The perfect Christmas book to kick off the holiday season for my reading! I thought this short and sweet book had the perfect amount of second-chance romance and a cozy Christmas vibe. Two authors who used to date, stuck in a cozy Christmas Inn because of a snow-storm?! Love it! Sure it's not the most groundbreaking book ever to have been written - but I loved the banter, and the ending!! If you are looking for a cute, Christmassy book - especially a shorter book to help you hit that reading goal - I recommend it!

This book is exactly what you would expect from a second-chance romance book about two romance writers who are writing a second-chance romance while debating living their own second-chance romance…. You name a trope and it probably exists in this book. There were cute parts although I didn’t find the characters particularly relatable; they didn’t have much personality outside of their lust for the other. Not my style of book, but if you’re looking for a typical Christmas romance book, this could be one for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC!

This whole book was cute! It felt exactly like watching a hallmark movie but in the best way. I finished this in one day, its thing groundbreaking but it is a quick read perfect for the holiday season.

I’m slowly becoming addicted to Falon Ballard’s books! Each one just gets better and better!
This one, once I actually got into it, I devoured in a day. It was cozy, a snowstorm has them stuck in the adorable holiday inn together (in one room, mind you 😜). It was steamy with lots of flashbacks showing how connected and in sync Nick and Jess were.
She loves Christmas, he hates it
He knows he messed up and he’s still in love with her, she’s petty and wants to make him eat his heart out
I loved watching their character developments and the grand gesture … 💔 💔 💔
Once again, I say I just cannot wait to read another Falon Ballard book 😊

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this quick holiday rom com in which two rival romance writers might just get their second chance at love. I loved that the hero and heroine were both writers. And even though I don't normally enjoy second romances but I loved this one. I guess it was the magic of Christmas.

This was so sweet and fun! It’s like if Book Lovers had a holiday episode spin off. I loved that they got better at communicating throughout the story. I one thing that bothered me is that they never addressed specifically how he makes decisions for her without asking her. It annoyed me throughout the book and was one of the main reasons they broke up before. I wish they could have squashed that. But I had a good time!!

This was such a cozy winter read, but also deeper than I anticipated. It was a quick read but packed a punch in those pages. I really enjoyed the flashbacks and getting to know these characters. I normally like having the background information laid out for me but this time the slow reveal and being in the dark about aspects of it was very satisfying. This was definitely my favorite book by this author yet!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I read this book as part of my December hallmark reading of all the rom coms i could get my hands on. This book hits allll of the romance tropes and i found it perfectly short, sweet and enjoyable. Would recommend!

My favorite Falon Ballard book yet! This is a delightful mix of humor, romance, and emotional growth that delivers plenty of laughs. The protagonist’s journey of self-discovery is relatable, as she navigates love, career challenges, and the complexities of relationships. I appreciated the sharp, witty dialogue and character development which balance fun and emotion.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cute, sweet, festive fun! I love a romance about two romance authors. The chemistry between Nick and Jess is obvious -- especially when they *hate* each other. And their passion inspires their writing which helps break through writer's block and turns life into fiction and fiction into life as they come back together. Despite the clear chemistry, this is a bit of a slow burn but it's such a quick read I did not mind at all and the snowstorm/room mix-up that forces them to spend lots of time in close quarters really amps up the tension. I do wish we had more on the book they were writing together but overall it was the fluffy, romantic read I was hoping for and I really enjoyed it.

*forced proximity
*second chance
*rivals to lovers
*only one bed
*snowed in
*miscommunication

I love all of Falon's books honestly and this one is a perfect winter read, so get some cocoa, get cozy and get started!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for the DRC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Second chance romance tropes are not my favorite but this book really changed my mind. The best aspect is that you see their relationship from both their POVs which helps the reader understand what ultimately broke them up. Sometimes in relationships you have to choose between love or your career which is also a hard concept to introduce in a romance but it was perfectly written. There was rivalry since they were both romance writers but there wasn’t competition. I think this second chance romance was a great Christmas romance.

Exes who have to get together for a work function and get stranded together because of snow? Yes please.
This is such a fun and cute wintery novel. It’s on the shorter side and quite steamy.

I’m a huge fan of Falon Ballard and this one was no exception. It reads super quick which is honestly perfect for a holiday romance. I loved that this was the second chance and you got to actually see the before and the why things fell apart. The grumpy sunshine author pairing was perfect and like her other books the banter was spot on. It takes a little bit for things to get hot, but I think it’s worth it. I’m really glad I squeezed this one in this holiday season.!!

Thank you Putnam and Netgalley for the review copy. This was a relatively shorter Christmas read, with all the animosity of former lovers and professional rivals, combined into a “snowed-in with one room at the inn” read. I felt lukewarm about this book until the last 15% or so, which then changed my whole perspective on the story. I like Falon’s writing and will read more by her, and I think people who enjoy books about writers/romance writers, second chance romance, angsty exes, and being snowed in together will have a great time with this one.

Synopsis: Jess and Nick are bitter exes who haven't seen each other in five years until Jess is asked to present a writing award at their company's holiday party. And when they get snowed in and Jess doesn't have a room, it's Nick who offers her the extra space, forcing them together to deal with the problems they had ignored.

My take: I loved everything about this second chance romance. I'm a huge fan of Falon Ballard's storytelling and writing, so this wasn't a surprise at all. Plus, this has so many tropes I love - second chance, one bed, forced proximity -- and the two characters are both romance writers. I loved their banter and the intense sexual tension between these two who were both still hot for each other and also in love with each other (even though they wouldn't acknowledge it). It was such a cozy Christmas read that made me laugh and swoon. Definitely pick this one up if you want one last holiday read for the year!

This was a sweet holiday romance! Since it was so short, the pacing wasn't perfect, and a few moments were a little cheesy for me, but I always love Falon Ballard's romances and she does steamy scenes so well.

A fun holiday read! I am a sucker for a forced proximity, there’s only one bed at the snowy inn moment. I always look forward to Ballard’s releases and they always deliver!

This was an okay read, nothing groundbreaking. I always love how Fallon does banter, but the two characters weren’t doing it for me. It’s a good story for holiday season.

Ok this was cute!! I loved this story and finished it in one day! I wanted more! I loved the second chance romance and how they still loved each other, it was a bit too spicy for me, especially considering the length but I loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
256 pages

“𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝, 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 — 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 — 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬.”

@falonballard is a wiz at spicy scenes & we are blessed with many in this book. thank you to her for doing the smut lords work while still making this christmassy ❤️

jess & nick (no affiliation to new girl but of course it’s funny and pointed out in the book) have so much sexy banter in this one. i thoroughly enjoyed jess’s character so much. i thought she was a relatable character and super funny!

read this one if you like:
▫️second chance romance
▫️enemies to lovers
▫️one bed
▫️forced proximity
▫️she loves christmas & he hates it