The Summer of Christmas by screenwriters & debut authors Juliet & Keith Giglio, offers colorful storytelling and an entertaining cast of supporting characters.

Screenwriter Ivy returns to her home town of Geneva, NY for the filming of her debut movie, a semi-autobiographical holiday love story that ends with the male lead dying in a snowmobile accident. Now, Ivy can't stop running into Nick, her ex-boyfriend who runs his family winery. Ivy and Nick work through past hurts and complicated feelings to find their second chance at love.

had really high hopes for this one. The synopsis sounded great and anything with Christmas is right up my alley, but I DNF halfway through, I just couldn’t get invested. My heart just wasn’t in it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really thought this sounded like a great premise. I struggled with the characters, the immature dialog and behavior, and the superficial relationships. This one just wasn't for me.

This was a super cute book & now I'm excited for Christmas romance season:)

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance e copy.

I wanted to love this one more. The premise was truly my kind of book. Girl loves boy, girl gets dumped by boy, girl writes a screen play that eventually gets picked up as a christmas movie. I mean what could be better than that? Back in her hometown though she must deal with her current boyfriend, her former love, and realizing if California making movies is really her passion. Does the small town life call her back? The ending was extremely rushed and I think that was really the downfall. I don't think the character development was enough for me either. I do think the story was extremely fun though. Also the cover and book just didn't seem to go together after reading it. It seems like the girl on the cover would fall more in line with the actress rather than Ivy who was the MC of the story.

✨ Ivy wrote a screenplay about her breakup with her ex. So when the movie shoots at her childhood town, everyone knows.

💥This book is a super fun and festive summer beach read. There is a lot of cozy vibes though for winter also. The plot isn't complicated but it is fun. My major issue is that while the POV is from Nick and Ivy, sometimes we change mid- chapter to to a few paragraphs about what other characters are thinking. This would be fine except it doesn't happen often so there is a lack of reference or context about this. However, read it for the community aspect!

My face at the end: 🎄

🍪 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to @netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this ahead of publication.

💯 For more details on the books we read, be sure to follow me on TikTok (@zaineylaney). I will give you a list of reasons to read! Or listen to our podcast, Elated Geek, wherever you subscribe.

Who does not love Christmas in July?

This was the perfect time to read this book. In the blistering heat, I could escape and feel like it was cooler and Christmas time. There were parts of the book that I really liked and parts that I did not.

I was not a fan of Drew from the very begging when Ivy first meet him, something about him felt off.to me. Even though Nick was a jerk in the beginning I was on team Nick the entire time,

I wish that some of the side characters had more of a role. I would have liked to see more of Griffin and his story. To me he really came out of his shell when he was "hiding" at Ivy's parent house.

Overall I would give this a 3.5 stars for a fun and enjoyable read.

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the early copy.

***2.5 stars***

I fell so hard for this beautiful cover, but after giving it a solid try I still DNF'd at ~10% through.

The plot and theme seemed right on point - a woman obsessed with Christmas year-round [and it's JULY - Christmas IN JULY hello!] and her ups and downs of relationships all revolving around the holidays.

..but it failed to deliver for me. The first chapters were bland and didn't grab my attention, so I tried to read more into it to give it a fighting chance. However, the character development was not strong enough to keep my interest longer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing a digital ARC for my honest thoughts.

As kids, Ivy Green (even her name screams Christmas) and Nick Shepherd’s lives were forever changed when they were cast in their church’s Christmas play. Inseparable since that day, friendship inevitably blossomed into teenage love.

But Ivy always dreamed of leaving her small town one day for Hollywood, hoping to make it as a screenwriter. Then one day it happens, her big break. Not wanting to be the one to hold her back (but also, frustratingly, not telling Ivy or the readers this) Nick dumps Ivy, citing he has feelings for another woman. Oh and all of this occurs mere days before Christmas.

Bah humbug.

Fast forward 5 years and Ivy is finally on the path to what she was destined to do. But finally selling her screenplay not only sends her back to her hometown for filming, it also reunites her with the man who broke her heart, the same man who also not so secretly serves as inspiration for the film she’s making.

Nick never left home, making a name for himself in the winery business. He also never stopped carrying a torch for Ivy. Both too stubborn to face what went down years ago, instead they hide behind new loves, quirky side characters, and fake lighting. Is a Christmas miracle in their cards or are they destined to live out a blue Christmas forever?

While the writers clearly know their way around a screenplay, this story felt a little like shopping during the holiday season- messy and rushed. I wanted more out of Ivy and Nick’s origin story so I would know what I’m supposed to be rooting for. There were also many cringe worthy moments and a confusing carousel of side character POV’s that felt a little odd and forced. In addition, there were repetitive reminders of Covid sprinkled throughout (we get it, no one shakes hands anymore!) that the story could do without.

Despite all of this and the lackluster reviews, I could actually see this story working as a Made For TV holiday movie. After all, they’re nothing if not corny and non sensical at the one time of year all of this is tolerated- Christmas.

So if Christmas can’t come soon enough for you, grab your beach towel and tinsel and take a chance on Christmas in Tinseltown.

The Summer of Christmas has it all to be a fun book, and in some ways it is. But it's also very, very simple and yet at the same time, very, very complicated? It's a weird combo that keeps the book from working the way it should, and even though it's not one I'd say people need to definitely stay away from, I also wouldn't put it at the top of my list.

