I managed to squeeze in one last Christmas in July read by a fav Canadian author and it was an incredible second chance, romance between Nick, a struggling hockey player who's recovering from an injury and dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. Nick is surprised when he finds himself reunited with Maisie, the one night stand photographer he ghosted when he goes to visit his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm. Heartwarming and full of family, friends and tons of holiday competitions and activities. This had some cameos from past characters but still works as a standalone and really shone in the emphasis on mental health in sports and problematic parental expectations/relationships. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: toxic parenting, anxiety and panic attacks, undiagnosed dyslexia (Maisie)

Christmas in July, am I right?! 🎄🎅🏽😂 The first half of this book had me hook, line, and sinker. Seriously—if Sophie Sullivan is the fisherman, consider me the bass! 🎣 The chemistry between Nick and Maisie had me swooning, and for a minute, I actually believed it was a crisp winter day instead of the 102° Oklahoma heat. I could. not. get. enough.

Until… sadly, there is an until. 😢

The shift from “Christmas with a sprinkle of hockey” to “Hockey with a sprinkle of Christmas” left me trudging through the last half. Don’t get me wrong—I adore Nick and Maisie (and I love a good hockey romance, too!) but it felt like too many tropes were being packed into one story. After Merry Washington wrapped up, the pacing dragged, emotions were repeated, and Maisie’s inner monologue often felt overexplained.

If that “life after Merry” section had been tighter, it would have landed stronger—the plot wouldn’t have lost a thing by trimming some of that stretch.

Would I read Sophie Sullivan again? Absolutely. That first half had me entranced. Sophie’s talent is undeniable, and I’d love to see what she does with other stories.

📚 Misc notes:
• 🌶 Spice: 2/5
• 💣 Heavy use of the F-bomb

All the Christmas Feels, it like watching a Hallmark movie come to life. I love HM but sometimes the storylines are not my fave, this one gives me those feels, but with a fun storyline & some angst and sexiness' around!! I love it! I can wait for people to read it this Holiday season!

I need someone to make this into a movie immediately. This was my Christmas in July read and it was perfect!
Maisie is a photographer, Nick is a famous hockey player. They unexpectedly reunite after their one night stand in the little town of Merry for Christmas with their families. While both going through their own personal turmoils, they find themselves falling for each other.
My favorite aspects of this book were the descriptions and details about the town of Merry. Like I want to go there right now! I also really loved the fun in this book. The games and competitiveness with Maisie and her siblings. The bond and banter between Nick and Ellie.
I appreciated the acknowledgement of mental health issues in sports players and the encouragement to speak out about it and get help when you need it.
Overall, this was a lovely story and it will definitely be one of the most popular books this holiday season!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Sullivan for this ARC.

I ATE this book up. I have never met a Sophie Sullivan book I didn’t immediately love. Masie and Nick are so well written- the background characters are so lovable that I’d love to read stories about them too just to continue living in this world (Ellie and Asher please!!!!) . It had some adorable callbacks to other books of hers. I mean really just 11/10 work, beautifully done.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫
You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan is a cozy escape that hit my Christmas-in‑July mood! This cute, one night stand, second chance, Christmas tree farm, small town romance is perfect for anyone craving a  light, feel-good holiday romance.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas is my first read by Sophie Sullivan. I thought it would be the perfect "Christmas in July" read and the first half of the book absolutely fit that bill!

Our FMC is Maisie, a photographer, and Nick, a hockey player. The initial setting is in Nick King's sister's Christmas tree farm. I absolutely adored all the warm fuzzy Christmas feelings! It really got me in the mood for my favorite holiday season. Maisie and Nick had a 1 night stand several months ago and miraculously end up at the same tree farm for a holiday staycation with their families.

I did enjoy aspects of the book, like I mentioned earlier the Christmas tree farm setting was amazing. I also adored all the scenes Asher was in, he's Nick's nephew. I liked the family dynamics too, Maisie with her family and Nick with his sister, Ellie.

This book could have rated higher with me if the 1 night stand wasn't part of the storyline. It just felt unbelievable and it would have been more meaningful and cute if the story was written that they had just first met at the actual tree farm. It was too insta-love for me. The book is steamy, but not spicy. I prefer a little spice and was surprised it was closed door considering the language in the book. Some people don't like that there was cussing, but I didn't mind that at all.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book as an e-ARC!

You Make It Feel Like Christmas is a cozy, heartfelt holiday romance full of charm and second chances. Sophie Sullivan delivers a sweet and satisfying story that feels like a warm mug of cocoa by the fire—perfect for curling up with this Christmas season.

Nick and Maisie have a one-night stand and then he disappears in the morning. Maisie is determined to move on and forget about him. So when she is invited to spend Christmas with her family at a Christmas farm, she jumps at the opportunity. Unbeknownst to her, Nick is sidelined from all hockey games due to an injury and goes to spend Christmas with his sister at her Christmas tree farm. Neither one is thrilled to see the other, but can Christmas magic happen to bring these two together?

This was an absolutely adorable Christmas romance. Nick and Maisie were both such flawed and human characters that you could not help but love either one of them. The bickering and bantering the two of them do with each other as well as what their families is just so much fun to read!

