The premise of the book was really cute. I found myself a little frustrated with the character of Summer though, because I felt she wasn't fully developed and flipped back and forth too fast. I gave this book 100 pages, but did not finish. I think if Summer's characterizations had been a little more consistent, I would have enjoyed it more.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I loved Summer and Noel and the dialogue between them. I also enjoyed getting to know the other characters in the book. I was quite disappointed when it came to the end as I could have read more quite happily.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summer hates Christmas. I know people like Summer in my every day life: the kind of people who love the sunshine, hate crowded malls, and are tired of the months and months of Christmas carols on repeat. When Noel moves his pop-up Christmas shop next to Summer's travel agency, she is definitely ready to snap.

This book is a dual POV and I found it to be a very decent read. It does carry a bit of a heavier air/emotional toll, so I would recommend checking the CWs and other non-spoilery reviews if you're thinking about picking this one up. But it was a great read for me to read before the holiday season and I did enjoy it.

Summer dreads Christmas and prefers to focus on her travel agency in Bridlington rather than festive celebrations. When Noel, a Christmas shop owner, moves in next door, his enthusiasm clashes with Summer's aversion to the holiday. Despite initial tensions, a friendship develops between them, revealing darker aspects of Summer's life, including her difficult family situation. As Summer navigates her challenges, Noel's understanding and gentleness win her over, leading to a heartfelt romance. The story balances emotional depth with moments of humor, resulting in an uplifting and heartwarming read that exceeds expectations.

Great rom com at Christmas time. Great writing style and storyline. Characters were amazing and loveable

This wasn’t quite the book I thought it would be, but it was good non-the-less.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

At first Summer is so stubborn and closed off that you think there is no chance of her and Noel of getting on. However, love finds a way. I loved following along on their journey and my heart broke for how she had grown up following her dad leaving, having to be the adult whilst her mum had nothing but dark days. I laughed and cried with this one and loved Jean's little happily ever after aswel along with Summer and Avrils surprise connection.

I enjoyed this one! It's not your typical light, happy go lucky Christmas rom-com but I was sucked in and couldn't put it down.

Whoa. Summer has some baggage and man, is it heavy. Noel is charming and kind and sweet, and Summer does NOT deserve him. Her actions are a result of her trauma, sure, but that’s still not an excuse to treat others the way she did, and so poorly at that. The writing felt rushed and plot points skipped around a lot, as though the author didn’t really know how to continue Summer’s story and/or give her a scapegoat for her actions. Noel, on the other hand, is very patient and forgiving, but not without his faults, as well. Overall, this isn’t a book I’d pick up browsing through the store, especially after learning of the depth of the issues of the characters because it’s definitely NOT a romcom, or a romance novel even. Glad to have given it a try, though. Thanks for the opportunity!

Favorite Quotes:

Life was pretty good here at times. Times like this, when the air of opportunity and promise seemed so fresh and ripe, there for the taking. She loved the scent of delusion in the morning.

Her mother had less of a carbon footprint than the ants they got in the kitchen every summer. One ant, even.

His mum took a sip of her tea, sitting back amongst her plumped cushions. She looked as though she was drinking the blood of her fallen adversaries whilst sitting on a throne of crushed bones and skulls.

‘I'm sorry, dearest girlfriend, of course you are nothing but sweetness and light. I was the one in the wrong… And furthermore, I am declaring now that you will always be beautiful, and I will always be wrong.

My Review:

While entertaining and uniquely quirky, this tale wasn’t always an easy read, a few of the characters were prone to nasty tirades and were rather vile at times. I didn’t fully appreciate the main character of Summer until near the end of the book as she was prickly, had a short fuse and a sharp tongue, and wasn’t someone I would choose to share air with. Yet this crafty wordsmith still had me invested in the story and curious as to how it would unfold.

I did not finish this one (which is very unlike me). I did not enjoy Summer’s character from the start. She might get redemption, I’m honestly not sure, but she is just mean. I admit that I like to keep my Christmas reading light-hearted. So, it could be that this just isn’t my cup of tea. Maybe I will try again after the holidays…

I loved this. Christmas stories are my favorite and this one was no exception. The cover was a great way to tell the story and I loved everything about this.

