Thank you to NetGalley and Georgia K. Boone, for providing me with the arc I’ll be Gone for Christmas. My review is based on my opinions of the book.

I’ll be Gone for Christmas
Tropes: Forced Proximity
Representation: Black main female characters, Black Queer characters, Queer Characters, Interracial couples

This book is quite different because it has two female protagonists and tells each of their own stories. Bee Tyler is one of the main characters in the book. She is a writer for a tech company in San Francisco that she and her twin sister run together. Bee is the creative type and believes she is falling short in her role at the tech company. Her sister takes care of the coding and is the mastermind behind the whole operation. Bee feels like she failed her sister because she has finished her side of the project. The fear of failure and retribution from her sister causes her to agree to swap her home with a stranger. She does not tell anyone but her closest friends that she is leaving. Her friends convince her to use their Vacate app to arrange the house swap.
That stranger is Clover. Clover has her problems. She is still grieving over her loss and ending her engagement with her best friend, Knox. This grief causes her to swap houses with Bee. Clover packs her bags and leaves the country life behind in Salem, Ohio. Goodbye.
Clover’s arrival in the city was quite a culture shock. The people were in a rush, and she bumped into quite a few people. One person she bumps into is Bee’s sister, Beth. Upon meeting Beth, Clover thinks she is curt and dismissive towards her. Despite her behavior, Clover finds Beth attractive. The two continue to meet one another through Bee’s friends. All of Bee’s friends expose Clover to a world where people are open to their sexuality. This helps Clover overcome her issues on her own.

Bee also overcomes a few issues of her own, and that is to be herself. Clover’s dad is quite fond of Bee and spends time with her. The affectionate tone in his voice when discussing his deceased wife and cherished Clover caused Bee to realize that families can display genuine love for each other. She realizes she can experience romantic love once more upon meeting Knox. Knox is generally a gentleman, but flirts with Clover. Compared to Clover and Beth’s relationship, their relationship took a while to develop. I wanted more love scenes between Bee and Knox.

Georgia K. Boone did a commendable job presenting a context for Clover’s journey of self-discovery in her sexuality. The author explored Beth’s parents’ perspective on her sexuality. This understanding allows readers to understand her relationship with her parents and Bee. I also like how the author puts you in the mood for Christmas by including classic Holiday songs in the book. It was a perfect book to put in the mood for the Holidays.

3.5 star review rounded up

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This queer retelling of The Holiday was cozy and low-stakes. The holiday vibes are perfect, and I found it easy to connect with Bee and Clover, the protagonists. I enjoyed the dual POV and the backstory given to each of the main characters. Their lives were relatable and believable, without taking away from the overall Hallmark feel of the book.

Ultimately, this book was enjoyable, but I didn’t like the character of Bee’s love interest at all; I didn’t find he had much depth of character, and it detracted from the story for me. Additionally, some of Clover’s decision making didn’t feel fleshed out within the timeline that the story offered, and I wish the reader could have seen more from her.

A++ for the queer and POC representation, though. This is a perfect book for a relaxing read with low expectations.

Bee Tyler needs a break. In the bustling San Francisco tech community, no one ever seems to stand still—especially her perfect sister and business partner, Beth. So when her best friend suggests a getaway on the wildly popular house-swap app, Vacate, Bee decides a countryside retreat might be exactly what she needs.

Clover Mills has had a year. Between losing her mother and making the complicated decision to leave her fiancé, sticking around the idyllic Christmas obsessed town of Salem, Ohio, just doesn’t feel right. So when she hears about Vacate, she jumps at the chance to spend the holidays in the unfamiliar city of San Francisco.

Soon enough, Bee is living in Clover’s cozy Salem cottage, and Clover is living in Bee’s sleek San Francisco apartment. As Clover can’t seem to stop running into Bee’s frustratingly gorgeous sister, Beth, and Bee finds herself spending more and more time with Clover’s ultra charming ex-fiancé, Knox, the two women realize that this Christmas they may find just what they were looking for and more.

