Maisie is starting her career as a photographer, trying to prove to her family that she can make something out of her passion. She’s also having trouble forgetting about a hot one night stand with Nick King from six months before. When they both show up at the same Christmas tree farm a week before Christmas, sparks fly and the chemistry is hard to forget.

Read if you love:
*** One night stand
*** Hockey romance
*** Second chance
*** Christmas romances
*** Strong family dynamic

This was a cute Hallmark-style Christmas novel. Lots of holiday thrown in, funny and entertaining side characters, and a main couple you were rooting for. Also loveddd the hockey angle!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Asher is my favorite character ever! As a mom of a 4 year old, my heart just stayed focused on him and soaked up all the sweet/cute moments.
Maisyand Nick are the most supportive couple I know and are relationship goals. I've never been a huge fan of hockey romance but this book changed that for me! The romance and in a christmas setting made it perfect.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for my ARC.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan may be my favorite book from her yet! I'm a sucker for a hockey romance so this was fun to read Maisie and Nick's story. They were supportive of each other and had healthy communication. I appreciate Sophie having a more physical romance on the page, but the actual sex part is off the page. I would still consider this a closed-door or fade-to-black romance, but it adds to the story. Nick does swear in this book, but it didn't bother me one bit. Both Nick and Maisie felt authentic. I wish they were my friends in real life. This is a standalone book, but I'm glad I read Lexi and Will's story, Can't Help Falling in Love, because they are important characters in this book. We need to talk about how Asher, Nick's four-year-old nephew, absolutely stole my heart! He made me laugh every time he was in a scene!

Read this book if you enjoy:
-Hockey Romance (MC is on the IR from a knee injury)
-Photography FMC
-Christmas tree farm setting in Washington
-3rd person alternating POV
-Seattle setting
-Closed door (no sex on the page but alluded to)
-Mental health rep
-No third-act breakup
-Adorable 4-year-old nephew who steals the show!

Thank you, Sophie, for writing another delightful romance!

The cozy atmosphere and heartwarming holiday spirit truly shines through, making it the perfect book to curl up with during the Christmas season.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

title: You Make it Feel Like Christmas

author: Sophie Sullivan

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: September 23, 2025

pages: 320

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: on-ice injury

summary: Maisie and her siblings are finally getting the whole family together for Christmas at a quaint tree farm in a super-cute town. Surprisingly, the owner's brother turns out to be the man with whom Maisie had a one-night stand half a year ago and can't stop thinking about. Nick King is injured, struggling with anxiety, and nearing the end of his hockey career, so he is excited about having a relaxing holiday at his sister's new home, which is a Christmas tree farm in a super-cute town. (I bet you didn't see that coming.)

tropes:

second-chance romance
one-night stand is more
family vacation
everyone else has a special person
cute kid
holiday vibes
my family doesn't respect my work
mental illness


what I liked: 

cute family scenes
super cute kid
pining (get the tree pun?)

what I didn’t like: 

somewhat repetitive
not much real conflict

overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)

Goodness, this cover is everything I need for a holiday story. The book was cute and cozy, and I was able to get lost in the pages. Sullivan crafted great characters that each had their flaws, but somehow seemed to like each other. It worked for me! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A wonderful holiday romance!

🎁 HEA
🎁 3rd person POV - alternating
🎁 Mental Health Rep
🎁 No Third Act Breakup
🎁 Close Door - alluded to but not on page sexy times

Sophie Sullivan brings us a moving romance that really pulls at the heartstrings. For this to be a story that's basically and artist meets hockey player (again) after they had a one night stand, it feels like so much more.

Sullivan gives us depth and promise with our main characters. She then weaves in an elaborate cast of family and friends to bring the pieces together. Even though I've only read one other story by her, I didn't feel as if I was missing out on anything. That's how complete this book works as a standalone.

If you appreciate a good, solid romance with some tension and not an abundance of spice, then definitely pic htis up. Bonus things to love include an adorable tree farm, a PRECIOUS nephew who steals every scene he's in, and a resolution to one pretty big plot thing (no spoilers from me) that helped make the story wrap up nicely.

S/N: I realllllly wanted to see more of the FMC's dad on the page. He seemed like such an amazing character. I could read chapters and chapters involving him. (Then again I do love dad/daughter relationships so there's that).

Would absolutely recommend to read any time of year. It's not only for the holiday season. Excited to see what Sullivan has up her sleeve next.

Maisie and Nick haven't seen each other over six months after they had a great connection and spent the night together. However, Nick disappeared the next morning leaving Maisie embarrassed and wanting to never think about it again. They run into each other unexpectedly when Maisie and her family decide to spend the holidays at Nick's sister's tree farm.

