To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of this one. I felt like this book was lacking the build up to their connection, and so in turn the relationship felt forced and I had a hard time feeling their connection. I felt at times that the characters seemed like teenagers and not fully grown adults which also added to my inability to connect with them.
I am usually a sucker for the best friends boyfriend trope but overall, this one just felt a bit cringey. The premise for this was great, but I think it could have benefitted from having some more build up to the hookup, or a bit more back and forth where we see their feelings come through.

Thank you for approving me to read this book. I found it a quick and easy read but it didn't feel very festive, and the main character Nina was so annoyingly immature. I couldn't believe the temper tantrums she seemed to be having every day - especially when it was due to Tristan winding her up and they were both like it with each other. It just felt like I was reading about teenagers and not supposedly fully functioning adults. I'm sure a lot of people would love this book but it just wasn't really for me.

Halloween is over, Christmas reading has begun!! For the first 30% Nina drove me crazy. Her actions seemed very immature. However, around that point, something switched in her and I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t want to put this down. The chemistry between Nina and Tristan was palpable (even when they were fighting). I love all of the books by @camillaisley and this is another great one to add to the list.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and Camilla Isley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Camilla’s books! While this one was enjoyable, it didn’t have me constantly wanting to read more. I think it needed something less predictable in a brother’s best friend romance. Overall, I still enjoyed it though

This Is Not a Holiday Romance..... or is it?
Fun, heart warming and hilarious, this story really does tick all the boxes. Camilla Isley is wonderful at bringing her characters to life and really allows you as the reader to connect with them on some level. A delightful, cosy read.

This was a quick read for me & I enjoyed it as my first holiday read of the season. The concept of this book was very clever with a little bit of spice. Nina learns that while returning home for Christmas her brother will be bringing his best friend, Tristan. She will be forced to spend the holidays with him, I enjoyed the tension between the two as their story unfolds. The author does a great job of giving details throughout as Nina begins to understand why Tristan acts the way that he does and Tristan begins to realize his previous mistakes.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book contains some of my favourite tropes: enemies to lovers and forced proximity.

However, I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it. It lacked the witty banter that I expect between enemies to lovers. I also didn't feel the chemistry between the two MCs. The two MCs themselves were hard to like, and more irritating than interesting.

The writing overall was good, but this book overall was a miss for me…

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

Nina was the absolute worst. She’s supposed to be a 20 something adult, living on her own etc., but she acts like a 5 year old. Her temper tantrums when things don’t go her way, her ability to give but cannot take a joke. It irked me to no end. Tristan had the vibe of joking around with a secret crush, whereas Nina was a big baby. I couldn’t stand her and she made the story absolutely unbearable.

3.5 stars

As a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, This Is Not a Holiday Romance was a fun, quick read that hit all the right notes. While the story follows a somewhat predictable path, it combines familiar themes like enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and romance with the brother's best friend to create an enjoyable and lighthearted romance.

The story revolves around Nina Thompson, who has despised her brother's best friend, Tristan, ever since he humiliated her as a teenager. Their relationship has been fueled by a long-standing prank war that shows no signs of stopping. However, things take an interesting turn when Tristan has nowhere to spend Christmas, and Nina's family invites him to their home for the holidays. Determined to get the last laugh, Nina plans one final all-out prank war to end their rivalry for good while avoiding Tristan as much as possible.

However, as a prank goes wrong and they are forced together, the jokes and snarky remarks take on a new dynamic. Beneath the teasing and sarcasm, there's undeniable chemistry building between them. What started as a feud transforms into something neither of them saw coming. Could a secret holiday fling really hurt?

While the plot is familiar, the charming interactions between Nina and Tristan keep the story engaging, and the holiday setting adds a layer of coziness. The playful banter and gradual build-up of romance make this an entertaining and heartwarming read for fans of holiday romances.

Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for gifting me an e-book version of "This Is Not a Holiday Romance" in exchange for my honest review.

