I really, really enjoyed this second chance romance from Ashely Herring Blake. Charlotte and Brighton's love story was both heartwarming and emotional. I think that they are the perfect example of right person, wrong time. Seeing them mend their relationship was so beautiful. I do think that were some half-baked elements to this story that detracted from the romance, such as the partial fake-dating plot between Lola and Wes.

I loved the queer found family of it all and really loved the queer Christmas community events!!

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake features ex-fiancées who end up stuck in the same house for Christmas holiday fun. I chose the book because it has professional musician characters; the two women protagonists play violin (Charlotte/Lola) and guitar (Brighton). Charlotte is in a string quartet whose members are also all queer, and dare I guess they will have their own books later?

Aside from the various queer relationships, this was a pretty standard "city people go to small town for Christmas holiday and do All The Christmas Things and fall in love," or in this case back into love after a youthful relationship with each other went badly south. There's one massive coincidence in that Charlotte, who lives in NYC, and Brighton, who lives in Nashville, each knows one of the two sisters who invite them to Colorado for the holiday, but I went with it because that is not what this story was really about, lol.

Once in Colorado, they learn their hostess has signed them all up (two daughters, the main couple, and the other three string players) for a holiday dating event called "Two Turtledoves," which involves such fun things as horseback riding, a cooking lesson, and decorating cookies. This is a terrific idea and it should be a real thing if it isn't already, it doesn't even have to be a dating thing, just a series of events you could sign up for like getting a concert subscription.

Anyway, spoiler alert, Lola and Bright get back together! And resolve their insecurities that kept them apart! What a great ending! Yes, I am a sucker for the occasional Holiday Romance. I enjoyed this book and will happily read more by this author.

I don't think it's a secret that I'm a big Ashley Herring Blake fan. I love cheesy sapphic romances with HEAs and one set at Christmas? Amazing. Make it friends to lovers to enemies(ish) back to lovers? I am sat. I'm currently trying to pull myself out of a massive reading slump and reading this book in December certainly helped. The main characters were complicated and well-fleshed out (some of the side characters, not so much). The steamy scenes were properly steamy and the adorable scenes made me go "awwww". Very much like an R-rated, extra-queer Hallmark movie.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Merry Christmas gay girls this one is for us! Ashley herring blake is one of my favorite authors and she never fails me. This second chance was full of angst and the perfect christmas read. Loved it!

I’m very picky when it comes to holiday romance novels, so I was a bit nervous when one of my favorite authors announced their next romance would take place during the Christmas season. But, unsurprisingly, Ashley Herring Blake does not disappoint when it comes to Brighton and Charlotte! While the story is full of holiday cheer and winter magic, it does not overpower the overall plot of this second chance romance. They even leave enough time to relish in their personal conflicts as well, such as the subplot revolving around Bright’s former band!

As for the audiobook, I have to admit that I found myself leaning toward the digital and physical copy more. While DeMercurio’s narration is full of life, I can’t help but wish there was another narrator helping tell the story. With so many characters, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of whether I’m listening to Lola or Bright’s side of the story. In addition, as someone who grew up with a musical ear, I find it jarring when an audiobook mentions music but reads out the lyrics. While I understand copyrights when it comes to mentioning songs that aren’t original, it always takes me out of the story. These are in no way narrator issues, but production ones! For this reason, I still think the audiobook is worth it if the reader is not able to read the physical or digital copy.

If you’re looking for a tension-filled romance with a dash of spice, be sure to grab “Make The Season Bright” this holiday season! Or any time if you’re not a mood reader like me.

I've read two of three in Ashley's Bright Falls series and absolutely devoured them both. Unfortunately this lacked the spark those have, so I put it down at about 30%. The chemistry wasn't there and I their relationship woes got a little tedious. I'm quicker to put down holiday romances since there is a very short window in which to read them and I don't want to waste my time on one I'm not enjoying. If you haven't tried Ashley's non-holiday romances, please do! They're charming, cozy, and full of fantastic characters.

I’m a lover of second chance romance in books! I was a little worried about the leaving at the alter part, cause that seems unforgivable. I did love the walks down memory lane and then finally letting it all out and being honest.

I loved the dating events they were forced to participate. It was so silly and fun!

I will say, there were a lot of names and people to keep track of, and it took me a minute to remember who was who… but it was a fun holiday book!

I love a good second chance book and this did not disappoint. Five years ago, Brighton left Charlotte at the altar, which had repercussions on both of their lives that they were still dealing with when a series of random events and invites had them reuniting for Christmas. Even though they try to ignore their past, life has a different plan for them and the two are forced to reconcile with their past to try to ensure they could have a future together.

Even though this didn't take place in Bright Falls, we still got to enjoy the small town feeling when Lola and Bright went with their respective friends (who happened to be sisters) back to their hometown fore the holidays. And apparently I'm a sucker for that as well. I did like how both women realized they were wrong in some aspect with their initial relationship although my heart went out to Lola a bit more since I don't think anyone really tried to understand how much it sucked having a mother who didn't care about you at all. Because that hurts. Still she was mature enough to know that she couldn't take it out on everyone else and tried to better herself.

I also enjoyed the musical background through the book and how it helped to bring the two women back together. Another winner from Blake and I can't wait for the next one.

