I am an avid listener of the Bad on Paper Podcast, which is hosted by Becca and Olivia Muenter. When Becca's book became available for presale, I ordered it! (And I got an ARC of the e-book, so now I have two versions!) This is a fun holiday-themed novel about chosen family. Hannah and Finn have been inseparable since college and spend every Christmas together since they don’t really have families to spend the holidays with. Over the years, they add Priya and Theo to the group, and the four of them form their own “Christmas Orphans Club”. When Finn announces his impending cross-country move, they aren’t sure if this Christmas will be their last and if their friend group will make it through other life changes as well. It’s a really sweet story! I love how Becca is so vivid with her descriptions; it made me feel like I was right there in New York City with them.

This is such a fun Christmas book! The premise is about making a family out of your chosen friends in a New York setting. I loved all of the characters, especially Hannah and Finn. It has definitely put me in a Christmas mood. It is billed as a romance, but I feel that it is more a story about friendship.

Thanks to Penguin Books and Netgalley for the digital copy of the book for my opinion.

I love the Bad on Paper podcast. Becca always has amazing recommendations for books, so I knew that I wanted to read her debut novel. There were some parts I really enjoyed about this book and some parts I felt were underwhelming. I loved the description of NYC and all the people, places, things and feelings that NYC evokes. It almost felt like this book was half a friendship story and half an omage to NYC. One thing I did not like about this book was the main female protagonist, Hannah. I felt she was kind of annoying. The repetitiveness of her disdain for her friends moving on with their lives got to be frustrating. I did love the Finn and Theo story line though. So that made up for Hannah's annoyingness.

Hannah, Finn, Theo, and Priya are best friends all living in NYC. As "orphans", they spend every Christmas together with wild and fun adventures. As years go by and they begin to grow up, their friendship begins to change and so do their Christmas traditions.

What’s better than a Christmas romance book? A Christmas friendship book obviously! I adored this debut novel from Becca Freeman.

This had two POVs and alternating timelines, which I’m always a fan of. The writing was engrossing and the characters were likable for the most part. I think Hannah annoyed me a tad with the obsession of the tradition and her and Finn’s fallout was also a little immature, but both a little understandable. I also would’ve loved Theo and Priya’s POV because they’re a big part in the story, but you don’t get to learn much about them. I’m looking forward to Becca’s next novel!

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This book just wasn’t for me. I love a good Christmas book but felt a lack of character development in this one. Honestly it was a bit boring.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Becca Freeman, and Penguin Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was cute! As much as I detest Hallmark movies/cheesy holiday movies in general, I found last year that I really enjoy reading seasonal holiday books. I was intrigued by the premise of The Christmas Orphans Club, and I do think it is a great, unique take on many Christmas-related books. The characters seem realistic, and seeing what adventures Hannah, Finn, Theo, and Priya got up to each Christmas Day over the years was super fun. There are lots of heart-warming moments mixed with serious scenes as well, which I appreciated as a more realistic take on just being over-the-top cheesy. However, there were parts of this book that just didn't quite land for me, leading it to be about a 3.5 star read for me personally. Although there are 4 friends in the group, the book is written in alternating perspectives between Hannah and Finn only across the years. I understand that Theo and Priya come to the friend group out of Hannah and Finn's overall, over-arching friendship, but I felt like this was a great disservice. Theo is mentioned a lot throughout, but Priya seems to be mentioned barely at all. In fact, this leads to a big argument between her and Hannah towards the end. I would have loved to see more of her as a whole and for the book to have been written in alternating perspectives between all four characters. I know that could potentially make it longer or less "deep" in character-work overall to give everyone equal time/space, but the book could have really benefitted from flushing out all of the friend group, not just two characters. I also found Hannah a bit whiny and unrealistic, which led to me not always enjoying certain scenarios or chapters from her perspective. Overall, my issues are minor and more just about my personal taste, so I do recommend overall for a fun, festive read!

Makes me wish I had a dramatic family situation to blow off at Christmas and run around New York with my friends.

This has become hands down my FAVORITE Christmas book of all time! I loved this debut novel, and even though the premise reminded me of the movie" The Night Before", I fell in love with these characters. I wish I had a tradition like this!

I had really high expectations for The Christmas Orphan's Club after seeing all the glowing reviews on Goodreads, but ultimately this fell flat for me and it was a struggle not to DNF.

Hannah and Finn have spent the last several Christmases together as a part of their own "Christmas Orphans Club" - both do not have immediate families to spend the holidays with - and have picked up secondary characters Priya and Theo along the way to round out their group. Told in a split timeline, the reader navigates between present day and Christmases past, as we explore what could potentially be the Club's last Christmas together.