This is Not a Holiday Romance was a fun, quick read. This was a somewhat predictable story with an enemies to lovers trope, forced proximity, and romance with brother's best friend. Nina Thompson has despised her brother's best friend, Tristan, since he humiliated her as a teenager. They have had a prank war going on ever since. When he has nowhere to go for Christmas, their family invites him to their house for the Christmas holidays. Nina plans one final all out prank war to end this for good, as well as avoiding him as much as possible. When they are forced together due to a snow storm, their pranks and snarky comments take on another feel, suddenly there is a chemistry underneath it all. This can't be happening. A secret holiday fling can't hurt, can it?

Although they are sworn enemies when the story starts, Nina had a crush on Tristan when she was younger, and he remembers her dropping her towel when she was too young for him to think about. Those memories mixed with Christmas cheer and activities begin to add some sizzle to their relationship. The story is told from both Nina's and Tristan's POV. I enjoyed the humour of their pranks and sarcasm. For this reader, I could see that they were changing toward each other, and was waiting for something to happen. Trying to keep their relationship secret by hiding in closets made me giggle. This is a fun holiday romance with some open door romance. I enjoyed the festive activities and the humour. If you enjoy a rom-com set at Christmas, then you will enjoy This is Not a Holiday Romance.

I'm a big fan of enemies to lovers done well! This was an interesting and entertaining read.

The main characters really didn't get along to start. He is her brother's best friend, and they started off on a very bad foot in their relationship. He calls her Gremlin, and she calls him The Prince of Darkness, to give you an idea.

I also enjoyed the family holiday setting. It was nice to see a family who loves each other gathering together and doing simple activities to celebrate the holidays.

I didn't love that the male main character realized he was attracted to her only after he saw her naked body. I also felt like the characters overall felt much younger than they were meant to be (late 20s, early 30s). I also realize I'm not a big fan of the falling in love with your brother's friend trope. Overall I just didn't believe their love story as much as I wanted to.

The epilogue sets up a couple more stories with her best friends, which should be interesting (one sounds like marriage of convenience with a rich husband, the other sounds like roommates to lovers).

It's a quick read! I can see it being a great book for some. It just isn't my favorite style!

If you enjoy holiday rom-coms, then I recommend you pick up this book.

"This Is Not A Holiday Romance" is a cute and quick read, just under 250 pages. It's an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, brother's best friend, and it is dual POV. It did seem a little insta-lovey, but overall, it was a fun and enjoyable read. The ending leads me to believe this may be the first book in a series. I look forward to reading any future books in this series, and I plan to pick up other books by this author.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

4/5⭐️

I'd recommend this if you enjoy:
- Brothers best friend
- Best friends sister
- Christmas vibes
- Forbidden love
- Forced proximity
- Dislike to lovers
- Banter and nicknames
- Cute family and friend group dynamics

This book follows Nina "Gremlin" Thompson and billionaire Tristan "Prince of Darkness" who do not get along and play childish pranks on each other to express their distaste of one another. They've known each other for ages and would rather avoid each other's presence but when Nina's brother Dylan brings Tristan home to their parent's house for Christmas, the hatred quickly dissolves into lust. With only one wall between them, it gets more difficult to pretend that their attraction isn't there and soon they're doing more than arguing.

I binged this book in one sitting and I liked it more than I thought I would. I've wanted to read one of this author's books before so when I saw this on Netgalley, I decided to give it a go. Their writing is easy to comprehend and the plot is fast-paced yet still filled with emotion readers can find relatable. I enjoyed the moments between the characters and I found that I enjoyed how this author wrote spice. It's still there but it isn't totally open-door meaning it's detailed up until they actually do it then it fades to black. I liked this element of the story and it felt natural as well. I liked that they got to know one another still and express their apologies for the nicknames/pranks leading to an understanding. The side characters were fun too and we got sprinklings towards the end of the book as to what the tropes may be for Hunter, Rowena and Dylan.

