This is a really sweet holiday romance. We meet Callie who is 6 months post break up from her decade-long relationship with her childhood sweetheart, who she also works with. She's living with her sister and in a very routine funk. Her sister notices and tasks her with a Christmas countdown advent calendar that she must complete. She meets Marco, a handsome chef, who helps her with her tasks.

It's a story of realizing what you want out of life and going after it. This is a festive & fun romantic comedy - I think the second half was more action-packed and had me more invested than the first but overall, this is a really cute holiday read. Hallmark would approve.

🎄 Holiday Romance
❣️ Rom-Com
🏡 Small Town
🌶️ Brief Closed Door Spice
☝🏻 FMC 1st Person POV

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a cute read with very Hallmark vibes and put me in the spirit of Christmas this early. Loved seeing the FMC, and Callie realizing her worth throughout the story, and also loved the sweet romance with Marco. In all, this book was sweet


*closed door romance*

This is a fun Christmas story about a woman who finds herself again after a tough break up with the help of some holiday fun coordinated by her sister. Callie is an accountant who is cautious and was recently dumped by her boyfriend of 10 years after moving across country with him. She isn't in the holiday spirit and isn't planning on going home for Christmas since his parents live next door. Her sister who is the opposite of "Cautious Callie" makes an interactive advent calendar with tasks and treats for Callie to complete and hopefully revive her Christmas spirit. Callie goes through with the calendar and ends up meeting new friends and finding pieces of herself she had lost in her old relationship. This is a perfect balance of Christmas romance, the love of family and finding yourself again! I highly recommend! I loved the romance aspect, but my favorite part might be the relationship between Callie and her sister Anita. It was such a spot on representation of sisterhood and what it means to be there for each other.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Definite holiday must read!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

What an adorable, adorable story! This is what Hallmark movies are made of and I'm here for it.

I absolutely loved Callie and Marco. Their dynamic was incredibly respectful and sweet from beginning to end. Their love of puns and dad humor satisfied my comedic tastes to no end.

While at times she seemed to be a little OTT, Anita was an incredibly supportive sister and and very well-written side character.

Definitely give this one a read!

☃️ S W O O N S A T U R D A Y review ☃️ featuring “The Christmas Countdown” by Holly Cassidy aka Hannah Mary McKinnon!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Callie wants nothing to do with the holidays this year after being dumped by her childhood boyfriend of ten years. Callie refuses to go home for the holidays since her ex boyfriend’s parents live next door to hers and she has no interest in seeing him with his NEW girlfriend.

Callie’s sister Anita has a plan to (hopefully) make her spirits bright by putting together an advent calendar for her to count down to Christmas. Each day is either a thoughtful TREAT or a nostalgic TASK to get Callie out of the house and out of Grinch mode 🌟!

The only wrench in Anita’s plan is that she suddenly has to go away for work and cannot do the challenges with Callie as planned. So sub in an adorable baker named Marco who is also repairing a broken heart and the holidays may not be so bad after all for Callie!

This book is totally charming, swoon worthy, witty and magical and the idea of an advent calendar challenge is brilliant! I was just as invested in each daily treat/task as Callie was and I loved following along in all the fun holiday activities and entertainment 🎄!

Read this if you love:
❄️ small town romance
❄️ Hallmark movie vibes
❄️ holiday baking
❄️ cheesy puns
❄️ meet cutes
❄️ friends to lovers

Thank you kindly to @hannahmarymckinnon @vikingbooks @penguinrandomca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on October 22, 2024 and is a must read for your holiday TBR!

This book was a sugary delight. It touched all the bases: charming small town, “forbidden” romance, second chances, and let’s not forget the Christmas setting. It was everything I didn’t know I wanted. The romance is light, with no open door scenes, so if you’re looking for spicy, this is not your jam. But, if you’re looking for an easily readable palate cleanser between heavier or darker reads, this might be the thing. Strongly recommended on a snowy winter afternoon paired with some cocoa.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is the story of Callie. She moves to a new city with her longtime boyfriend after she gets hired at his company. But after a few months Oliver dumps her for someone else. Callie ends up moving in w her sister, Anita. Callie is devastated by the breakup and is in no mood to celebrate Christmas. To cheer Callie up, Anita puts together a Christmas advent calendar of boxes filled with either a task or a treat.

