Thank you to The Dial Press for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

If you’re looking to read a book with multicast POV, you have to start reading Georgia Clark. This is my fourth book by the author and I love her work more and more with each story. This book reminded me of the movie The Family Stone, with all the children returning to their childhood home with different circumstances keeping them from their full happiness.

Synopsis:

“The holidays are fast approaching, and the Belvedere siblings are a mess. Liz, a Hollywood showrunner and responsible eldest, has no idea how to follow up her hit show’s first season, or how to deal with her giant crush on its star, Violet Grace. Birdie turned her chronic middle-child syndrome into a career as a stand-up comic, but since she spends more time wooing women than working on new material, she’s facing one-hit-wonder status, especially once she gets axed by her manager. And Rafi, sensitive romantic and the baby golden boy, proposes to his co-worker girlfriend in front of their entire company, only to be turned down by the woman he thought was the love of his life.Born to three different fathers, the three adult children share one mother: famed actress and singer Babs Belvedere. Seeking direction and holiday cheer, all three siblings head up to their mother’s house in the country, determined to swear off love and focus on themselves and their work. But the spirit of the season seems to have different plans for them, and their best intentions are quickly derailed in the most delightful and festive of ways.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—We know I love the mountains, especially in New York State, but I haven’t read many books set in the Catskill area. It’s an area I know very well and I thought it was captured perfectly.

The Premise—I am a sucker for stories about famous people and actors, so I loved the idea of this very famous mother and all her children grown up and trying to find their own path outside of her fame.

The Characters—I loved them all! Especially Liz. I loved her passion for her work, how she was figuring herself out, and all the moments she learned to ask for help.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Some of the Pacing—With so many POVs, I felt like a couple moments were rushed and a few were too slow. But I’m picking about pacing cause i’ve had less time to read lately so I want to be sucked in every time I sit down with my book!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

MS, hospital, sick parent, abandonment, estranged parental relationships, alcoholism/addiction, mental illness (depression), miscarriage, death of a parent, pregnancy, homophobia/lesphobia

Clark’s “Most Wonderful” brings three siblings together for Christmas with their mother in upstate New York. I loved the distinct queer experiences that each sibling had and how there was nuance and emotional depth in each relationship. I didn’t expect to have the family come together over their mother’s medical drama but I appreciated how each sibling approached it differently and how they leaned on their siblings and how the drama of the partners/love interests took a back seat during this part of the story. I loved the getting to root for three main characters and their storylines though it may have been a lot for some readers to follow. Once I was immersed in the world, I read the book relatively quickly and was able to keep each storyline straight. I am interested in reading other books by Georgia Clark!

I had a great time reading (and listening to) Most Wonderful by Georgia Clark. As one of my favorite authors, I knew I was going to get something I liked, but to have a novel like Most Wonderful that had characters I identified with so closely, that moved me in ways I cannot describe. I felt so connected to this story, to the characters as they judged themselves so harshly and yet cheered for one another so loudly. The family dynamics at play were so relatable and as they got closer to the holidays, and the conclusion of their own respective stories, the affirming love they recieve from one another, their family, and their friends filled spots in me I didn't know still had holes. I felt like I was rooting for them, while also rooting for myself, for my own found-family and friends.

This one isn't just a sweet Christmas story, this has so much depth and heart and characters that I already cannot wait to revisit next year. A truly joyful queer novel, it just happens to be around Christmastime.

Suzanna Clark’s Most Wonderful is a lighthearted holiday romance that leans heavily into humor and charm. While it took me a while to settle into the story, by the end, I found myself emotionally invested in the characters and their festive, romantic journey.

The plot centers on a chaotic holiday reunion filled with big personalities and over-the-top antics. Clark's writing has an undeniable wit, and there are some truly laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout. That said, I found some of the characters a little too silly for my taste, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. While this might be perfect for fans of comedy-driven romance, it sometimes felt like the humor overshadowed the emotional depth.

What stood out most to me, though, was how beautifully the book celebrates queer romance. Clark captures the joy and complexity of queer love stories in a way that feels authentic and heartwarming. The romance itself is well done, with a nice balance of playful banter and emotional connection. There’s also a good dose of spice, which adds to the book’s fun, flirty tone.

Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars. It’s a light, enjoyable read, even if it didn’t fully hook me from the start. By the end, though, I was rooting for the characters and felt satisfied with how everything wrapped up. It’s a solid choice for readers looking for a comedic holiday romance with a little extra spark and a heartfelt celebration of queer love.

While I love the idea of a cozy Christmas read, with multiple couples and multiple love interests, unfortunately, this book was not the book for me. There were elements to each couple that I liked, however, most of it felt very flat and boring. Ash's storyline was alright, Birdie's character was interesting and because she was the way she was, I expected more, and Liz was the most entertaining out of all, however not enough to make the book great. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Georgia Clark for this ARC.