One of the reasons why it wasn't a 5 star was because they go from hating each other to falling in love in a matter of days which I'm not a huge fan of. I could ignore the speed of it all because of how long they've known each other but it did feel kind of unrealistic. The other reason was because the third-act break-up felt a bit unnecessary and was resolved pretty quickly. If the book were a bit longer to show the development more and the third-act conflict wasn't there, then I would probably have given it a higher rating.

Overall, I would recommend this novel, especially if you enjoyed 'Better Hate Than Never' by Chloe Liese (it gave similar vibes and was a 5⭐️ of mine), and pick up another one of Camila Isley's books.

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Nina Thompson loves the holidays. But when she learns her brother is bringing along his roommate Tristan, her mortal enemy, she begins counting down the days to their departure. With tensions mounting the two can’t help but push each other’s buttons. What started out as a prank war quickly turns physical. Can the two survive the holiday without killing each other, or will their secret hookups lead to a peace treaty?

Camilla Isley’s latest novel, This is not a Holiday. Romance, is the first book in the Funny Feeling series. It combines two of my absolute favorite things, romantic comedies and Christmas.

As with all of Isley’s books, it is made up of outstanding characters and a compelling plot. I was immediately captivated by the writing and couldn’t put it down. I read the entire thing in a single sitting.

While Isley usually writes more closed door/ fade to black romances, this is one of her spiciest stories. There is no denying Nina and Tristan’s chemistry. It is palpable and jumps off the page.

I recommend reading this book if you enjoy:
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-witty banter
-brother’s best friend
-dual POVs (Tristan/ Nina)

Special thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Camilla Isley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

In this fun, spicy, brother’s best friend, and enemies-to-lovers romance novel, Camilla Isley brings the holiday cheer to her latest book! Nina Thompson has never gotten along with her brother’s best friend Tristan, and they’ve had bad blood since she was a teenager humiliated by his teasing. With a long history of pranks and getting on each other’s nerves, Nina does not want Tristan to crash their family Christmas holiday and ruin her chance at a peaceful holiday. When they are all snowed in and cannot avoid each other any longer, will Tristan and Nina realize that their vitriol and snarky pranks have been covering up other feelings after all this time? With fantastic characters who have great chemistry with each other, the alternating perspectives between Tristan and Nina really allow readers to see their relationship change over the course of the novel. The banter and sexual tension are top-notch, and readers looking for all the best holiday tropes will love Camilla Isley’s latest novel. With a great heart and some fantastic twists and turns throughout the novel, readers might know where the novel will end, but they will not know how Nina and Tristan resolve their differences and make it to the end of this fantastic story.

I can always count on Camilla Isley's books to be satisfying reads. This Is Not a Holiday Romance is another captivating novel that features the enemies to lovers trope and Isley's signature writing style. Highly recommend!

This is one of my quickest, most entertaining reads and an instant five-star rating without hesitation! Why do I ever reconsider my ratings? I am obsessed with the enemies-to-lovers trope, and the well-constructed heat, volatile chemistry between the main characters, increased by the tension of forced proximity and witty banter. In this book, the holiday spirit, best friend’s little sister, smart and hilarious pranks involving glitter, and several Casio watches make it irresistible! I laughed so much and enjoyed the immature yet perfectly hot encounters between Tristan and Nina! I truly loved it and couldn’t put this book down, turning it into my guilty pleasure (it’s worth skipping daily errands to bury my head in the pages).

The story revolves around Nina Thompson, who is planning to spend a peaceful Christmas with her family, reading her book, munching on her favorite snacks, and drinking gallons of hot chocolate. But when she finds out her bane of existence, the "Prince of Darkness" as she saved his name in her phone, her brother Dylan’s best friend and roommate Tristan, is invited to spend the holiday with her family due to weather conditions that caused his flight to San Diego to be canceled, things take a turn.

Tristan and Nina have known each other for nearly 15 years, and their tumultuous relationship involves too many insults, revenge plots, and nonstop pranks that rekindle their hatred and annoyance. Nina hates him calling her "Gremlin" since her childhood, and Tristan has no idea how his words impact her or how his actions are judged by Nina from a negative perspective.

