The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park is a Christmas rom-com that combines a family rivalry with a fight to save the local mall, all set during the holiday season. I loved the social themes the author tackles, including the importance of malls, although I would have liked to see even more Christmassy elements in the plot.

As a result of a decade-long rivalry between their families who run rival restaurants in the mall food court, Chloe and Peter are sworn enemies. When they find themselves working at the mall during the holiday season–Chloe as a photographer for Santa and Peter at a virtual reality North Pole experience–the holiday cheer comes to a halt as they learn that the mall is going to be demolished for condos, meaning eviction is imminent. In order to save their parents’ businesses, Chloe and Peter must team up, and as they spend more time together, they begin to question why they are even enemies in the first place.

❀ MALL SETTING

I loved the mall setting in this one and the way the author explores the purpose of these spaces. Malls have been less popular these days in favour of online shopping, but I liked the way this book highlights the importance of malls not only for entertaining holiday pop-ups but also for the many shop owners. Suzanne Park does a fantastic job capturing the sense of community surrounding the mall, and it was heartwarming to see the different owners coming together to fight to save the mall.

❀ NEEDS MORE CHRISTMAS CONTENT

Something I found myself hoping for while reading this book was more Christmas content. The cover and synopsis hint at a lot of holiday cheer, but beyond a few scenes of photography for the mall Santa, this one feels like a regular contemporary. I do appreciate the social themes the book tackles, but I would have also liked to see more of a Christmassy plot.

❀ CUTE ROM-COM

The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park is a cute enemies-to-lovers holiday rom-com. I enjoyed the idea of a family rivalry in the mall, and the author does an excellent job bringing the mall and its community to life. I would have enjoyed even more Christmas from this one, but it would be a great choice for those who enjoy more subtle holiday reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Christmas rom-coms and as soon as I read the description for The Christmas Clash, I immediately added it to my must read list.

Chloe and Peter's parents own Korean and Chinese restaurants at the local mall. The parents are rivals, Chloe and Parker are never really sure what happened and why their parents dislike each other but they do which makes Chloe and Peter rivals as well. 

Rivals... Enemies... 
Both Chloe and Peter each have a job at the mall and each kinda compete with each other. Chloe's job taking Santa pictures is what grabbed my attention from the start. She loves photography but her passion for taking photos was fading. Honestly, I wish more of her photography was in the story. While there was plenty happening between the rival restaurants, bickering parents, mall eviction notices, trying to save the mall and a blossoming romance, I still wish the photography aspect was a bigger part of the story. 

Anyways, back to the story... 
As for the whole Enemies to Lovers part... well... 
some might argue that the two were never truly "enemies" however! I totally see it, in the cute "ugh I hate him/her" way that we all clearly remember from our high school days. They drive each other bonkers, get on each other's nerves, compete against each other, "hate" each other... all while each secretly liking the other. I found it cute and not over the top or overdone. Actually, I enjoyed how the romance was blended into the story, developing at a great pace and didn't just completely take over the entire focus of the story. The romance simply blossomed in the background and added perfectly to the story. 

The story focuses more on the mall, the eviction of businesses as the mall is sold, the rivalry between the families, everyday obstacles in life that are completely relatable. We get to know about the families and the restaurants, and eventually how things use to be and what led to the rivalry. 

I love how it was not the typical cute holiday romance, I enjoyed the sweet romance developing instead of just being "insta" love, I enjoy the story and there being more than just romance.

Overall, it was a sweet, cute story. Real-life issues are there, things aren't just perfect and easy, and romance is allowed to simply blossom as it would for school-age kids. Perhaps this is a little younger than most YA that I normally read, it's clean and cute with everything kept from going over the top (the family restaurant rivalry is there and they don't like each other but don't go too far with things) but there's nothing wrong with a good cute holiday romance book. This is one that I know my daughter could enjoy and it was a fun, quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks fire for this ARC of The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park.

This is a lighthearted rom com most definitely geared toward the YA crowd.