This was super sweet. It felt like watching a hallmark movie. 🙂 It was a little short and I would have like a little more, but the characters felt well-developed and I enjoyed their respective storylines. Overall, nice fluffy winter/Christmas read to make your day brighter! ❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

A wonderful Christmas read! If you liked "The Holiday", then you'll adore this. The dual POV was amazing since we got to see both of the characters through their journey in the book. A very cute and well written holiday romance novel.

I really enjoyed reading "I'll Be Gone for Christmas" and think it'll be a great read for anyone during the Christmas season. If you enjoyed the movie "The Holiday", you'll enjoy this.

This book is dual POV from our two main character and I really like that it was set up this way. We got to equally see both Bee and Clover's lives as they navigate their swap. I do like both of our main characters, but connected with Clover's story more.

The author dealt well with the characters grief and overcoming others expectations. This is marketed as a romance and while there is romance for both of our characters, it reads more lit fic to me - the romance is not the main point.

I do think that this could have been a little longer we jumped around a bit too much and some scenes could have used more time.

Rated 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

This book was very cute!! A perfect holiday romance that led me wanting more! The dual point of views was well done and led with a developer romance.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC.I loved this book so much!Georgia K. Boone showed that there are all kinds of ways to grieve and approach the holidays when things are difficult.

Thank you NetGalley and Georgia Boone for this ARC opportunity!

I am a huge The Holiday fan, so when i saw that this was a house swap Christmas story, i was sold. And it did NOT disappoint!

I loved the two main characters; and i loved how they navigated the swap. The side characters were also very enjoyable, especially Clover’s new San Fran friends. They felt like people i would want to be around.

I also loved that it was an LGBT friendly story and that Clover was finding herself through her new truth.

This was a very cute, well written Christmas story that made you want to hug your friends and family and enjoy the time you have with them.

A sweet fluff filled story. Reminded me of the Holiday, which I love, but with a cute queer love story, definitely a cozy holiday read!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Georgia K. Boone, for the opportunity to receive an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Do you remember in 2006 when The Holiday came out and we all sat there entranced throughout the whole thing? And you can still rewatch it now to embrace the feeling of early 2000’s rom com nostalgia? Well, I’ll be Gone For Christmas will bring this nostalgia to life- but in the year of the lord 2024, and I’m here for it!

I enjoyed getting to know Bee and Clover as they do a house swap, each trying to break from from their respective lives and the baggage it eac carries.

Bee is trying to get out of San Fran and her family- Clover for her part is trying to experience something different than her family and farm in Ohio.

They flip flop and in this, Bee gets to know Ohio and Clovers family- falling for the hometown feels and relationships that seem authentic and real compared to a controlled, sterile, and overworked life in work and in family,.

Clover gets to know the big city life, the hustle and bustle of it all and meeting the many characters along the way.

The side characters are fun for their part- we have Knox in Oho as well as Clovers dad and all the towns people! In California we have Bees sister Beth and the neighbors!

There are some twists and turns- unexpected reunifications and blossoming romances fit to reignite any disinterested romantic hearts!

I enjoyed this story and look forward to rereading it again during the holiday season!

4 gooses
2 spicy honks

This book was a not very well executed version of The Holiday movie. That movie is one of my favorites and one of the reasons why I picked this one up. I was disappointed by the lack of character and story development in this book. Both stories felt rushed and not full flushed out. The two romantic relationships lacked chemistry.

This is more of contemporary fiction than romance. I felt the stories focused more on their journeys rather than romance.

It's a quick and easy read, but maybe my expectations were too high for this book.

The fluff did fluff. But it was at the last 30% because this book was unbearably slow.

I had to put it down multiple times to take a breather because there’s so little action going around.

With Clover struggling with her feelings and her grief, to then get self-destructive at one point because her high school sweetheart got together again with her ex which was gobsmacking predictable had me a mess of emotions. Because all of this happens past the 50% mark.

Bee with her struggles and burn out felt just as relatable as Clover but at the same time, her entire journey dragged for too long until she and Knox finally had something happen.

I’m rating this a 3.5(rounded to four) because it did deliver some fluff and the sisters(Bee and Beth) did have a small heart to heart that they sorely needed, tossed together in the last 5%.

