I absolutely love the way how Vale gradually builds excitement in the reader that has everything to do with the way she captures the emotions of her characters and makes us connect with them. The romance has me swooning. I loved this book.

I loved the shaadi set up, and the decoy girlfriend for me was just an okay read so I was excited to dive into this one and see where it landed! A cavaeot from me...I will read a holiday story any time of year so feel free to take that into account 😊 Ves and Elisha's story starts of with her breaking into what is now his house to try to save hit from what she assumed was him breaking in. Her weapon of choice? Decorative candy cane, which she ends up hitting herself with. A meet cute if I ever saw one. But then the pacing of the book just felt off. Like the characters never really got into their groove. Great friendship, quirky town, hallmark moments but the romance just wasn't quite there. I will say this though, it was definitely a plunge you into the holiday spirit type of story and I am here for it!!

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Wrapped with a Beau is a sweet Christmas romance book! HOLY GUACAMOLE it is spicy. Very open door, so if you aren't into that, this one isn't for you. If you enjoy a good Hallmark movie with some extra spice... you will love this book. It's full of all my favorite things about a Christmas rom-com: cozy vibes, small town charm, Christmas movie set, all the holiday baking, enemies to lovers trope... it's great. If you don't like the "curmudgeonly, sarcastic guy gets the girl" trope, maybe skip this one. Personally, I LOVE the grinch male character and girl-next-door female character romance. The tension and banter was 10/10.

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

I really enjoyed this book. I agree with another reviewer who said the Hallmark vibes are strong with this book. I definitely felt that way while reading it.

4.5⭐️
Ahhhh, the Hallmark movie vibes are strong with this one.

I love when we have this grumpy, big city man who has to return to a small town to settle some business (in this case his great aunt’s house) and swears he’s leaving as soon as he’s done. This grumpy human then meets the human embodiment of sunshine, starts falling for them, and all of those plans change.

It’s basically a foolproof formula for a happy Lara.

So yeah, I loved this book. Is it a little cheesy at times? Sure. But the love interest Ves is a middle grade fantasy author, who had a terrible childhood (his parents honestly still suck), and he’s seriously the sweetest. I love him. Don’t worry I also love Elisha and her friend group… and her family… okay I love the whole town.

I was not able to finish the book and therefore do not feel that I can give an unbiased review about the book, its plot, characters, or the author's work. I might revisit this book at a later time and finish it then, but not right now.

Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putnam and Lillie Vale for the ARC copy of this book. First off, I absolutely love any type of Christmas Books. This was right up my alley and filled my Christmas loving heart right up. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Christmas, Romance and Hallmark movies.

This was such a fun holiday read! I loved the connection to Ves's aunt and the town's history. The connection between the two main characters was fantastic!

The chemistry definitely didn't get chilled through this winter romance. It felt like an inside look at the making of a Hallmark movie - and I ate it up! I know that anyone who enjoys a cheesy winter romance will love this.

Move me to Piney Peaks asap! The book gave me all the warm feels of Christmas in a small town.This needs to be a hallmark movie!! Must read if you love meet cute/found family books with a hint of spice. The build up is worth the wait.

I loved how fast paced this book felt.
You’ll fall in love with the main characters Elisha and Ves. For me towards the in Ves was by far my favorite. His character development is beautiful!

Would highly recommend to all my friends!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥
Elisha Rowe has a problem. She promised her hometown Piney Peaks' Christmas House to the sequel of the holiday classic Sleighbells under Starlight. Unfortunately, she has not quite secured permission to use the location from its owner. Actually, he might even have said no. Now her mission is to convince Piney Peaks' Scrooge to change his mind not just about the house, but even about the holidays.

As a Filipino, I am THRILLED to start the holiday romances early this year. It might actually help with getting me into the holiday spirit in a couple of months.

This was definitely a good start. I love the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Ves and Elisha. It brought dimension to their journey as Elisha tries to persuade him to open the doors to the Christmas House and enjoy the holidays. There is also an element of fake dating as Elisha convinces Ves to be her pretend boyfriend to keep her ex-fiancé at bay. Their chemistry was oh-so-good that the slow burn -- and yes, I mean SLOOOOOW burn -- was driving me wild.

The festive backdrop that Lillie Vale builds around our main characters was incredibly fun. I especially enjoyed the treats (BIBINGKA!). I love how the holiday backdrop weaves in nicely to the love story.

