This easily just zoomed straight to the top of my favorite 2023 holiday romances!! All the rave reviews so far for this book are completely warranted. If there's just one holiday book you pick up this year definitely consider this second chance, dual POV story between two exes forced to work together to make it home for Christmas.

Great on audio and full of great emotional depth with an ending that had me crying happy tears. If you enjoy reverse grumpy/grinchy stories, stories about second chances and rekindling lost love, you don't want to miss this one!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!!

When attorney Katherine, also known to be a bit of the Grinch, suffers a concussion days before Christmas and must be monitored, it falls in the unfortunate hands of her emergency contact - who just so happens to be her ex-husband. As Tom prepares to head home for the holiday, in part to propose to his new girlfriend, he is forced to take Katherine along with him in a trip that leads to one misadventure after another. Soon old feelings are awakened forcing them both to figure out what they really hope the new year will bring.

You know those books that you finish reading and immediately want to go back and reread? This is definitely one of those books. I knew going into this one that it was a holiday read, however, I had no idea it was going to become my *favorite* holiday read.

Lauren Layne is easily one of my favorite authors. In fact, she is the very reason I stumbled into book reviewing. Her books are insanely bingeable with swoon worthy romance I almost always connect with (cue the emotional lump in the throat that occurs with each and every third act breakup). It is therefore no surprise that her second holiday romance, featuring the addition of her husband Anthony Le Donne as writing partner, was absolute perfection. From the pitch perfect holiday humor to the travel chaos and the fantastic chemistry in between, this book was insanely fun from start to finish.

Told in dual POV, both main characters were fully fleshed out, multifaceted characters who provide the perfect counterbalance. I found Katherine to be a bit of a hot mess to be frank, but also entirely relatable to anyone overworked, overstressed and over-processed come the holidays. She has reason to hate the holidays, and she shows it in every way possible. Tom, on the other hand, is her polar opposite. The bickering and bantering that ensues as a result of their dynamic is in many ways, the best part of the story.

If you only get a chance to read one holiday book this Fall/Winter season, make it this one. I do not think you’ll regret it.

ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴅ ɪ ғ ʏ ᴏ ᴜ ʟ ɪ ᴋ ᴇ :
• holiday romance
• second chance
• forced proximity
• opposites attract
• witty banter
• dual pov
• planes, trains, & automobiles

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Blackstone Audio for the gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this fun adventure of a romance coauthored by partners in life and love. They absolutely nailed the humor, the angst, the sweetness, and the longing of two people separated, but meant to be together. The snark was hilarious and the derailment of any and all plans so on par for those days where nothing goes right. I loved the references to the Grinch and this story made my heart feel 3 sizes bigger. No steam required for this fantastic nod to Christmas "bliss", just a sense of humor because this is undoubtedly one of the funniest, most romantic holiday books I've ever read. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tim Paige and Brianna Cohen and I highly recommend it. Their performance is spectacular!