3.75 ⭐️

Returning to Yule was so good, so magical 🥹

Once again the author has brought us the magic of Christmas, literally with a touch of magic 🤭 who wouldn't want to land in a magical Secret village at the North Pole?
This book was good, but not great. At the beginning it all seemed too instant love because of the one night stand that, in reality, our Will was already more than hooked on Juliet. And frankly, I'm not a big fan of the instant love trope.

Besides, there were times when I would have liked the plot to have developed more and faster. I felt that in some parts it was too slow.
And I sincerely hope that a third book with Margot and Harvey's story is planned!!!

Other than that, it was a great Christmas book, with all the Christmas vibes I look for in a book like this 🎄
If you like Hallmark movies, but with a bit of spice, you'll definitely like these books 🤭

Thank you NetGalley and the author for providing this copy, in exchange for an honest review 🙏🏼

It’s a Christmas miracle. Juliet finally gets the promotion she’s been working towards which means she gets to be in the genre she prefers and she gets to leave her old terrible boss behind. In addition, her rotchety grandfather had passed so now she just has to deal with her father who is rich but not very loving or supportive.
Surprisingly after her 26th birthday, she receives a chest from her grandmother, who’s already been dead. This box unlocks a mystery of her parentage and background within a magical town of Yule.
With the help of her guardian, whom she may have already had a one-night stand with, she will see if she can understand her history and what that means for her future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a cute holiday romance which wasn’t over-the-top with Christmas as you sometimes got but was enough to feel cozy and appropriate for the season. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is a standalone but if you read the first one you will have more background on some of the characters in this book. I was frustrated by Juliet’s inability to stay! So much could have been prevented if she would have just stayed put. It irks me when characters do stupid stuff over and over again but I understand how it was necessary to progress the story. Overall, I would recommend as it is what it purports to be a cute holiday romance! Also I would love another book about Harvey and Margot.

“‘Tis the Season for Secrets” was a cross between “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “The Santa Clause” and “Fifty First Dates”. That being said, you can relate to my 5 star rating! Who doesn’t need a little magic and “believing” during the holiday season?

Just when Juliet thinks her life is status quo, Will Duncan (a guardian of the Christmas Village called Yule) enters her life! Will’s job? To protect those on the “outside” from exposing Yule and all its existence. In the meantime he falls for Juliet and once she discovers the families legacy chest delivered to her about her secret past and connection to Yule the adventure unravels.

I loved the character connection and the magic of make believe. This was the perfect book for the Christmas season but honestly any time of year. What could be more magical than a secret Christmas village, a guardian, falling in love and getting the answers to questions you’ve dreamed about your entire life? A clever plot with such realism I couldn’t put it down.

This is the second book in a series but I read it as a stand alone and had no regrets! I want to go back and read lThe Naughty or Nice Clause” now.
Highly recommend this novel! It simply fulfilled my Christmas spirit and I can’t wait to visit “Yule” again soon!

Thanks to @katecallaghan and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I did not love it but I did not hate it either, that is why this is 2.5 /5 book for me. But I read it without knowing it was part of a series, and that did not affect my reading experience, I could easily understand what it was about and what was happening, and that is definitely a plus!

Thank you to CallaghanWriter and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book. Here are my honest thoughts and review.

⭐ 3.5 Stars

This delightful Christmas mystery follows Juliet and Will in a cute, cozy adventure that blends holiday charm with romance and mystery subplots. While it's a companion to The Naughty or Nice Clause, you can easily enjoy this story as a standalone.

I loved the festive holiday setting paired with the intrigue of uncovering family secrets. Juliet discovers layers of hidden truths about her family’s past, and with Will's help, she embarks on a journey to uncover them all. Will plays a pivotal role, both in solving the mystery and in Juliet’s personal growth, making their dynamic central to the story.

This short and fun read is perfect for the holiday season—what better way to end the year than with a heartwarming holiday romance? The book takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and events in the best way possible. I especially appreciated how the story explored Juliet’s relationships with side characters, like her best friend, rather than focusing solely on the spicy romance.

That said, the brevity of the book might make Juliet and Will’s relationship feel a bit insta-lovey for some readers. While this didn’t detract from my enjoyment, their romance would have benefited from more time spent on the smaller, everyday moments that build love organically.

The Yule Village setting was magical—I adored being immersed in it so much that I’ll be picking up The Naughty or Nice Clause next to read Maon and Lyla’s story.

If you're looking for a festive read filled with romance, mystery, and holiday cheer, I highly recommend this book!

What a cute story!
Oh how I hate the FMC's family though! Oh man did I wanna give them some just desserts!
I enjoyed this story tho the ending felt rushed. I wanted some loose ends tied up.

