I received an ARC from NetGalley.

If you're looking for a small town, Christmas themed romance this fall/winter, this is one from a seasoned writer, and it has a lot going for it. I wish I had been able to connect with it more, but I know the right readers will just adore Maple Falls and all that it has to offer.

The Christmas Wager is an enemies to lovers holiday romance with a small town setting. This book is a fun story that has all of the elements you would enjoy in a Hallmark movie. If you are looking for a light and easy story to read over the holidays, this is one to watch for.

Holly Cassidy's "The Christmas Wager" is a delightful holiday read that captivates from the very first page. Set against the backdrop of a cozy, snow-covered town during the most magical time of the year, this book weaves together romance, humor, and the spirit of Christmas in a truly enchanting way.

The story follows the charming protagonist, Sarah, who finds herself unexpectedly caught up in a wager with her rival, the handsome yet infuriating Ethan. As they compete to win a prestigious holiday decorating contest, sparks fly, leading to unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages.

Cassidy has a gift for creating vivid, lovable characters that leap off the page. Sarah is a relatable heroine, with her determination, warmth, and a touch of vulnerability that makes her journey all the more engaging. And Ethan, with his undeniable charisma and hidden depths, is the perfect match for her spirited personality.

What truly sets "The Christmas Wager" apart is its heartfelt exploration of the true meaning of the holiday season. Through Sarah and Ethan's journey, Cassidy reminds us of the importance of love, family, and forgiveness, making this book not only a joy to read but also a touching reminder of the magic of Christmas.

Filled with festive cheer, witty banter, and tender romance, "The Christmas Wager" is a must-read for anyone looking to escape into a world of holiday magic. Holly Cassidy has crafted a heartwarming tale that will leave readers with a warm glow in their hearts long after they've turned the final page. Highly recommended for fans of feel-good romance and Christmas stories that celebrate the power of love.

This was an entertainingholiday romance. I liked the plot and the characters were a lot of fun. Very much recommend this book.

This book follows Bella, she works for a company who want to acquire and remodel a Christmas store in small town. She has to head to the store to get the deal signed right before Christmas, and she’s so close, until the Grandson of the owner, Jesse, intervenes and demands a higher price. Not willing to give up easy, Bella and Jesse create a Christmas wager, to compete in the towns holiday games, and whoever wins gets the deal they want.

I did not enjoy. This really has all the makings of a good Christmas story, I liked the setting, the plot, the Christmas spirit, etc. I just didn’t like the writing, it was so long and boring, I picked this up soooo many times and just couldn’t get into it. I found the writing cheesy, super corny lines and it’s insta love. They “hate” each other, but a couple days and bland conversations later they’re in love. I didn’t like either of the characters, and I hated the villain Caroline, her character was just so desperate and embarrassing. The story was just so much inner monologue, repetitive and so boring, with barely any of the games. I will say I did like the ending, but it was all just prettily wrapped in a bow, especially the other situations they were facing with jobs and family. Either way, I don’t recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

Bella Ross, a real estate developer based in LA, must go to the small town of Maple Falls to purchase a Christmas shop. If she can successfully purchase this shop, she will get a huge promotion. However, just before she can sign the contract with the owner, the owner’s grandson, Jesse Harrison, steps in and stops the sale. When they can’t come to a deal on the price, they decide to make a Christmas wager: if Bella can beat Jesse in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, they will take the low offer, but if she loses, they get more money. As the games begin, Jesse and Bella become closer and their feelings make it difficult to compete against each other, even when their eyes are on their prizes.

This is a fun Christmas rom com. I love the enemies to lovers trope! The holiday themed competition was fun, but I was getting stressed out thinking of the stressful challenges they had to do. I couldn’t imagine doing them myself. I really liked that there was an epilogue that showed what happened to the characters a year following the end of the story, rather than just ending when they got their happily ever after.

The Christmas Wager is a fun enemies to lovers rom com!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: parental abandonment (off page), death of parents (off page)

I got about a quarter of the way through this book and just...didn't want to keep going. I didn't like how the couple's story was starting and couldn't understand how they'd be able to find love/lust/any time of connection after they met. And I know holiday stories are supposed to be a little over the top but a wager based on holiday games that the heroine has never been a part of and the hero has clearly been on winning teams? That will determine his family's business and her career? I couldn't buy it and didn't feel the urge to see how it would all end up. Maybe I'll give this another try next year.

