Loved this one from start to finish! The audio was so fun, and the MMC owning the small business he took over for his grandma was so swoony! A must listen for sure!

The Christmas Crush is a cute holiday-themed story. Lawrence is a local baker who owns a bakery in New Hope PA. A chain bakery is coming to the town and Lawerence is nervous and does not want them to open. Sparkle Bakery sends over someone from corporate to ensure the opening is smooth so they send over Elena. Lawrence and Elena are instantly attracted to each other but start off as rivals.

This is called an enemies-to-lovers romance and I guess that’s true since after their initial meeting they did not agree with each other but there was really no enemies part here, they went to lovers too quickly. One day it seemed Lawerence wanted nothing to do with her and the next they were together. I didn’t mind this because I liked both characters so much that I wanted them together quickly.

My biggest complaint with the book was the conflicts felt so forced. Especially what comes up towards the end of the story. I felt the characters went a little backward in their development.

My favorite part of this book was the epilogue. This will have spoilers but I feel I have to talk about this because I appreciated it so much. Scroll to the end to avoid any spoilers. So many books like this have the same epilogue. It’s always one of two things, either the female lead is pregnant or there is an elaborate proposal after only a few months of dating. I appreciated that this story went two years into the future for Lawerence's proposal. Relationships are hard work and it was nice to finally see one that took a reasonable amount of time to move on to the next step.

The Holiday Crush is a great book to get your holiday season started!

Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy of this book.

What a cute book, a little cheesy at times. This is definitely for someone who enjoys Hallmark movies. I read it between fantasy books so it was definitely an easy read. I enjoyed the setting (Christmas time) However, I did struggle with it for a bit. The first half was very slow paced. Also, the characters didn't seem to have a connection past the physical one. I also, don't enjoy instalust, it's just not for me. I didn't feel the characters had much of a development.

Overall the book was cute but not much depth to it.

Ever wish you could have a Hallmark Christmas movie with just a dash of more spice? I found it! This charming book is the perfect holiday rom-com. I want to champion Lawrence & Elena forever. Their story was messy and not true to the recipe for a romcom, yet it was the most delicious outcome. The narrator did such a fantastic job that I have pre-ordered the book in all formats. Glad tidings, indeed!

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc.

I cannot tell a lie.... I DNFed this book. I just got bored with the characters. I wanted to like this book! I love cozy romances and even more I love holiday ones. When I first read the description, it was giving Luke from Gilmore Girls, but that's not the vibe I ended up getting. I got about 60% through and just had to stop.

This book was SO much fun. I listen to almost all my audiobooks on 1.25 speed and this one was no different. Enjoyed the voice of the narrator, it was a great book to listen to on lunch breaks or while driving to work. It was easy enough to listen to in chunks over about a week without forgetting anything important.
This is a sweet winter romance without much spice, but you can feel the love between main characters as you progress. The town it’s set in feels filled out enough by other characters and mentions of people they see and places they go. Some references feel very real life and very easy to put yourself in the mindset of the characters.
Would recommend to anyone looking for a light hearted winter romance with some fun baking references!!

Thank you to Noelle Douglas and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

My first by this author but won’t be the last. Such a cute holiday read and I really enjoyed the story. The narrator was also amazing.

I absolutely adored this book! It’s so freaking cute and made me want to bake all the cookies this upcoming holiday season!

As someone who grew up in a Hallmark Christmas Movie household, this scratched that itch perfectly. Elena and Lawerence are the type of couple I inspire to be; one that acknowledges issues and works through them to be the people they can be, not only for themselves but also for their partner.

I know this is a book that I could constantly reread every holiday season, just like a favorite holiday movie! (And probably while eating a cookie and drinking a thing of coco)

It's a warm fuzzy christmas meet cute. Elena, marketing assistant, for Sparkles cookies - a large cookie company - think Crumbl. Her boss is abusive and treats all of his employees horrible.

Then you have Lawrence who is in New Hope a small town and local business everywhere. Lawrence is the owner of a small bakery focusing on cookies and has been there for years. He is now fighting Sparkle cookies and trying to get them out of New Hope. However, he didn't realize he would fall for his enemy.