First time reading this author. Enjoyable magical adult Christmas story. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

Tis The Season For Secrets (Village of Yule # 2) by Kate Callaghan
Publisher: CallaghanWriter
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy
Published: November 24, 2024

Tis The Season For Secrets is the second book in the Village of Yule series by Kate Callaghan. This book can be read as a standalone romance or as part of the series.

I absolutely loved this book! I thought the story was wonderful! I loved the characters and thought the romance was swoon worthy!

I highly recommend reading this series! I hope there are more books to come soon!!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed seeing the characters progress in this story. The story was well paced and well written. I was hooked from the beginning and devoured it in just a few sittings.

I had hopes that I would like the second one with the synopsis, but this also fell flat for me as the first one which is a bummer because I wanted to really enjoy these two books. This has a one-night stand, forced proximity and holiday romance, All things that I enjoy reading. The writing style in my opinion needs to be improved slightly.

I think I loved this more than the first book on the series. A magical adult Santa Claus story. A perfect holiday read! I loved revisiting Yule and the characters from the first story and cannot wait for the next installment!!!

While i did prefer the fisrt books, this was still a lovely read

this wasn't AS Christmassy as the first book, as its not exactly set in Yule however the parts that were in Yule were Christmassy. it had the same feel as The naughty or nice claus and it was very consistent. i loved returning to Yule and reconnecting with the characters there.

the mystery was well paced and i was very eager to the part where it all came together!

overall a great Christmas book but i preferred the first one.

Juliet is given an old box and discovers a family secret. It is an enjoyable festive story.
Holiday romance for an easy Christmas read.
Juliet is a likeable smart character and has a nice friendship with her best friend.
It has its ups and downs but its what you would want from a romance at this time of year.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher.

This book has a touch of magic, mystery and a whole lot of Christmas spirit!

I did not expect much from this book at all, seeing that the last couple of Christmas books I've read lately have been a bit formulaic, but this one did NOT disappoint. I looooved the touch of magical realism and that it was something else than just a small town romance set during Christmas.

Juliet is given a box filled with family secrets, and little did she know that after a one-night stand, would she be transported into the magical town of Yule. I just loved the characters and how they interacted with each other and I adored this story.

It was just what I needed for a holiday novel, and this is one of those books where I thought during the entire read that... Daaaang, this would be a PERFECT Christmas movie! I'd binge it just as much as I did with the book.

Thank you to Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

This book was so good. She gets a magic chest to find out that she was part of a banished family from yule. Highly recommend

This was a really good Christmas-feeling story! We travel (back) to the world of Yule, a magical Christmas town shielded from all maps, hidden in the North Pole.

We meet Juliet Frost, a young and eager book editor, looking for her big break to impress her boss. She’s given a chest just after her 26th birthday, and is told by her grandmother she must keep it and its contents a secret. Soon after, she meets Will, a charming stranger who knocks her socks off upon their first night together. When she finally opens the secretive chest, she accidentally transports herself to Yule via a bell necklace and finds herself in the winter wonderland with none other than Will. We then follow them on Juliet’s path to find her mom.

This book was a little all over the place story wise and has some plot holes but it didn’t take away from the festive spirit of the book. This is the second in the Yule series and having not read the first installment, I felt like I followed along just fine. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This was not my type of novel as I don’t enjoy whimsical/ fantasy style and should have researched a little more before I requested it. This is not to detract in any way from the the quality of the author’s work.

Great story, well written and well-rounded characters. Looking forward to more books from Kate Callaghan.

✨ I received this book as an ARC for my honest review✨

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Tis the Season for Secrets" is the second book in the Village of Yule series, which blends romance, magical elements, and family drama. You can read it on its own, but it’s probably better to start with the first book since you’ll meet characters from it here. The story follows Juliet, who’s dealing with family drama and discovering some surprising truths about her past, and Will, a Guardian of Yule who helps her uncover those secrets.

It was hard to figure out what the main focus of the story was. The romance felt a bit rushed and didn’t have much depth, with some parts focusing more on the plot twists and magic than on their relationship. The spicy moments were fun, but they felt out of place. I wish we got more communication between Will and Juliet. And Will's constant chasing of Juliet is a little repetitive and boring.

The pacing was good overall, but the ending left me wanting more, especially about the Frost family and Juliet's banishment and her job. A lot of questions were left unanswered for me but maybe they will be answered in the next book?

I will always be down for a Christmasy novel!! I LOVE reading characters with similar dreams and careers to mine, especially when they’re an aspiring editor or publisher! This was the perfect mysterious romance book for the holiday season.