I love Becca from her podcast so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately it fell and but flat and I struggled to care during the middle section. I think it ended up coming together nicely and I love a Christmas book focused on friends versus romance. Overall it was a like not a love.

This book was funny and sweet at the same time. I loved the alternating perspective, especially getting to see the main conflict through both involved perspectives. I appreciated the flashbacks to other timeline to deepen the meaning of the present day storyline. This story is a fun concept and a different Christmas story than is usually portrayed and the found family was extremely meaningful, I loved the ways that we got to see the characters grow and mature and push each other to be better through this book and found the overarching themes of the importance of healthy communication, not being afraid of changing relationships, and the importance of perspective to be really encouraging and I loved seeing them modeled throughout the story. Definitely recommend for a fun holiday season read!

I think this was a me-problem. Everyone is liking this, and I love that for them. Unfortunately it didn’t really work for me and I think the #1 reason for why that is was because I don’t have the emotional bandwidth right now for these very emotionally complicated fictional characters. I’m all for real, complex characters but the issue here was that between these flashbacks of Christmases past, we were ONLY getting their bad sides. Until the end, we never once met Hannah when she wasn’t so insecure and too wound up in her to be the good friend everyone apparently thinks she is. Priya and Theo both never got POVs (kind of weird considering the emphasis on the 4 of them), but at least Theo got screen time in Finn’s chapters. Ironic, considering Priya’s monologue in the hospital. And Finn’s chapters, despite having a very traumatic and real coming-out-to-his-family history, were mostly just pining over Theo and we had zero indication as to whether that was reciprocated (except that a Christmas story deserves a HEA).

Also, one niche issue with the time jumps here: why didn’t they tell us what year the present was? We kept working towards it but I had no idea how many christmases we’d still be having in between to work through!

This might just be my new favorite christmas read. I loved everything about this book. it's so much more than a regular ol holiday/christmas read and I think that's why I loved it so much.

Christmas in NYC with 4 besties. This really is about found family and friendships that grow and change. Overall a great book and I really loved that this was the author's debut novel. Can't wait to see what she does next.

This book is not your typical, sweet holiday romance which I appreciated. It deals with death and second families come holiday time, which presents a thoughtful and unique perspective. However, it began dragging a bit towards the end, which had me rate it down to 3 stars. A good book whose plot I thought started to meander.

This is such a sweet story that incorporates the viewpoints of two diverse characters. In a world where Christmas is so often celebrated for the ability to bring families together, it was so refreshing to see found families highlighted and celebrated.

I loved the premise of this book but found it somewhat dull. The characters didn’t have distinct voices. I think someone who has been to New York City might enjoy it more as I’ve never been.

I have been anticipating reading this book for quite some time as I have listened to the author's podcast long before she was an author. Christmas books can be a little too similar or too predictable which can be fun for a book or two but I can't do more than that. However, Becca Freeman has written such an endearing unique Christmas story that will go down as one of my favorite holiday stories. The premise is four friends who find themselves on Christmas Day without family to celebrate with so they become their own family. They walk through ups and downs of friendships that make you root for them and want to wring their necks at times :). I loved feeling like I was a part of their friend group and exploring the city of NY alongside them. I am so thankful for the publisher, author, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Four stars. Late ARC reading. Sweet story and characters. Excited for her next one! Occasional podcast listener and the author’s voice definitely came through.

This book was like a warm hug. I didn't know if I would like it because I like more romance rather than friendship stories, but Becca did a great job making the story entertaining while also being heartfelt. I kept wanting to turn those pages!

🎄Book Review🎄
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Summary: Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together since college. Neither has anywhere else to go—Hannah’s parents died, and Finn’s disowned him when he came out. Their tradition of offbeat holiday adventures only grows more outrageous with time. When the pair starts their adult lives in New York City, they add stylish Priya and mysterious Theo to the group, solidifying a found family and sense of belonging they’ve always craved.

