Thank you to the publisher for my advanced copy! This was a cute holiday read - dueling mall quick service restaurants and the two main characters also had other mall jobs that were in forced close proximity to each other. I liked the developing friendship, sub plot, seeing how the two are linked and the mystery between the families. I do think the ending was a big of poof -magic, everything solved! A bit YA angsty for me but still enjoyable.

Title: The Christmas Clash
Author: Suzanne Park
Narrated by: Jay Lai and Jennifer Sun Bell
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Length: Approximately 8 hours and 17 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!

Do you have a favorite mall? Do you still have a mall around you? Did you like hanging out in one as a teenager? My Mom worked at Pearlevision / NuVision in the mall when I was a teenager. It was great fun to go to work with her and my sister or a friend and then roam the mall all day long. The mall of my youth is a bit sad and empty now when I go back home. I enjoy our mall in Green Bay and my daughter thinks it is very exciting.

The Christmas Clash involves two teenager who work at a mall, Chloe Kwon and Peter Li. Peter Li drives Chloe Kwon up a wall. While Chloe works taking pictures of kids with Santa, Peter works at a North Pole Virtual Reality center right across the atrium from her. As they fight over business, they are carrying on the fight between their parents. Their parents each own a restaurant in the food court, the Lis sell Chinese food and the Kwons sell Korean food. They have a bitter rivalry that their children don’t understand. When Chloe and Peter discover that the malls new owner plans to evict everyone and tear the mall down, they ban together to save the mall. Will they be able to save the mall and will their feelings for each other change?

This book was so delightful. Chloe and Peter were great characters with great teenage angst . . . and chemistry. I also enjoyed a friends to lovers’ trope as was the case in this story. . . although it is a teen story so it was more friends to boyfriend/girlfriend. I like that it was like Romeo and Juliet, but the rivalry was between two food court restaurant owners. I especially liked when Chloe started to question why exactly there was a rivalry and decide not to continue carrying it on to the next generation. Both characters face racism as Asian Americans and I thought it was an interesting look into a realistic aspect of their lives.

I loved Chloe’s zest for fighting for saving the mall and her parents business. The story of being in the mall brought back so many happy memories of my youth and local mall. I also liked that she had goals in life as a photographer and she pursued her goals. Both her and Peter face challenges as the second child compared to their “perfect” older siblings and it was a great thing for them to bond over. It was a great coming of age story for them both.

The story was a dual narrative told in chapters from Chloe or Peter’s perspective. Jay Lai and Jennifer Sun Bell were perfect narrators and were the voices of the characters to me.

This was my second Suzanne Park novel and I liked it more than Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous. This is the story of two rival Asian restaurant owners who have restaurants in the same mall. One Korean family and one Chinese family. I adored Chloe, I thought she was a fun and dynamic teenager. Peter on the other hand was kind of bland. And there was some cringey dialogue and inner monologue but I still enjoyed it and the narration was good.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This was a very cute YA Romance. I enjoyed the story and the characters and found myself pulling for the two main characters.

This is a fun and cute read. It is a YA romcom. While it is set at Christmas, this book could be placed at any other time and the story would still be the same. I think selling it at Christmas is more of a marketing ploy, then integral to the story. This story is about two teenagers, whose families do not get along. It’s not quite a Hatfield and McCoy type thing, but there is a business deal gone wrong decades ago. These two teenagers have been raised very similarly. They have both been raised in the food court of the mall where both their parents’ run restaurants. However, malls are a thing of the past and many are closing down, disappearing, being torn down, etc. and this mall is no exception. However, these two teens are going to find a way to save the family business and save the mall. This book was a bit of a slow start. It sets out to make you think it’s going to be an enemies to lovers trope and it’s not. This book is one that many will read for the holiday cover and title, but it will be a flash in the pan that is not found on library shelves in a few years. Overall, I did like it, but I would’ve taken the Christmas out of it and set it at a different time. Say the end of the school year. and in all honesty, On my Hallmark movie scale, this is pure Nickelodeon.

