This is the absolute cutest Christmas romance, perfect for fans of The Holiday! It's incredibly cozy, and filled with so much cheer!

5/5 definitely looking into more from the author…. OH THIS WAS AMAZINGGGGG. I loved it down badddddd. The switching life aspect had me eating it upppp badddd. I very much loved bee she was me I am her I loved watching her growth I loved watching her realize this her life and she deserve a say in it to. And clover omg that name is so cuteeee. I loved her growth as well learning to stand in your skin regardless it was everything. I loved how the ending was I ate it up. I personally feel it can be a quick read because it’s that good lol.

Have you ever encountered a book so perfect for you that it made you consider that you were in a simulation? "I'll Be Gone for Christmas" is exactly that book. As an immense fan of Christmas, The Holiday, and Hallmark movies, this book, with its two Black main characters, brought a fair share of holiday cheer. Split between two slow-burn romances (one queer), with each having enough differences to keep me interested and going; once I picked it up, I flew through it.

Between the grief, the queer community, and the rediscovery of joy, this book was the Peppermint Mocha of novels. Festive peppermint, classic chocolate, and that kick of coffee; every flavor in this novel melded together to delight me.

My only complaint is about the length. The ending was abrupt and lacked complete emotional catharsis. But maybe it was just that I was having too good a time to want to leave this world.

I could happily visit Bee and Clover and Knox and Beth (especially Beth) for every holiday for the rest of my life. As it stands, I will be picking this one up next Christmas and maybe even the one after that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is a delightful holiday rom-com about Bee, a tech professional from bustling San Francisco, and Clover, a small-town gal from Salem, Ohio, who swap homes for the holidays. Bee finds herself entangled with Clover’s charming ex-fiancé, Knox, while Clover navigates an unexpected connection with Bee’s ambitious sister, Beth. As someone who doesn’t love the movie The Holiday, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book—it was the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit with its cozy charm and heartfelt romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5 stars)

House-swapping for the holidays? Count me in! Georgia K. Boone’s I’ll Be Gone for Christmas delivers a sweet, Hallmark-worthy rom-com with a fun twist: two women trading homes (and lives, kind of) over the festive season. It’s got cozy vibes, small-town charm, and plenty of holiday magic, but while I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite stick with me after the last page.

Bee Tyler is a techie from San Francisco who’s desperate for a break, and Clover Mills is a small-town girl eager to escape her Christmas-obsessed hometown of Salem, Ohio. Enter Vacate, the house-swapping app that promises them both the fresh start they need. What they don’t expect is for Bee to cozy up to Clover’s charming ex-fiancé, Knox, while Clover keeps running into Bee’s ambitious (and annoyingly gorgeous) sister, Beth. Cue the romantic hijinks!

The setup is undeniably fun, and the festive details—from twinkling lights to charming town traditions—give this story its warm, Christmassy glow. Bee and Clover’s parallel journeys of self-discovery are heartfelt, but the romance felt a little predictable, and the pacing dragged in places. That said, Knox’s charm and Clover’s small-town struggles were definite highlights for me.

Thank you to Georgia K. Boone, Avon, and NetGalley for letting me dive into this holiday rom-com! While it wasn’t the most memorable book I’ve read this season, it’s still a cozy, enjoyable read for fans of The Holiday or anyone looking for a feel-good escape.

This reminded me of that movie but the holiday but more modern and fit for 2024. I liked that this had a self discovery theme for both of the characters, it was nice to see their growth and development throughout the story. The last few chapters felt a little rushed and I do wish Bee & Knox’s chemistry would have been defined a bit more because I wasn’t convinced. Overall, a cute read for the holiday season.

Sigh I really really wanted to love the book. The cover of the book is absolutely beautiful but man I really could not get into this book. I find it to be a little bit boring.

Thanks to NetGalley, Book Club Girl, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager US for this copy of "I'll Be Gone for Christmas."

What a heartwarming debut novel, perfect for Christmas season or ANY season! It had "The Holiday" movie vibes with some "Sense and Sensibility" and a splash of "Pride and Prejudice."

Bee in CA is feeling the weight of family expectations and wants to get away for the holidays. Clover in OH is feeling the sorrow of losing her mother and her fiance a year ago and also wants to get away. So they swap houses via a Vacate app.

In new surroundings, they each discover more about themselves and then learn how to share that honesty with those they love.

Is this my new favorite holiday romcom?? I feel as though the holiday house swap trope is fairly common, but I love how Boone made it their own. A couple of reasons why I believe this book should be talked about more is the diversity of characters, and the way grief is portrayed. Having such a varying diverse cast of characters, not just within side characters but main, is something I am always seeking. I did not realize how much queer representation was included in I'll Be Gone for Christmas but it was amazing to read about! The grief aspect also felt realistic to me. As someone who recently lost a direct family member, I related to what Clover was going through. Realistic portrayals of mental health struggIes is another of my favorite things to see in romance books, so I commend Boone for weaving those within her stories.

