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.

the best christmas book of 2024! I have already hand sold so many copies! The journey the characters go on together from age 12 to know feels so real. I laughed, I cried, and I loved the ending.

I really enjoyed Ashley Herring Blake's previous books, so was excited to see a Christmas based story. When Brighton and Charlotte are thrown back together over Christmas at mutual friends' in Colorado their second chance at romance seems like a non-starter. Will the town's Turtledoves Holidates and their group of amazing friends be able to convince them they belong together?

Thus book was so messy. I loved the character growth even though I hated Brighton. I liked it wasn’t overly Christmas

Hmm. I think this is probably a 2.5 rounded up and, trust me, no one is as sad as I am to give it that low a rating.

First of all, I love Blake's Bright Falls series. Like, a lot. I think I had a hard time with this one because there's second chance romance- which I love- and then there's second chance after being left at the literal altar romance. I feel like that's a miscommunication I probably couldn't come back from. And yes, Charlotte knew how Brighton was feeling about New York, but to be left at the altar? Friggin brutal. And I think there was just not enough getting to know each other again and talking through what happened for me.

I did, however, LOVE the side characters, especially Sloane and Adele. And I really enjoyed the musical aspect of the book- both on Charlotte's and Brigthon's ends. (Also, as someone with the name Katie, the Katies deserved way more shit from Brighton than they got for what they did to her.)

Why Did I Listen To Make The Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake?
Well, it turns out that November has me feeling the holiday vibes. Plus I needed a little bit of a pick me up after the election news and what better than a sapphic Christmas romance. Make The Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake came into my life at the right time. Also, audiobook meant I could get to it much faster than planned – thank goodness!

What’s The Story Here?
Five years ago Charlotte was left at the altar. She has moved on and now she is in a string quartet called The Rosalind Quartet. She has new plans for her holidays. Charlotte will be going home with one of the members of the quartet to spend the holidays in Colorado. Only when she gets there it turns out that Sloane, the person whose home she goes to, has a sister, Adele. That sister has also brought a guest, none other than Charlotte’s ex-fiance, Brighton. It is about to get real awkward real quick. Brighton and Adele get signed up for a series of holiday events and it turns out that the past comes rushing in.

How Did I Like Make The Season Bright?
I found that I greatly enjoyed Make The Season Bright. I love that it depicts queer joy — an act of resistance these days, am I right? It has a compelling storyline. Brighton and Charlotte are interesting. Brighton has this special song she wrote basically stolen from her by this band that she is kicked out of and the band hits it big. That is a whole other layer. We have second chance romance as a trope. We have there is only one bed. And! Fake dating! I loved it. I will be checking out more books by this author. Oh and the narration is wonderful too. Kristen DiMercurio is the narrator and has an easy to listen to voice – no notes on what could be improved. It is 10 hours and 26 minutes long.

On A Scale Of One To Buddy The Elf, How Much Holiday Spirit Does Make The Season Bright Have?
There are dating competition related events – from horseback riding to baking. We also have cabins and a snow storm. This book has all the charm and all the holiday spirit. I would certainly recommend to all who enjoy that sort of thing – ie people with similar taste in books to me.

This was really cute and got me in a festive mood! Miscommunication and lack of communication do tend to frustrate me, so this book definitely had me tearing my hair out at points, but it was fun overall.

This was my first Ashley Herring Blake book and I was hoping to start the holi-gays right...but I DNF'd around the 30% mark. I didn't like or connect with any of the characters and I just didn't care about what was happening.
Rating 3 stars here, won't be rating on Goodreads.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I have enjoyed Ashley Herring Blake's other books, and was hoping one of these protagonists would be related to the others in her previous books. I liked the premise overall, and the setup. It felt more believable than some other queer romances I've read, and who can resist a cute holiday love story?

3.5 stars

a cute sapphic holiday romance by one of my auto-buy romance authors! i'll be the first to admit that second chance romance is one of my least favorite tropes, but i still enjoyed this. it has plenty of the holiday cheesiness you know and love in this genre, but an almost entirely queer cast of characters. the side characters, along with the small-town christmas setting, really made this book for me, although i also enjoyed the journey of brighton and charlotte finding their way back to each other. and, of course, i loved that both main characters were professional musicians! overall, i'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a cute, quick holiday read to make the yuletide extra gay!

i received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Loved. I am never disappointed by Ashley Herring Blake. This second chance romance was no different. I loved the snowy Christmas setting to get me in the mood for the holiday. Thank you for the chance to read early.

