This book was so cute! I'm not one to bash a YA novel for being "too YA," because as a twenty-something I realize I'm not the target audience for this book. However, I do like to distinguish between very mature YA novels (i.e., YA novels I think anyone can enjoy), and those less-mature YA novels, which I believe is the category this book falls into. While some of the issues/themes discussed in this novel were very serious (themes of racism, finding oneself, saving the family business, etc.), most of the conflict between the two main characters (as well as subplots) were very immature and found myself rolling my eyes while simultaneously being thankful I'm no longer in high school.

I say all that as a caveat - if you're a twenty-something or older, I would know all this going in, even if you're an avid YA reader like myself. However, I do not base my ratings on this kind of thing, because, as previously mentioned, I realize I'm not the target audience in this kind of novel.

Overall, with all that aside, I thought this was a very cute Christmas novel that was perfect for this time of year. There were many parts that had me grinning like crazy and one scene that got me emotional. I'm glad to have read this, and recommend you doing so as well if you're a fan of YA and holiday novels!

Chloe and peter are very similar, in that both of their families own restaurants in their local mall. having been rivals for years they have never truly gotten to know each other but when the mall is put up for sale they come together to help save it.
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once they got past their rivalry they worked together so well and were absolutely adorable, especially when they realized they were a little more than friends. This wasn't the most Christmasy novel but since I read it the first week of November it was the perfect way to start reading Christmas novels again. I loved their secret relationship and how they traded food from their family restaurants (Korean and Chinese). I do wish the enemy aspect was a little more prevalent before they started to become friends but other than that this book was basically perfect!

The Christmas Clash sounded a lot like A Pho Love Story by Loan Le. which I loved, so I was in a hurry to read it. AND it was set at Christmas? Hell yeah I was interested! I grabbed it as soon as I could get it from my library. And what a good decision that was lol

Ok so the one thing that’s been bothering me since I read this was the fact that there wasn’t enough Christmas. It was mostly about the fight between the kids and the parents, etc. And like she was a Santa photographer and when she was taking pictures of him it was mostly about the kids she was helping take cute pics. I WANTED MORE CHRISTMAS. I understand that their cultures may not always celebrate Christmas, but for this to be a Christmas story, it didn’t have enough Christmas for my liking? I’m sure I’m the only one who cares, but this stood out so much to me because I’ve been binge reading holiday romances and I was HELLA excited for a romance one. But it didn’t fully give what needed to be gave.

Ok so now that that’s out the way, the other thing I didn’t like was Chloe. Ironically I did like Peter lol I liked that he was so smart and super sweet. Like that arrangement they made was very cute. I too would have made the same agreement with no judgement lol Both dishes sounded amazing.. And I LOVE bulgogi, so I immediately wanted some while reading this book. Anyway, I wasn’t a huge fan of them apart, but I did like them together. They were so cute! I loved when they found out new clues about their parents and were so excited to tell the other. And I loved seeing them realize that they were falling for each other. It was super cute.

I did like the other characters. Like both of their parents. Though they were stubborn, I could recognize the passion they felt for their restaurant and their sacrifices. They felt like authentic real characters. Especially with the way they were so protective and stubborn. I loved getting to know them more.

The foodie in me was so excited for this. But the problem was, THERE ARE NO SPOTS NEAR ME THAT HAVE WHAT I WANTED. No bulgogi and I’m not a huge fan of lo main, so I was just depressed lol But really it was ok because there weren’t that many descriptions for it. Park doesn’t really describe anything really. Definitely could have done with more of it all around.

This wasn’t really great, but it also wasn’t terrible. I was entertained, but it had the potential and I know I could have liked it a little more had those things been different. BUT the narrators were super helpful in this area, They helped me stay hooked to this story because they made this listen so fun. They added the emotion and the imagery that the words did not. Definitely a 10/10 narration.

This book was cute, but ultimately I wanted a little more in some areas. But don’t pass on this one because it didn’t completely work for me. Give it a read and let me know what you think!

The Christmas Clash was such a fun holiday read. I enjoyed the characters and it helped me get into the Christmas spirit.