My only issue with this book is that I was wanting more story after the resolution. I felt as though the ending was not as satisfying because the main characters just decided to be together, and then it ended. Overall, I think the pacing of the plot was good; I just struggled with the ending.

I really enjoyed this book! I would highly recommend this book to my friends. I really enjoy this book!

A fun and heart-warming holiday read! Bee and Clover and interesting characters; their families and communities are diverse and full of interesting individuals. This sapphic and MF The Holiday-inspired novel is a delight this holiday season!

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon books for the ARC of this novel.

When I first started reading this book I found the beginning a little confusing but once I got into it and got to know both Bee and Clover I got more into the book.

I love a good found family novel but I found the romance a little to much of a slow burn for my liking. But overall it was a sweet Christmas romance.

3.25/5 stars

This book is like a Hallmark Christmas movie, but with great representation (queer lead, POC characters, Black main characters) and a theme of found family! Bee and Clover decide to house swap for Christmas, so Bee takes a vacation in Clover’s hometown of Salem, Ohio, while Clover vacations in San Francisco. Both of them find themselves deeply entrenched in the other’s life from afar. By the end, however, all the strings get tied up in a nice little bow with both of them spending the holiday together! As a queer person, I was so excited for the sapphic romance! I loved reading about how important the queer community was for Clover and how her new found family in San Francisco let her blossom and heal a lot of her old wounds. Having a support system of fellow queer people is so important. I also really loved the slow-burn relationship Bee has, but I loved her falling in love with the town even more! It was just so cute seeing the community embrace her! It was just a really cute, fluffy holiday romance!

This was super cute and perfect for Christmas!

It probably took me about a good 25-30% of the book to understand the swap and really get invested. But once I did, I couldn’t put it down!

This was definitely more of a slow burn than what I normally enjoy but I loved seeing how each of the communities were able to heal both Bee and Clover. I loved seeing Knox and Clover’s friendship strengthen even if they weren’t together anymore and seeing Bee and Beth understand each other’s feelings better.

this was the most heartwarming book and i couldn’t have rung in this year’s Christmas season in a better way!! Ohio-farm-girl Clover and California-city-girl Bee swap houses for the holiday season. though they both are running from family drama, both women find everything they didn’t know they needed on their mini vacations. it was so interesting to follow along as Bee & Clover melted into the routine of each other’s lives. i loved how intertwined everything was and how cozy each person’s friends & family made there respective guests feel. i couldn’t get enough of each of their love stories, and was just so obsessed with the wholesomeness of it all. 10/10 recommend this lovely holiday novel 🎄🤍

The perfect holiday rom com does exist! Both Bee and Clover were so relatable in their quest to escape their respective environments (and families) to embark on a journey of self discovery just in time for the winter holidays. The set up of the novel was super cute. The two protangonists essentially house swap for a couple of weeks. I love how the novel was easy to get lost in and it gave a cozy feel like a cup of warm cider. Plus the respective found families each charater discovers along the way was so perfect. Plus the romance element was the cherry on top of an already charming story.

As a Christmas romance, this is super cute! The characters are likeable, and the book is a short, fast read. It features diverse characters and a fresh voice.

But I found myself wanting to know the characters a bit more. They are all SO likeable, and, most likely due to the length of the book (a quick 275 pages), there just wasn't time to delve deeper into their motivations. I particularly feel this way about the love interests, Knox and Beth, who both had pretty interesting histories that I would have loved to hear more about.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

If we haven’t gathered from my 2024 holiday reading, it’s that I love the movie The Holiday and It’s become a very popular trope to write! I really liked this book because I thought it explored the complexities of the holidays and self discovery.

Synopsis:

“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…” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Concept—As I said, I love the idea of two women swapping homes for the holidays and what they learn about themselves along the way. I loved that this explored coming out later in life.

The Characters—I really loved these characters, especially broody Knox. Bee and Clover’s different POVs were really fun to step into.

The Pacing—I thought things moved really well and kept me interested!

What Didn’t Work:

Nothing—I thought this was sweet, real, and very enjoyable!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

death of a parent, homophobia, panic attacks/disorder

This book was a fun Christmas romance story but also a story about the importance of finding one's self and living authentically. I really enjoyed the main characters as well as their culture shock of trading homes. Fun book! Thanks #NetGalley

Starting the holiday season off with this festive, feel-good romantic comedy with a house-swap twist that brings holiday cheer and unexpected connections. Bee Tyler, a tech professional in San Francisco, craves a break from her fast-paced life, while Clover Mills, is ready for a change of scenery from her life in Ohio. The novel captures the holiday spirit with a cozy atmosphere and relatable characters working through family and relationship drama.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.