The Christmas Clash is a cute YA romance between artsy Chloe Kwon and all around nice boy Peter Li. When both discover the mall is set to close and the fate of their families’ restaurants hang in the balance, Chloe and Peter will have to set aside their differences to find a solution before the holiday deadline.

Chloe and Peter inherit the Li and Kwon rivalry, and it leads to some entertaining pettiness with an even better laying down of arms. I expected an enemies-to-lovers story, but this was more a rivalry with irritation and attraction mixed in. Because their rivalry was not written in such a way that it would be insurmountable for them to become allies, when they started working together and eventually discovered their attraction to the other person, it was believable. 

While I enjoyed the book, I missed the humor and some of the funny antics that were more overtly present in Park's previous novels. There were still plenty of cute moments that made me smile. Read this if you're in the mood for a cute holiday romance, but do it on a full stomach. You might get a little hungry.

Chloe Kwon is a busy teenager. Beside her classes and spending time with her friends, she also has a job as a Christmas photographer at Santa’s Village and helps out with her parents’ Korean restaurant in the mall’s food court. And as if all that wasn’t enough, she was also entering the National Arts Council Youth Photography Competition, which could win her a mentor as well as a cash prize and public acknowledgement of her talent.

Peter Li is also a busy teenager. He helps his parents out with their Chinese restaurant in the mall. He has high school and his friends, and he also works at the North Pole VR Experience, offering customers a chance to ride around in Santa’s sleigh in several different levels of excitement, from mild to needing a mop. His older brother Sam gave him some advice before he left for school. and Peter has followed that advice and tried not to rock the boat. He has been personable and easy-going, and that has worked for him so far. For the most part.

Chloe is fond of rolling her eyes at Peter and the way he runs the VR experience. Right next door to Santa’s Village, he is known for poaching customers sometimes when Santa’s line is longer. But Chloe is known for her ability with crying babies and toddlers, so people show up for her photos specifically. She uses humor and squeaky toys to get the kids’ attention, but the way she captures the joy on their faces is all her photography talent.

Her parents don’t really understand her interest in art, but they’re super busy with the restaurant too. And they definitely don’t like the Li family and their restaurant. So when Peter and Chloe suggest a dinner swap, they have to keep it quiet. The Kwon’s spicy pork for the Li’s shrimp lo mein, and both teens are happy. But when Chloe finds some paperwork in the restaurant office about eviction, Peter is the first person she talks to about it. They find out that his parents have received the same eviction notice, and with a little mire investigating, they discover that the mall’s owner is planning on selling the mall to someone who wants to tear it down and put up condos.

Despite their parents’ animosity toward each other, Peter and Chloe decide to work together to try to save the mall. Chloe recruits her older sister Hannah to help because she’s a paralegal, but she’s also working 60+ hour weeks at the law firm, so she can only do so much to help. Chloe and Peter understand that if they want to save the mall, and their family restaurants, then they will have to figure out how to convince the owner not to sell. That means they have to unite the shop owners, research the history of the mall, gather the leases from as many of the mall’s tenants as they can, and brainstorm ideas to bring more business in.

And when some surprising and warm feelings start to bubble up between them, Chloe and Peter have to decide how to balance all their responsibilities with the flirting. But when they find out a secret that their parents had kept from them, that they once had a restaurant together, Chloe and Peter know they also have to get to the bottom of the feud their parents have been stoking for so many years. Will Chloe and Peter help their parents put the past behind them, or will the family feud keep them apart?

The Christmas Clash is a fun enemies-to-crushes story, with lots of family love and holiday fun. There is a lot going on, between regular high school kids stuff, trying to save the mall, all the work Chloe and Peter put in both in their family restaurants and at the holiday kiosks, and the adorable feelings growing between them. It is filled with sweetness and fun, intelligence and heart. From master storyteller Suzanne Park, this charming holiday rom com is perfect for fans of holiday movies or anyone looking for a quick, charming Christmas love story.