It's billed as a Christmas rom-com and unfortunately that's where it fell flat for me. I wanted more Christmas!!

This was an adorable YA enemies to lovers holiday read. The rivalry within their restaurants and the mall was a neat element and while I'd have liked to see a little bit more "holiday" elements in the book, I really enjoyed it.

Give me a Christmas themed YA book and I’m in. This book tells the story of two rival restaurant families and how they try to save the mall the restaurants are housed in from being sold. I loved the Christmas elements in the book, Chloe a Santa elf (Yoda) and Peter who works at a holiday VR room. Although I would have loved more Holiday feels in this book, I’d still recommend adding it to your holiday reads.

In this enemies-to-lovers YA novel, The Christmas Clash is a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling of two Asian teens and their families rivalling restaurants within the neighbourhood mall, featuring everything from high school drama, mouthwatering food, and of course, a touch of all things Christmas.

Chloe Kwon and Peter Li are far from being friends, just like how their parents loathe each other. A 15 year grudge separates their families, despite each family owning a restaurant (Chloe’s being Korean and Peter’s being Chinese) within the local Riverwood mall’s food court. However, a notice goes out Riverwood is going to be demolished in favour of building a mixed-use space. Eviction notices are also sent out to all the mall tenants, and the Kwon’s and Li’s have no idea what to do next. An unlikely collaboration between Peter and Chloe forms to figure out how they can save the mall and all that their families hold dear.

As for the plot of the story, I thought it only gave subtle touches into Christmas and the holidays given it was the wintertime. It didn’t encompass the book as a whole, but wouldn’t necessarily deem the title of it “book bait.” This comes into play knowing that Chloe and Peter have seasonal jobs at the mall, with Chloe working as a Santa’s Workshop photographer, and Peter working at a Santa VR experience. The plotlines that arose were Chloe and Peter figuring out how to save the mall, and Chloe’s big photography mentorship. Both elements brought the plot together, but it didn’t contribute to the pacing since it seemed it was on the slower side.

Following both of the protagonists around and with their point of view’s switching off throughout puts the story into a broader perspective. There wasn’t really too much of the “enemy” element coming from Chloe and Peter, and the communication between the two at first came off more as teasing than an actual rivalry. The romance subplot came off as the typical YA love story which was enjoyable. Where Chloe is more of the spoken figure, Peter comes off as a bit more reserved, which in turn balanced their eventual relationship out. Speaking for the rivalry of their parents, I was hoping to see more petty comments and arguments spewed, but instead was met more with the silent treatment. This didn’t cause too much of an issue, but it would’ve added more depth and context to the rivalry of the families.

Strong elements included the diversity of the characters. Chloe and Peter are both the second born children of their families, and each have to deal with the older “golden” child of the family. Where Chloe compares herself to Hannah, Peter with Sam. This is a rivalry within itself, but important points are made in the book about self-individuality and the yearning for what you want rather than everyone else’s desires of you. Park does a great job of describing this, and I feel this is an important aspect for the audience to understand.

Another element of this book was its overall representation of Asian cultures. Firstly, the descriptions of the food from the Li and Kwon restaurants were amazing. It had me wanting Shrimp Lo Mein and Korean Mandu throughout the whole read, and it was wholesome (and cute) to see Peter and Chloe partake in meal swaps behind the backs of their parents. Secondly is the yearn for the American Dream and the potential for opportunities, and this is especially seen in Chloe’s family who immigrated from Korea to seek a better life. This is important in today’s day and age, and seems to represent all those who look for opportunities beyond their conventional life.

The Christmas Clash had its ups and downs as a YA novel, but nonetheless gave representation to the Asian community, and communities as a whole. It’s a novel of teen romance, working together, forgiveness, and a willingness to fight for those things you care about.

What a sweet and cute romance!

I loved the enemies-to-lovers storyline and really enjoyed how the relationship between Chloe and Peter unfolds. The focus on the mall was such a fun aspect to this book — you can't help but root for their success in saving it! It's also adorable that the mall forces the two of them to start a friendship, and then allows them to discover more about each other.