But now, when Finn announces a move to L.A., this Christmas may be their last. Hannah is terrified of losing the family she’s built for herself, even as her boyfriend nudges her toward commitment. Meanwhile, Finn struggles with the things he’s about to leave behind—namely, his unexpressed feelings for Theo. Does growing up mean growing apart? This Christmas the changes these friends fear may be exactly what they need. . . .
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My Thoughts: thank you so much @netgalley and @randomhouse for the advanced copy of this beauty! I just loved every minute of this book. A beautiful story about growing up, grief, found family, and so much more. This was such a moving story it’s pretty rare that I love a holiday book as much as I loved this one. I really enjoyed the stories of each past Christmas and the dynamic of the friend group. Overall this was a really moving story and I loved every second of this !
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QOTD- did you read any holiday books this year? What was your favorite one, mine was this and love Holly!
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#thechristmasorphansclub #beccafreeman #bookreview #bookrecommendation #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #booksofinsta #bibliophile #bookobsessed #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #booknerd #bookworm #bookwormsunite #readersofinstagram #readersgonnaread #readmorebooks

This is a cute one! Finn and Hannah meet on Christmas in college when they don’t have anywhere to celebrate. This starts a decade long tradition with them and two of their friends.

This is a dual pov and timeline. We learn about past Christmases while we navigate the days leading up to Christmas this year.

Hannah is so set in tradition that she may be ruining some relationships along the way.

Finn is moving and Hannah is trying to make the last Christmas the best one yet but at what cost?


This book showcases the strong bond of friendship and love among friends. One Christmas that friendship is tested and two of the friends don’t talk for a year but the following Christmas something happens that brings them together again.


I really loved the friendship and all their adventures 🥰

I LOVED this book!!! One of my new favorite holiday books. Becca Freeman wrote about friendship so well- it feel realistic and relatable while also being such a cozy read. Can't wait to read what Becca writes next!!

This was such a sweet story of found family and navigating friendships as an adult. I really enjoyed all the fun stories and the varying timeline. Some of Hannah’s attitude throughout got annoying and redundant, as did Finn’s pining, but that was kind of the point. Overall, I enjoyed the story and really liked the friendship dynamic and how they called each other out on things, not to mention getting to watch their friendship origin stories play out.

Four NYC friends make up a found family that carries them through their twenties. Of course, with age, things begin to change and they find themselves trying to figure out what this means for life going forward.
I fell in love with Finn and Hannah immediately, and Priya and Theo weren't far behind. Your twenty-something friends are really your family in lot of ways, and I appreciated this holiday friendship love story that was all about holding on and letting go of each other  but still being family, if that makes sense.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC!

This reminded me so much of the celebrants. It was light on the love, heavier on the drama. The real love story is about the best friends. I thought it was a great heartwarming book for this holiday.

I loved this take on found family, friendship, and Christmas traditions. I adored the New York City references- a true homage to living in the city in your 20s. I did wish I had this as a paper copy with how the timeline kept jumping around. A lot of holiday books are romances (which is a favorite) but the focus on friends was a refreshing twist. I would, and have already, recommended this to friends.

What a delightful holiday read! I devoured this book on Christmas Day, and I am so glad I waited until the holiday season to read it. It has all the holidays vibes, friendship, romance, NYC. It was so good. I felt so many feelings as I read this. Most holiday books all seem the same, but this one was one of the best I've read!

The Christmas Orphans Club was a cute story of found family. Going into it, I thought it was going to be a five star favorite. Early on, Freeman did a wonderful job of using pop culture references to put the past story lines into context. I was able to use them to remember what I was doing during that time and it helped me relate. About halfway through though, the main female character’s immaturity made it where I found myself wanting to skim over her chapters. This kept me from being fully committed to the story.

What a delightful book that centers around friendship and chosen family! A cozy Christmas book but can be read at any time of the year as it’s more about a group of friends navigating early adulthood & relationships. The mix of plot going back to old holidays and how it provides context for present was a great plot option. Will definitely recommend.