Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Well, unfortunately, reading a cute holiday romance during an October heatwave was probably the worst time to be enjoying this book but I do feel confident in saying that whenever you read this book, be it December, October, or June, you will enjoy it!

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas is the story of Clover and Bee, two women who switch homes right around the December holidays a la the movie THE HOLIDAY. That is one of my favorite Christmas movies and I have yet to find a book that perfectly encapsulates the charm and vibe of that movie - but IBGFC does come close!

Bee lives in SF and needs to escape her corporate job and her perfect sister and super controlling (and emotionally manipulative) parents. If parents being assholes is a trigger for you, beware. Clover needs to escape her farm in Ohio where memories of her deceased mom and ever present ex-fiance are haunting her. And she really needs to investigate just how queer she might actually be!

They switch homes and get a taste for how the other lives. Bee bonds with Clover’s dad and ex-fiance and Clover finds herself a super queer pack of friends almost immediately. Personal growth is had and of course there is some drama!

Clover’s story was my favorite and I loved seeing her big gay adventure in the city - finding her people and realizing that it’s okay to be queer. (Another content warning: parental homophobia). I was not a Beth fan at first but their relationship grew on me and I thought they were very sweet together. Clover felt the most developed as a character and the friendships she made were truly the best part of this book. Give me all the found family!

I had a harder time with Bee (mostly because the thought of abandoning my job and responsibilities gives me hives) but she obviously needed to escape her toxic family and she got to have that with Jimmy and Knox.

I will say that the one part that I did find slightly lacking in this book were the actual romances and the falling in love parts. When a book follows 2 characters in totally different storylines obviously some things are going to be cut but I feel like I was told that both women were falling in love but didn’t actually see it. (i.e. Being told Clover and Beth have been texting for days - why couldn’t we see a few of these texts and see how cute and sweet they are interacting with each other?)

And without too many spoilers I found Bee and Knox’s courtship even less believable and rushed.

Overall the book does make for a fun holiday read and if you want to read about two women getting a break from their lives for the holidays and learning new things about themselves, this is a good one to pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing an ARC!
Bee and Clover decide to swap homes for the holidays to get away from their lives for a while. Both women find themselves and some romance along the way.
Does it get any better than a cozy Christmas romance inspired by The Holiday? I don’t think so. The Holiday is one of my all time favorite Christmas movies, so naturally I had to request this book when I read the description.
I loved this one! The setting was so cozy, the characters were wonderful, and I loved that this was a slow burn romance. A slow burn always gets me more invested and this was no different. I really enjoyed both romances.
I was SHOCKED to see that this was a debut! The author had such a great vision and I really enjoyed the writing style.

Hallmark Christmas movie and The Holiday vibes! ​​I’ll be gone for Christmas by Georgia K Boone was such a cute holiday read! I really enjoyed it.
Overall, it was the perfect book for a cozy season!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of the book.

As a fan of The Holiday, I went into this book a bit hesitant, worried it could feel too forced or repetitive. I was so happy to realize I had nothing to worry about. Although the bones of this story give the same feel and general idea of the beloved film, it is a beautiful story with a cast of loveable, quirky characters that brings the same joy this movie has brought through the years.

While this book is set during the holidays and has many scenes of holiday cheer (or grief, in some instances), it is not inherently Christmas themed. The story is set in this Christmas swap scenario, but the heart of the story is more about family; biological and chosen, alike. It is a story rooted in finding one's self and the confidence to let others get to know her as well.

I'll Be Gone for Christmas is a holiday rom-com styled after one of my favorite movies, The Holiday. Two women (Bee and Clover) swap houses for the holiday season to escape unwanted situations in their hometowns. Although I love this premise, the book fell short on its execution for me. As a queer woman, I found Clover's sexual identity journey to be relatable, but it felt like too much of a personal growth arc was shoehorned into her chapters. There wasn't enough space for her to explore her identity and experience queer romance for the first time in a meaningful way. Perhaps if the entire book centered around her, I would have felt differently. I also didn't feel like Bee solved any of her underlying problems and her romance felt rushed as well. Overall I found the characters to be likeable, but not dimensional. I didn't feel like I knew any of them incredibly well.