I truly think this story idea and plot line had SO much progress - but it fell flat with unlikeable characters and friends who maybe shouldn't have been friends after fighting over something so petty they didn't speak for a year. I think I went into this looking for that character depth and development and what I got was a YA, kind of snarky and painfully unlikable main characters who are friends who definitely needed (and should have kept) their friendship break. I think it would have served them better to realize that sometimes group grow apart - vs. the painful need to force the characters back together.

Thanks to Becca Freeman, Penguin Books, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.25 out of 5. Such a lovely book. Tears were shed and the friendships represented were so wonderful. The books show the power of how friends can be your chosen family and how remarkable that could be. This is one to read if you want your heart to be happy and some wonderful innovative Christmas celebrations.

So heartwarming and perfect for the holiday season. Really loved the diverse characters and journeys each went on. Recommending this to all of my friends that want a Christmas story that is not too typical

This was the perfect book to kick off my holiday season. I enjoyed that it was a slightly different format than most romances (alternating POV between best friends.). I loved all the little details Becca included for Boston in New York and was delighted that many were places I had been before in college and my early 20s. It felt like it was written just for me. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the advanced copy!

One of my favorite books of the year! It was advertised as a Christmas romance but the romance is really not the main focus of the story. It is more about found family and making your own traditions. I loved all of characters, (although Hannah got a bit annoying at times.) and the plot never felt predictable which I always find can be an issue with contemporary romance books. Overall, a great read for the holiday season!

I really, really enjoyed this. Found family, the holiday season, just the right amount of romance, and a group of close, realistic best friends.
It's a Christmas themed book that's actually not majorly Christmassy. The flashback sections to past Christmases had the potential to be extremely cheesy, but Becca wrote them in a way that gave insight and heart to the characters.
As a Boston girl I loved that it opens at Boston College and that the first ever meeting of the Christmas Orphans Club involves eating at Lower Dining Hall - I could picture it all.

Becca Freeman knocked it out of the park with this debut novel. Initially, I was hesitant about the story since I wasn't the biggest fan of Hannah but the ultimate lessons shared about friendship, adulthood, growth, and change made this a memorable book that I'd happily recommend to others. The different Christmas adventures were so vividly detailed and the dialogue so fluid, I often felt like I was in NYC with the group (this book would make for a perfect holiday film adaptation!!).
I'm so eager to read future novels of Becca's!

Ever since their sophomore year of college, Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together. Hannah, because she isn’t very close to her older sister Brooke and they both lost their parents when they were young, and Finn, because his father cut ties with him when he came out. They’re both self-proclaimed “Christmas orphans,” and though they’ve added Priya and Theo to their crew over the years, the two of them are still the OGs.

With a new job and a cross-country move to L.A. on the brink for Finn, however, could this be the gang’s last Christmas all together? And if so, can they make it the best ever?

Though this gem is holiday-adjacent, the real story lies in the found family, strong friendships, coming-of-age, and even the romances of this dynamic group. Their loyalty to one another was truly heartwarming, and the way they tackle grief is beautiful. I absolutely loved being along on their journey, and let’s not forget the nostalgia this book invokes! I was transported back to my college years a million times over, and it was the best ride!

If you’re looking for a heartwarming holiday-adjacent novel, pick this one up! Thank you so much to @netgalley @beccamfreeman and @penguinrandomhouse for my complimentary ecopy and the opportunity to read and review it! ❤️❤️

A group of friends without families for the holidays gather together every year. When one friend is moving across the country for a dream job, a final orphan Christmas spectacular must happen. Such a cozy, Christmas read from a debut author. The warm friendship with a Christmas New York backdrop is a dreamy setting for a holiday read.

This modern Christmas story about found family uses both dual narrative stories and split timelines to show the development of deep friendships. I really enjoyed all four of the main characters and you see them grow through the years. I did feel the book leaned more YA than it is marketed largely because the lead, Hannah, seems so immature throughout most of the story. Overall, this book gives a fresh take on family, love and complicated feelings during the holiday season. It makes for a great festive read during the Christmas season, and I highly recommend this one. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this soooo much! As a longtime BOP-er, it was amazing to finally see Becca's hard work come to fruition. A refreshing change on the Christmas rom-com, this story of found family was heartwarming AND funny. Highly recommend! 4.5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up to 4! I am a long-time fan of The Bad on Paper podcast, so I was very excited to read Becca's debut! It was a cute holiday read and I laughed out loud at numerous parts. The book was so New York and I really enjoyed all the pop culture mentions throughout. I thought the writing was solid but struggled to like the two MCs the story focused on. I am not a huge fan of "found family' types of books, but for those who do and liked Happy Place by Emily Henry, I would recommend this one to them!