This was everything I was hoping it would be and more. It's equal parts messy and charming, larger than life and real and authentic at the same time. All three perspectives drew me in immediately, and I felt like I got to know the characters very well. All three of them were flawed, complex characters who went through a lot of growth throughout the story. I didn't always like them, but I did find myself rooting for them and feeling invested in their stories. I could easily see myself rereading this book every December, it's definitely a new favourite holiday read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much that I bought a copy of it so I could read it again!

Liz, Birdie, and Rafi are all returning to their famous mother's home for the holidays. Liz is trying to pitch a new season of her hit show, and avoid her feelings for the star of the show. Birdie is struggling with her stand-up career, her relationships, and her drinking when she meets a local artist. Rafi is turned down after a public proposal and returns home to spend time with his best friend.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. I did wish there had been an epilogue, especially for Birdie's ending, but I thought it was an all around great holiday romance.

This was kinda all over the place. The characters were all a hot mess but I liked the holiday vibes. It got better towards the end but then I feel like it was rushed and didn’t really close out. Overall it was ok for me!

This book was not for me I found the characters hard to relate too and the pacing was slower than I usually enjoy in Christmas novels. This book was very much a family drama as we follow three siblings as they return home and find their own romances. This book just never really gave me the holiday vibes I was expecting. With that said this was my first book by this author and would give her another chance I just didn’t click with this one. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I loved the references to my childhood faves - Sweet Valley, Baby-Sitters’ Club! Upped the nostalgic factor, in addition to the Christmas vibes. I appreciated the characters, the individual romantic plots, and the relationships between the siblings and with Babs. It ultimately felt a bit long and drawn out for me and I think could have benefitted from a tighter edit. All in all - I recommend!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Unfortunately, there were too many characters and was not able to finish the story.

I just finished this fun Christmas novel by Georgia Clark and I consistently love her work, but this book wasn't my favorite. I really appreciated the character building, thoughtfulness and inclusiveness of this novel and really enjoyed all of the Belverdere siblings: Liz, Birdie + Rafi. I found myself truly rooting for Rafi of all of the siblings in the end. The plot felt strong, but the story itself felt slightly scattered and the ending was a tad rushed, but overall I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. Since receiving my digital ARC, I also received a print ARC from my local indie bookshop, and I know it's already been published, so there may have been some differences. I'm only reviewing the ARC reading experience! That all said, it clearly took me quite awhile to read this book: I started reading in August, tried to prepare a review by October publication, and revisited this December holiday season, and finally found my groove. IT WAS WORTH IT. Even months ago, I was really captivated by the writing style. It's SO snappy and well-written, with amazing banter and fun/memorable one-liners. I was actually laughing out loud and highlighting sections, which I so rarely do, because I just knew certain passages would stick with me. So the writing is truly stellar.

I think what took me so long to get into the book was that there are just SO many characters right up front, and you're following 3 siblings and their celebrity mom/that circle at the same pre-holiday time period right away. I struggle with taking characters in that way- a romance book style that I'd be way more familiar with would be a 3-book interconnected standalone series, each highlighting a different character's relationship and personal growth. I think I would have INHALED a series like that. (And all of the siblings and their SOs could have had way more time to marinate and show us all those great qualities that the author clearly created for them.) This style choice just took me some time to get used to, and it's also LONG because it's telling 3+ unique stories WITH all of that snappy, descriptive writing that I wanted to linger on. When I get a lot of characters right away, I can't always tell who I want to root for - but once I got going, it was easy to learn that I loved Rafi, was neutral-curious about Liz and absolutely anti-Birdie/Jekka.

This book was a big rainbow hug. The Belvedere family is messy and dramatic but full of love and support of one another. All of the relationships felt so genuine and you could feel the connections between siblings, mother and child, friends, love interests. It made me smile. All three children were so different... Liz, the orderly, responsible one. Birdie, who everyone expects to be a mess, so she plays into it and can't tell if she's playing a part or that is who she is. And Rafi, who just wants to find his place and his person. It is truly just a feel-good story for the holidays.

This book really drug on for me, especially in the middle. I enjoyed all of the characters even thought they were all so over the top in their own ways. This felt like a real family christmas, but just wasn't the book for me right now.

I found this to be more a coming-of-age story for the three siblings than a true romcom; it does not shy away from the tough topics. The Sweet Valley High novel references were a delight. Perfect for anyone who’s a fan of messy families.

I was not able to get through very much of this book. The writing style did not align with what I enjoy, it felt like it was trying too hard to be trendy and current. I can understand why some people enjoy this style and find it entertaining.

I love that this was a queer holiday rom-com! I was worried at first about following 3 siblings' love stories, but Georgia Clark executed it really well. I felt like we got complete stories from each sibling. It was easy to tell the siblings apart and their love interests as well. The atmosphere was perfection for the holiday season! I wish that I could have connected with this more. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it. There was just something missing that stopped me from giving it 5 stars.

A stereotypical holiday feel good story. Do I mean that in a bad way? Absolutely not. As someone who soaks up lifetime and Hallmark holiday movies every year, this book fit right in. I loved the queer representation in this book! I loved how throughout this novel everyone was searching for their place to belong which is such a good message for the holiday