I am a big fan of Ashley Herring Blake and Make the Season Bright is yet another banger! I loved this second chance romance set in Colorado during the holiday's. What can be more conducive for a reconciliation than a beautiful snowy mountain getaway?

Ashley Herring Blake writes queer romance like no other. I always enjoy how diverse her characters are and how she captures the queer experience with such care. The humor and love that we see from the side characters make the story all the more enjoyable and the found family aspect is Chef's kiss perfect.

I will be honest. . . second chance romances are often not my favorite trope. Sure there are two sides to every breakup, but I was skeptical that I could be into a reconciliation when it's clear from page 1 on that one of the characters literally left the other at the alter. How devastating!! There isn't an easy comeback from that. Yet AHB weaves a convincing and story filled with empathy and understanding and matures both of these characters a great deal in the 15 year gap between that awful day and the present, where they find themselves both invited to a family Christmas by 2 sisters and have no idea the other will be there. Ah , you gotta love coincidence in romance storytelling.

So if you are in the mood for a sapphic love story complete with a blizzard to snow the characters in unexpectedly- this one is definitely a good time. I binged it in one sitting and I am not sorry about it at all. I eager await Blake's next book!

This was great story. I loved how complex the characters were and how they each grew in their own right. Such a lovely story

Charlotte was left at the alter by her ex-fiancé and then is forced to spend time with her during the holiday season. I am not a fan of second-chance romance, especially at this level. The book packs a lot of emotion.

I liked this! The middle dragged on a bit for me and how quicky Charlotte/Brighton went from hating each other to being okay with each other seemed too fast, but overall it was good. I love a second-chance romance, and this one was filled with Christmas vibes, found family, and a great supporting cast of characters. Another enjoyable queer holiday romance for your tbr!

It genuinely hurts my heart to rate an Ashley Herring Blake title lower than 5 stars, but "Make the Season Bright" just was not my cup of tea. It may have been the second-chance romance and it may have been that I just didn't immediately connect with the characters the same way I did with the Bright Falls gang. I did eventually end up rooting for Charlotte and Brighton, but it took a while to get there. At times, "Lola" and "Bright" seemed almost irreconcilable, and I found myself grasping to understand the decisions they made (particularly in regards to Brighton's, at times, baffling immaturity). I'm sure this will work for some, as it's packed with tropey (forced proximity, snowed in, etc) winter wonderland goodness, but I wish it had worked for me!

Ashley Herring Blake has done it again. She creates characters that feel so real that I feel like I know them in real life. I loved Charlotte and Brighton's relationship even with all it's ups and downs. Their journeys were both different but had parallels that I found really compelling. I normally find myself dreading the inevitable third act break up in most romance novels, but this time, I was lead there gently and wasn't even upset with either of the characters for their reasons. The other characters in the story also were wonderful to get to know. I especially loved the Berry sisters and their stories. This was my first holiday book of the season, and it was the perfect one to get into the holiday spirit without being too in your face Christmas. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

There is nothing Ashley Herring Blake can write that I will not like, and Make the Season Bright is no exception. I'm not usually one for a second chance romance but this book totally pulls it off. The Christmas vibes are on point, especially with the fact that there's only one cabin. We don't read romance books for their accuracy and true-to-life storytelling. We read romance for heartfelt love confessions, being forced into close proximity for ridiculous reasons, and seeing people fall in love. This book gave me all that and more.

2.5 rounded up💫 and no one is sadder than me about it!! I <i>loved</i> the Bright Falls series and this had SO much promise but it just didn’t end up working IMO!

✨second chance romance
✨childhood friends to lovers
✨sapphic holiday romance
✨dual POV
✨musical FMCs🎻🎶
✨good audio narration!!🎧

It’s been 5 years since Brighton left Charlotte at the altar when this book starts and honestly that was probably for the best!! These tropes are usually my FAV but these two just never made me <i>feel</i> it! It started off strong but once the ~reconnection~ started my interest went out of the window😳 neither of them were super likable + their character growth was limited?

I will still pick up more by AHB though!!

Ashley, you never fail me!

I truly enjoyed that everyone here was an actual adult with actual problems who actually communicated about them. There was pining and yearning and a TRULY understandable conflict.

The holiday element was balanced really well, so it felt like a rom-com that just happened to take place at Christmas rather than a Christmas centric plot, which worked beautifully.

i badly wanted to love this book. of course i did — it's a christmastime sapphic love story with all of my favorite romance tropes in it! but sadly, i could not get behind either protagonist, what they did, and how they treated others, and i couldn't get past it, either.

The ending was great but it was a bit of a struggle to get there. Charlotte acted like a robot to everyone and Brighton was strangely pushy about forcing Charlotte to talk about their relationship for a woman who left her fiancee at the alter without a prior conversation. I could understand where they were coming from, but I found them both frustrating and it took them both so long to make the changes and growth needed to form a healthy (?) relationship. I really enjoyed all of the side characters!

Thank you @berkleypub for the gifted copy! I absolutely adored being a #berkleyinfluencer in 2024!
Make The Season Bright has everything I wanted in a holiday romcom. Holiday shenanigans, a small town, wintry vibes, well-developed and emotionally deep characters and great side characters, plus it's a queer book with a sapphic love story. This was SO good! I'll read anything and everything @ashleyhblake writes, she's one of my fave authors, and this holiday romance has her magic touch. Highly recommend for this holiday season!
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