I’ll Be Gone for Christmas is a sweet and cozy holiday romance that captures the magic and messiness of the season. Georgia K. Boone delivers a heartwarming story about family, forgiveness, and finding love when you least expect it.

The protagonist’s journey is relatable and heartfelt, with just the right balance of holiday cheer and emotional depth. The romance unfolds naturally, with plenty of charming moments and witty dialogue that keep the pages turning.

Perfect for curling up with during the holidays, this book offers a festive escape full of warmth, second chances, and the spirit of Christmas.

Being a devout lover of The Holiday, this concept of swapping houses immediately drew me into the storyline, especially with the queer flare thrown into the mix.

The characters all delighted me, and it was fun seeing the farm girl in the city and the city girl on the farm and how well they adapted to their new environments.

The story felt like it skipped over some much-needed relationship development. The last four chapters packed in all the drama and resolution, leaving me wondering how these couples were planning to make long-distance work.

I wish the epilogue would have given more direction to how they move forward, but for a cute, cozy Christmas novel it checked all the boxes of grumpy/sunshine, found family and queer representation.

If you’re a fan of The Holiday (film) this is a must read.
Love the house swap element. It was cozy. It was a fun quick read.

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas spins The Holiday trope into something fresh and genuine. It follows Bee, a San Francisco tech exec running on burnout, and Clover, a farm girl from Ohio wrestling with grief and her sense of self. They swap homes for the holidays via a house-swap app, and what unfolds is equal parts cozy comfort and quiet self-discovery.

What hits hardest is the emotional groundwork. Both Bee and Clover are bruised before the swap—Clover is reeling from her mother’s death and ending an engagement, while Bee is suffocating under familial expectations and the pressure to succeed. Boone doesn’t glide past their pain with easy resolutions. Instead, she lets their holiday in each other’s worlds become a space for genuine reflection and small, meaningful shifts.

The romances are gentle and authentic. Clover’s slow-trending connection with Bee’s sister Beth feels grounded, enriched by shared music and long walks through snowy streets. Bee’s rekindling with Clover’s ex, Knox, offers moments of warmth and nostalgia—though it occasionally leans too saccharine, it’s anchored by believable dialogue and subtle growth. Secondary characters—be it Clover’s loyal dad or Bee’s pragmatic best friend—add texture and genuine heart to each setting.

Where the book loses a bit of its footing is in pacing. The holiday build-up is cozy but sometimes meanders—some chapters linger in atmosphere without pushing the narrative. The ending, though warm, wraps up rather quickly, cutting short deeper explorations about how these relationships might endure past December’s glow.

But what stays with you is that Boone doesn’t shy away from grief, joy, or the quiet courage required to rebuild. She understands that Christmas isn’t just sparkle—it can be messy, reflective, hopeful all at once.

If you're craving a holiday pick-me-up that balances emotional honesty with comfort romance—no fireworks, just steady, glowing embers—I’ll Be Gone for Christmas is a solid, feel-good addition to your seasonal shelf.

Bee, a burned-out techie from San Francisco, and Clover, a grieving florist from small-town Ohio. They swap homes for the holidays via a house-swap app, hoping to escape their messy lives. But of course, love and self-discovery sneak in: Bee finds herself drawn to Clover’s charming ex-fiancé, while Clover keeps bumping into Bee’s intimidatingly perfect sister.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this arc!

Super fun holiday read! Got me in the spirit and festivities while also being thought provoking and insightful! I love a strong holiday book that brings holiday cheer while also exploring hard topics and important moments.

Such a fun story about two women needing a break and a change of pace and then doing something about it.

Bee is in San Francisco and Clover is in Ohio, in a little town obsessed with Christmas. They decide to use a house-swap app and inadvertently get wrapped up with all the characters in the other person's life.