Ashley Herring Blake delivers another endearing sapphic romance filled with found family and second chances in Make the Season Bright. Charlotte and Brighton have an deep history and undeniable connection, so much so that I wish the book was longer in order to delve deeper into their journey of healing because when the person you love most in the world is the one to hurt you, it cuts even deeper, I feel as though the end was a little rushed. But all in all another beautiful love story form an auto-buy author.

✨ Review ✨ Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I was a fan of Ashley Herring Blake already, but this book really cemented it for me. Charlotte and Brighton grew up best friends, fell in love, and made it to their wedding day in their early days, before Brighton fled, and they went on to pave their own ways in the world. Both, however, go home with their bff for Christmas and end up in the same home for the weeks leading up to the holiday. There, Charlotte pretends like she's never met Brighton before, and they both grapple with their feelings.

Things I loved about this:
1. Most of the main characters are big into music, and this passion comes throughout the book in really lovely ways - Charlotte's string quartet and Brighton's moody Nashville vibes also complemented nicely in both of them finding their way.
2. The book is full of a great cast of queer characters, who identify all across the spectrum
3. The mom in the book enrolls them all in Two Turtledoves, a sort of local queer holiday matchmaking series of events. The quirkiness of these events (cookie decorating speed dating lol) and the general vibe felt so cozy and pleasant.
4. Second chance isn't usually my jam but I liked how it was executed here with the characters maturing in their time apart and seeing each other better for who they were.
5. The little details made this special, from what they were drinking or playing, the tiffany lamp at Charlotte's mom's house, the snow and the sand, etc. etc.

This is a perfect read for your holiday season -- the real deal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: f/f holiday romance
Setting: Colorado
Pub Date: October 1, 2024

I wanted to wait a bit for this one because while I got this arc a few months ago it didn’t feel right starting a cozy Christmas book in the summer 😅 I’m glad to have read it now in November because it was definitely a case of right book right time. I loved these characters and they have phenomenal chemistry. Ashely has become an auto buy author for me and this was no exception I really loved the unique story line here. I can’t wait for the next book release by Ashley I know it’s going to be another hit!

This is a sapphic second chance romance where two exes who haven't talked since they almost got married end up in different parts of the country without plans for the holidays so they agree to go home with their respective best friends - only to find out on arrival that those best friends are sisters. After typing that all out, I can promise you that the premise is top tier. I didn't get very strong holiday vibes from this despite it taking place over Christmas, but it does have strong found family and "right person, wrong time" themes. The side characters are amazing, I really hope we see more stories set in this world.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for my copy to review.

This was such the quintessentially cute holiday set second chance romance. I love this author and while this is not my favorite book by her it still was great. This will definitely be a popular Christmas read for many library visitors.

A beautiful and heartwarming second chance romance that’ll most definitely bring tears to your eyes!
Charlotte and Brighton are inseparable childhood friends to lovers until Bright leaves Lola at the altar. Five years later, Charlotte has difficulty trusting and forming meaningful relationships while Brighton is struggling to find her path in life.
They have not seen each other since their wedding day until they unknowingly end up at the same Christmas gathering. During a week of holiday fun they are forced to deal with their past, unresolved hurt, and old memories and feelings resurface.
As always, Ashley’s characters are real, messy, and raw. They deal with real relationship and life struggles. That combined with the Hallmark movie-esque setting makes for the perfect holiday romance! It was so beautiful to see their journey to finding themselves and their way back to each other again.

In my mind, Ashley Herring Blake can do no wrong. Another incredible sapphic love story and set during the holidays? LOVE. This really was so beautiful and I loved Charlotte and Brighton from the start. I was rooting for them, crying for them, and just loving them the whole way through. Ashley's ability to make you feel like you KNOW these characters and you're friends with them is elite. I will never NOT ready a book by AHB and already can't wait for the next one. Thank you for the ARC!

This holiday rom com was so cute! I loved the vibe and the atmosphere! This author writes such cute yet juicy characters! A definitely read this Christmas book!!!