This is such a cute read for the holiday season and you will never guess a popular thriller author wrote it! I loved both of the main characters and of course the small town that is Maple falls. The games are such a fun plot line and I can honestly say I have nothing bad to say. If you love Hallmark holiday movies you should definitely add this to your holiday tbr

Sadly this book was just ok for me. I think it would make a fantastic movie though. It’s just for me personally it was a lot of action such as playing games, where it would be more fun to watch than read. Also even 30 percent in you still don’t get any of the romance I love that goes along with the Christmas reads. This could definitely be someone’s cup of tea though! It was enjoyable just not what I love in a Christmas book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🎄 small town atmosphere
🎄 holiday spirit
🎄 enemies to lovers
🎄 competition rom-com
🎄 dual POV
🎄 short chapters
🎄 closed door/very low 🌶️
🎄 HEA

What a coincidence that the main character grew up in Ontario, Canada?! I am also from Ontario, Canada so I absolutely loved that random connection.
The premise of this book was so fun and different, and it’s something I haven’t really seen before. Two “enemies” want to buy the same property, and then end up competing in their small town Christmas games in order to get the store at their wanted price. Super fun! Literally everything you could possibly ask for in a Christmas book!
I love a competition rom-com! I love the banter back-and-forth when 2 soon-to-be lovers are trying to show each other up and obviously both like each other but they don’t know it yet.
A lot of “Christmas” books I’m reading lately are barely about Christmas at all and they don’t give me that cozy Christmas-y winter-y vibes.. but this one is absolutely a Christmas book 🎅🏼 It had all the Christmas vibes and scenery and treats 🎄 It was just the perfect Christmas feel good read!
The spice in this one was very mild which I definitely appreciate; I do not love spice 🤪 especially in a Christmas book.
I really love a romance book that is from both the main characters point of view so much!! We get to see them falling in love with each other when they both don’t know it yet 💕
Although I absolutely hate a 3rd act break-up 🤪 the ending definitely made up for that so I won’t subtract any points this time 🤣

This was the epitome of a hallmark Christmas movie and I loved it. The small town setting was perfect, plus we had the corporate Christmas hater (Bella) and the hero who loves Christmas (Jesse) trying to save the family business.
This was really fun and really sweet!

Unfortunately The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy was a DNF for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel.

Bella Ross escaped a small town when she was younger, and now works in LA for a cut-throat real-estate developer. She is sent to the small town of Maple Falls in Colorado to close a deal on a store and secure herself a promotion. Her success is all but guaranteed, until Jesse Harrison makes an appearance and persuades his grandfather not to take the deal Bella offered. They come to an agreement on a bet, whoever wins the town's annual Maple Falls Holiday Games, determines the terms of the deal. As they spend time together and get to know each other their feelings toward each other may change, and things may not go according to anyone's plan.

It is never to early in the year to start reading Holiday Romances, and it certainly got me in the mood. This book was literally a Hallmark movie in book form. Big city girl, got to a small town ready to screw over the small shop owner, but falls in love instead and fights to save the small store. The characters were well written, the plot was so fun. I loved the small town vibes and all the fun residents of the town. I felt the building chemistry between Bella and Jesse, and enjoyed their evolution. Overall this was a fun time from start to end.

I was completely enchanted by this small town, enemies to lovers, cozy Christmas romance. A Big City real estate developer sends employee Bella to Maple Falls to purchase the small town's Christmas store. The owner, a grandfatherly figure, is ready to retire. The two strike a tentative agreement, but before the ink makes it to paper, the grandson shows up. Romantic real estate chaos ensues.

This story really has everything I love in a Christmas story. It is super sweet, even with the animosity and rivalry between the grandson, Jesse, and Bella. Not to mention that the wager they make over the town's Christmas Games leads to hilarious shenanigans and heartwarming moments. Frankly, Amy and I will be recreating the game Dead Dead Snowman. All the games are so creative and FUN, I just wanted to join in ASAP. There is also drama, twists and delightful turns as their relationship grows, and external parties, namely Bella's employer and both their scheming exes get increasingly impatient.

This is such a delightful story, and just thinking about this cozy Christmas romance brings a smile to my face and gets me in the mood for the holiday season.

I love Christmas and I totally fell for this Christmas read. It was one of those that felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie, but starring the Gilmore Girls! The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy is full of small town vibes, holiday fun, and flirtatious banter. What more could you want for the holiday season?!