4.5

I thank NetGalley and Avon for sending me this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please keep in mind the following content warnings: Death of a parent, Homophobic parents (not that much present, but still referenced from time to time).

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays of the year even though I'm no longer a Christmas and I rather spend it with my mum and friends than with family members I barely stand. Yet, it's quite funny that I have not read that many Christmas stories. One could say this was slightly out of my comfort zone (as much as romance could ever be out of my comfort zone, that is). Even then, I highly enjoyed this book. I even finished it in a day! It's such a cozy read and both couples were so adorable toward the end.

There were parts where I related more to Bee and others where I saw myself in Clover. Personality, I think I'm more like Bee with our impulsivity and how we both grew up with some family members belittling our writing. However, living in a small town in the countryside for most of our lives and coming to terms with our sexuality was something that I heavily related to Clover. The fact this book is split into two stories (in a way) gives you a little bit of everything and I think it's impossible for the reader to not at least enjoy one of them.

One slight downside, though, it's that I wished to have spent more time with both couples. It even took me a bit to be completely sold on the pairings, but halfway through the book I was sold. This is literally the only reason I'm giving this book 4.5 stars instead of the full 5.

If you're looking for a cozy and fun read for the holidays with two adorable romances, I highly recommend getting it tomorrow once it's officially out. I'm even considering getting it for myself and rereading it before Christmas.

It is a heartwarming story by Georgia K Boone. This was a F/M, F/F story as it covers two separate stories for the MCs. 

It was sweet, the chemistry was well done between them all. I enjoyed seeing the relationships that needed healing, healthy.  

Slow-burn, fade to black. Low angst, but know that they all will work out. I enjoyed all the characters. They were supportive and necessary by adding to the story. 

I love stories where twins fall for best friends. It feels like it is cosmic. 

As this is my first book by Boone, I was impressed and will be following her in the future for any F/F books she may write.

I’ll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone is a heartwarming holiday romance that captures the spirit of love and family during the festive season. The story follows a protagonist who grapples with the complexities of relationships while preparing for the holidays. Boone’s writing is engaging and evocative, creating a cozy atmosphere that immerses readers in the joys and challenges of Christmas. This charming tale is perfect for anyone looking to embrace the warmth of the season and the magic of unexpected connections.

This was super cute! It took me a little bit to get into it but once the slow-burn started to spark I enjoyed getting to see Bee and Clover step into a world and be with people that they might not have expected but needed in their lives. I felt like this had a little bit of everything in it which made it a great holiday read on the shorter side of novels! I felt that everything developed really well for not being long as well. Adored both Bee&Knox and Clover&Beth. I like the suttle hints of fate in that these people were meant to be in each other's lives.

Great romance novel that follows Bee Tyler and Clover Mills. Bee works alongside her twin sister Beth and feeling like a disappointment to her and their parents. Clover is still reeling from the death of her mother and breaking up with her fiancée a year earlier. The two switch homes (Bee is in San Francisco and Clover is in a small town in Ohio) in the app called Vacate and experience the Christmas holidays in new places.

I thought the character development of Bee and Clover was great. We had a slow reveal about Clover which was great. And I thought that Boone did a great job with a enemies to lover for one and meet/cute romance for the other (no spoilers on who got what romance type). I loved the secondary characters like Clover's father Jimmy and her ex fiancée Knox along with her new friends she meets in San Francisco. Bee doesn't really have anyone in her life outside her best friend Ayana, sot here's not a lot of there there for her I thought.

The plot does move really slow to the point you get a bit tired of the book switching back and forth between them. The plot though of them finding love and experiencing new things in a new place was solid.

The setting of San Francisco was great, but I did wonder about a black girl growing up on a farm in a small town in Ohio. It felt a bit off and only because the whole town didn't seem to bat an eyelash at her family and I wondered about that bit. It just didn't feel realistic, well not in the version of the U.S. we seem to be getting these days.

The ending was very sweet and we get two very lovely happily ever afters.