Callie estaba en una relación con Oliver, eran novios de toda la vida, tenían juntos diez años como novios más los años de amistad, hasta que el maldito cobarde la hizo que se mudara a otra ciudad y que consiguiera trabajo en la misma empresa para dejarla semanas después y seis meses después pedirle matrimonio a su nueva novia.

La pobre Callie estaba desconsolada, obviamente por lo que le hizo su ex sino también por la forma en como lo hizo y además, tiene la presión de que sus familias son amigas y tienen la esperanza de que regresen.

Anita, la hermana de Callie, le hace un calendario de adviento en el que cada día deberá realizar actividades que la saquen de su zona de confort y que la diviertan.



Disfrute todo, excepto lo que pasó en la cita con el bombero, se me hizo injusto para Marco. Ojalá se modifique esa parte del beso.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Callie's sister, Anita, puts together an advent calendar challenge to get Callie back into the Christmas spirit. Upon doing the daily tasks, Callie slowly finds her happiness. 

I loved Holly Cassidy's The Christmas Wager so I knew this year's festive installment was going to be a goodie too. The sisterly challenge was so much fun and the romance was incredibly sweet. I adored this Hallmark type read. It was exactly what I needed and left me with a huge smile on my face by the end. If you're after a perfect holiday book, look no further.

The premise is cute, the overall story is cute; however I just couldn't stop thinking about the things that bugged me about the book. Namely the overuse of the word bauble. I wish the author could have described any other Christmas decor other than baubles over and over and over again. I couldn't get past the window being open in December in upstate New York. An accidental door left open too long could have brought the same silly mishap. Lastly is just personal with getting a cat from a breeder. I just can't get on board with it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy
Expected Publication date: October 22, 2024

Date read: July 12, 2024



All Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. She's still reeling from being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and under no circumstances will she go home for the holidays considering her ex will be right next door with his new, perfect partner. Callie is officially in grinch mode, but her meddling sister, Anita, won’t let her give up on life, love, and Christmas quite so easily. So Anita stages a Christmas intervention for Callie with a homemade Advent calendar challenge—cheerful tasks to push Callie out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit, inspired by a childhood tradition. Callie reluctantly plays along, but when she comes face-to-face with a charming baker who just might be the spoonful of sugar she needs, her strict rules on love and the holidays are tested. As they strike a deal to do the activities together, could the twenty-four little doors on Callie’s Advent calendar not only open up one, but two closed-off hearts?

You know how sometimes, after you've had a long, stressful day, you just want to sit back with a hot chocolate and throw on the latest Hallmark Christmas Romance and unwind? Well, that's what this is, except in book form.

There's nothing super complex in this story, and it's incredible predictable, and pretty cheesy (the two towns mentioned are Fallbrook and Pineville, which are just about as eye-rollingly Hallmark as you can get). And yet, it's also all pretty adorable and like a sweet little hug after a tough day.

I liked both main characters a lot - they were both sweet and fun and I enjoyed Callie's clumsiness. Marco is just the perfect sweet guy who comes to her rescue, but isn't pretentious about it. The "villains" of the book - Callie's ex-boyfriend, Oliver, and her boss, Grant - are just as horrible as they need to be, but never feel truly over the top. (Grant's sexism made me so mad, though!).

Overall, this is just a cute Hallmark Christmas romance that's an easy read for when you're feeling stressed or trying to get into the holiday spirit. Not the kind of book if you're looking for surprises or a lot of substance, just an enjoyable, predictable romance. Recommended for readers who love romance, and especially for those who look forward to Hallmark Christmas movie season every year.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Content warning: sexism, gaslighting

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

Emoji review: 💔❄️👭🐱🎁📆🧁🎄🧀🛷

One word review: Loved!

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 • 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 • 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘧𝘴 • 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘺 • 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 • 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 • 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 • 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 • 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘴, 𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘴 • 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 • 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 • 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 • 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 • 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 • 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘴 •

💭: This book took me by surprise, I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did.

