Member Reviews
This book is all the feels you need for the Christmas time holidays! This was the epitome of a Christmas Hallmark movie in written form for us to read. It has all the Christmas tropes, themes and reasons why we love Christmas time in the very first chapter.
I loved this book. I've never read anything by Joss Wood, but I wasn't disappointed and will be looking into more of her writings.
This small town holiday romance was sweet, a little on the spicy side, humorous and endearing. Sutton is broke, in a jam, over life and at her last strings looking for hope to get back on track. Gus is a widow who's running two companies, taking care of young twins, living in a small town that seems to idolize his former wife and trying to overcome some of the struggles that come with raising two children and companies alone. It isnt't until Sutton drunkenly stumbles into Gus' yard one cold night that their worlds collide and things start to change for the both of them.
This was such a good, quick, funny and Christmas themed read. I cant wait to read more.
Thank you to Netgalley, Joss Wood, Harper Collins and One More Chapter for the chance to read this ARC. This positive review is fully my own opinion and was not given in exchange for the ARC.
First off, this ARC was provided by the author & publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
And the first thought that comes to mind when I finished this book was AWWWW that was such a cute cozy Christmas story ❤️. And To have Sutton and Gus meet over beating up an inflatable Santa is the best ever! 😂. There were a ton of laugh out loud moments for me!
However, this isnt a 5 star for me because (Im so hard to please with first chapters) I felt the first chapter did ramble on a bit too much for me, and there were other spots that I felt it rambled a bit too.
Other than that though, I FINISHED THIS BOOK WITHIN 24 hrs! So it was a super fun and quick read!
Sutton Alsop hates Christmas, and she accidentally (very drunkenly) destroys Mr. Christmas's house smothered in Christmas decorations. Gus (Mr Christmas) is the single dad who owns the year-round Christmas shop.
I love the nanny-single dad trope. Bring in a pair of adorable twins, and this fun romance was a total win for me. I really enjoyed the small town holiday atmosphere, the chemistry and banter between Sutton and Gus, and the holiday spirit!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!
When MC, Sutton drunkenly ransacked a random hot man’s Christmas decorations, she was surprised to find herself on his couch the next morning…with kids? She learned that she fell, smashed her face and that Mr. Hot Guy, Gus, carried her inside despite the fact that she ruined his decor and blew his fuses. The children? His 4 year old twins.
Sutton quickly discovered that Gus owned the Christmas shop she was hoping to get a job at AND that he is widowed and the shop was his late wife’s dream.
After being ditched by her “BFF”with no money and no place to stay, Sutton found herself as the twins nanny and Gus’s personal assistant. She wasn’t going to be in town for long but let me tell you, this arrangement was about to become the holiday romance we all NEEDED.
Gus was very guarded and cognizant of his twins. He wanted to instill the magic of Christmas in them as much as he could since his wife loved it so much. Deep down, he hated the holiday though. With Sutton’s help, they ended up creating a memorable holiday for the kids and it was so heartwarming.
Also, we all know a Layla — she was the supposed “BFF” that left Sutt practically homeless and broke. She was infuriating and only because I can understand how Sutton felt. Besties are supposed to life you up, not bring you down or make you feel bad about the choices you make. I was so happy Sutton came to her senses at the end of the book!
My heart also grew 10x when Gus called his daughter Rosie Roo because i call my son River Roo. It’s the little details of this book that made me absolutely giddy…I enjoyed every second of reading this one! Be sure to get your hands on a copy October 19th! 💚
Short, sweet and spicy with family drama, Confessions of a Christmasholic by Joss Wood is perfect to devour in a few hours!
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the eARC.
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Joss Wood for this ARC OF Confessions of a Christmasholic. If you are looking to read a small town Christmas book that will make you laugh than this book is for you! It had some of my fav things - Christmas, GRUMPY X SUNSHINE TROPE, single dad / nanny vibes 👌👌👌 it will be a great read for all this Christmas season!!!
This book is a great pick if you're looking for a Christmas romance, you're interested in or don't mind the single dad trope, and if you want to read about a woman who grows a spine and learns her own worth.
Sutton ends up furious, sad and desperate in Gus' small town, and being desperate, she agrees to nanny for his children in exchange for some much needed cash. They slowly grow on each other and we get to share in some fun spice.
I enjoyed this, but it's worth noting that if you remove Christmas from this book, not very much happens. If you're anything like me and you love Christmas, that addition will work well for you.
Generally I don't love books with kids, but I thought Rosie was fantastic and I wasn't bothered.
Thank you to the author and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an advanced copy to review.
Thanks to Netgalley & Harper Collins UK for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest opinion and review . I enjoyed this cute romcom Christmas read . Release date : October 19
Sutton (broke and homeless) despises Christmas and one night while drinking she sees a house which looked like Christmas hurled its cookies over and accidentally destroys the Christmas decorations . It was unfortunate the house she targeted in her drunken state was Gus Langston , the owner of the local Christmas shop . As Sutton was financially hard up , she decided to nanny Gus’s twins and boy don’t their lives turn upside down . Spicy holiday romance Some parts made me literally LOL , although I would have loved to have read it closer to Christmas and with the Christmas feels . It definitely was hallmark vibes . I loved how the main character Sutton was actually the grump as opposed to it usually being the male character . Had some of my favorite tropes - single dad / grumpy sunshine . Cannot wait to read more by this author 😊
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to check out a new author with a Christmas romance that sounded super fun and high on holiday spirit. I think Wood created some great characters including side characters I only wanted more. I loved how his neighbors were the impetus for Sutton working for Gus when it was a matter of misconceptions that worked out in the end. While I applaud the author for a unique storyline and a great single dad romance, I found Sutton’s storyline with her best friend a bit repetitive and their romance a bit rushed. I also liked how Sutton wasn’t willing to just throw her plans away for a man she was falling for however the ending was a disappointment and a rushed happy-for-now. I was geared up for a really sweet conclusion but found it lackluster which is never a feeling you want to leave with when you finish a book.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
4⭐️ - If you are looking for a fun holiday read, this is the book for you! Sutton and Gus are such fun characters who navigate the ups and downs of the holiday season and relationships when they stumble into each other’s lives after getting into a fight with a lawn ornament Santa Claus. This book is sure to get you into the holiday spirit, while also supplying some spice 🌶️.