I really loved The Christmas Clash. These characters are so much fun to read about, and stepping into a real, old-fashioned mall adds so much texture to this story. The sweetness of the love story and the mystery of their parents’ animosity add extra drama and intensity to this YA romance. There are lots of funny moments, but mostly there is just a story that rolls along beautifully, that drew me in chapter by chapter, rooting for these high schoolers and (I never thought I’d say this) for them to save the mall. This is one not to miss this holiday season!

Egalleys for The Christmas Clash were provided by Sourcebooks Fire through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I’ve been saying that we need more YA holiday books and this teens-from-rival-families-who-must-work-together-to-save-their-mall romcom hits the perfect balance of holiday cheer, comedy, and romance while weaving in deeper topics that will have you thinking about history and the lasting effects of casual racism.

Chloe Kwon and Peter Li’s families have never gotten along, and neither do they. Both families run restaurants in the local mall’s food court and both Chloe and Peter work at the mall’s Santa’s Village when they’re not helping out at their family’s restaurants. Chloe, who wants to be a photographer and is applying for a prestigious national award, is great at her job taking pictures of kids with the mall Santa, and Peter, who’s just trying to prove to his parents that he’s as good as his brother, uses his charm selling virtual reality North Pole experiences. When they find eviction notices their parents have been hiding because the mall’s new owner wants to have it demolished to build condos, Chloe and Peter hatch a plan to try to stop the demolition and, in the process, learn that they might have more in common than they think.

I love the way Park always discusses harder topics in her funny books. Somehow the messages go down a little more easily when they’re wrapped in such a fun package—which is not to say that these messages should or need to go down easily. I think we should be talking about racism in all different ways in hopes that some version of the message will get through. The two main characters were both so sweet and I was completely rooting for them. I think teen readers will fall in love with them too and will be outraged when a schoolmate’s microaggressions are on display or when Chloe has to deal with racist comments online. And I think they’ll be equally impressed and inspired by the grace with which both characters handle the situations.

I’d definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a sweet YA holiday romance!

Christmas Clash was an engaging YA romance. Less Christmas and less clash, more teens figuring out how to grow up and be their own people. The tagline ‘Tis the Season to be Enemies is cute, but not actually reflective of the book, for which I am grateful.

Chlow Kwon and Peter Li have always known each other, sort of. Their parents have competing restaurants across the mall food court from each other. The Kwons and the Lis have hated each other for years, and Chloe does her best to uphold that animosity. Peter is pretty half hearted about the rivalry, he just want to be able to get some of the Kwon’s spicy pork sometimes, and he isn’t above bribing Chloe with some of the Li’s shrimp lo mein. As Chloe and Peter start to get to know each other better, some big things happen – they discover the mall is likely to be sold to a developer who will tear it down, and Chloe becomes a finalist in a National arts competition.

Chloe and Peter have a lot in common, including the way their parents’ restaurants and their cold war have dominated their lives. They are also the younger siblings trying to get out from under the shadows of their older siblings. The secret dinner exchanges and brainstorming to save the mall, and thereby their parents’ livelihoods, evolves into a secret romance. For all the external drama, it’s a really nice story about two kids gaining confidence in themselves and finding ways to be the good people their parents want them to be and also themselves.

Suzanne Park populates her mall with a cast of interesting characters and has a lot to say about the decline of the suburban shopping mall. It was a fun read, if a little outside my usual.

I received this an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Read this if you:
*Enjoy Christmas holiday RomComs
*Like coming of age, rival to romance novels
*Are fond of novels with family rivalry

Meet the Author: Suzanne Park is a Korean-American writer who was born and raised in Tennessee. In her former life as a stand-up comedian, she was a finalist in the Oxygen Network’s “Girls Behaving Badly” talent search, and appeared on BET’s “Coming to the Stage.” Park was also the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition, and was a semi-finalist in NBC’s “Stand Up For Diversity” showcase in San Francisco alongside comedians Ali Wong and Nico Santos.

