5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Make the Season Bright
Author: Ashley Herring Blake
Christmas Romance

Thank you so much Netgalley and Berkley for this ARC! Another great 2024 Christmas romance! I think we can all agree that Ashley is the queen of sapphic romance.. and this book did not disappoint! Our two FMCs are ex fiancées, and Charlotte was left by Brighton at the alter.. five years later Charlotte is asked to go to a cabin for the holidays with her quartet mates. One of her quartet mates sister brings a friend.. and surprise! It is Brighton. A very sweet second chance romance with lots of Christmas thrown in. It was the perfect read to end November and kick off Christmas season! I highly recommend this one. Bonus points for it being spicy! 🎄🎅

While it felt a bit stilted at times, Blake's holiday romance novel was a fun read. Second-chance romances are tough ones, and that might be why this one didn't quite land for me. Very much preferred the supporting cast to the main characters.

Oh my gosh, what a book! I had the absolute pleasure of both listening to the audiobook and reading the eARC, and I loved it so much. I’m a huge fan of Ashley’s other books, but this one has to be my absolute favorite! The humor in the audiobook was on point, and Ashley’s witty writing style made it feel like I was watching a heartwarming holiday rom-com.

This story follows Charlotte Donovan, who’s doing just fine five years after being left at the altar by her ex-fiancée. But when she agrees to spend Christmas with her string ensemble mate Sloane’s family in Colorado, she’s shocked to find that her ex, Brighton, is also there. Brighton just wanted a quiet Christmas after being kicked out of her band, but now she’s stuck pretending that she and Charlotte are strangers.

I loved how Charlotte and Brighton’s relationship unfolded in this cozy, holiday setting, filled with humor and heart. Their journey from exes with a rocky past to something more felt so natural and real. This book is the perfect blend of romance, humor, and holiday cheer!

I will read anything Ashley Herring Blake writes, until eternity. It was so lovely to read a completely new story of hers, diverging from Bright Falls into new characters and cities. I love that the worlds she constructs are so very queer, they're worlds in which I see myself and my friends, and it brings me a lot of joy. Brighton and Charlotte weren't my favorite characters she's written, but I really enjoyed their story and the way in which she told their tale of friendship, love, and second chances. This was the first thing that really got me in the holiday spirit for the year!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Holiday romance, close proximity, second chances, steamy 🔥

I typically love anything written by AHB. This one, no. This one is angsty and I HATED all the miscommunication. It's a huge part. I wish they would have just talked. I wasn't fully sold on them as a couple. The cover is gorgeous.

Make the Season Bright was a great read. I always enjoy anything that Ashley Herring Blake writes and this was a great addition to her collection of books! If you want a really great Christmastime romance this is it. I am always a little wiry of second chance romances. There is a reason people break up ya'll. This one was acceptable. And fun. And sweet. And swoony.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Romance, and Penguin Random House for this copy of "Make the Season Bright."

Mixing a Christmas romance with characters who are musicians is irresistible to me. And this one had other fun tropes: some forced proximity, some fake dating, and lots of second chance.

Charlotte and Brighton were childhood friends who recognized their feelings ran deeper than friendship when they were teenagers. So why did Brighton leave Charlotte at the altar five years ago?

When Charlotte's friend Sloane and Brighton's friend Adele (who happen to be sisters) invite them to their family home in Colorado for Christmas, they're shocked to find themselves face-to-face for the first time in five years.

Do they still love each other? Can Brighton finally tell Charlotte what happened five years ago? Will they be able to forgive each other?

Very fun second chance Christmas romance. I liked this a lot but it isn’t my favorite of AHB’s books but that just fine. It’s a high bar

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have to first admire the cover, I think that it captures the spirit of the book well! I' 'm a fan of Blake, so I knew that I had to dive into this novel when given the opportunity and it did not disappoint. I'm not often a fan of second-chance romance but I couldn't put this book down. As always, Blake does a great job of creating lovable characters that aren't perfect, which is necessary for romance. I believe this book is another success for the author, and I can't wait to read what she releases next. I will be recommending this book to anyone looking for a holiday romance to dive into.

