This was such a cute Christmas story. I love a book that includes sisters & the added treat and task advent calendar challenge from one sister (Callie & Anita) to another was such a treat & so unique.
I felt like this book was more about finding yourself after the end of a long relationship. Callie learned who she was without Oliver ( her ex) They had been together since high-school and she had to learn who she was without him. Seeing Callie happy with a new job, a new love interest & Christmas spirit was heartwarming & found this book felt like the perfect hallmark Christmas movie . I thank NetGalley, the author & the publisher for my arc copy. My thoughts are my own

I loved this concept of an Advent calendar of alternating gifts and activities! My family always did an Advent calendar growing up, so it was fun and nostalgic to read about.

I loved Callie's relationship with her sister. Her sister was so sweet to work so hard to cheer Callie up after her recent breakup. Marco was also adorably supportive as they got closer.

Overall a fun, entertaining read perfect for the holiday season.

⭐️ 4,75

I loved this one so much! I‘ve read the other Christmas book by this author last year and it was the only Christmas book I actually enjoyed so I was super excited to read this one and it didn‘t disappoint one bit.
The characters were great. I could feel what they felt, I understood what they went through and there was no unnecessary out of character drama or whatnot.

I hope we will get a lot more Christmas books from this author, I will read every single one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc!

After being unceremoniously dumped, Callie is ready to call out this Christmas. Fortunately, her sister Anita won’t let her be a total Grinch, forcing her to participate in an old family tradition- a Christmas Advent calendar. Only this isn’t your typical countdown. With each day that inches closer to Christmas, each activity takes Callie just a little bit further out of her comfort zone.

As Callie tackles her daily duties and curmudgeonly carries out the Christmas cheer, she finds herself slowly warming to the holiday spirit. Meeting a hot baker doesn’t hurt in turning up the heat either. Soon the pair are tackling tasks together. With the countdown on, can they find their way to love in time for Christmas?

The Christmas Countdown is a sweet holiday read that mixes in a dollop of romance. Though nothing new or exciting, just like Christmas itself, its up a warm message might not be a memorable one, but it’s fun and festive all the same.

This has probably been one of my favorite Christmas books that I have read so far in 2024! I loved the concept of an advent calendar that has both gifts and tasks to complete within it. It made me want to do something like this in the future (but we all know that I’ll probably be way too tired in the future to even remember this concept LOL).

Marco and Callie were absolutely perfect for each other and I do wish that there was no third-act conflict, because it really could have been avoided… The puns were a lot, I personally enjoyed them because I was completely there for the cheesiness of this book, however if you think puns are dumb…this book will definitely not be for you my friend!

Getting to watch the personal and emotional growth that Callie goes through as the story progresses was extremely satisfying as well as super heartwarming. We love a FMC who grows and still can acknowledge that they are not perfect or "fixed."

Also – small side note – Grant and Oliver SUCK.

Thank you so much to Putnam for this advanced copy on NetGalley! 🤍

This book was good. Nothing crazy. It took me awhile to get through it because it was too slow for my liking.

The banter between Callie and Marco was a bit awkward and I could never fully get behind their romance. The one-dimensional characters were hard to root for.

It is a light holiday read that would be enjoyable on a cozy snowy day. The Swiss references were interesting and the fun winter activities helped to increase my rating of this book.

Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC.

3.25 stars

This book was so sweet and the perfect Christmas read. I absolutely loved the relationship between Callie and her sister Anita. This book had me laughing out loud in some parts Anita was a hoot.

"I’ll do anything to have you in my life, and I hope you want to be in mine.”
"Want us to write a new chapter? How about a new book?”
"Neither of those are enough. If you’ll share it with me, Callie, I’d be like us to have the whole damn library.”

This was a cute holiday romance! I loved reading about how Callie has to go on all the adventures with her sister’s advent calendar! The relationship between her and Marco was so sweet to read. I liked how supportive he was of her. The way the two of them share their love of puns had been falling in love with them! I will say that the ending got a little bit messy with all of the drama that unfolded. I do wish that Callie could’ve seen the red flags in her relationship with Oliver.
That being said, I loved the HEA at the end!

Read if you like:
3rd person heroine’s POV
Holiday romance
Advent calendar challenges
Swoony hero
Closed door romance
Baker hero
Jealous ex
Meddling sister

This book came along at the perfect time for me. It is exactly what I needed during the stressful holiday season. I can't recommend it enough.

What a fun holiday romance!

I loved everything about this book. The only think I didn't like was that it ended. lol. I would loved to have stayed with these character for so much longer.

It has great family dynamics, great love story without it being too "love at first sight", and a great character arc for the FMC.

I do wish it would have had a bit more on the page about their chemistry, but it does do a great job a letting you know they are VERY into each other.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

For the upcoming holiday season, Callie wants to do nothing but sit in her apartment and come back out in the new year. Still dealing with a broken heart, she is doing her best to avoid Christmas. Her sister, Anita, has other ideas and creates her a holiday adventure calendar full if adventure and gifts. As she starts, she meets Marco, who might be the extra magic to get her out of her shell. Agreeing to help him with business accounting, Marco steps in to be her calendar buddy when Anita has to go out of town. As they make their way through all of the activities, could this be what Callie needs to open her heart back up to love again?

I wish someone would make me a holiday advent calendar with adventures. This concept was so fun to follow. It was great seeing just how much Callie changes through the book. All of the characters truly fit together perfectly. This was a wonderful holiday romance.

Thank you Net Galley, Holly Cassidy and Penguin Group Putnam and for the advanced copy for my honest review.