Synopsis: Chloe Kwon and Peter Li join efforts to save the mall despite their families ability to get along with one another. Chloe and Peter soon learn the Kwon/Li family feud is much more than they ever imagined. The two families operate rival restaurants in Riverwood Mall. When the eviction notice is served so the developer can demolish the mall and build condos, Peter and Chloe are determined to work together.

Reader’s Thoughts: The Christmas Clash is told from the perspective of both Chloe and Peter. This Christmas RomCom was so pure and innocent. Despite the family feud and rivalry there wasn’t much negativity, which I liked. The relationship built between Chloe and Peter was very age appropriate considering they are young teenagers. I was disappointed that there was not much mention of Christmas other than the Santa Land and North Pole virtual reality references, but this wouldn't deter me from recommending this book to a friend. Otherwise I truly enjoyed the book. It was a quick, easy, afternoon read.

Available now in Paperback, eBook, and Audio book!
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Thank you, @NetGalley and @suzannepark for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.

The Christmas Clash
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 10/4/22
Author: Suzanne Park
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire and Dreamscape Media
Narrators: Jay Lai; Jennifer Sun Bell
GR: 3.76

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Chloe Kwon can't stand Peter Li. It's always been that way. Their families don't get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court―Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don't know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize...

My Thoughts: I had the honor of obtaining the ebook and audiobook and while I did switch back and forth, I preferred the audiobook. This was a very cute story. I love that it was told in a dual POV between Chloe and Peter. The author does an amazing job on representing the Asian culture and bringing it to life with its cultures and traditions. There are two subplots going on and Park does a fantastic job at exploring both of them. The characters were developed well with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and creatively woven throughout the story. The author’s writing style is complex, humous, intriguing, and flowed amazingly. I would recommend the audiobook, it goes quick and the characters are lively.

THE CHRISTMAS CLASH by Suzanne Park is a mash-up of ROMEO AND JULIET and a Hallmark Christmas movie, all centered around a struggling mall. It's a cute and breezy read featuring an enemies-to-lovers romance and an underdog story of small businesses standing up to big landlords. I especially loved reading Chloe's reflections on her Korean immigrant parents and being a first generation Korean-American.

Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. And when looking at the other reviews, I think this might be a case of 'it's not you, it's me'. I missed the Christmas vibes completely in the first few chapters, and as I mainly picked it up for that, I kind of lost interest after that. Some very important topics were discussed, but it was done in a light way, which I absolutely loved about this. But other than that, it wasn't for me sadly.

I love a good Christmas story, so I jumped at the chance to read this holiday-themed YA novel. The Christmas Clash is a twist on a modern-day West Side Story of two enemy families, the Kwons and the Lis. Told from the alternating viewpoints of high school students Chloe Kwon and Peter Li, it is at times funny and other times romantic. It also deals with deeper issues, such as racism and family expectations, but in a realistic way without bringing down the overall mood of the story.

Shopping malls are going the way of the dinosaur all over the United States, and Riverwood Mall is on the brink of extinction at the beginning of the book. Chloe and Peter put aside their family’s feud to work together to try and help save the home of their families’ restaurants. What else will change as they spend time together? I’m sure you’ll figure that out quickly.

I appreciated the inside look into both main characters’ minds and observing their growth throughout the course of the story. Their interactions with their friends, bullies, and family members felt real and brought me back to my high school days.

This book is perfect for its YA audience. It did use a little more swearing than I expected but, admittedly, I don’t read a lot in the YA genre so that might be a typical amount.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Loved this one! I loved Chloe as a protagonist — I appreciated how determined and resourceful she was. I got so caught up in Chloe's quest to save the mall that I could barely set the book aside once I had started it. (And as in any Suzanne Park book, the dialogue is top-notch!)

This is a deceptive book. While it could easily be viewed as a light and cute YA read, there are some really strong themes that will speak to any audience.

I love the community feel in attempting to save the mall. I love the food references. I love that it didn’t feel like the characters were 16 and at high school. Hats off to the author for achieving this!

