I loved reading The Christmas Countdown. When our main character is still reeling from a bad breakup, her sister gives her an advent calendar with "calendar tasks" designed to get her out of the house and living again (and also home for Christmas). But when one of those tasks brings Callie and Marco together, things start to work out better than Anita ever planned!

This was a cute Christmas read, I loved the way Callie and Marco interact, and Anita is the kind of sister I wished I had looking out for me growing up. It's a sweet story without too much unneeded drama where Callies finds herself and her voice and most to of the time the characters do believable things. I fun quick read to get you in the mood for the holidays!

The Christmas Countdown is a fun and festive read by Holly Cassidy who wrote my favourite Christmas book last year The Christmas Wager. Holly Cassidy is better know to us as thriller writer Hannah Mary McKinnon.

In this book Callie had broken up with Oliver and was not in the Christmas spirit this year. She was not planning to go home for the holidays due to the break up. Her sister Anita decided to help bring back Callie’s Christmas spirit by assembling a Christmas Advent Calendar full of treats and tasks to complete. Callie meets Marco (a baker) who offers to help her complete the daily advent tasks!

This book is one that will bring your Christmas joy and spark memories of Christmas past. It’s a closed door romance that gives you a Hallmark movie kind of feel. I loved the mention of the local bookshop in Burlington name A Different Drummer bookstore!

I highly recommend adding The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy aka @hannahmarymckinnon to your TBR this season!!

This was a fun, sweet Christmas read. The main premise of Callie doing advent calendar challenges to help her find herself again after a breakup was such a clever idea, and I thought the challenges were creative and brought out the best in her. Her romance with Marco was hallmark movie cute - they both love puns and are really perfect for each other.

But the main conflict was sort of shoved in at the end and resolved a little too quickly. The rest of the book all flowed well but the abrupt ending didn’t work for me as much.

What a delightful Christmas rom-com. The advent calendar that alternated treats and tasks was very clever and added a lot of creativity to the story. The big sis was awesome!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC! This felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie, it was so cheesy and cute. The love interests all felt a little too good to be true, the dialogue was clunky, and some of the conflict was overdone, but overall a fun read. The letter to her sister at the end was weird, it came across like she and her sister hadn’t spoken in the last year with the way she’d summarized their last year? Doing an actual epilogue would’ve been less strange. Regardless this was a solid 3 star read for the holidays.

I throughly enjoyed this story! I loved the advent calendar that Callie's sister put together for her- all the fun things she got to do during the month of December. I loved watching her fall in love with Marco-and knowing that she would be okay on her own too. This was as much a story about growth and self love as it was a story about falling in love.

Thanks to NetGalley and The PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the opportunity to read The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy which was the perfect holiday escape; joyful and caring. I loved the Advent Calendar events.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my copy of The Christmas Countdown
by Holly Cassidy in exchange for an honest review. It published October 22, 2024.
This was such a fun and creative book with a lovely premise. I adored the advent calendar aspect, and I can’t say I’ve ever read a Christmas book quite like that before, and it’s refreshing.
I found the character development to be top-notch and the characters themselves to be realistic and not over-the-top or cheesy.
I loved all the tasks, and could t wait to keep reading to see what would unfold!

Another holiday delight! I have had years where I was in grinch mode so this was highly relatable. While I wish this was an open door, the romance between Callie and Marco was so sweet. I officially need to have an advent calendar with challenges and goodies!

Very cute holiday read. Loved the advent calendar concept of this book. The characters were all likeable. Hallmark vibes.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for ARC!

This was a really cute one! I really enjoyed how complex of a story it was. This wasn’t your typical holiday romance, it showed various relationships (past, family, friends, romantic) while bring the holiday cheer while also showing dealing with the sadness of a failed relationship

The idea of an advent calendar as a gift from one sister to another to reignite the holiday spirit is so creative and heartwarming. After a rough breakup with her longtime boyfriend—who also happens to be tied to her family through their mothers’ close friendship—Callie has completely lost her enthusiasm for the season. Her sister Anita, ever the meddler, decides to create a countdown to Christmas for her, filled with wrapped surprises that include small gifts or festive tasks for Callie to complete. Though hesitant, Callie goes along with it, and soon finds herself crossing paths with a friendly and talented baker—a twist Anita is more than happy to encourage.