It is a rom com and so is predictable, but it's the storytelling that matters and Georgia K. Boone is a good storyteller. I liked the characters and the settings. It was light and not stressful. Perfect book for getting cozy by a fire or for people wishing for the holiday season any time of year.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ERC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll Be Gone for Christmas is a fun apartment-swap romance. Bea is stressed from her parents' expectations, and working with her accomplished twin sister, she finally uses the Vacate app, which her friend created, to escape. Clover is overwhelmed working with her ex-fiancé after her mother's death and her father's heart attack. She decides to try out San Francisco after the girl she secretly pined for moved there years ago. What neither expected was to find love as a result of their apartment swap. It was an entertaining romance.

An amazingly cute rom-com holiday read. The slow run of the century that we all needed. The real eye catcher at least for me, was the representation in the novel. There aren’t many holiday stories that have the representation that this book did.

Okkkkkkk this was adorable???? First of all The Holiday is my favorite Christmas movie (tbh one of my fav movies) and this was the perfect modern version of it!!! I loved each couple and the perfect little found family they made for themselves too it was so sweet!!

An adorable take on a classic holiday favorite! Great for curling up with and enjoying for the season.

This was a cozy, closed-door romance that follows two FMCs that decided to swap places over the holidays to get a breather from their lives. The entire book takes place over the span of about 2 or 3 weeks, which means the book read more like the Instalust trope for me (even being closed door). 3 stars

3.5 stars

Surprise surprise!!!! I enjoyed this more than i thought i would. I loved the characters and their dynamics. At some point i was side eyeing Clover and what i thought was her love interest but i'm glad the book didn't go in that direction.

If your looking for a cute, cozy and fluffy read packed with emotions, this is for you! <3

PS: This maybe a holiday romance but i feel it can be read during any season of the year.

Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the ARC!

This book gave me exactly what I expected and I adored it! I felt like I was watching a hallmark movie the entire time. Everyone had distinct personalities and we were able to explore two vastly different stories in one book. I agree with other reviews if you like The Holiday the movie, you will love this.

This was a refreshing holiday romance that I have not seen before. It was classic holiday romance/com with new romance tropes. I loved the juxtaposition between the two main characters and while I picked it for THE LGBTQ storyline, I thoroughly enjoyed the other romance as well (which I usually don’t). It was beautifully written, cozy, and just the right Christmas read.

I’m really enjoying this trend of retellings of The Holiday in publishing right now. I’ll Be Gone for Christmas was a cute, charming, slow-burn romance that I had a fun time reading.

Two women swap homes and then find themselves falling for people in each other’s lives, including the sister of one and the ex-fiancé of the other.

This was a nice, light read. The pacing was a bit choppy in places, but I overall had a good time with it.

This book was like wrapping yourself in a blanket fresh from the dryer with a mug of peppermint hot chocolate in hand.
It follows Bee and Clover—two strangers who swap homes for the holidays (hello, dreamy house-swap trope ). Bee’s burnt out in San Francisco, and Clover’s trying to heal from loss in small-town Ohio. What they find in each other's worlds is more than just a change of scenery—think love, healing, self-discovery... and a lot of twinkly Christmas lights.I loved the dual POVs—it made me fall for both women equally. And the way Boone explores grief, family, and fresh starts? Gentle and heartfelt. Plus, the festive vibes were chef’s kiss.

A strong debut novel by Georgia K Boone! This was a slow burn Sapphic romance that gives off The Holiday vibes when the two girls switch houses during the holidays. I liked the diverse representation, and that it felt like a cozy read. I think i would have liked it a little more during the holidays, but it's not super holidays oriented.

I'll for sure be keeping my eye out for future books by this author!

The sweetest holiday romance with two lovely romances featuring Black female main characters.
I didn't anticipate enjoying the house swap concept as much as I did but the country mouse/city mouse aspect was executed in a charming way. Appreciated having a majority non-white characters, including a sapphic romance between two women of color.

This was so sweet. It was just like a hallmark movie and I loved it. I wish it was a little bit longer so we could get more development in the relationships.