Second chance romance? Count me in!

I loved this book so much, and the fact it's holiday themed? Obsessed with it! This was a cozy hallmark style type of romance book that just had you feeling good and in love the entire time while reading it. It had the perfect amount of cute and cozy with the right about of romance to it. I loved reading these characters growing and coming into themselves and finding each other again, especially around the holidays.

This one made me feel so warm and fuzzy, I loved every minute of it!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

2024 Christmas in July

For me, this lacked the magic of the Bright Falls series. In it, Astrid was my favorite. These two remind me of Iris, who I severely disliked.

My problem with second chance romance, and I realize this is a very personal problem, is that once I leave you behind, you remain behind. Don't feel bad for these people. They've had more than multiple chances at this point to get their act together, and then don't. And then act shocked when I cut them off. So that is what I truly don't comprehend about this romance genre.

Lola is unlikeable, but in the closed off way that I am also unlikeable, so I liked her a smidgen more than Bright. Bright is very wide-eyed, open, and in my eyes, naïve. I don't have a lot of sympathy for characters like this. While their engagement and subsequent breakup was both of their faults, I think Bright should've spoken up when she was unhappy. On the other side of that, Lola should've seen it coming. She did see it coming. She chose to ignore it.

So while it may have been entertaining for some to watch these two come back together, with some well-placed shenanigans to boot, I just didn't buy it. By the end, I just didn't care. Don't worry. I'm not writing off Ashley's books. This just wasn't the one for me. The cover is really something else, though.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley

If you like second-chance romance and holiday-themed books then you need to check this one out. This is a cute read both of the main characters are musicians with one being in an orchestra and the other being in a band. One of the fmc Charlotte was left at the alter by the other fmc Brighton and a Christmas season holiday get-together with Charlotte's orchestra friends brings her back in forced proximity with Brighton. I thought the coziness of this book was so well done and I loved how the author wrote the friendships between the characters. I liked the romance I just had a tough time moving past the left at the alter aspect of the book. There are some steamy scenes, family issues, music, and holiday fun which makes for a good read. Thank you to the publisher for this arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Sapphic romance
- Second chance
- Holiday theme
- Cozy romance

4.5 stars. A sweet second chance romance in which childhood friends and exes get stuck together at Christmas. Featuring lots of music, as one of them plays in a string quartet and the other is a singer songwriter.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Make the Season Bright was the PERFECT cozy winter read -- I loved every second of it, and if you're a fan of sapphic romance -- make sure this one is on your list to read this Winter!!

A perfect slice of holiday cheer, Lola and Brighton’s love story will be perfect for helping readers get into the festive season.

What Blake does best is write friendships- the kind of friends that anyone would love are always featured in her books. Blake also does an amazing job of establishing a sense of community. This reader would love to be a Two Turtledover!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ashley Herring Blake's Bright Falls series has been one of my favorites ever since I accidentally happened across Delilah Green Doesn't Care a couple years back. I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of the newest book by one of my favorite authors. Make the Season Bright did not disappoint! As always, her characters are very relatable in their imperfect ways. I'll definitely be recommending this as a feel-good holiday romance this upcoming season.

Super cute! I love this author and I’m a sucker for a winter/Christmas themed story, so this one was a no-brainer for me. Will absolutely be recommending this to my patrons!

I really enjoyed this book. As a woman who went gray very early, I appreciated having a MC who also went gray early.

I love sapphic romances so this was great. Super fun & the spice was really good. I also love the cover so that’s a big plus. I recommend for Christmas!

rating: 3.75

i'll preface my review by saying that i'm not a big fan of second chance romance, but if that's your jam then i think you'll enjoy this.

the cozy hallmark christmas vibes were fun, there was some surprisingly steamy spice, and a lot of angst as these two try to get over their personal hurdles to find their way back to each other. i did enjoy the aspect of them both being musicians 🎵

where can i find a cute christmas town that does their own two turtledoves holidates irl???

I've always enjoyed Ashley Herring Blake's writing style. Her books are relatable in so many ways. The characters aren't perfect, they felt so real for that reason. I loved the main characters in this one and all of the holiday vibes! It truly had me feeling so deeply for all of the characters, plus a few laughs along the way. Beautiful and engaging book! A refreshing holiday read, I read this for my Christmas in July themed reading.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Another amazing book from Ashley Herring Blake. The characters are so nuanced and read like normal people. The way they work through their problems is lovely. This was the perfect book for getting out of a slump and for Christmas in July! If you like the Bright Falls series by Ashley Herring Blake you will also enjoy this.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 In a battle of Charlotte versus the holiday season, December might just be winning the battle again. It’s hard to be a Christmas person when you don’t have family and the closest you got to having it was with the fiance who left you at the altar five years ago. When her friend invites her to spend the holidays with her family alongside the picturesque Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Charlotte has a glimmer of hope that perhaps this Christmas may indeed be more magical than the rest…until the woman who broke her heart shows up at the same house. Make the Season Bright is a beautiful second-chance holiday love story resounding with the sentiment of found family that will absolutely have you rooting for Charlotte and Brighton. Thank you so much for this magical tale that made for a special Christmas in July ❤️.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

This was a welcome return to form for Ashley Herring Blake after I was left disappointed by Iris Kelly Doesn't Date! I really enjoyed this bi4bi Hallmark Christmas movie vibe second chance romance and felt like the breakup and way they work through it in the present made sense for the characters, I just wish the final bits didn't feel so rushed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC!

Christmas in June 3/3!

This was a sweet second chance romance about two musicians who were childhood best friends and nearly got married as young women. Fiction has led me to believe there will be more last minute cancelled weddings than there actually are! Through shenanigans, they are thrown together 5 years later, at Christmas, in Colorado. Do they get snowed in at some point? Maybe.

I enjoyed this - you feel a lot of sympathy for both main characters, but for some reason I wasn't getting the full cozy Christmas vibes I was hoping for. I also missed Bright Falls, the small town Ashley Herring Blake's past books were set in. Still, this was an enjoyable read, and if you liked the Bright Falls books, you might get into this one too!

4.5*

Ashley Herring Blake can't miss the mark. Her stories are rich with complex and varied characters, navigating familiar and unexpected problems. Her representation of all kinds of queerness drive the heart of the heart of the story and truly make me feel seen.

I loved Bright and Lola's story, their journey through many familiar life challenges. From friendship, to family, to love, their highs and lows feel real and all the more impactful for it.

It was such a joy to see them both grow together and independently, and of course, Blake is the master of spicy scenes!

Ashley Herring Blake has done it again! I don't know how she managed to make the reader sympathize with a character who leaves someone at the altar but here we are. I loved both Charlotte and Bright, even when I didn't agree with some of the decisions they made. As usual, one of the highlights of this book was the friend group, and this one was great. I love that Blake shows the importance of having a strong support system, one that is separate from your romantic relationship. Don't miss this one!

Ashley Herring Blake has never missed a day in her life. This book? Stunner. I loved the cathartic emotional journey this book took for both main characters, paced perfectly for the second chance circumstance of the book. It did not feel like instalove. The flashbacks gave depth and context that allowed the moments in their present timeline to flourish and feel impactful. Gorgeous book.

There's nothing like reading a Christmas book on the Summer Solstice. Ashley Herring Blake knocks the romance genre out of the park. It was so fun getting to know a whole new set of characters, set in a Hallmark-esk town during the holidays. I loved everything about this book and cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy. There was so much good angst and pining and love and heartbreak. Normally I hate when the worst comes between the couple towards the end but it was done so beautifully in this book, I will definitely be picking it up again during the holiday season.