Two rival restaurants are struggling to move forward but refuse to work together. Peter and Chloe hate each other until they both realize their families are about to lose everything. Together Peter and Chloe go through hidden paperwork to figure out how to put a stop to the closing of the mall where both businesses are located. Together they find loopholes and other possibilities to keep the mall open and bring together the community to improve things.

So this ended up being a bit different then what I was expecting. Mostly because I didn’t remember what the blurb said by the time I got to actually reading the book. (I prefer to go in blind anyway) It was a cute enemies to lovers type story with the families in a long time feud with a somewhat predictable storyline overall. But it wasn’t as funny at I was wanting it to be. And it wasn’t really a holiday romance in the traditional sense. It takes place as Christmas time but there were so many other things going on plot wise that it really could have occurred at any time of the year. I am a mood reader and I think I was wanting a different type of story. It was an entertaining read but just not what I wanted at the time.

Aww this was a cute story! Loved the whole Romeo & Juliet feel to it at first, with the whole feuding families. I mean, who doesn’t love a forbidden love trope?

Only thing that I would want is more Christmas involved, because I was definitely thinking I was sitting down to read one of those heartwarming Christmas stories, especially with that title.

Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley for Allowing me the Audiobook Arc!
This was a very cute YA Christmas time story! In the very beginning, I was a bit thrown off by the one mention of LGBTQ (Male Best friend intro) and the charcoal on her breasts, but I continued the story and was pleasantly surprised with how deep the book got with racial issues, small business concerns and I absolutely loved the art award and mentorship!!! Honestly if you would of left out the Direct statement of her friend being the head of the LGBTQ Organization and the weird boob situation, the book would of been perfect 5 star YA book from me!!! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved that both of her best friends were in love with the same guy, but stating it in a normal way like that's just normal facts in the book because the male best friend was gay would of been so much more meaningful in my opinion. Having to state that with all his other traits he led the LGBTQ group was just overkill and made it seem like a weird thing! This was a great modern spin off of Romeo and Juliet and I enjoyed the entire cast of characters and the story as a whole!!! Keep up the good work and I hope to even see a follow up book, or a story from another character!

ADORABLE. I highly recommend for a younger teen audience. this was super cute and I loved the characters. it is such a cute Christmas book and I couldn't get enough.

2.5 stars rounded up

The Christmas Clash is a cute YA romantic comedy with a splash of holidays in it. The Kwon and Li families have had a 16 year long feud between their restaurants at the Riverwood Mall, and rivals Chloe and Peter now find themselves needing to work together to help save the mall from closing.

Chloe and Peter's relationship is typical enemies to lovers, and I enjoyed their banter. I did find Chloe slightly immature for a 16 year old.

The title and synopsis both suggest the book to be holiday themed, and to a certain extent it is, bur not as much as I was hoping. Both characters have Christmas themed jobs, but the actual holiday is glossed over. (Though we did get some fun Thanksgiving day scenes!)

I listened to this one on audio, and overall I did like it, but I enjoyed the narration during Peter's chapters more than Chloe's.

Chloe is a talented photographer and the daughter of immigrants who've owned and operated a Korean restaurant in the local mall for over 15 years. Peter Li's parents own the Chinese restaurant on the other side of the food court and they are sworn enemies. When Peter and Chloe discover that the owner of the mall plans to demolish it, they realize they need to work together, and tougher still, they have to convince their parents to move on from their long grudge. Meanwhile, Chloe's entered into a scholarship for her photography and has to juggle her candidate responsibilities and mentorship with the burden of trying to save her family's restaurant. This is a wonderful YA title about overcoming challenges, cultivating love and friendship, and perhaps most importantly, finding your voice.

This is such a cute ya romcom but with some serious subjects spread throughout. This story follows Chloe a young Korean woman who is an aspiring photographer who teams up with her arch nemesis to try to help save the mall and their parents restaurants. The two of them pair up to research the leases and legal arguments to save the mall and possibly catch some feelings along the way.

I thought this book was really cute but was also surprisingly informative about the restaurant industry as well.I also really enjoyed the characters they were so lovable and complex that I just wanted to continue to follow them around after the ending.I listened to the audiobook for this and enjoyed the narrator as well she was engaging and easy to understand. I look forward to picking up more from this author in the future. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This definitely skews toward the young end of the Young Adult audience, but it’s fun and sweet and not overly angsty, and I always love a mall setting, especially if it figures heavily into the plot (it absolutely does here).

