Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I feel like it’s a personal mission of mine every year to read and enjoy as many holiday romances as possible. I just love them and my holiday reading guide is one of my favorite things to put together year after year. I’ve read books by this author before, and I think this one was cute. It definitely was the one that held most of my interest and I enjoyed dipping into the audiobook when I couldn’t eyeball read it. It was relatively light hearted and festive, perfect if you like your Christmassy books on the Hallmark side of things.

Also, I was totally caught off guard by Buffalo and the Buffalo Sabres being mentioned so much. I mean, they’re not even good this year!

Synopsis:

“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.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?” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The idea of the Challenge—I love the premise of a grumpy person who isn’t feeling the holiday magic having to do something festive every day. It’s something I like to challenge myself to do! And I liked the balance between treats and activities.

The Romance—I really liked Marco! I thought their chemistry was natural and I liked how they were able to help each other with their trust and worth issues.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Overall, a little cheesy for me and oddly, I felt like there should have been a bit more meddling from the people around them!

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Content Warnings:

gaslighting, infidelity, misogyny, emotional abuse

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. I LOVED this idea that Callie's sister puts together for her during the holidays. As kids, Callie and Anita had a tradition of doing an advent calendar together. This year, with a hard breakup, Anita creates advent calendar of tasks and gifts for Callie to do to get her in the holiday spirit. During the days, Callie is able to open her heart up to the handsome chef Marco and they end up doing most of her tasks together. Callie helps Marco with his business finances and she discovers a big financial discrepancy that will change his business. This book made me want to create an advent calendar to do every year!

This was such a sweet and fun holiday romance, and it got me right into the Christmas spirit!

Callie wants to hibernate while she nurses her broken heart, but her sister Anita has other plans for her. She created an advent calendar full of treats and tasks to get Callie in the holiday spirit, and hopefully convince her to go back home for Christmas.
I loved the introduction to Marco, and their chemistry was off the charts right from the start. It was fun to watch him complete the tasks along with her, and see their feelings grow.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

This was such a fun book to get me in the holiday mood! I picked this one as my first holiday read and it did not disappoint!

I adored the sister relationship and the fun daily advent activities/treats Callie's sister created for her to get her into the holiday spirit. Some cookie baking and snow sledding is just the recipe for a sweet Christmas romance too!

Loved it and definitely recommend

In The Christmas Countdown, Callie’s sister Anita creates an advent calendar challenge to get her in the spirit and out of a post-breakup slump.

The countdown alternates “task” days with “treat” days. And on Callie’s first task day, she winds up at a Christmas tree farm where she meets pun-loving chef Marco (the ultimate treat).

As the Christmas Countdown progresses, Callie confidence grows and she discovers that her future is more than just a “foregone conclusion”. Especially when it’s one she shares with Marco.

All the feels! All the love! I think I may have been a bit Grinchy myself before picking this one up. But the Christmas Countdown was just what I didn’t know I needed. Excellent plot. Excellent storytelling. Chef’s kiss.

Holly Cassidy’s "The Christmas Countdown" is a delightful holiday romance filled with charm and festive cheer. The story follows Callie, who is trying to heal after a painful breakup. To help her rediscover the joy of the season, her sister suggests she complete an Advent calendar packed with fun, seasonal activities. During this journey, she meets Marco, a kind-hearted baker who becomes her partner in the holiday challenges. Their shared adventures gradually build a connection that grows into a sweet and heartfelt romance.

The characters are easy to root for and feel genuine. Callie’s transformation from heartache to happiness is relatable, while Marco’s warm and caring nature adds a layer of comfort to the story. The plot keeps a nice rhythm, with each activity from the Advent calendar bringing new opportunities for Callie and Marco to bond. The festive backdrop and unique use of the Advent calendar bring a refreshing twist to the typical holiday romance. "The Christmas Countdown" is a wonderful choice for anyone looking for a feel-good, holiday-themed escape.

I really enjoyed the other holiday themed novel by Cassidy and highly recommend readers who enjoy romances set during the holidays, check it out. The Christmas Countdown is available now so grab a cozy blanket, a warm tea, cocoa, or coffee, and snuggle in with this one now!

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy is a sweet and sassy Christmas romance that is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. It centers around Callie, semi-recently dumped by her long-time boyfriend, who has no Christmas spirit this year. Her sister Anita decides to help her get it back by bringing back one of their favorite childhood traditions, the advent calendar. There are gifts and challenges with some of the challenges being pretty wild (I.e. doing a polar plunge sort of dunk in freezing cold water), but some of them lead her to friendships and possibly love. I found the book to be a bit slow toward the beginning, but as the gifts were opened, I was anxiously awaiting them right along with Callie.

The Christmas Countdown is my first book by Holly Cassidy and I absolutely loved it! It's a perfect book to get you into the Christmas spirit! The Advent calendar was so fun and I could not wait for the next task or treat to be revealed, which some had me laughing. I thought the cat was funny too and how she didn't like Callie. Marco was such a sweet person and how his and Callie's relationship developed was cute. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it if you like Christmas Hallmark Rom-coms with a bit of closed door romance.
Thank you NetGalley, Holly Cassidy, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for my advanced copy!