My only wish is that there was more of a Christmas/Holiday theme — otherwise, it was super cute!

I love Christmas books and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the plot and found the characters enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

This feuding family, holiday, enemies to lovers story was such a fun read. Food court restaurant owning families the Li's and Kwon's have a deep rooted rivalry that their kids are still experiencing. When the worst happens, the mall being developed for condos and everyone getting evictions notices, Chloe Kwon and Peter Li must team up to save their family's businesses.

The chemistry between Chloe and Peter was palpable. I liked how they were able to "reject" the family rivalry and form their own bond. Through this they were able to distinguish what really caused the rivalry all those years ago. Also the Christmas theme wasn't overt, it was more of a setting, which was nice,

It felt so childish. I know it's a YA book but it read like a middle grade. There are definitely middle grade books that I enjoy, but this just wasn't what I was expecting. Also.... where exactly was the Christmas part of The Christmas Clash? Because it was barely there. This was a big no for me.

This reminded me of A Pho Love Story by Loan Le. It’s a cute YA family rivalry rom-com, a modern day Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed the mall setting. I was a bit disappointed because I expected the book to have more around the Christmas theme based on the cover and synopsis. Regardless, it’s a fun read.

Great book! Wonderful children of immigrants / enemies to lovers book. Love the Korean-American vs Chinese-American dynamic. Also love the dreamy Asian boy crush descriptions and the nostalgic high school vibe. Love this author and will buy everything she releases!

The Christmas Clash is a terrific new YA holiday romance that will take you back to your teen years spending time at the mall! The son and daughter of two rival families who both own restaurants at the local mall are forced to team up when the owner threatens to close the whole building.

Chloe and Peter aren't exactly enemies, or friends, but they're both living under their familial influence of detest toward the other restaurant competition. However, when both their parents refuse to try to stop the mall from closing, Chloe and Peter take things into their own hands.

I loved the growing connection between these two! It was a slow burn romance that was built off a desire to simply spend time together and support each other. It was also empowering to read how they both gained confidence to stand up for their individual passions.

A great holiday romance that will bring about all sorts of 90s nostalgia!

This was such a sweet YA romcom. I loved the drama/tension between the characters. The holiday theme also wasn't too overwhelming, but would be amazing to read during the holidays.

This was such a sweet YA romcom. I loved the drama between the parents (this is less enemies-to-lovers and more star-crossed lovers) and that the holiday theme wasn't overwhelming.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks fire for this ARC of The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park. This is a lighthearted rom com most definitely geared toward the YA crowd. The conversations between friends and the situations they find themselves in will ring true to a younger demographic.
I was looking for a Christmas book and I'm not sure this was it for me. While it takes place around the holidays, the setting is a mere backdrop for the story. I found the characters and the plot to be both likable, and predictable.
Suzanne Park does a good job representing the Asian culture, foods and family values. Her books are always popular and her fans will enjoy this one as well.

This was my first Suzanne Park book and as I have heard, the dialogue absolutely drew me into the book. I used this book to kick off my holiday reading and it was a great choice. Chloe’s Christmas quest to save the mall really drew me in and had me rooting for her. Make sure to add this to your holiday list.

It's not as Christmassy as the title would suggest, but this was a sweet feel good YA romcom. The enemies to lovers storyline was a bit thin. The drama was more between the two sets of parents. But I especially loved how Chloe found her confidence and really started to believe in herself.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an e-galley of The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We love a good teen romance with Romeo and Juliet vibes set in a mall food court between a Chinese family and a Korean family. I had a lot of fun reading this light and cute story between Chloe Kwon and Peter Li as they move from competing with one another and finding ways to save their family's business.

As soon as I saw the cover for this book I was sucked in. YA, romance, and my favorite holiday!? I'm all in. This book didn't disappoint. I'm a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope, so this was right up my alley.