This lighthearted, PG-rated holiday story captures the coziness of the season, even if the pacing felt a little slow at times. It’s perfect for fans of cheerful, Hallmark-style reads!I'm

The book was good. It was about a girl from the meaning of Christmas again and healing through a Advent calendar that her sister made for her

Loved the advent calendar challenges especially when her sister has to leave and her new chef friend takes her place with the advent calendar fun. I love when someone puts a lot of thought into gifts and month long gift haul is so fun.
It did suck that her bf left her like it was nothing in the beginning of the book which is why her sister did this. Dumbass tried to come back when the challenges were bringing out a better side to her. But she was on to the chef guy, Marco.

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy is a delightful cup of Christmas chair!

It is a sweet Christmas romance Tucked inside of a month long “treats and tasks” advent calendar! What starts off as a clever ploy for an older sister to help her younger sister get over brutal break up after 10 years turns into a month long romp of good Christmas fun, Charming moments, And a sweet romance that will keep you engaged, giggling alongside them and rooting for this quirky punny couple!

I had a lot of fun reading this book In part due to many pieces that truly resonated with my own love story with my husband. He was a chef, I was naïve and silly, Like our main couple we met in December and fell in love under snowflakes.

While I had this NetGalley arc, I had to go out and get a physical copy! Fortunately, I have the opportunity to meet Holly Cassidy in a few days and I’ll be able to have her sign this book that has truly touched my heart!

4.5⭐️ This book is full of punny sayings and feel good holiday moments. Loved the Advent Calendar events and may have to do this myself. It really gets you in the Christmas spirit! From the line "I'd chosen to relocate my life to a freezer" the book had me hooked. Callie maneuvers through a breakup and starts over again with the help and advice you of her sister. This book includes most of the things associated with the holidays. Grab a blanket and warm beverage and snuggle in and enjoy this cozy Christmas book.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

What a JOY this book was to read. Callie and Marco were such fun characters. Callie felt very relatable and I found myself rooting for her from start to finish as she worked through here feelings of grief of the relationship she thought was forever, and truly found herself for the first time in her adult life–such great character development all around, especially for a fluffy feel good holiday book. Marco was a gem from the beginning. I loved how they both brought out the best in each other. The focus on honesty, family, friendship and real mutual love were so good. It's a closed door romance, which I have come to find is my favorite when done well, especially for holiday books. And then of course the was the whole real life advent calendar and sister relationship... so good! Highly recommend if you're looking for a fun holiday read.

I very much enjoyed Holly Cassidy’s first holiday romcom- The Christmas Wager, and I was excited to see that she had another one coming out! The Christmas Countdown is festive, full of rich descriptions, and gave me some fun ideas for holiday activities. Callie is nursing a broken heart after her childhood crush and long time boyfriend breaks up with her to be with someone else, so her sister makes her a holiday advent activity calendar to help cheer her up. Some days are treats and some days are tasks!

The romance between Callie and Marco is sweet, though pretty cheesy. Not necessarily in a bad way- just be prepared for a lot of flirting via puns and idioms. It was a bit much for me at times, but they were so adorable together. I was very happy for their Happily Ever After! Overall a great holiday story with themes of overcoming heartbreak and distrust, learning to speak up for oneself, and finding ways to keep family traditions going while making new ones. I recommend this sweet holiday read!

✨✨Review Time✨✨

The Christmas Countdown
By Holly Cassidy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: Fade to black

Thank you @putnambooks and @netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a combination of Last Christmas by Wham meets The Holiday. Everything I could want in a Christmas romance. I laughed at the witty puns, rolled my eyes at the condescending ex and kicked my feet as the main characters fell in love.

In this friend's to lovers romance you meet Callie who is on the mend from a devastating heartbreak with her childhood love. Anita's older sister creates this 24 day of Christmas countdown to help Callie heal as well as bring back her Christmas spirit. The countdown alternates with treats and tasks. The tasks are meant to help Cautious Callie break out of her comfort zone and finally get her spark back. At the end of this will Callie be open to love and Christmas again?

I gave it five stars because it made me feel all the feelings! It was an easy read though funny had a strong character arc for Callie that I enjoyed!

This book is already out at where you buy your books! Please let me know if you pick it up!

3.5 stars

This was a sweet Christmas romance but it was a little too cheesy for me. I would have preferred less puns and a little more spice.

This would be perfect for anyone who wants a hallmark movie in book form!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this earc in exchange for my honest review