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

This was a fun holiday romance book. The characters were cute and fun. Simple and quick listen. I love having some holiday books to add to my collection.

Who’s naughty and nice at Riverwood Mall?
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Chloe Kwon’s family has a rival restaurant and that family has a son: one Peter Li with his smirks and know-it-all glances. It’s Korean vs. Chinese food at the mall where their family restaurants have been for years, but when they both might lose their lease, the two team up to help their parents out.
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This started off so cute for me, but quickly fell flat. It’s marketed as enemies to lovers, but that’s maybe ten pages of it before the two join forces so I didn’t really get that. There’s not much romance in it at all and the Christmas vibes were lacking for me. I also struggled with the YA rating, as it read kind of middle grade to me. I loved the representation and truly believe we need more diverse holiday books out in the world. Give this one a try, because maybe it was just me!

CW: racism, generational trauma

this was the perfect book to read to get into the holiday spirit! this one was so good & i truly enjoyed every second of reading this one. i'm a huge fan of the enemies to friends to lovers trope so this was such a great experience for me. i cannot wait to read more from suzanne park.

This one was cute, it reminded me of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with a Christmas twist. I loved the Romeo and Juliet with restaurants vibes and found the characters to be very likable. I will say it at times felt like the author was trying to hit a word count, did I need to know an entire workout of one character or all of the ingredients another put into a frying pan? Not really, but it doesn’t ruin the book for you, just drags it out a little. Overall, a cute listen, not overly Christmassy but it does all happen leading up to Christmas. I was happy I listened to this one rather than reading it!

This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This will be posted to my instagram (@busywithmybooks_) within the week.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this story!!

This was a fun little holiday romp. It was predictable, yet I enjoyed the sweetness of the enemies to lovers trope this novel contained. What I liked more: the social commentary on the decline of the American mall culture and a valiant effort to save and salvage a mall in a community where it provides more than retail value. This adds a depth to the novel that I can appreciate past the holiday romance.

Riverwood Mall is about to be demolished to pave the way for something new. To the landlord, it's all about the bottom line. But to the community, it's about more than turning a profit. Chloe Kwon didn't even know her parents' restaurant has been a part of the mall for a long time and her parents kept the eviction notices and paperwork from her to protect her. When she finds out that their family business is in jeopardy, she attempts to rally other mall business owners to save the mall. This means working with her family's arch nemesis to rally. Peter Li is her sworn enemy, but can Chloe look past her family's grudge to save the mall?

I found this book enjoyable and inspiring, but the storyline is a bit overdone. I LOVE Asian family stories, but I’m also getting beyond rival families and their restaurants. I did like how this one was different in that there was a big focus on saving the mall and all the different people it brought together.

The narrators were enjoyable. I would listen to other audiobooks that they narrate in the future!!

Thank you to Suzanne Park, Jay Lai, Jennifer Sun Bell and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute YA story about a failing mall, a little bit of Christmas, and an enemy to friends type of romance that was adorable.
Chloe Kwon is not a fan of Peter Li. Matter of fact, she can’t stand him. As long as she can remember it’s been that way. Their families don’t get along at all since they operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court. The Kwons are Korean food and the Lis are Chinese food. Now the holidays are upon them and Chloe is working as the photographer for the mall's Santa Village. Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience that happens to be right across the atrium.
However, when it turns out that the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos things begin to change. Eviction notices are popping up everywhere and the kids' parents have no idea what to do. Soon, Chloe and Peter realize that they will need to join together to save the mall. As they grow closer they soon learn just how deep the Kwon-Li feud really is.
This is a really cute story with a little bit of holiday mixed in. It is a really cute little story that hits the spot if you are looking for a well written YA holiday story.

I liked this =)

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my advanced audio copy of The Christmas Clash.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet.
This book was cute.
Very easy to read / follow.
The narrators (Jay Lai and Jennifer Sun Bell ) did a fantastic job.

This was my first Suzanne Park read and I'll definitely read more of her books

This was not the book for me! I would give this 2.5 stars and I feel that is generous!

I had high hopes for this book. I am a sucker for Christmas and YA literature. Sadly, this book did not deliver.