It did give The Holiday vibes as advertised, which also knocked it into the positives for me.

The Epilogue should’ve been longer though.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

For the love of all things, will someone GET NETFLIX ON THE PHONE?! This is the holiday movie I want to watch on repeat until I die, please and thank you.

This was the sweetest, cozy winter romance and I adored every second of it. Honestly, it felt like two romances for the price of one! This book is so fun, aaand I also got teary-eyed on more than one occasion. The elements of found family and self-acceptance were so beautifully written. It had the potential to just be a fluffy hallmark-esque read, but Boone manages to do so much more than that with the story.

These characters are so lovable and you just want good things for all of them. (Georgia - I will read an epic 10 novel series just about Jimmy if you'll write it, okay? Just think about it.) You get to watch them grow and it's beautiful.

Some people have their comfort movie they watch every Christmas, and I think this book has a permanent spot in my holiday rotation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Cute christmassy store with a likeness to The Holiday where the love story happens after the main characters swap houses for the holidays. It was nice to see some diversity in a holiday book!

The concept of the book is cute. It's like the movie The Holiday, where two people live in each other's houses for the holidays and go to a different location. The two main characters, Bee and Clover are well-developed, but many of the other characters in the book were kind of flat. The book was kind of slow paced and the action was plodding. It was clear very early on how the book would end and I was just waiting for things to happen.

Thank you to Netgally for the free Arc!

I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is the kind of feel-good rom-com that makes you want to curl up with a cup of cocoa and just vibe. It’s like The Holiday but with more charm and small-town Christmas magic, which is basically the dream. Bee and Clover’s house-swap adventure is so sweet, and I was living for the whole “accidentally finding love in unexpected places” trope. Plus, the chemistry between Bee and Knox was adorable, and Clover’s flirty run-ins with Beth had me rooting for her so hard. It’s predictable in the best way possible—like a Christmas movie you rewatch every year because it never gets old. If you’re in the mood for a cozy, heartwarming escape, this book will deliver all the festive feels.

Like a queer Hallmark version of The Holiday!

Very cute and fluffy holiday romance. This was my first book of this author's, and I didn't read the synopsis before diving in. That led me to being slightly confused about the romances and plot in the beginning, but it quickly made sense and made for an easy read. Ironically, The Holiday is not one of my favorite Christmas movies, and I honestly found myself enjoying this even more because I felt it was just lighter, which is something I look for in a Christmas book!

A solid 3.5/5 stars from me.

I was fully going to wait closer to the Holidays before I started this novel. But I read a couple of pages and next thing I know the sun was coming up and I completely finished the novel. This was one of the cutest holiday romances I've read in a long time. I love that the characters were POC and we had queer representation. The atmosphere was so cozy and I really was rooting for the main characters. Not only for their romantic story lines but their personal journeys of growth. You definitely need to add the book to your holiday tbr.

3.5*

"Lots of love and whiskey."

Contemporary isn't really my thing, nor do I enjoy duo-POVs, however, this book delivered on both fronts! I equally enjoyed reading about Clover's experience in San Francisco, and Bee's experience in Ohio.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the dialogue in this story. It didn't feel corny and felt authentic to me. Watching the relationships unfold between characters and learning about their pasts helped endear me to them in this novel.

The vibes were very cozy! It felt like I was in the same areas as the characters witnessing the same on brand holiday events. I'm envious of everyone who'll be lucky enough to read this during the winter months.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the black and queer representation! It feels nice to be represented, especially within one of my favorite seasons!

This is essentially a retelling of the movie <i>The Holiday</i> but without any of the drama. It was so relentlessly pleasant that I found it not very interesting, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the intended reader. The four stars are for that reader who wants a non-challenging holiday romance. About the only real interest was the one F/F couple and Clover's dive into the San Francisco lesbian scene. Which again, was almost completely pleasant.

The two main characters are Bee and Clover, which would suggest that they will get together. They don't. Not really a spoiler, because they spend the book in different towns.

HarperCollins was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for an honest review.