Meet Bella. She’s a big city girl and is in town to acquire a Christmas store. Meet Jess. He’s a small town boy and he’s not about to let this city girl acquire his grandparent’s Christmas shop. The two end up competing in the town’s holiday games to settle the real estate deal. Who will win, and will the magic of Christmas be able to save more than just a store?

This is a book I will be reading every Christmas. It’s like a warm hug that will be the break you need on a cold day, and help you get in the holiday spirit. I highly recommend this read for anyone who likes Christmas reads!

An entertaining Christmas rom-com set in a charming small town in Colorado written by internationally bestselling suspense author, Hannah Mary McKinnon, under the pen name Holly Cassidy.

Bella is sent by her real estate developer boss in L.A. to the small town of Maple Falls, Colorado to acquire a local family-owned Christmas store that's failing financially. Ambitious Bella is determined to get the property at the best price possible and secure a promotion for herself but the owner's grandson, Jesse, stalls the deal. Unable to reach an agreement, the two agree to compete in the annual Maple Falls Holiday Games with the winner determining the selling price but as the competition heats up between these two rivals the sparks begin to fly!

This enemies to lovers/closed door romance has a great concept - you'll wish that Maple Falls existed just to be a spectator at the town's holiday games! It has fun Hallmark holiday rom-com vibes but it's also about the importance of family, community, and doing the right thing. A cozy read that's sure to get you in the holiday spirit!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This holiday season, the Maple Falls Holiday Games promises to melt your icy heart in The Christmas Wager.

City Girl Bella Ross gets entangled with Small Town Boy Jesse Harrison. Oh yes, we have a quaint town, enemies to lovers, romantic comedy set during the festive season.

Bella travels from Los Angeles to Maple Falls with one goal, to land a real estate transaction that will be transformative for her career. The only one standing in her way of closing, is none the other than the shop owner’s grandson Jesse, and he is a dreamboat. Can Bella focus on the task at hand, or will her high heels in the snow be too much for Jesse?

This story delivers on all the holiday charm, undeniable attraction and all the yuletide cheer. Bella and Jesse are a fun pair with great character development. The wager ends in a Christmas Miracle. Perfect holiday binge read.

Synopsis: Bella Ross works for a real estate development company. She is tasked with going to the quaint town of Maple Falls to secure a signed deal purchasing the local Christmas shop so that it can be turned into condos. When she meets the owner, Clarence, they immediately hit it off but not so much with his grandson, Jesse. While Clarence is ready to sign the deal, Jesse insists that the company pay substantially more for the building. Bella does not have the authority to agree to the proposed sale amount and a promised promotion is contingent upon her sealing this deal and so Jesse and Bella agree to a wage. They will compete against each other in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, an annual tradition where Jesse’s team is the one to beat. The winner will decide the selling price.

My thoughts: This is an easy, fun enemies to lovers Christmas rom-com that has shades of It’s A Wonderful Life (think Bedford Falls in place of Maple Falls and instead of Clarence being an angel in The Christmas Wager, he is a kindly old man). While there are really no surprises in how things turn out, it is an enjoyable, Christmasy read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Viking for a copy of this book.

The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy

I’d like to start by saying it’s never to early to kick off Christmas celebrations, and what’s better than reading a book written by one of your favourite authors!

Bella Ross is a real estate developer and is tasked to fly out to the small town of Maple Falls to secure a deal on a failing property. Securing this deal means a big promotion and the opportunity to run her own team which she has only dreamed of.

The only problem - the owner’s grandson Jesse Harrison enters during the signing of documents and demands the property is worth more than she is offering and pushes his grandfather to reconsider. The result? They all agree on a Christmas wager which states both Jesse and Bella will participate in the local games held in Maple falls and the winner decides the final selling price.

This was the perfect Christmas book. It wasn’t sickly sweet, had all the Christmas bells and whistles and a plot which held onto you till the end. What I loved most was after reading a number of lacklustre romance novels this summer, this was finally a romance with some chemistry!!! All the characters were well written and the ambiance had me dreaming of snow topped mountains and all things Christmas. Definitely one of my favourite Christmas reads!

The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy is a cute holiday romance set in Maple Falls and the storyline is akin to a Hallmark Christmas movie. Bella Ross shows up to acquire a failing Christmas shop, Always Noelle, in exchange for the promotion of her dreams. What Bella sees as a simple deal, turns into anything but. The book contains a not-so-friendly competition, references to the Queen of Christmas (Mariah Carey) and a meddling grandfather. Overall it was a sweet and easy read.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, Viking, NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.