Lastly, I loved that it was my first Christmas read and I’m so ready for more. Santa is gifting this book 3.5 stars.

The families of both the hero and the heroine are rival restaurants located in a mall food court. The families are both served eviction notices before Christmas, so both the hero and the heroine decided to join forces to try and save the mall. Along the way, their interactions made them both closer to each other, though family histories may deter their growing relationship from blossoming.

This is a contemporary YA book from Suzanne Park. I liked both main characters as individuals and together. I found the premise a nostalgic setting from personal enjoyment of the mall food court. I liked some of the secondary characters, though there were others that could have been better in their interactions within the story. I also wanted more details in the story, but it didn't deter me from my reading enjoyment. Overall, a nice Suzanne Park YA book.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

Ahhh it’s almost here!!! I was lucky enough to get a review copy of this book as a long time fan of Suzanne Park and I have to do this one was just what I was craving! There is something so inherently wholesome about a romcom and I feel like Suzanne’s books really speak to the marshmallow heart inside of me…and also my stomach. Please be advised that you should have Chinese and Korean food at the ready for when you read this book. I had to break up readings because of how busy I’ve been and I can’t tell you how often I’ve had lo mein and mandu (I’m weak and can’t handle spicy pork but mandu are where it’s at) since I started this book!
Chloe and Peter are classic enemies to lovers—two houses both alike in dignity in fair Riverwood where we lay our scene! That is to say, their families do not get along for as long as they remember. But in spite of this—or perhaps because of it—these two teens find that the person best able to understand their life is the enemy next door. Both families have mall food court restaurants, where Chloe and Peter work and have worked for a very long time. They both understand what it is to face anti-Asian racism, stereotyping, the overpowering responsibility of ensuring the family business thrives—they even struggle living in the shadow of seemingly perfect older siblings. So when the mall is threatened with demolition and they start using their considerable skills together to try to save the mall and their families’ livelihoods, it was only natural that they would start to like each other.
Just like it is also natural that any book by Suzanne Park would be hilarious.
Whether is the cute moments with Chloe’s Appa, the bantering, debating whether flowers or balloons make a better bouquet, or the name Cheremy (yes, it is pronounced Jeremy!), I couldn’t help but laugh. And what’s really nice is that it all feels so relatable. I too only like the dark meat. I can’t help but think I would also temporarily cause an animatronic bear to malfunction. I too ponder the existence of wind-chime people. I think that is what I like best about her writing. There is no mythical, perfectly-ethical billionaire to sweep a skinny white virgin off her feet—it’s just a very normal, everyday kind of thing with normal everyday kind of humor. Nothing wrong with the former but it’s nice to read something that feels so real and relatable too. The way your parents have funny quirks or ideas (eg “Everbody like Dubble Bubble”) or how you don’t actually know what emulsifying is but you know the proper context to use it in or how you think something horrible happened to someone but in the most ridiculous way possible just because you haven’t heard from them. There is so much humor and romance in everyday things and I feel like SP’s books really bring that out.

Things I really like about this book:

The food (I’m a glutton)

The banter

Every single snarky comment (I swear you’ve tapped into my inner monologue)

The sweetness of the romance

The genuine goodness of the characters

As far as critique: Somethings are really treated as surface level even though they seem much more important—the time spent actually taking photos for the contest, interviews, etc is all condensed into narrative after it happened. The speeches and essay for the art award didn’t have the impact I would have expected. It felt a bit glossed over—which is fine because it is a romcom and we want to focus on the rom and the way we got there through the com! In terms of rom and com I’m very happy! Even thinking about the business aspect I am happy too (although I would have liked Ricky Jr to get put down a bit!). It just seemed like the art competition got pushed to the side a bit but I did really enjoy what we did get. In my ratings it is a 4.5/5 for giving my marshmallow interior everything it desires in a cute teen romcom. I just loved it.

The story follows Chloe Kwon and Peter Li. They were enemies before they even met. Their families have been feuding for years. Both families own and operate a restaurant in the Riverwood Mall.