This was adorable. I enjoyed every page. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
4 1/2 STARS!
This quirky holiday read will melt your heart while tickling your funny bone! Joss Wood is oozing sarcasm in such a delightful way in this feel-good, emotional story of second chances with an English Christmas backdrop painting the story of bliss, while real life rears it's ugly head here and there to delve into past betrayal, unreliability and falling in love when they least expect it. Utterly delightful overall, but the ending was really weak and needed to give us more to wrap up this great fam.
I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a small town romance revolving around Christmastime with the ups and downs of life shining bright.
I loved this book, Sutton was a hot mess, she turns up at Gus’s door plastered, fragile, broken hearted and broke! Gus takes her in and lets her sober up and sleep. He soon realises that he could do with her help to nanny the twins for a few weeks whilst he runs two businesses and is a single dad to twins. The chemistry between them is electric and they struggle to keep their hands off each other. They bond over booze and soon realise they are not so different after all. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.
Cute, spicy Christmas story. This was a fairly quick read and I would definitely read more by this author!
This book was a little Christmas treat. It starts off rough for our FMC who is stranded in a foreign country and homeless when she drunkenly sees the MMC beating up Santa. Unknowingly to her, he is known as Mr. Christmas around town so it would be a big surprise for everyone to know he has a grudge against Santa. Somehow the FMC convinces him that she is less of a hot mess than how she presents and gets a job with Mr. Christmas. Listen, I had my doubts at the start of where this story was going but it is so good! I liked that the book explores different types of betrayal and heartbreak. I thought the characters had great chemistry and the supporting characters were all adorable. I highly recommend! The only part I did not like is how the middle felt a little rushed which is why I deduct it one star but everything else was just delightful.
Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Boss/Employee, Single Dad
Thank you to NetGalley, Joss Wood, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.
This book was very hallmark movie meets HBO. In this day and age no one would just allow a drunk stranger into their home but that’s what makes this book very hallmark. It was a charming fast read. I really enjoyed the characters and their backgrounds. It wasn’t your usual sad widower, I’m lost, need to find myself trope. The spins to their stories was a nice change. Even the background characters were pleasant to get to know. And as much as I wish there was a 5 years later part at the end to see what happens, it’s kind of nice you don’t have a shiny red bow on the top to end it.
Sutton is from South Africa and finds herself in the small village of Connington in the Lake District with no money and nowhere to stay. She's trying to find a cottage to squat in when she sees the man known as Mr Christmas, kicking and punching his giant inflatable Santa. Sutton might be a little bit drunk on tequila so when she tries to help him out, she ends up face-planting into the concrete. Gus, Mr Christmas, hauls her inside and lets her sleep on his couch. He then decides to hire her as a nanny for his 4yr twins.
Sutton is slowly working through some childhood trauma and she needs to stand up to her best friend but while she's living with Gus and his twins, she falls in love with him and even though she leaves for London, as soon as things go wrong, she runs back to Gus's open arms.
This was a cute and fuzzy little Christmas story, but when Sutton was considering her options, including staying in the Lake District, she was talking about having to give up her new job opportunity at a a hospital in London but when she spoke to them they actually told her they had openings around the country. So I don't see why it has to be London or nothing but she doesn't seem to remember this when she's considering everything. I did really like Gus though, he was a great character and will be the perfect partner, celebrating Sutton and letting her go at her pace. He was super supportive even with his own baggage hanging over him from when his wife died. He was everything you could want in a book boyfriend - or a real life boyfriend!
Highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a cosy Christmas read.
Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
3.5 rounded up.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this arc to review.
This is a cute Christmas romance that I enjoyed reading. Sutton is a really interesting character, and I loved seeing her grow into someone who stands up for themselves and speaks their mind.
Gus was a bit fantastic, a traditional grump with a soft side, especially for his kids.
I struggled a little with their relationship - I felt like their attraction to each other was definitely there but their connection kind of appeared out of the blue. I would have loved to see more of their relationship build. I always struggle a little with third person too, but that's a personal preference. My only other issue with this book was the way the spice was written - I found it very wordy and almost whimsical.
This is a great book to get knto the Christmas spirit with! This little town is obsessed with the holiday - you'll have a fun time visiting.
A great heartfelt romantic comedy for the holidays. We see the emotions and challenges both the FMC and MMC face. A worthwhile read to make you heart sing.
Confessions of a Christmasholic is cute. It's a breezy holiday rom-com.
There are some inconsistencies that mean the characters just don't feel believable. The first line of the description says that Sutton hates Christmas, but she really doesn't seem to. Do either of them have cold hearts? No. The writing gets repetitive (I can't tell you how many times their eyes slammed/collided/locked together).
Sutton's dynamic with the twins is very sweet and Gus's MIL is the real redeeming force.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.