My main issue with it isn't how straightforward it is. In some respects, that works. It's got a very Hallmarky setup and vibe, and Hallmark movies work in their own way, even when they don't. This book does that too, I guess, it just never does much of anything else. The characters were more or less enjoyable as I was reading about them, and then I totally forgot about their existence. They all needed a bit more (or a lot more) of development to actually be interesting. Same with the romance. Was I supposed to be vaguely interested or very much into it? Because I only managed the first one.

The pacing was also another issue - it was either too fast or too slow, and it made it hard to truly get into the book. And I have even gone into the film references I got, and the ones I missed, which made me feel like the book was a test I was failing.

Ultimately, this wasn't horrible, but it also wasn't my favorite, despite a setting that I was sure would work.

I ended up DNFing this one because it just didn't hold my interest. I really wanted to like it because I love Hallmark Christmas Movies, but I just could never get into Nick as a love interest after the first chapter. I even tried fast-forwarding to the ending and I still couldn't do it. I guess some Christmas books are just not for me. 🤷‍♀️

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook and audio version. This book was a hard pass for me. Please read my review for the audio version.

This would make an excellent Hallmark movie... in fact it may already be one as the basic elements of the plot are in about half of the Hallmark movies made. It was an enjoyable read to pass the time but there was little substance to the plot that hadn't already been done, repeatedly.

If you're looking for a fluffy, lighthearted rom-com novel, this is right up your alley.

i really enjoyed this book!! it was so much fun to read, especially in the summertime!! thank you so much to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!!

Rating 3/5
Plot 3/5
Spice 0/5
Writing 3/5
Character Development 3/5

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]

“The Summer of Christmas” by Juliet Giglio and Keith Giglio tells the story of Ivy Green and her high school sweetheart, Nick Shepherd. Ivy is an up-and-coming LA screenwriter and her movie is based on her and her high school sweetheart. Although the movie is being filmed in her hometown and in the middle of summer, the production crew sets the scene as a Christmas winter wonderland. Nick isn’t thrilled about the film, especially because in the film, Ivy's character kills him off. Ivy faces many conflicts throughout her time filming. From an unsure feeling towards the relationship with her producer to the actress playing Ivy developing feelings for Nick. Ivy is confused about her feelings about Nick and if anything is left between their relationship, Ivy will need to re-write her life script to finally get the happily ever after she’s always wanted.

This book had a cute plot! I loved all of the movie references, however, I felt that including too many titles made the references not as iconic or meaningful. I loved the idea of summer x Christmas and it reminded me of a Hallmark movie. Ivy’s character was unique and I liked her personality and quirkiness.

It's a cute light romance about an LA screenwriter who goes back to her hometown in New York to shoot her first successful film only to come face to face with her first love. Her film is about their love story, so when her ex gets involved in the production and the star playing her basically starts deep method acting, drama ensues on and off set. This one's a great Christmas in July read because it has some of the feel of Christmas mixed in with the vibes of summer. It errs on the side of a romantic comedy with a flame rating of about one or two.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

I don't know what to say about this book, to be honest. The plot was cute, but I could not handle the writing. It was too choppy, and the dialogue was weird. Cute idea, not well executed.

#TheSummerOfChristmas:⁣
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“Whoever said love wasn’t authentic? It’s the most real thing there is. But maybe we’ve all become too broken by so many things, that we forget all about love”. ⁣
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Just like Bruce, I was writing that quote down ASAP. The Summer of Christmas is such a fun romcom that is 100% Mellie Claus approved. ⁣
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I really enjoyed how the movie being produced and the history of what it was actually based off of (Ivy & Nick’s relationship) correlated with each other. We got the backstory and then the Hollywood version. I also really enjoyed meeting all of Ivy’s family and friends in the story. ⁣
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I did a reading/listening combo thanks to @dreamscape_media and the audio was just as wonderful as the physical copy. Elizabeth Cottle was so fun. I enjoyed being able to cry in the hot GA heat thinking of hot cocoa and winter nights. She hit the pitch of Ivy and Amari quite well. ⁣
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Overall, this is a fun one. I really liked most of the characters and the plot line. The ✨movie magic✨ is definitely exposed, so it was a fun fake. This does have your Hallmark type HEA, which you know I ate up. Thank you so much @sourcebookscasa and @dreamscape_media for the gifted copies! The Summer of Christmas just came out 7/5 and is perfect for your holiday TBR! 🤶🏼

Well it’s kind of a of Christmas book… Ivy is a screen writer and is thrilled when her Christmas movie screenplay is picked up. The movie is about how Ivy and her first love, Nick, fell in love at a Christmas pageant many years ago. Nick and Ivy aren’t together anymore and Nick actually broke up with Ivy at Christmas time. The producers love her movie so much that they want to film the movie in her hometown, in July. The only problem is Ivy hasn’t been home and hasn’t seen Nick in over five years.

This was a fun rom com filled with drama and miscommunication. It was a second chance romance surrounded by high maintenance actors and a winter wonderland in July. I didn’t love it or hate it, I thought it was just ok. The book gave me major Hallmark movie vibes and I really enjoyed the premise, but I did find the main character, Ivy, immature at times.

Thnak you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Not for me. It’s written by two author and feels totally disjointed. I love a good Christmas story but this was just not it. Cute cover though but I could not get through this story