3.5 stars for I'll Be Gone for Christmas. I enjoyed this read but it did feel like nothing happened in the plot for quite a while in the middle of the book. The romances pick up at the 75% point. Overall is a cute romance to get you in the holiday spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I'll Be Gone for Christmas hits shelves on October 8, 2024.

This was the cutest book I’ve read this year. Theres a lot of story in this small book but their stories did not feel rushed. I loved the characters, the growth and the slow burn of the relationships.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.This was a nice slow burn friends to lovers read. The only thing that threw me off is that I kept forgetting the characters were Black. Not saying they had to speak Ebonics or anything like that, but it just felt off somehow. Anyway, it’s a cute holiday read.

If your favorite Christmas movie is The Holiday, this book is for you! I’ll Be Gone For Christmas was such a delight. I enjoyed Bee and Clover so much. The holiday vibes were so on point in this book, especially in the small town Ohio setting. I love a slow burn romance and we get TWO OF THEM in this book! Also, the side characters, especially Jimmy, Dee and Mo were so fun. I loved the themes of family, queer representation and being true to yourself no matter what. I highly recommend this one for your winter holiday TBRs!
Mini spoiler: nothing bad happens to any of the animals!
CW: death of a parent, homophobia

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun and unique story! It’s dual POV, but rather than following both parts of one couple, it follows two individuals who house swap and find themselves tangled up in their own individual love stories.

It’s very Christmas, lots of found family tropes, and overall just really cute! A perfect simple read for the season.

I enjoyed the switching aspect of the books. I liked each individual girls growth and their rediscovery of themselves. I just felt the romances were rushed at the end and I was left wanting more.

Absolutely adorable. I love a good holiday house switch, and this one really hit the mark for me because it wasn't just focused on the romance. Instead, Bee and Clover took the time away from their normal lives to reflect and figure out who they are and what they want. I liked how each setting had side characters that were so genuinely caring - especially for being strangers. There was a sense of community in San Francisco and Ohio that made it easy for me to picture each place at Christmastime. This will be a perfect, feel good holiday book, and it's short, so perfect to curl up with on a chilly weekend.
Avon eARC

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me an ARC for an honest review. I thought that this book was going to be better but it honestly had some lulls in the story line where I got bored and distracted. This story gave me The Holiday vibes, due to the swapping of the houses of Bee and Clover but, make it semi sapphic.

As I was reading, up until about 50% of the book, I was not entertained with Bee's story line. The whole Ohio farm scenario didn't appeal to me and I couldn't relate. But, Clovers story, that was the most appealing out of all the story line. Ending an engagement and a year later running off across the country to breathe, and maybe find her first girl crush from high school, Hailey. Of course they run into each other because of the same group of friends (leave it to all lesbians to know each other) but Hailey soon lead Clover on only to get back together with her on again/off again girlfriend. Throughout the story line, Hailey kind of disappears and there was really no discussing what had happened between them. That is the only thing that threw me off. Clover explains what Hailey had meant to her all those years ago to never hear of Hailey again throughout the whole book after that one encounter. It just fell flat. Then enter Beth. Beth, Bee's twin sister, with her cold demeanor and piercing personality, Clover and Beth hit it off.

While in Ohio, Bee and Knox start hanging out and talking and one thing leads to another and boom. You got yourself a plot. But again, Taylor in the story really wanted to date Knox and after their only encounter in the book, Taylor was gone. I just felt like there were a lot of loose ends in the story line that could have gone finished instead of a lot of talk of the farm and what not.

Of course it had a very cute ending where everyone lives happily ever after.

This book was a 3.5 to me. The burn was a little bit too slow for my liking but it was still a cute and fluffy read. But I will say Knox solo part in the book really moved me!! That was the best part of the book to me. If you’re into slow burns this book is definitely for you.

I LOVED this book! Bee needs a break from her corporate job and her family. Clover wants to be distant from the holiday, the small town, and the memories. They decided to swap homes for the holiday. This story follows their journey of self-discovery. The story reminds me of the movie The Holiday. Fluffy, short, quick holiday read. HIGHLY recommend!