I am having a hard time pinpointing what it was that didn’t resonate with me. Here are a few things that stuck out:

1. I felt like the language was off putting. I was surprised there was so much cursing. For a book that is targeting a younger audience, I didn’t feel it was necessary. I know realistically people cuss, but to me it just felt excessive. Peter in particular used it rather frequently and I felt it distracted from the story instead of adding to it.

2. The content being covered about race and being discriminated against was great. I wish Suzanne would have delved deeper into this. She stayed too surface level for my liking.

3. I listened to the audiobook and felt the narration was horrible. I was not a fan of the male narrator at all. He was so bad. I would have preferred for the female narrator to have done the entire book.

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a very cute book that managed to touch very important subjects like racism and generational trauma. The characters were well rounded and adorable on their own and together. The love story was also very sweet, and although the book barely had anything to do about Christmas it was a fun winter read regardless.

Chloe and Peter are high schoolers, their parents have competing Korean and Chinese restaurants in the food court of the local mall. Their families have been at odds for as long as they can remember.

Of course Peter and Chloe's banter and "one-upping" each other leads to attraction in this Teens & YA romance. In addition to saving the restaurants, Chloe is competing as a finalist in the National Art Council award.

Very enjoyable.

I had the opportunity to review the (advance listen) of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The audio version was well done, Peter was narrated by Jay Lai and Chloe and the majority of the book by Jennifer Sun Bell.

Thank you to NetGalley for once again introducing me to a new author! And for the opportunity to review the advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Also many thanks to the author Suzanne Park, the narrators Jennifer Sun Bell and Jay Lai and the publisher Dreamscape Media. Publication date for the audiobook is 04 Oct 2022.

Book setting - middle TN, mostly at the mall

The Christmas Clash takes place in a mall and is a dual narrative between Chloe and Peter, both Asian American teens. Their parents are sworn enemies and, therefore, expect their kids to be enemies as well. Chloe and Peter find that they need some help from each other as a rumor to close down the mall surfaces -- which is the livelihood of both families. Chloe and Peter discover that they have much in common and need to join forces to save the family businesses. These characters are very relatable and the mall setting will appeal to teens.

Christmas Clash is a cute YA novel starring Chloe and Peter, two high school students who, along with their families, absolutely can't stand one another. Both help out at their parents rival Asian restaurants in the food court at the local mall, while Chloe also works as a photographer taking Santa pictures and Peter runs a virtual reality kiosk. When both families receive some bad news, Peter and Chloe work together to find a solution, while attempting to continue to hate each other along the journey. Super cute, typical YA novel with likeable characters that was easy to follow on audio (I always listen at 1.25x). My only complaint was that, despite being titled the Christmas Clash, it had very little to do with Christmas other than it took place at Christmas time. I would definitely recommend this to my middle school students although, be warned, there is definitely a bit of cursing (although I've heard a lot worse in the hallways - lol).

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook!!! All opinions are my own. :)

Enemies to young love, save the family business, and all the droolworthy Chinese and Korean food? What's not to love!

Peter and Chloe's friendship was adorable from start to finish. There's a bit of a Romeo and Juliet situation going on with their families, without the death of course. I was very interested in figuring out what was up with their family feud, and save-the-small-business is one of my favorite plots.

Unfortunately, this book didn't feel very Christmassy to me. The only mention was the time of year and Chloe's job as the mall Santa photographer. I would have loved to read about how Peter and Chloe's families celebrate!

Suzanne Park writes the cutest YA romances, and I love that I always learn something new about Korean food or culture.

I was really looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately it was not for me. I know it is YA, but it seemed very immature, maybe middle school? The internal narratives are what prevented me from loving this book, this is where I though maybe these were 12-year-olds. Peter and Chloe had no differential in their voice, so it felt like there was no character development.

Now, this is a Christmas book with the cutest cover, but where was the Christmas part of it? The book felt like it was all over the place missing the mark to keeping me fully invested.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

I didn't get the normal RomCom vibes that I wanted to when I'm reading a RomCom. I felt like nothing much really happened and this one fell flat for me.