A great Christmas read with fun banter and hidden depths. A sweet rom com - like a Hallmark movie in a book!

I found it a bit “fluffy” and wished for more romantic tension. The pacing can feel uneven, especially in the middle, and a few plot points (like the town-wide bake-off sabotage) stretch believability.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Melody Monroe is a widow with nine-year old twin boys and she is trying to continue their Christmas traditions. Their father passed several years ago, however, the boys are reaching the age where they are questioning if Santa is real. All she wants is to get through the end of the year without any more reprimands from the school principal, Mr. Braxton. They keep showing up late for school and the principal is not amused.

Melody decides that she needs to offer some goodwill to the school when she learns that the Yuletide Cookie Club has been disbanded due to in-fighting with the parents. As Melody starts spending more time with Mr. Braxton, she is starting to realize there is more to him than meets the eye.

As some disruptions and issues appear at the town events, Melody's boys are appearing to be the culprits. Are there or is someone setting them up?

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Cute story but it's mostly fluff and no spice.

The perfect book to get ypu into the holiday spirit! A fun cookie rival between the FMC, a single widow of twin boys and the MMC who happens to be the twins school pricipal. A charming book that will remind you of a hallmark movie.

The Christmas Cookie Wars by Eliza Evans is the perfect blend of sweet romance, family drama, and holiday cheer—ideal for curling up with a cup of hot cocoa during the festive season. Full of charm, humor, and plenty of cookies (of course!), this holiday rom-com will warm your heart and leave you craving more than just sugar cookies.

The story centers around two rival bakers, Mia and Sam, who find themselves in a heated competition for the title of “Best Christmas Cookie.” Both are talented, passionate, and fiercely competitive, but there’s a twist—Sam is also the charming and slightly infuriating neighbor Mia has known for years. When the local bakery contests bring them head-to-head, sparks fly—not only in the kitchen but also in their personal lives.

Evans excels at creating a fun, light-hearted atmosphere filled with witty banter, playful tension, and plenty of festive spirit. Mia, with her determined attitude and baking prowess, is an engaging heroine who readers will root for immediately. Sam, with his easy charm and cheeky competitiveness, provides the perfect balance, and their chemistry is undeniable. The back-and-forth between them as they navigate the cookie wars—and their blossoming feelings—is full of deliciously sweet moments.

What truly sets The Christmas Cookie Wars apart is its focus on family, tradition, and the spirit of the holiday season. The cookie contest becomes more than just a rivalry; it’s about rekindling connections, learning to forgive, and embracing the magic of Christmas. Evans’ writing brings a wonderful balance of humor and heart, with just enough sweetness to make this a perfect read for the holidays.

The secondary characters—Mia’s quirky family and Sam’s supportive (and sometimes overbearing) friends—add even more warmth and charm to the story. Together, they create a delightful, cozy world where the importance of love, community, and togetherness shines through.

The Christmas Cookie Wars is a very funny, enjoyable Hallmark Channel type love story about a widow with two young middle school twins and the principal of the same school who is divorced and has a daughter. The two are very different in how they see the world, and how they parent. What they do have in common is their love for their children, learning how to let go of their pasts and taking a giant leap into what could be their future together. But there will be certain forces who will try and prevent this.

Melody Monroe has young twin boys. Her husband passed away only a few years ago. Her boys are her life. But she sees and realizes that they are beginning to grow up and grow away from her. Although her heart is broken, she understands this is part of the growing process. But it's Christmas which is such an important time of year for them all as they try to preserve the memories and the traditions of the past.

Jonathan Braxton is the principal at her son's school. He is very rigid and unfortunately her boys know him for all the wrong reasons. Let's just say her boys know his office very well and so does she and leave it at that.

So, when Melody learns the school cookie committee has been disbanded thanks to its unpopular/popular chair, which also happens right before their famous Christmas cookie adventures, a great fundraising season, she decides in a moment of insanity to become the new chair.

Thus begins the relationship between the overworked and overstressed Melody and the by the book take no gruff cookie baker extraordinaire Principal Jonathan. Now Melody must work side by side with Jonathan to make sure all the fundraising dates go well which won't be very easy as it seems someone is not very happy with her taking this position and is trying to make sure she does not succeed.

As Melody and Jonathan discover their attraction to each other, Melody is unsure of her feelings because of her late husband. But as they begin the holiday season and all the activities there becomes a spark neither of them can resist.

Chaos ensues but when something happens and her boys are blamed this may be the final straw for Melody. Can they overcome what seems to be a deal breaker?

The Christmas Cookie Wars is more than just a falling in love, love story. It includes lessons in learning how to deal with loss, change, opening your heart, letting your children grow and begin to learn life lessons on their own. It's an enjoyable quick read and a very feel-good story.