As soon as he reaches the house, the nonstop pranks start—the game is on! But when their screaming contest starts to threaten the family’s peace, Tristan realizes he has never gotten Nina out of his head since the day she dared to drop the towel around her body in front of him. Nina also notices her childhood crush, who has turned into her arch-nemesis, giving signals that confuse her mind. Their hatred starts turning into hyperventilating attraction, which means they have to get each other out of their systems. Could one night together solve the problem at the risk of getting caught at a family gathering? But what if one night is not enough and their attraction is more than sexual, something more concrete that they cannot deny anymore?

Overall, this book is hot as hell, an easy, very entertaining, humorous read with a well-executed version of my favorite tropes! I had an amazing time, and yes, I wholeheartedly recommend it! Grab your margaritas, daiquiris, or any of your favorite refreshments as you lie on your couch, sipping them while you flip through the pages! Enjoy the full experience!

Pretty cute enemies to lovers, brothers best friend, *not a* holiday romance.
I loved the tension, the play, the evil guy turned sweet. However i do feel like some parts might have been a bit cringy, such as how incredibly in love they suddenly were after like 3 days. Still definitely fun read and i recommend.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

I've read a lot of Camilla Isley's books now and I think this would be one of my favourites. It's the first in the "Funny Feelings" series which I'm assuming will follow three best friends and flatmates. This book follows Nina and her brother's best friend Tristan.

Nina hates Tristan with her entire being and has done since the first night her brother, Dylan, brought him home for the holidays and she overheard him making fun of her ears and calling her a gremlin. From that moment on, the two would constantly bicker and pull pranks and dares on one another. For Nina it was a war, but for Tristan it was just a bit of fun - I think he's always had some kind of feelings towards Nina but could never understand her hostility towards him.

It's Christmas time again and Dylan once again brings Tristan home with him to spend the holidays with their family and Nina tears into Dylan about bringing him which is overheard by Tristan and her parents so he vows to keep his distance from her but he can't resist messing with her when she messes with him. Eventually things come to a head when a prank Nina pulls causes Tristan to knock over a family heirloom vase, smashing it to pieces. Her mother blames her and she can't stand that no one will take her side and storms off to her room.

Eventually she gets hungry and leaves her room only to find Tristan trying to piece the vase back together with superglue so she offers to help. It's at this point they start discussing why she's always hated him and he realises that what he thought was affectionate teasing actually became something hurtful for Nina. Once he realises this, he does whatever he can to make her realise that he was an idiot and never meant it be hurtful.

Things go well until Dylan finds out about them and forces Tristan to chose between him and Nina before kicking him out of the house. It takes a talking to from his mother for Dylan to realise that he has no say in Tristan and Nina's relationship.

I liked Nina but I thought she was a bit ridiculous at times and incredibly childish for a 28yr old. Screaming at the family that no one takes her side and storming off to her room when she's angry is dramatic! But it seems like Tristan brings out the worst in her, because she lets it, but still. She calms down a bit once they get together and she realises he was never intentionally trying to hurt her.

Tristan was my favourite character though. He is supposedly some billionaire playboy but with Nina he was all in and the perfect book boyfriend - despite coming from a family who never loved him, he's surprisingly good at loving those close to him.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

THIS IS NOT A HOLIDAY ROMANCE By Camilla Isley

Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.
But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.
But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance…

What i liked -

Enemies To Lovers/Brothers Best Friend/Forced Proximity/He Falls Hard/Rom-Com.
OMG Nina and Tristan's banter or should i say pranks was a hoot. I have laughed so much.
Their chemistry was equally Spicy.
I liked the whole secret meet and all.
I liked Tristan and did feel a bit sad for him.
 


What could have been better-

Though I did laugh in the book, I did find Nina quite childish. That did bring the mood of the whole book down.



Who Should read :
Beginners
Romance Lover
Enemies To Lovers Romance
He Falls Hard Romance
   

My Rating : 3/5

Thank you, Camilla Isley, for a copy.