If you adore Hallmark Christmas movies, you will absolutely love this read.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Lillie Vale, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

3/5 stars! The cover of this book was adorable and really set my expectations high for this book. It was cute and it worked as a holiday romcom, but it really lacked depth. It felt like something you read and are like "aww," and immediately forget 10 minutes later. Elisha was full of blind optimism and that felt a bit naive to me. If you're looking for a quick and simple holiday romance, this should work for you.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is every girl who lived hallmark Christmas movies, dream book! I enjoyed it very much it was so much Christmas packed into one book and I loved that. Elisha is planning to film a sequel at her hometowns “Christmas house” cue small town romance vibes. However Ves is trying to sell it, do I see grumpy sunshine? 😀 cue the Christmas music and grab a cozy blanket to dive in. Worth the read.

Well, now I am truly excited about the holidays! If you're looking for a Hallmark romcom, look no further.

This was an adorable, albeit predictable book. Would I read it again? Absolutely.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this book!

A great festive read, the story of Vas and Elisha. He is in town temporarily to sell Christmas House. Will be convinced to stay?

3.75 ⭐️

I have been on a very specific quest. A quest to find a Christmas book that reads exactly like a Hallmark Christmas movie, but features a delicious amount of steamy that Hallmark refuses to include in its movies, no matter how many letters I send. And at long last, my quest has ended. Wrapped with a Beau by Lillie Vale features the saccharine sweetness that I find myself craving for a very short amount of time each year AND adults making…adult decisions.

This opposites attract romance follows Elisha as she attempts to bring magic back to Piney Peaks fifty years after beloved holiday movie Sleighbells Under Starlight put the town, and its charming Christmas house, on the map. When a sequel to the film is announced, Elisha promises production the use of the Christmas house in tribute to her late friend Maeve. There is just one slight problem. Maeve’s great nephew Ves is desperate to sell the house quickly and get back to his life in New York, away from Piney Peaks and all things Christmassy and away from his nosy neighbor that attempted to harm him with a yard decoration. Elisha refuses to take no for an answer and may have the perfect proposition to get cold-hearted Ves to rethink his first impressions of Piney Peaks and Elisha.

Overall, this was a fun read and I gobbled it up for the pure Christmas joy it spread. I thought Elisha and Ves’s relationship had a great, natural progression. The side characters were adorable and really helped the town come to life. If you are in the mood for a Hallmark read with a touch of spice, pick up Wrapped with a Beau and embrace the holiday season.

*Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A hallmark type Christmas romance with some added spice. Ves Hollins writes books for middle-schoolers. He inherits a house from his great aunt which he visited once when he was seven. The house is historic and was the backdrop to a very popular holiday movie that was filmed in the town decades before. He just wants to clear it out, sell it and return to NYC. Elisha Rowe lives across from the big house. She loves her small town and uses her job to promote the location for movies and other film endeavors. It starts off with his grumpy vs. her being happy holidays personified. But they get to know each other fairly quickly. It is still slow burn taking it to the next level, but there is a nice honest that develops between the two. He has family baggage to get over especially where it relates to Christmas.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC to get me in the mood for the holidays!

Wrapped with a Beau is as sweet as a sugar plum, sparkles like a tree covered in tinsel, and has more Christmas references and puns than Santa has presents in his bag. This book is Christmas, all Christmas, nothing but Christmas...and it's delightful.

Small town powerhouse Elisha Rowe is trying to bring Piney Peaks back into the spotlight with a sequel to a Christmas movie filmed there long ago. Big city boy Ves Hollins is just trying to deal with his beloved Great Aunt's house before heading straight back to NYC. But his house is THE house, the Christmas House, and Elisha is determined to use all of her charms to convince Ves to let filming move forward as planned. Ves cannot help but be captivated by Elisha, her many cheerful friends and a setting to rival Stars Hollow. This book has a lot of sugar, but a bit of spice as well, and readers will swoon at Elisha and Ves's chemistry.

This is a smart, fun, Hallmark movie in a book, and readers are sure to be swept up in the Christmas Spirit. I give it a 7/10 and recommend it to all readers of romance and lovers of Christmas.

Loved this! Fun, festive, heartwarming, with great characters and some depth. Great holiday read! Will definitely be recommending for holiday reads!

Delightfully sweet, undeniably cute, and humorously Christmassy, yet despite my hopes, this book failed to stir any emotions within me. Oh, how I yearned to adore it!

Alternatively, it could be the familiarity of the storyline, which resembles countless others I've encountered. The ubiquitous presence of an ex, two attractive main characters, and the meddling but endearing family members—all too Hallmark Christmas for my taste, lacking that unique spark.

Maybe it's just me, or perhaps it's the narrative style—written in third person and present tense, not my preferred choice. The timing could also be a factor; I began reading this book when I longed for sun instead of snow, with spring finally gracing us with its presence.

In any case, despite my initial excitement, this book left me wanting, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.