The first half of the book gives you plenty of cozy holiday vibes. The small town and the tree farm getting ready for the festive season made the story sound so charming. Despite Maisie and Nick pretending not to know each other in front of their families, their chemistry was still sizzling hot. The second half of the book is where the angst picks up. Despite their connection over the holidays, their future seems uncertain with Nick's injury effecting his hockey career and Maisie's new job. Both characters had insecurities that they had to work through.

I loved the side characters in the book too. Nick's older sister is a single mom with the cutest little boy who is the owner of the tree farm. Maisie's sister and brother were great characters too. So I am hoping the author will continue this series and these characters will get their own book too.

Thank you Sophie Sullivan, St. Martin Press and Netgalley for the digital copy of this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I don't know why I didn't expect much from this book but boy was I wrong!
it was so cute! t brought me back into my feels and I loved it!
I can't wait to get it for my friends to read!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Maisie, fotógrafa decidida, y Nick, un jugador profesional de hockey lesionado, se ven forzados a pasar una semana juntos en la granja de árboles de Navidad de la hermana de Nick. Lo que comienza como una situación incómoda, después de un amorío fallido seis meses atrás, se convierte en una cálida y divertida historia de segundas oportunidades.



Aunque la relación se desarrolla un poco rápido, el libro mantiene un tono ligero y entretenido, ideal para disfrutar durante la temporada navideña. Un romance cálido y divertido con una dosis justa de magia navideña. Sin duda, una lectura recomendada para quienes buscan una historia de amor ligera y festiva.



Espero que en la versión final se agregue un prólogo o algunos flashbacks de cuando se conocieron, porque en todo el libro se menciona lo mucho que se gustan, pero se siente como si surgiera de la nada


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

Masie plans to spend her christmas week with her family at Tickle Tree Farms. She sees her one night stand, Nick there.... Nick has his own issues to sort out while visiting his sister and nephew....

It's funny and sweet. Lots of cozy and fun christmas scenes and activities. Nick and Masie are great together. The nephew steals all the scenes too.
Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

hmm im not really sure how i feel about this book if im being honest. I thought it was going to be a cute and cozy Christmas hockey romance but they were very separate. The MMC barely acknowledges his team throughout this book which was odd. I feel like this book was really rushed and we missed a lot of details that should've been in the book. im sure i would've enjoyed it more if we didn't jump around so much and skip things. i felt like i didn't connect with the characters at all because i just couldn't tell what their personalities were like.
Thank you to Sophie Sullivan, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

A cute, cozy holiday romance. 3.5 stars rounded up since I enjoyed it.

At first it reminded me of a Hallmark romance - Nick and Maisie end up spending the week leading up to Christmas together as Maisie’s brother married Nick’s best friend and the closest thing to a brother he has. They partake in small town activities (e.g., fruit cake competition), family shenanigans (e.g., snowball fight), and generally fall for each other over the holiday festivities. But while it is technically closed door, there is enough innuendo and cursing to make this firmly a contemporary romance.

The biggest issue lowering my score was that I never bought into the couple in the first place. Both the premise (they had a one night stand six months ago but both are still semi-obsessed with the other) and the semi-insta love ( moving in together after two weeks, Maisie panicking that he had to delay coming to town by a day or two).

Thank you to Sophie Sullivan, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Sullivan delivers a delightfully charming and festive read with "You Make It Feel Like Christmas." The cozy atmosphere and heartwarming holiday spirit truly shine through, making it the perfect book to curl up with during the Christmas season. The characters are engaging and the witty banter between them definitely brought a smile to my face. I particularly enjoyed the festive setting and the way the author wove in classic Christmas traditions.

The reason for the four-star rating, is that the romantic relationship felt a little accelerated. While the chemistry between the leads was undeniable, I would have personally enjoyed seeing their connection develop at a slightly more gradual pace. Spending a bit more time exploring the nuances of their feelings and the evolution of their relationship would have made it even more impactful.

Overall, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" is a sweet and enjoyable holiday romance that's sure to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. Despite the slightly swift progression of the central relationship, the book's charm and festive cheer make it a highly recommended read for anyone looking for a dose of Christmas magic.

4.5 Stars

Maisie + Nick

They had a one-night thing six months ago and he just left the next morning. Never to be heard from again.
And now they're both here at his sister's beautiful Christmas Tree Farm for the holidays. LOL.
We get so many funny and snowy and sparky and adorable moments.
I loved little Archer - Nick's nephew. And all the others too - I guess Sophie's readers might know some of them from previous books? (I remember Will + Lexie!)

This was a really sweet and funny second-chancey Christmas romance with lots of snow and cookies and laughter and family and all the things!

And after Christmas we get some more real life Hockey and family problems and decisions about the future.
I really enjoyed reading this - even though this was a Christmas Romance and it's the beginning of APRIL! LOL!