Chloe is very passionate about photography. She works in the Riverwood Mall at Santas village, taking pictures of families with Santa. Peter works in the mall as well, across the way from Santa’s village at a Holiday virtual reality experience.

The story gives a dual point of view bouncing from Chloe to Peter. They find out that the Riverwood Mall is planning on getting demolished for condos. They push their differences aside to work together to try and save their family's businesses as well as their livelihoods.

While they are doing everything they can to stop the closing of the mall, sparks start to fly between Peter and Chloe. It was so cute to see their romance grow.

It is such a feel good Christmas story with such well developed characters. Chloe's friends were so supportive of her and her family's dreams. You will feel just like one of Chloe's friends and want her dreams to come true for her.

Thank you to NeGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read a few books by this author now and sometimes they are just a hit or miss for me. This one wasn’t bad persay, but I just wish there had been more when it came to Christmas.

The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Chloe and Peter. Their families have been rivals ever since they could remember and so they take it upon themselves to be rivals as well. I liked that there was banter between them and it keeps the story alive. I do think that they acted more mature than their parents but I guess with the history of everything it makes sense. Chloe does a lot with photography and it is present throughout the book. It plays a part in her schooling as well as her job. Peter has less going for him it seems but I still liked learning about his feelings towards Chloe and her family.

There is romance and I would say that it is fine but nothing that made me swoon. It was just your typical enemies-to-lovers with nothing that really spiced it up to make it fresh. There are still some cute moments though!

I think my biggest complaint is that it is sold as a Christmas read but it was really lacking in that department. It seemed like only their jobs had to do with the holiday and everything else was built around their parents’ restaurants and the mall. It wasn’t a bad plot because I did like the aspects included, but it just doesn’t match the title or the cover.

I enjoy holiday themed books and was so looking forward to giving this YA book a try.

For me, it didn’t work as well as I wanted it to work. It was light on the Christmas content and was lukewarm as an enemies to lovers trope.

I really enjoyed the part of the story dealing with Chloe and her photography. The plotline that involved saving the mall was okay, but I thought the family rivalry storylines were unnecessary. I would have liked more focus on Chloe and her struggles with her photography given her family history.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


Right off the bat this story has similar vibes to A Pho Love Story. Two Asian families have competing restaurants, both have teenage children who work for them, and one happens to be an artsy girl who wishes to defy her Korean parents' dreams and become a photographer rather than a doctor/lawyer/high power exec. However, this story was actually less angst ridden than A Pho Love Story, which is perfect for the Christmas season.

This book is fun, light, and will definitely make you hungry!

Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks and Dreamscape for the ARC and audioARC of this!

Super cute holiday YA! I loved the save the mall plot, the “enemies” to lovers vibes (although there was very little animosity between the kids and most was the parents’ drama) and all the talk of food. Definitely go for this if you want lower drama YA romance with a lot of family and diverse characters.

I'm a huge fan of Suzanne Park's books and The Christmas Clash is precious new addition. This romance takes place - you guessed it - around Christmas. And so while I definitely enjoyed the Christmas touches all the way from nostalgic songs to mall exhibits, the story is about a rivalry and two teens who might have to team up to save both their families. I enjoyed reading The Christmas Clash maybe because of my delightful nostalgia in mall exhibits and holiday displays - which are becoming a thing of the past now. My own local mall which used to be the place to be, has become a ghost town even if I visit every time I go home.

So while I have zero percent relatability to running a mall food court restaurant, this hit an unexpected sweet spot. The Christmas Clash goes further to tell a story about hidden history, complicated sibling relationships, and family. It's dual POV which allows us to see behind both sides of this feud: Chloe and Peter. With rivalry which seems to consume their family, can Chloe and Peter find common ground to save their family's businesses?

This was a cute YA. I wish it had a different title because there was little to no holiday content. It’s hard to see young adults give up so much when their parents can’t seem to be bothered to save their own businesses.. I liked the relationship between Peter and Chloe.