I loved, loved, loved this book. Probably one of my favorite reads of the holiday season.
What I enjoyed:
- Sapphic Rom-Com, need I say more!
- The characters were wonderful
Can't wait to read more from this author.

2.5 stars rounded up

I liked the Christmas vibes of this, and I always love the found families that Ashley writes.

But this was not a good enough reason to come back to someone after they left at the alter.

Overall this was a solid book. I am a huge fan of Ashley Herring Blake so a Christmas novel was welcome. I didn’t love the conflict in this story. The two characters seemed toxic together and I wasn’t rooting for them to get back together. I was disappointed by the characters choices and the rom/com got a little too heavy and depressing for the light hearted holiday read I was looking for. That being said, I still feel like this was a good book and other people would have more interest.

I love a second-chance romance when it’s done well, when it’s a miscommunication from the past or they were too young to make it work. The right person at the wrong time, that sort of thing.

What I don’t love is “I left you at the altar because I wasn’t ready and I didn’t say anything but I just expected you to pick up on all my silent signs that I wasn’t ready to get married so anyway I’m leaving bye forever and I’ll never reach out after this heartbreaking and traumatizing event that I don’t want to deal with.”

Needless to say, it was hard for me to find Brighton a person who Charlotte would let back into her life. I instead wanted Charlotte to recognize that after all this time, they really weren’t compatible, because they weren’t. She had more character growth with her friends than she did with Brighton.

I feel bad for harping on this so much but it’s hard not to when this is the premise that the second-chance is based on.

Ashley Herring Blake had me so deep in my feels with this one. Second chance romances aren’t always my favorite, but when they’re done like this, that history just makes sense and feels necessary to push the couple towards their best future. I adored the side characters so much as well and I’d LOVE it if this became a new series🙏🏼

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Ashley Herring Blake delivers a cozy, emotionally layered second-chance holiday romance that leans into the tension and tenderness of unresolved love. I had high expectations, and she met them as always. Make the Season Bright is full of the kinds of moments I eat up in holiday reads- snowy intimacy, forced proximity, and delicious angst.

Charlotte and Brighton have an immediate spark (and a complicated history), and there’s a great balance here between soft and sweet but also sharp and vulnerable. It’s a short read, and while some parts moved a little quickly, the emotional payoff worked for me personally. Perfect if you're looking for something sapphic, seasonal, and full of unresolved tension finally getting its moment. This one is going right up there with Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun on my fave Christmas reads list.

Thanks so much to Berkley for an advanced copy of this book, I really loved it

Ashley Herring Blake is one of my favorite authors. I fell in love with her writing during the Bright Falls series and she immediately became an auto-buy author of mine.

I read this back in November, but with holiday chaos, I didn’t get a chance to write a review. If I don’t write a review quickly after reading, POOF- all my thoughts disappear, and I am only good for vibes.

I just re-read via audio to refresh my memory and give the story another go with Kristen DiMercurio. She is a phenomenal narrator. She always does a fantastic job bringing characters to life through. I am always in awe of how she can adapt her voice to make every character and story different from the last. I will listen to anything she narrates. I highly recommend anything that this pair works on together including the Bright Falls series in audio.

While I adore Blake, and specifically the Bright Falls series, this one wasn’t my favorite from Blake. I think it boils down to the fact of my expectations for holiday books; while this one had a seasonal atmosphere, it was very angsty. As a second chance romance, I should have expected the angst and set my expectations accordingly.

One thing I love about Ashley’s writing is how fully developed her characters are; they have flaws, quirks and their fair share of baggage. Out of all the characters she has written, having read all her adult novels, I found that Charlotte and Brighton were the hardest characters to like. (including Astrid) While we know why Charlotte is the way she is, her closed off demeanor for 75% of the book was a little tough. On the other hand, Charlotte is more open and charismatic, but it is hard to forgive her past actions. Similar to the characters in the book, as a reader I felt I also went through a journey of accepting and forgiving Brighton and Charlotte for their past actions.

TLDR: Not my favorite from Blake with a somewhat hard to root for second chance romance. However, the story is beautifully written with a cast of complex characters. Tough topics are handled with thoughtfulness and care. Listen via audio for a flawless performance from Kristen DiMercurio.
Content warnings- parental abandonment and neglect

Read if you like
•Sapphic romance, Singer & Songwriter (Brighton) X Violinist (Charlotte)
•Second chance romance (Blake’s angstiest to date)
•Childhood friends to lovers
•Dual POV
•Found family
•Holiday shenanigans
•Forgiveness & healing

I’m here for allll the holiday romance, and Ashley Herring Blake has stolen my heart once again. This was such a cute second chance holiday romance that features a slow burn love story between Charlotte Donovanand Brighton Fairbrook.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-holiday vibes
-sapphic romance
-second chance
-loveable characters

*many thanks to Berkley Romance, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

If I was left at the altar, hadn’t seen my ex in 5 years, and the first thing they did upon seeing one another again was antagonize me about not liking chili? I would become a serial killer so quickly. Brighton is the absolute worst.

What even was this. It should’ve been cute and cliche! Instead, these characters obviously do not belong together, need extensive therapy and to never speak to one another again. I think I’m done with Ashley Herring Blake, I’ve just not enjoyed her recent few books and I’m not willing to take a risk on her again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely adored this new book from Ashley Herring Blake. She knows how to write the perfect romances for my heart! A perfect and wonderful Christmas love story.

I loved the holiday vibes in this read! I don't normally read second chance romances but this one stole my heart. I enjoyed seeing the characters learn more about themselves, each other, & what really happened in their past. Seeing them fall back in love made my heart so happy. It was a great holiday romance reads with emotion depth & interesting character development.

I enjoy Ashley Herring Blake’s writing style as well as the plot in this book. I did not love the characters of this book much or find that they would work romantically at the end despite it ending happily.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Seasonal readers, add this to your winter holiday reads! The story is cute overall, but not my top fave by the author. It is also not my least favorite either. The spice is a slow burn in this one, which isn't unusual for the authors plot set up, though there is plenty of banter to hold you over. On my own spice scale, I would give it a 3/5.

If you also enjoy nostalgia or melancholy sprinkled into your holiday reads, this may also be up your alley and honestly improved the book rating for me.

If you adore second chances and the holiday season, this is your cup of seasonal delight with some romance! I loved the second chances with the holiday vibes and family angst. Great setting and this set up for a cute modern day Hallmark movie that I would watch. Thank you so much to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher!

I adored this holiday read. It's a delightful sapphic second chance romance. You can tell that both characters still have strong feelings. Life has thrown them some curveballs. They long for each other. Their love of music also bonded them. It evokes a lot of emotions while reading. And the angst!

This second chance sapphic romance was amazing. The story was sweet and I really felt for both Brighton and Charlotte. I could see how both their personalities led to the original breakup. I’m glad they abs able to try again with this Christmastime novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake! Thoroughly enjoyed this holiday romance!

I really wanted to like this book and had been dying for a good sapphic holiday book, but I went into it knowing a few friends of mine didn’t like it and sadly, I ended up agreeing. I just didn’t care for either character so I didn’t care enough to finish it so they could get their happy ending. Still a fan because I loved her first two, but this was down there with her last one for me. 😔

This book was incredibly disappointing. The gaslighting and the whole "left at the altar" situation felt manipulative and uncomfortable, and the romance dynamic was downright troubling. The way the relationship developed left me feeling uneasy, and I couldn’t get behind it at all. I honestly hope this kind of romance never finds its way into the lives of my loved ones. It just didn’t sit right with me.

Ashley Herring Blake does it every time! She never misses with heartfelt stories and complicated, lovable characters.