Loved this, really gave the Christmas feels. Would recommend to anyone.

Felt like it was so costly written

An enjoyable Christmas read that didn’t read like so many holiday romance books. I liked the famous five and the community aspect.

I unfortunately really couldn’t get into this. I saw the potential Harriet and James had but I never felt quite invested in their journeys - I felt like they didn’t quite match the age they were supposed to be.

I really enjoyed this Christmas novel, another good one by Jenny Bayliss! It was light on the romance and more about found family, middle age, empty nesters, and self-care. I could relate more to this as I approach middle age than a younger reader, which I appreciate. Main character Harriet was funny-- if she was a real-life person I would want to be friends with her. A few scenes/characters felt a bit cliché, but overall I liked the story.

A sweet winter story! Jenny Bayliss knows how to capture the magic of the holiday season, and I always enjoy reading her books.

I really enjoy Jenny Bayliss books. Holiday atmosphere, small town vibes, sweet romance. Her stories are like a warm hug for the holidays. I can't go a season without picking up one of her books. Kiss Me At Christmas is well written and relatable. Great read for the holidays

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

I absolutely love Jenny and her romance books. She has a way of writing characters that get into your heart and fill it up with good feelings and sparkling magic. I will forever buy and read her books.

The characters were wonderful and created that special found-family feeling. A rag-tag of misfits from underprivileged kids, a lawyer, a teacher, a wealthy aging socialite, construction crew, and so so many more. All working together to create a beautiful space for theatre and a production of the famous A Christmas Carol. On top of that, sprinkle in some romance between our main characters and it's perfection.

I would highly highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys:
▫️enemies to lovers
▫️found-family
▫️witty banter
▫️single parent finding love again
▫️cozy, christmas season settings

As a teacher myself, I absolutely loved this book! It shows an accurate description of what so many teachers do to fight for their students on their own time but also how burnt out teachers can get from this. Her determination to put together a play to give her students a safe place is admirable but I think my favorite character in the book is Billy. I cannot imagine having to basically raise my brother just to keep us together. Plus, Sid is just the cutest throughout the whole book! I was rooting for Harriet and James to get together the whole time, but sometimes I think James felt too perfect but that’s my only negative of the book. If you are looking for a cute Christmas Romance, this book is worth checking out

“Found family” type romances are usually some of my favorites, and that aspect of this story was very heartwarming and cute. It definitely took center stage and pushed the romance to the side, which was a little disappointing. Overall I enjoyed reading this and the Christmas vibes were high so I can’t complain there. It was overly sweet for my personal tastes but I’ll excuse it just because it’s a holiday romance. Main character was a little questionable. Wearing more than one cardigan at a time is crazy work.

I started this book and actually lost interest half way through... not the best Holiday Book this season.

Kiss Me at Christmas was a cast of characters that I just loved. It radiated holiday vibes, and I needed that in my life. For me, it was this perfect blend of humor and feels, and both were done so, so well. I also loved that this was Harriet navigating motherhood after her adult daughter had gone out into the world. The reflections on motherhood and who she was/what she wanted to do were a powerful and relatable part of the story. I also dug the romance and all the relationships. It read like a holiday movie, and that's a good thing! Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this September 2024 release!

Cute premise, but I ultimately did not enjoy this book. I work with teens, and have a hard time reading teen characters whose dialogue is so wildly not teen-like. There were also a lot of moving parts that didn’t get me hooked into the story.

I usually love a story about a quirky woman looking for community, surrounded by a cast of interested characters, dealing with hilarious and uncomfortable situations. Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. The story never hit or interested me. I was often confused with Harriett’s age. I felt as though she was sometimes painted as a curmudgeonly old woman but then at others she felt a lot younger, almost immature. It never grabbed my attention & just didn’t work for me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

4.5 rounded up. Jenny Bayliss never disappoints.

Overall the story is wonderful! This is a heartwarming story about community and second chances. I adore the cast of characters we are introduced to throughout the story. They all come together to create this new community within the story when they may not have otherwise crossed paths.

Highly recommend adding this to your holiday TBR.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I wanted to love this one. I really, really wanted to love this one. However, this one was festive but lacked depth. It was a wonderful idea but it felt so surface and left me wanting more. i loved the “found family” aspect and how the community came together.

Harriet’s daughter isn’t coming home for Christmas this year, so she’s not planning to celebrate. She is a pastoral care worker at a high school, and when a group of her problem students are caught trespassing in an old theater, Harriet finds herself roped into helping restore the theater and put on a production of A Christmas Carol. This book was adorable! It is a romance, but more of a story about found family and community and hope. I actually found myself tearing up at the end because it was so joyful and hopeful. I also loved how Harriet decided she was worthy of love and attention just for being herself, not because of her identity as a mom or a teacher. And I think I loved all the side characters (the kids, the contractors, the different community groups) even more than the main characters! Overall, this is a great read if you’re looking for something hopeful, festive, and heartwarming!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS is out now!

4/5 stars

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced reading copy!

Such a sweet Christmas story! While the last Jenny Bayliss I read was true romance, this book would be better marketed as holiday fiction with a bit of romance & found family mixed in. Due to the expectations I had coming into this one, it took me a second to connect with the reality of the story. The "setting the scene" part of the book took nearly 25% which, in my opinion, is way too long. After that, though, I was hooked!

What romance there was in this story was very well done. Any conflicts were resolved quicky, which is exactly what I want when looking for a lighthearted Christmas read. I loved our main character's connection to the kids, and the setting of the theater/play was so heartwarming. All of the supporting characters added so much. Found family is one of my favorite themes, and this book nailed it -- even bringing me to tears towards the end.

Overall, a perfect read for the holiday season!

This was so frickin wholesome, the community focussed holiday celebrations were so fun to read! I loved the group dynamics and the banter ❤️

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This was a cute, quick holiday read. It isn't very unique or memorable so I give it 3 stars, but it did continue the Christmas reading spirit for me.

I had a little bit of a hard time getting into this one. The beginning was very slow and the characters felt underdeveloped at first. I stuck with it, wanting to see where it went and ultimately was glad I did. It wound up being a retelling of A Christmas Story, along with a bit of a fixer upper tale (both of the theater itself and some of the characters). I don't know that it's one I would re-read next year but I'm glad I saw it out to the end.