This book definitely had all the holiday movie vibes and feels. I expected it to make me feel warm and fuzzy and in the holiday spirit, and it certainly did that. I'm not surprised that I loved this book (I have never not loved a Jenny Bayliss book), but I was surprised that it might be my new Jenny Bayliss favorite!
I loved the quirky and fun side characters (who doesn't love a theatre troupe) and the fun way that our MCs ended up having to spend time together (definitely an unusual plot line!). As a theatre kid and a lawyer adult, I really connected with and found so much joy in the incorporation of the theatre environment into the book (as well as the classic overworked lawyer).
Definitely adding this book to my must-read Christmas list!

When Harriet learns that her daughter will not be home for Christmas this year, she drowns her sorrows with mulled wine and a one night stand. But there is no time to sulk as she is needed back at work the next day on the pastoral care team for a private school. She has tasked herself with keeping a close eye on her students and help keep them from making foolish mistakes. In the process, she takes the blames when they are all found trespassing in the town’s run down theater. The theater owner agrees to let them all off the hook, if they clean the theater and put on a performance, even offering to have her solicitor assist in the process. Harriet will do anything to help the kids, even work with the solicitor, who turns out to be her one night stand.

This was a perfectly cozy seasonal read. I do wish I had read it closer to the Christmas season, but that is completely on me for not paying attention to the pub date when I requested the arc. I loved the diverse characters, covering a wide range of ages and personalities, and the relational dynamics present in this story. Although there’s a romantic element, I felt the book focused more on the importance of community and self care. It was overall a heartwarming and comforting read.
Rating: Liked

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I liked the idea of this book…but I found it to be a slow, tedious read. For me the plot just never quite hit its stride. Worth a read just not my personal favorite. I’d give it 3 stars.

Reading this got me into the cozy Christmas spirit too early! Almost wanted to drop all things Halloween and skip right to Christmas thanks to it! I will be rereading in December to get back in that vibe and buying as Christmas gifts for friends so they can do the same! This was cute! Like a holiday movie but way better because it has a few elements in its story line Hallmark just would never try!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

When Harriet Smith, private school counselor, bails out a ragtag group of five misfit students from a trespassing run in she has no idea what is in store for her! A run in with a one night stand and a feud with a scrooge-esqe local rich old woman, which lands her into fixing up an old run down theater and putting on a last minute production. Kiss Me At Christmas follows Harriet and the local community as they band together and find friendship and found family in the most unlikely of places.

I loved that this book was a romance with an older FMC, both the FMC and MMC were in their forties which is an age group I think is often neglected in the romance genre! However I think I struggled with a few things
- The FMC is a counselor-type role at a private school and has a horrible work life balance. As a teacher I was disappointed that the book glorified workaholism in schools and having very few boundaries. I wish that they had maybe emphasized how you can care for students without having it monopolize your life and how these types of roles are held by professionals with higher degrees and not necessarily by "do gooders" with no boundaries
-There were multiple miscommunications between the FMC and MMC that were very minor but seemed to be exacerbated for the sake of the plot
-The FMC often used euphemisms for common swears that make her seem very young/immature. I wish that she had either used the swear like a 40 year old woman would or they could have just been left out all together? They interrupted the flow of the book for me and were more confusing than anything.

Overall for a Christmas read it was heartwarming and cute but wouldn't necessarily be something I would pick up each holiday season for a re-read!

A fun festive read. Harriet meets James one night in a pub and has no idea how their lives are going to become intertwined. A great read.

This book will really get you into the Christmas Spirit!!! This is a modern day retelling of The Christmas Carol. I loved the slow burn relationship between Harriet and James. Such a heartwarming story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of this book.

While this book wasn't my favorite holiday/Christmas themed book of 2024, I still found it to be pretty enjoyable. It was a decent cozy read that will be sure to put you in the holiday spirit. Jenny Bayliss's books have been hit or miss for me and I would classify this book as somewhere in the middle. Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

while seemingly promising, i ended up dreading picking this up and reading this… sorry….

usually i find holiday books cheesy, but still redeemable. this one for sure hit the mark on the holiday aspect in my opinion, but the rest of the actual plot fell flat for me. the pacing was slow and quickly became repetitive. i didn’t like any of the characters - not even the love interest! and that’s a feat in it of itself! i would recommend if you don’t mind slower, meandering pacing in a romcom.

thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

I love holiday romance books and this one was SOOO CUTE!!😍😍 Heartwarming love stories are my absolute favorite! 🥹 the pacing of the love development was perfect and I really really enjoyed Jenny’s writing! This was my first book from her and I can’t wait to read more of her books! 😍

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was sweet and heartwarming. It was a perfect Christmas read. All the Christmas cheer and spirit. I really enjoyed this!

Thank you NetGalley, Jenny Bayliss, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and G.P. Putnam's Sons for giving me an ARC of this book!

This book gave off so much Christmas Spirit! The love story between Harriet & James was one that you witnessed every step of it blooming. . From meeting and getting to know each other and then to growing into something more with a few bumps along the way.

3.5 stars
This is a sweet and heartwarming story, but I found it to be kind of light on romance. There were some big romantic moments, but I felt the focus of the story was Harriet building a new community as she worked on bringing A Christmas Carol to the stage. Lots of the book was about the renovation process of the theater and all the steps involved in production - casting, costumes, backdrops, etc. There were many great characters, just not as much of the couple as I've been used to in other Jenny Bayliss books. Also the couple is late 40s/early 50s, so a different age group than I recall from past books.
A good holiday story, especially for those who love theater.

I’m a firm believer that it’s not Christmas without Jenny Bayliss and Kiss Me at Christmas just continues to solidify that opinion.

I loved experiencing the FMC’s character growth and learning to stand up for herself! The found family aspect and diversity of character ages/backgrounds was also so special. Will definitely be recommending this one!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. “Kiss Me at Christmas” is a holiday rom-com and a heart felt story. I loved how the different groups bonded and the community came together.
“Kiss Me at Christmas” was the first book that I have read by Jenny Bayliss. I look forward to reading all her Christmas books.

You are going to want to add this heartwarming Christmas story to your Christmas reads! I loved the characters and the family, Such a cozy read that makes you want to curl up by the fireplace with a good blanket!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book was such a cozy, sweet Holiday rom-com. Sweet but not too sweet. Sometimes I feel like holiday romance books come off too cheesy, this one was not for me.The romance pacing was really well done and the best part for me was that our female main character was a strong independent woman. I really enjoyed her inner voice and thoughts. In addition to romance, I love how there was a sense of small-town and found family, thrown into the mix. A cute little holiday read with a touch of deeper themes, but still light enough to be cozy!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!

I've enjoyed other work by this author but this one missed the mark for me. The love story didn't seem genuine however the found family theme was really heartwarming. I will still explore future books by Jenny Bayliss but this was just meh to me.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I received an ARC of this through Netgalley also a free audiobookfrom Penguin Randomhouse Audio, I tried both ways to read this, ultimately skimming through the story to see if anything clicked and I became more invested. The found family theme is lovely, but the rest of the story was a chore to get through. There is a line that says, “Think of me like festive methadone” and at that point I knew it was time for me to ultimately give up. It's a shame, because I love a good Christmas read but this one was not it.