Holiday reads with all the festive feels are my jam & The Christmas Countdown did NOT disappoint. When I say I devoured this book, I mean it. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

Callie usually loves Christmas, but after this past year she's decided to forgo the whole season. She's in full on Grinch-mode (though Grinch's are usually meaner). She moved from her hometown with her childhood sweetheart and was dumped just weeks later. Now she's living with her sister, Anita, but still working at the same company as her ex.

When Callie declines coming home for the holidays because Oliver and his new gf would be RIGHT NEXT DOOR, Anita creates an amazing advent challenge to cheer her up. The gifts alternate Treat days and Task days. As she completes each day, Callie begins to find herself & the magic of the season she thought was lost.

I loved watching Callie find her footing as she comes back to self. Yes, there's romance and holiday fun, but my favorite part of this book was Callie's growth. She learns to lean in to what makes her happy & who she really is. She learns to be more assertive & stand up for what she actually wants. She learns that she's not nearly as alone as she's felt this last year. And I'm here for it allllllll.

Thank you to Holly Cassidy & NetGalley for the ARC of The Christmas Countdown. I loved this story & will be glad to recommend it to anyone who wants a feel good tale to set the mood for the season.

This was so good. So Callie is living with her sister Anita after a breakup. To cheer Callie up and get her in the Christmas spirit, Anita makes a life sized advent calendar with fun things to do and ways to help others. Then Anita has to leave for 3 weeks for work but Callie meets Marco and as they become friends, he helps her complete these things.

I love the warmth of this story. I think it helped me get into the Christmas spirit a bit more myself. Callie learns to value herself throughout and I eat so proud of her for standing up (FINALLY) at work and in her personal life. I could see the way things were going to go with her ex Oliver and I did see it come true, but I'm glad she realized what she really wanted.

The romance is cute, they both loved puns so that gave me giggles, and after one of my favorite scenes at the retirement home.. The (although it's fade to black) physical aspect of their relationship felt a natural course at the moment it happened.

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy is exactly as cute as the cover, fluffy Christmas romance full of cuteness and holiday.
It was a great romance to read, and our main female character actually is smart and doesn't make stupid errors to drive the story forward. It's a perfect holiday romance. I recommend.

I was able to read this thru NetgGalley and the publisher. It is a great read for the holiday season. Definitely a Rom-Com but has a some depth to the characters. I was engaged throughout because it also was an original concepts of the main female character having some Advent tasks and treats to help her break through her sadness.

Holly Cassidy’s The Christmas Countdown is a delightful holiday romance that perfectly captures the magic and charm of the season. With a warm blend of heartfelt emotion, humor, and festive cheer, it’s an engaging read for fans of Christmas-themed stories.

After breaking up with her long time boyfriend, all Callie wants for Christmas is to hibernate. Her sister, Anita has different plans in the firm of an advent calendar full of Christmas themed challenges. Instead of letting Callie be a grinch, she wants her to put herself out there and find the joy of the holiday season again. With the help of local baker, Marco, will Callie be able to find her holiday spirit again?

I loved the advent calendar challenges and thought this was such a clever take on a holiday romance. Cassidy’s writing is vivid and cozy, bringing the small-town holiday setting to life with twinkling lights, snowy streets, and all the yummy holiday treats. The playful banter between Callie and Marco, especially the puns, is one of the book’s highlights, making their growing relationship feel authentic and heartfelt.

While the story follows some familiar tropes of the genre, Cassidy injects fresh energy and wit, keeping it from feeling overly predictable. Overall, The Christmas Countdown is a charming and uplifting holiday read, perfect for curling up with a cup of cocoa. Cassidy balances romance and humor with just the right amount of seasonal spirit, making this book a lovely addition to any Christmas reading list.

Thank you PRH Audio Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love this. I adored it. I read it in one night. It's very cute. It's a fun christmas read , kelly lives in new york with her sister out of necessity after following her high school/ college/ boy next door boyfriend to New York and it not working out very quickly. Thereafter, she's not in the mood for Christmas, not in the mood for anything really? I'm gonna tell her sister, I need A. Who sounds like a really fun girl? Decides to make her an old-fashioned advent. Calendar to get her out of her funk. Along the way, there's some job Strife. We meet a couple boys. We learned more about her past I. Enjoyed this one and I would totally recommend it for someone as a quick holiday read

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am fully in the Christmas spirit and reading just about every Christmas romance I can get my hands on, and this one did not disappoint. It was a quick and easy read that I finished in a day. The advent calendar challenges and treats created by Anita to get Callie back in the Christmas spirit were so fun and really added to the holiday feels since they were all Christmas themed. I also really appreciated how even though Callie was still hurting from her recent breakup from a decade-long relationship and cautious about getting back out there, she did so in her own way (or partly Anita's way with the advent challenges). She didn't spend half the book pining or plotting how to get her ex back, and she also didn't go hunting for something new. It came gradually with the way her friendship with Marco and the time they spent together sparked into more. It was cute, cheesy as expected, heartwarming, and has all the Christmas vibes. I found myself smiling to myself in the middle of the coffee shop where I was reading because it was just so cute. Big fan of all the puns. 3.75 that gets rounded up to 4 bc it was cute and I enjoyed it.

I LOVE an advent calendar theme! This one did not disappoint 😀 So many fun treats and tasks were set out for Callie to bring back her Christmas spirit and help her get over her ex. Along the way, she finds her confidence again, which was exciting to witness. It's easy to cheer for Callie throughout the book!

3.75/5. Super cute, reads like a Christmas hallmark movie. Callie has become a Scrooge after her 10 year boyfriend dumped her and is already dating again. Callie’s sister Anita brings the Christmas cheer by making her complete Christmas themed advent calendar with all the festive activities…Except Anita has to unexpectedly go out of town for work, so her new friend Marco (and incredibly hot baker) helps her complete the challenges. Sparks fly and the snow is melting!

Thank you publisher GP Putnam Sons, author Holly Cassidy, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review