The Christmas Clash is a charming book about a decades old mall food court feud between two sets of parents whose kids decide to put aside the family rivalry and ban together (perhaps even fall in love?) when the mall is in danger of closing, putting both families’ businesses at risk.

I liked the premise for this a lot and loved that the story focused more on the families and the two protagonists individuality rather than the romance or their identity as a couple. It makes for an age-appropriate love story that doesn’t get too overwrought or schmaltzy.

I wish the book had been a bit more Christmasy (it definitely takes place at the holidays and there are a few mall plot points that acknowledge that) but I think there were some missed opportunities for more festive atmosphere in a book that is marketing itself specifically as a Christmas book.

I recommend staying away from the audiobook on this one if you can. There were a number of mispronunciations that really bugged me and the narrator frequently devolves into the “doing voices” trap of narration, resulting in a tendency to make every child in the story into the World’s Most Obnoxious Child. Which is frustrating because the adult characters were all voiced well.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 368 / Genre: YA Holiday Romance / Narrators: Jay Lai, Jennifer Sun Bell

This book is low on Christmas vibes and high on shopping mall drama, goody two shoes Asian American teenage characters, and young adult enemies-to-love-interest romance. All in all, it was a cute little story and I enjoyed the narration by Jay Lai and Jennifer Sun Bell.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of the audiobook.

This was archived before I even got to listen to it. Kind of hard to review it. Maybe you could let me try again? Why would you offer it for such a short period of time? I review all kinds of books, but holiday books I listen to fairly close to the holiday when possible--but in advance of the publication date.

This was so cute. It gave me Tweet Cute vibes. I love holiday romances. I also love a dual point of view. The foodie talk made me hungry! There was minimum family drama. Chole and Peter are smart and determined to save the mall. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Kwons and the Lis have been enemies for Chloe Kwon's entire life. The families own competing restaurants in a mall food court. When Chloe finds out the mall is going to be demolished, she finds an unlikely ally in Peter Li. Chloe and Peter sneak around, working together, trying to save the mall from closure.

I almost DNFed this one. Early on, I was having a hard time listening to Jennifer Sun Bell's narration. It came off as kind of shrill. I also found the book a bit immature, but trying not to be. I know Chloe and Peter are high schoolers, but it felt like they were middle schoolers swearing to be cool. It was just off. Yet they ran around with basically no parental involvement and were digging through legal contracts. It was strange.

I chose to read this book because of two things- I am a sucker for rom-coms, and I always enjoy Christmas stories. This failed on both levels. There is almost zero Christmas in this book. Peter and Chloe both work at Christmas related exhibits in the mall, but that is it. Not to mention, most of the book takes place in November. Halloween and Thanksgiving are referred to as much as Christmas is. I also didn't find the story funny.

While I read YA fairly often (former teacher- used to read it a LOT), I hope this fairs better with the actual target audience.

The audiobook is dually narrated. Jay Lai for Peter and Jennifer Sun Bell for Chloe. I already referred to having issues with Chloe's chapters. Peter's chapters were fine.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe and Peter can't stand each other. They grew up as kids of rival families. Their parents have competing restaurants in the mall. Their siblings competed for the top academic spot. And now they work opposite each other at the mall's two Christmas attractions. When their second home (mall) faces a crazy situation, Peter and Chloe have to work together to solve it.

This book was all sorts of crazy. There was some hate to love plot. However, this soon came to an end. There wasn't much chemistry shown between the two protagonists. I would have liked to have seen some more passion in their forbidden love saga. Overall, the story was pretty engaging, but I would have liked more pizzazz

3.5/5. A cute Christmassy read following a bit of a Romeo and Juliet meets mall food court restaurants. Both Chloe and Peter were likable characters and I enjoyed reading their journeys to try and save the mall that housed both of their parents restaurants. The book covers important topics like racism and feeling like you're not as good as your sibling. Glad for this to be my first holiday read, a great slow start into my holiday book tbr!