Thank you #NetGalley #G.P.Putnam'sSons #TheChristmasCookieWars #ElizaEvans for the advanced copy.

Perhaps I wasn't in the best of moods when I read this, but the story felt a little flat and full of cliches (which isn't a bad thing given the genre, it's what you'd expect, but I didn't enjoy this story as much as I thought I would).

Love this Christmas story. I am a sucker for an overworked single mom making it work for her kids!! A great read for those who enjoy The Great British Baking Show.

I feel bad because it really wasn't for me, I loved the authors first book the Christmas Café. I was hoping for the same Christmas feels I got from her other book. Unfortunately I didn't real like any of the characters.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for giving me a copy of the book.

Okay, so i started this a while ago. But completely forgot to write an review. I read this together with an friend. I liked the characters, they were really sweet, but i felt like i kind of had to force myself to keep reading??? Idk. But other than that i liked it.

This was a fun book with small town cliques, a single mom, a handsome principal, and a very close family. Melody feels like she is constantly getting lectures from her boys’ elementary school principal for being tardy, missing emails, and the boys’ behavior. When the head of the Cookie Days committee, steps down and disbands the committee, Melody decides to take over. Her sister and parents are supportive, but also question what she is doing because being a committee chair would not be her typical role. Melody and the principal get to know each other while they are trying to figure out who is sabotaging every event along the way. It’s funny, sweet, and an easy Christmas book. I loved it!

No mystery here.... it is a book about cookie wars. Main themes.... cookies, PTA, single mom x principle.

There was no real spicy to speak of. Kissing is the max of any heat in this book. Felt a little dragged out. Typical single mom drama, There is always a Karen, kids in school, misunderstanding banter. It was good but left me a little under whelmed.

Sometimes you see certain books and you hope that it gives you the Hallmark Christmas movie vibes that you want so badly this is definitely one of those. I did not stop grinning or kicking my feet the whole time. It was just fabulous. Definitely what I wanted in a Christmas book even with the twist and turns.

This was a delightful and heartwarming holiday romance. The characters were endearing, each with their own charming quirks. Be warned – reading this book will leave you with serious sugar cravings! I highly recommend it for anyone looking to get into the festive spirit.

This was such a cute story, it was like reading a baking competition show mixed with a Hallmark Christmas movie. The kids made this so funny, and the romance itself was a nice slow start and culminated beautifully. I also really loved the community drama! There were so many elements to this story that there was never a dull moment. Definitely recommend checking out when you’re in the mood for a holiday romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for an advanced copy!

This was cozy and honestly reminded me of the Netflix show, Sweet Magnolias, very niche but also hard to stop once you've gotten started. It was a sweet story, not a lot of character depth necessarily and it was hard to see the spark between Mel and Jonathan (especially because it felt like it came out of nowhere) but it was still sweet and an enjoyable read.

Let the (COOKIE) 🍪 games begin!
Melody Monroe is a widow and raising two twin boys, who are ten.
She also runs her own boutique, and designs most of the clothes.
Jonathan Braxton is the principal at the school the boys go to, is hot, and is known to be a bit tough on the students. (but he's hot, so does it even really matter?!)

When Melody learns the annual Christmas cookie events will not be happening, she decides to take over and head the committee and make sure the fundraising event is a success, even though that means she has to work with Jonathan. Soon, a small argument turns into a town-wide bake-off between her and Jonathan, and before she knows it Melody finds that her competitive spirits have turned romantic....and she isn't quite sure how to feel about that. Love isn't exactly in the recipe cards for her. BUT, it is the holiday season after all, right? So with some wonderful holiday magic sprinkled in the mix, they might just have the ✨perfect✨ recipe for love after all!

HUGE thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved how cute-sy and romantic this was and look forward to reading more by this author!

This was an absolute win for me. It's a sweet story about a widowed single mom (to twin 10-year-old boys!) and her quest to keep the magic of Cookie Wars alive for her kids and the community; finding romance and trouble along the way. 🎄🍪

This is the ✨️perfect✨️ Christmas read to get you in the holiday spirit. I loved the characters (dimension! flaws! reality! growth!) and the overall real-life vibes of the whole story. The community events sounded so fun and made me pine for a magical Christmas cookie event in my community!

I picked this one up after the holidays (just never had the time in December) when I was looking for a little infusion of Christmas in my life, and it was an excellent fit! I'm sure I'll reread this during the holidays in the future, and I'll definitely check out her other holiday book. 🎄🥰

Thanks to Netgalley + Putnam for this digital ARC 💖

I remember requesting this and I feel bad because it really wasn't for me. I think the writing style is on the whole too simplistic and it feels like someone's first book. Each instance of interaction between the characters feels a little stilted or saccharine, like they're more puppets hanging around and then the author decides it needs to be cuter.