Callie wants to hibernate and mend her broken heart through the holiday season, but her sister has other plans. Anita refuses to let her sister give up on love and creates an Advent calendar for Callie, with one challenge a day to get her out of her comfort zone and into the holiday spirit. Callie is reluctant but participates, and when one challenge leads her to a charming baker, she might rethink her stance on love.
I loved the premise of the Advent calendar filled with fun challenges and holiday adventures! It was easy to root for Callie as she went through all of her challenges and I loved seeing her find joy and love again. This book has all of the fun holiday vibes and felt like a Hallmark movie in book form. This is a good one to read under a cozy blanket, by the tree/fire, with a cup of hot chocolate.
Thanks to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

What a delight! This story about a woman who had been getting over a breakup, and her sister creat d an advent calendar for the holiday was truly fun! The taste in the advent were both thoughtful and fun, and of course all the coincidences that happen along the way were so enjoyable!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

What a wonderful book!! I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I was so happy when it was released. I have recommended it to everyone I know!

2.5 ⭐ rounded down

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the eARC!

When it's Christmas, I'm always a sucker for seasonal/holiday romance novels. However, I will also admit that I judge romance novels very harshly. I understand it's a bit of a dichotomy, but it's just how I am. 🙃

This novel started off slow for me, ramped up in the middle, but let me down in the end. It was a rollercoaster, but the rushed, cliche ending where everything worked out too well with no effort really just took this down for me. I appreciated the unique approach of Anita to bringing Callie into the Christmas spirit with the cute advent calendar countdown with tasks and treats every other day. It's not something I've seen in a Christmas novel before, but it was super fun! The tasks weren't incredibly outlandish and the treats weren't wildly extravagant. It made the whole thing much more believable.

The "plot twists" (if you can call them that) were very predictable, but somehow, that's part of the appeal of a romance novel, I guess? I liked Marco, but I LOVED John and I wish we got more of him! I'm 100% invested in the little looks that happened between John and Hazel. If the author writes a spin-off about them, I will 100% read it, but other than that, I don't see myself picking up another Holly Cassidy book.

This was my first book by Holly and I enjoyed it very much. I
Loved the small town romance- it was cozy, cute and definitely a book that will put in a the holiday mood. The relationship between Kelly and her sister was so refreshing- the Christmas countdown was so adorable and very thoughtful. Makes you want to do it too! The self-reflection and growth that happened throughout the story was great! I really enjoy when there’s more depth to the characters and plot and this was definitely one of those books that carried the themes without overpowering the romance and plot. It was very well done. Marcus and Kelly were great together and I loved their chemistry. The “If you share it with me Kelly, I would like us to have a while damn library” had me swooning…The puns were so cheesy yet the best- it had me laughing out loud a couple of times.

The Christmas Countdown was the more unique book I have read this holiday season. I loved the countdown put together by her sister alternative treats and tasks to get her out of her comfort zone and out of her post breakup doldrums. It was fun to read about the challenges and also laugh along as she and Marco find a way through the holiday season together. I saw the complications coming a mile ahead but thats ok, it is expected in a holiday rom com and it made it less annoying when it happened. A fun book and interesting read.

This was such a cute Christmas romance! Callie was a wonderful main character who has been left reeling from an unexpected breakup. I really liked Callie and especially liked her relationship with her sister, Anita. Anita sets up an adventure calendar adventure for Callie that leads to more than she bargained for. This book not only has romance and Christmas vibes, but also personal growth, professional growth, and a great male romance interest. Definitely one you should pick up if you're looking for a quick holiday read!

This was very cute and read like a Hallmark movie. It follows Callie, who isn't really feeling the Christmas spirit after a bad break up. Her sister Anita creates an Advent calendar full of festive tasks in hopes of cheering her up and getting her home for the holidays. The tasks lead Callie to Marco, a super sweet and cute baker. The premise is super fun and definitely put me in the holiday spirit, but the writing kind of fell flat. It didn't necessarily need to be great, but sometimes this felt choppy and the character actions didn't always make sense. Like at one point Callie puts on a bikini to wear around the house for no reason. There's also a money laundering/tax fraud/cheating plot tacked on at the end to really make the third act conflict as convoluted as possible. My other big issue is how much Callie's mom and sister tried to control her life. They are barely held accountable, and her mother's behavior is especially atrocious. Still, if readers are looking for a cheesy, holiday romance, this is a fun and cute choice! It did what it had to do and would have a place at our library.

First thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an electronic arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Callie had a rough year and broke up with her boyfriend shortly after moving to a new city for him. She also works at the same company. She now lives with her younger sister and dreads the holidays especially after her ex boyfriend gets engaged to the new girlfriend quickly. Her younger sister tries to cheer her up with an advent calendar that includes treats and tasks. Will this bring back the holiday spirit?

What I liked: this book had a good amount of holiday spirit and charm with the chemistry. I also liked the self growth journey that Callie goes on throughout the book. Mateo was a fun character and what a holiday romance needs, someone who believes in good and kindness. He really helped Callie grow and drop some baggage she was carrying. Callie herself was a good character, cautious but her character development supported it. I loved the concept of a treat and task advent calendar. It made it more realistic. The book reads quickly and the vibes felt great while reading. There wasn’t too much angst or conflict and not too much cheese either.

I’m

Callie is tasked with an advent calendar thanks to her sister to help her get into the Christmas mood again. Marco, a handsome stranger, that she bumps into offers to help her out with these "tasks". This was such a cute Christmas book ! It has all the wintery vibes you could ask for. It was a fast pace book and it kept me entertained !

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun book. I really loved it!

4.5

I really enjoyed this holiday romance. We love a little meet cute moment and meddling sisters 😂! I loved the advant calender idea so much... I seriously thought about doing my own for my daughter to do next year. I enjoyed all the wintery/holiday themed things her sister had her doing, just seemed so fun. I love that our main character was able to grow from her break up and move on to better things all while no longer being upset about her ex. And of course I loved her new guy too! 😍 All the characters were fun and the story was a good time. I would definitely recommend this one for the holiday season.