book. I wish these people were real, I would love to spend the holidays with them.

This book was full of adorable festive moments and funny characters interactions. The plot, though quite corny, was still fun and I enjoyed all of the cute and festive moments.

The cheesiness of the book did extended beyond just the plot and I hard time getting past how corny the characters and dialogue were. I found it mellow dramatic at times. That being said, I listened to it as an audiobook and the narrator's speaking style was not a good fit for my personal taste so that may have influenced this at least partially.

I also found the two main characters to have very little chemistry. I think it comes down to the lack of depth in their personalities and interactions which made me irritated by them as opposed to rooting for them. I found both main characters seemed somewhat rude and arrogant which really affected my ability to enjoy the book as a whole.

Furthermore, the book came across as the type of novel that is focused primarily on steamy scenes and intended to be a steamy romance with those spicy moments driving the story along. However, all of those scenes were fade-to-black which left me rather confused about who the intended audience was.

At the end of the day, I probably wouldn't recommend this book simply because there's only a very short portion of the year where we typically want to read Christmas books, and there are others I would recommend over this one. That being said, the plot had a lot of potential and I think with some more time and experience this author could definitely create a festive book that I would love, so I will absolutely be trying out any future books that she publishes.

His for the holiday by Samantha chase. This is a mediocre romance. The characters are very shallow and the book did not hold my interest. I would past on this January release book