Make the Season Bright is a fantastic sapphic holiday romance! I love everything I have read from Ashley Herring Blake and this book is no exception.

Make the Season Bright is a second chance romance, which is not my favorite trope, but it was really well done. Charlotte and Brighton are exes that haven’t seen each other in years and end up spending the holidays together when they both tag along to Christmas with a friend. Those friends end up being sisters.

I loved the main characters and the side characters were fun and interesting. A great holiday read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Ashley Herring Blake’s sapphic romances so I couldn’t resist her latest, Make the Season Bright, which is not only a second chance romance, one of my favorite tropes, but it’s also a holiday romance.

Five years ago, Charlotte Donovan was left at the altar by the woman she loved. Although that broke her heart, she’s doing okay these days, living in NYC and playing in her beloved strings ensemble. When we meet Charlotte, her ensemble mate, Sloane, has just invited the ensemble to come home to Colorado and spend Christmas with her family, Sloane is all for it. That is, until she gets there and realizes that Sloane’s sister has also brought a friend home for the holidays and it’s none other than Charlotte’s ex, Brighton Fairbrook.

Brighton is reeling from being kicked out of her band and just wants to have fun and stress-free holiday with her friend, but all of that goes out the window when she finds herself face to face with Charlotte.

I’m a big fan of the forced proximity trope and love how it was used here to get Charlotte and Brighton to remember how they felt about one another and to finally have a much needed real conversation about what happened five years earlier. I also loved that these conversations are set against the backdrop of fun holiday activities like decorating cookies and playing in the snow. It made for a great balance between angsty romantic drama and festive holiday goodness.

I always love how Ashley Herring Blake writes her characters. Charlotte and Brighton are both flawed and a bit messy and come across as very authentic.

This was a quick and entertaining read!

This was cute but not a stand out Christmas read. I really couldn’t get into charlottes character which made the entire romance difficult to enjoy. Good but not great

Second-chance romances like this are often hit or miss for me, but I appreciated this atmospheric holiday romance between two former best friends turned lovers turned exes. I also really loved the found family components and the constant presence of music anchoring the story. I think folks will grow easily frustrated with the conflict and lack of communication, though; but this does make me want to pick up more Ashley Herring Blake! I'm surprised I haven't.

I often find holiday romances a bit grating, but I've been on the search for the one for me for years now, and this might just have done it. Charming, funny, and heartfelt, this was such a great way to get into the holiday spirit!

Thank you so much for an ARC of this book! I absolutely loveeeed every minute of it. I loved every character involved! Endless stars!

This is second chance holiday perfection.

This will be a yearly re-read for me. Ashley just really outdid herself with this one!

I liked it, but didn't love it. Charlotte was actually so unlikeable and definitely my biggest barrier to really getting into it. I liked all of the Christmasy vibes, but the romance could've gave a little more.

This may be my favorite holiday romance of 2024! The main characters were well developed, the setting was magical, and the supporting cast was a delight. If you're looking for the perfect holiday happy ever after, this is it!

overall, I liked this! the setting and events felt very hallmark holiday movie to me, in a good way. the pacing was great and I felt like something interesting was always happening and keeping me engaged.

I did enjoy the friend relationships more than the main relationship. For me this fell a little flat as far as second chance romances go because I didn't feel like there was enough growth to want them to get back together. Instead of banter, it felt like there was a lot of bitterness that wasn't the funnest to read.

Every time I pick up an Ashley Herring Blake book I know it'll be a hit. This is no exception, Wildly endearing and a great heart. I do wish there was an additional 50 pages ish, because the characters had so much to work through, and there were moments where it felt like sex was used as a resolution instead of hard conversations. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this Christmas romcom! The entire friend group was lovely, and I do cry every time someone explicitly uses the word aromantic.