This unfortunately did not turn out to be the book for me. I listened to the audiobook, and I really wasn't a fan of the narration. This made it hard to get into the story. I also didn't feel like the story was very engaging also. I expected a fun, holiday themed rom com but what I got was really a mess. This is not a book that I would recommend for the holidays. Or ever really.

Not at all what I expected and I'm sad to say that I didn't like anything about it and ended up not finishing it. Summer is absolutely awful. She's mean and nasty for no reason. And she knows it, but yet she does nothing to change. I just couldn't deal with anymore of her being awful to Noel when he had done nothing to deserve it. I don't really think this is a Christmas book. Other than Noel having a Christmas shop, there is not much Christmas involved. I also don't like the multi POV with the side characters. Two are enough, I don't want to know about the mother or Jean. And please, either use double quotation marks (") or put your dialogue in its own paragraphs because its so confusing to try to pick it out of the rest of the paragraph. This was altogether just depressing and not the funny holiday rom-com I was looking for.

Summer hates Christmas and I did not particularly like Summer, either. Not just because of her festive aversions, she is quite a bully, arrogant and not very nice to others who don’t fit her ideals. She treats Noel pretty badly in the early parts of the novel and I admired his persistence in chasing the girl he fancies (even though I also thought he could do better himself!).

This is not much of a Christmassy read. It features a Christmas shop and Summer’s dislike of the season but otherwise, I actually thought it was set at a warmer time of year. It didn’t help that Summer’s name connotes such wonderful weather, but also the characters were wearing flip flops, billowing skirts at a time of year when we are starting to wrap up warm – especially if you life by the sea like these characters do. This irritated me a bit because it felt so out of keeping with the tradition of the story. I guess I was also hoping for something a bit more Christmassy. Therefore, if you are after a light festive touch, this is probably what you are after.

But what kept me reading was my interest in the minor characters. I warmed to Jean and I liked seeing how her life alters when a new neighbour moves in. This added a lighter touch to the story because it is quite emotional when you consider everything that Summer is going through. Her dislike of Christmas is related to her home life and this home life has collapsed in on itself.

With a reclusive mother, Summer is bound to home and is the primary carer for a woman who used to be so strong and independent. As the novel progresses, it is clear that her parents’ divorce has a lot to answer for, leading both women to give up on life altogether. Summer struggles and her self-preservation is reflected in her conflicts with Noel. I was interested in watching Summer’s mother alter over the novel. When there are better days, I felt as hopeful as Summer, seeing Angie start to reconnect with the world beyond her front door. Yet, there are still demons that haunt Summer and Angie and the writer does this to show how difficult recovery can be.

I kept reading this book because I was most interested in Angie and Jean. Unfortunately, Summer’s earlier actions really put me off her character and I thought Noel’s kindness was borderline insipid. He sounds lovely but not deserving of a relationship with Summer. However, I was glad I finished the book because the conclusion was so heart-felt and warming, setting everything right with the world. It had Christmas spirit… despite it being January.

In conclusion, this is not really a festive read, more about the antics of a Christmas-hating, angry woman; a Christmas pop-up shop; and a broken family. It doesn’t go too deep but I think I would have preferred a bit of a lighter tone, or the whole Christmas theme to be abandoned completely in favour of exploring the sub-plot of family instead.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read a book where the woman is the one that hates Christmas, I thought this would be a breath of fresh air. Oh boy was I wrong. I’m still not entirely sure what I’ve just read.

There was no need for this book to be set around the festive season other than giving Summer a reason for being a horrible person. The reason why she despises Christmas so much is never really explained other than her dad leaving and her mom throwing away the Christmas tree. I get that her dad leaving was probably traumatic but the Christmas element was definitely an afterthought as it wasn’t mentioned any of the previous times her dad leaving was brought up.