I devoured it in one day and plan to re-read it once published. Future buddy read anyone?

I needed a “feel-good” and heartwarming story as I was in a bit of a slump.

I’m sad to say I finished this book rather quickly and now have my first ever “bookish” hangover.

The Christmas Countdown is a must read for anyone looking for a comfort read, that checks all the boxes for a great rom-com.

The Christmas Countdown is a heartwarming cozy romance perfect for the holiday season! After being dumped by her boyfriend of ten years, Callie is in no mood to celebrate the Christmas season and just wants to be left alone to heal her wounds. Her sister is going home for the holidays, and not only wants Callie to be there, she really does want to lift her spirits. Resurrecting a childhood tradition of a homemade Advent calendar, Anita pushes Callie into the holiday spirit with some tasks from their childhood favorite memories. Callie finds a partner who also is shying away from the holidays this year to help her with her tasks. Will they both find more than just some holiday spirit along the way?
A Hallmark movie type of book with more sweet than spice will have you longing for a hot chocolate and a croissant! Full of fun pun humor, sweet baked goods, a too good to be true partner in crime (Marco), tender moments, and a lot of sisterly love this book makes for a great way to kick off your holiday season!

This was a DNF for me tried a few times to continue it but just wasn't for me. Lots of good review though seems if you like cozy, sweet holiday books this will be for you. I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the arc just not the book for me for will always recommend someone else to give it a try.

After a break-up with her long-term boyfriend, our MC, Callie, finds herself in anything but the holiday spirits. To get her out of the slump and comfort zone, her sister, Anita, hatches a plan to fill the weeks leading up to the Christmas with fun, holiday activities with the help of the adorable baker Marco, This would absolutely make a wonderful holiday read! The main complaint was that the ending & resolution felt a bit rushed.

- Cozy, winter vibes that truly made me excited for Christmas even months in advance
- Low spice but high cheese
- Great female friendship dynamics (between sisters and friends) & family antics!
- Love to see accountant representation in books!
- Pun & sweets-filled

If you like Hallmark Christmas movies, this book is for you!
Sweet story, lots of puns, cheese factor & happy ending-it’s all there.

While this is not totally my style, it was well written, plotted creatively and the characters were sweet.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons Publisher, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is such a cute holiday romance 🥰 Callie's given up on love after her EX of 10 years broke her heart and Marco has been burned by his ex, so they are both anti-love and anti-Christmas this year. This novel is full of fun holiday/winter cheer and activities such as sledding, festive singing, cookie baking and so much more. If you enjoy Hallmark movies and sweet holiday romances this is a must read for 2024.

I felt the ending was rushed that why this is 4 out of 5⭐️

Thank you Putnam and Netgalley for the ARC.

Publication: October 22nd, 2024

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

cute Christmas romance ❄️🎄❄️🎄

This is my second romance Christmas book of hers and it never fails.
I enjoyed the story, Callie is not the biggest fan of Christmas she still trying/getting over being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, and she does not want to go home for Christmas because her ex lives next door. Her sister Anita is not letting her give up on Christmas just yet, so she makes the Advent calendar challenge. will she get in the Christmas spirit or possibly learn to fall in love with someone along the way?

it gives hallmark vibes but the best way possible 🎄❄️🌟❤️

Thank You Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam| G.P. Putnam's Sons

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas books aren't always my cup of tea. They just always have a hallmark vibe and while that's not necessarily bad sometimes it just gets overplayed for me. That's what this was for me. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.

Several months after being dumped by her boyfriend of a decade, Callie is still struggling with a broken heart. Callie’s sister, Anita, is determined to get her out of her funk and into the Christmas spirit. She’s revised their family Advent calendar tradition and filled the daily gift boxes with treats and tasks. Callie grudgingly accepts the challenge.

I thoroughly enjoyed this uplifting Christmas romp. All the tasks seemed so fun, and I loved reading as Callie opens up to the delightful Marco and finds herself again. This story will captivate your heart and make you long for the holidays.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.