This was a cute holiday read and loved the characters. It read very much like a hallmark movie so if you aren't into cheesy feel good, then pass on this book.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance read!

Cute setting but there wasn’t anything different from this book than the many others set at Christmas. Even the story: from meeting to quick relationship, to the inevitable breakup, and the conclusion – it was all predictable. And why doesn’t anyone from the big bad company ever do market research so they don’t open a bakery across the street from the local favorite? I get they need the forced proximity to meet and all but it just seems like someone’s not doing their job. The characters were OK but underdeveloped and the instalove was difficult to believe. This one was not for me.

I found The Christmas Crush to be a cute, if somewhat predictable, novel. It definitely was giving hallmark vibes and was cozy, as marketed. It was an easy read/listen, and the narrator did a nice job, as well.

However, I did find the story of the book to be lacking a little depth. The conflict felt a little underwhelming, and I wished there was a bit more emotional connection between the two main characters other than just initial physical attraction. I also usually prefer a bit more spice in my romance novels, and this utilized the “fade to black” tactic for intimate moments (nothing wrong with that, just my personal preference).

My overall rating is 3 stars. If you are looking for a quick, sweet, and wholesome Christmas novel, this is definitely for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy of the audiobook of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In this Hallmark movie-style romance novel, Elena Voss is the VP of Marketing for a chain cookie store, who is sent to the small town of New Hope to help launch their new store. Lawrence, the local bakery owner, is hoping to shut down the chain store before it opens.

This is a sweet holiday romance that will resonate with a lot of readers. The characters really develop over the course of the book, figuring out what is truly important to them and communicating it when necessary.

I listened to the audio version and the narrator was excellent! She really brought the characters and their emotions to life.

Once again, it took me far too long to finish this audiobook—will I ever learn? Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. The chemistry between the main characters felt flat, and the banter lacked spark, making it tough to stay engaged. That said, the setting was a highlight—think charming small town straight out of a Hallmark movie. While the story itself didn’t fully win me over, the cozy town atmosphere added a nice touch.

this gives everything you’d want from a holiday romance 🎄

cookies, rivals to lovers, christmas tree lighting ceremony, small town romance vibes, “forbidden” love! I really enjoyed the overall hallmark movie vibes that it gave!

It was like a warm hug on a cold day with a hot chocolate.

There is a third act breakup, but i feel like there generally is in holiday books and i didn’t hate it.

The narration was super well done and added to the overall enjoyment of the book! I had a hard time putting it down and just wanted to keep reading!

I would absolutely recommend this to my peers, and would return to the author for more stories!

This story was exactly what I wanted! Almost like a hallmark movie but the book seemed more realistic and plausible! The characters are perfectly flawed and the story line keeps you engaged and enthralled. I loved it! I listened to the audio book and loved the reader, she did an amazing job!

I received this book for free from Netgalley for review.

Warm, cozy Christmas hug for you! The story starts off like a holiday season You've Got Mail and ends somewhere before full-on holiday-movie-of-a-certain channel. Sweet, delightful, clean (if that's your preference), and festive romance that had this Stop Telling Me Your Christmas Countdown and Let Me Have My Fall, Please reader ready to start setting up her Christmas decor and bake some (real butter, and made with love, please!) sugar cookies. I usually only recommend one Christmas title a year and this is it! :)

My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to preview this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Super cute, a little cheesy and sugary sweet. If you like Hallmark movies, you will definitely like this book. It's cozy, and festive and fun. This would be a good palate cleanser book as it's an easy read.

The narrator, Kim Churchill did a great job with narration.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun, entertaining, comfort read. Lawrence and Elena are interesting complex, wounded, intriguing, relatable, strong, passionate, entertaining characters. I enjoyed spending time with these two. The path to their HEA is entertaining to read. The secondary characters – especially Sugar – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. I loved the family and friendship aspects of the story. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrator.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange of my opinion.


This was a cute book. The narrator did a good job. The characters lacked a lot of development and I did not feel a connection/drawn to the story.

It's a lovely little Christmas book with a small town, cookie baking, a big bad city corporation, and just so much love and Christmas joy! Not to mention a cute dog. What's not to love?