Anyway, let’s go back to the beginning of Summer Hates Christmas. My first impression of Summer really wasn’t great. There’s not liking Christmas and then there’s just being a horrible person. She shouts at Noel and calls his business “bullsh*t tat” and then kicks his Christmas tree so hard it falls over and the baubles smash.

After this incident, they meet again at a bar that evening and he buys her a drink to apologise. For what?! She literally damaged his property.

She’s very short with him at the bar, I’d go as far to say rude. He asks if she needs a taxi, she says no and then for some reason does a complete 180 and invites him for food and ‘giggles’ at something he says. What is going on? These characters are all over the place.

There was absolutely no build to their relationship. They both decide to hate each other, the next day Noel tell her he likes her and the next thing you know they’re kissing. I’m aware this is an ‘enemies to lovers’ book but firstly, they’re not your enemy if lasts like two days and secondly develop their relationship first. You can’t have them go from childish I hate you’s to agreeing to date within 10 pages. It just doesn’t work.

The most intricate character was Summer’s mom. She had real trauma and felt like a well-rounded character. Her chapters/scenes were quite sad, but it was great to see the perspective of an actual adult with reasonable emotions. Which is saying something because she literally has PTSD/trauma (I don’t remember it being clarified).

I was also more interested in the relationship between Summer’s cleaner (I can’t remember her name, oops) and her new next-door neighbour. They were very cute and she was by far the best character. Also, this is a multiple-POV book, but that isn’t said in the synopsis.

Bringing back the point of this not needing to be set around Christmas. There are about 10 pages of festivities (if that) and it’s quite underwhelming. Christmas is in the title and you barely get a glimpse at it.

I think I could go on for days about the underwhelming and quite frankly confusing elements of this book, but I don’t have the energy. I did manage to finish it, but mostly because it was quite short. This wasn’t for me, sorry!

I read this book on the heels of another by the same author. That said, there is not much in common between the two. We have a woman who runs a travel agency and has her mother in her life, which seriously curtails her movements since the mother in question is struggling with mental health issues.
In the same week that a man opens a Christmas store next to her own more sedate company, Summer decides to give her mother a nudge in a different direction. I guessed the twist quite early on because of the stress on a few key facts in the first half.
I would have appreciated this book even more if the constant back and forth between the central couple was not so imbalanced. One knows straight off that they want to make an effort, while the other keeps going back and forth between what makes the most sense and what can actually be done.
There are some serious issues tackled here, but the romance and Summer's changes in life are the central focuses. Fans of the genre would like this book.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Summer hates Christmas and I’m surprised everyone doesn’t hate Summer, TBH (at least in the beginning)

She KICKED his Christmas tree!!!!! Who does this!!! Noel is a far more patient human than I could ever be. He is also way too patient 😂

I did come around to her by the end, but it was so hard to like Summer when she chose to be cruel so often she astonished even her friends. And the chaos with her family was a whirlwind. Somebody should probably have been arrested at least for a few minutes.

This was a fairly quick read, quirky and hectic and with lots of drama without feeling too heavy! Good for cozy cold months (even though Summer hates them).

It was more than I expected tbh. Super related to summer and really felt for her! Love Avril spirit and the love she had for her sister and balls to go looking for her. Noel is such a dream boyfriend, it’s a shame he’s not real. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This was a sweet and cosy read, but heavier than I initially thought it would be. Summer has issues with Christmas due to her dad leaving at that time of year and her mum has since become a recluse, making their relationship, and Summer’s life, very difficult. When Noel opens a Christmas shop next door to Summer’s travel agency, they immediately clash before coming to terms with their feelings for each other.

The romance between Summer and Noel is so endearing and their chemistry was undeniable and instant. Although I enjoyed the other characters and their stories, I would have preferred the focus to be on just Summer and Noel with their friends and family being part of more secondary plots. I so wished there had been an epilogue as well - this was crying out to end with the next Christmas surely!

What to expect:

- festive feels
- heavy family drama
- enemies to lovers
- small town romance
- golden retriever MMC
- grumpy x sunshine
- closed door romance