I loved the slow burn buildup to the actual romance. It didn't feel rushed or fast. It felt very natural and they really took the time to forgive themselves and each other and develop a true connection. I will always love a Sophie Sullivan book but this Christmas romance just hits different and it is such a good time!! If you want to read all the cozy vibes in a romance book at Christmas time, then this is the book for you.

4.25 out of 5. This book gave me all the feels and now I want to go and read more Sophie Sullivan as this was my first book by her. The banter was great, its steamy but appropriate (I mean hot hockey player for the win) and its set in a freaking Christmas Tree farm in a Town called Merry Washington. Adorable! Also Maisie's Christmas love goes after my heart, all her Christmas activities I want to copy. And also what absolute level of toxicity of her family, and yet she's still so lovable, I was a fan. one of my favorite quotes:

" Adulting should come with awards. Or points! points would be epic. You could save them up and give yourself prizes" - i want adulting points!

Also Im writing this currently leaving Seattle and having driven through the Washington countryside and I kind of love that 3 out of my 9 books were set here!

I would like to thank Net Galley and St. Martin's publishing for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.
This is a book about Nick and Maisie. Maisie is a photographer . Nick is a Professional Hockey player. They meet before the book begins at a wedding. She is friends with the bride , and he is friends with the groom. They have one night stand, and he leaves in the morning before she wake up. Now it is Christmas and her family is going to stay at a Christmas Tree farm out side of Seattle. Maisie's brother Jacob's husband Colt, is best friends with Ellie, a single mom to Asher( and new owner of the farm and Ellie's brother Nick. Yes, that Nick. Ok , so we know where this is headed, and head it does. I enjoyed it. It was not completely stereotypical, and the family relationships were well written. Although she is a well respected photographer, Maisie's parents do not feel that she is living up to her potential. Nick is an established hockey player, but he has had a recent injury and some mental health struggles, Nick wants to help his sister, and be there for his nephew, and then he sees Maisie again. There was a lot going on, but it never felt cluttered or overstuffed in terms of story. A lot of it takes place at Christmas, but it is not a Christmas book, per se. It is a book about expectations and relationships, and the families we are given as well as the families we choose. I enjoyed it.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas is such a cozy, heartwarming holiday romance. It's cheesy and lovely and it feels like wrapping yourself up in a fuzzy blanket with a mug of hot cocoa. Sophie Sullivan adds in just the right amount of humor, heartfelt moments, and festive magic, the snowy, small-town vibe, and the Christmas Tree Farm, makes it all feel like a Hallmark movie in the best way.

The characters feel real and lovable, and I adored how it showed different kinds of families, with all their messy, sweet, and relatable moments. Plus… it’s a hockey romance, which just makes it even better!

It’s a soft, feel-good read that’s perfect for curling up with when you want something warm and festive. Sure, it’s a little predictable, but honestly, that’s part of the charm. It leaves you smiling and completely wrapped up in the Christmas spirit.

Family gatherings brim with laughter, love, and a touch of drama in You Make It Feel Like Christmas.

Colton’s “sister” Ellie recently purchased Tickle Tree Farm and invites his husband’s family to celebrate Christmas there, setting the stage for a cozy yet chaotic reunion.

Maisie, nursing a broken heart from a fleeting one-night stand six months prior, eagerly anticipates reconnecting with her family.

The story sprinkles in charming Christmas elements and explores themes of anxiety, dyslexia, and self-worth. However, the large cast of characters can feel overwhelming initially, making it hard to keep track. Additionally, while some readers may adore the precocious four-year-old nephew, I found him grating, as he dominates much of the first half as a third central figure.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Maisie Smart goes out of her comfort zone and has a one-night stand and is disappointed when she wakes up alone. Imagine her surprise when the guy shows up at the Tickle Tree Farm where she and her family are spending Christmas. She’s dealing with issues of self-doubt due to always being put down by her mother, and now she’ll be stuck seeing Nick, who has a room next to hers, every day.

Nick Kingston, aka Nick King, is at the Tickle Tree Farm, owned by his sister, to spend Christmas with her and his nephew while recovering from a knee injury. He’s surprised but pleased when he runs into Maisie, the one-night stand he had and hasn’t been able to get out of his mind. He never intended to walk out on her but had received some unexpected news and had to leave. He also has some issues he’s dealing with but finds that being around Maisie calms him and makes him see things more clearly. Will it be enough to win her heart?

A fun second chance story. There was bad language throughout the beginning of the book, then not so much, then it picked back up a little. Could have done without all of it.

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

4.5 Stars. There really hasn't been a Sophie Sullivan book that I haven't loved.

Think Christmas Romance meets Hockey Romance!

It started as a one-night stand. Fast forward 6 months and the two meet again during the Christmas holidays. I loved the relationship between Masie and Nick as they got to know each other. The activities they take part in just added a wonderful addition to the Christmas season. My favorite was the midnight snowball fight.

I felt such a connection to Masie, especially with her relationship with her mom. I felt like I was reading about my own mom (and her feelings) as I read the interactions between the two. I loved how they finally sat down and really had the heart to heart that brought them closer together.

This will be such a wonderful addition to your 2025 Christmas book reads this year!

**Please please please, I hope we get an Ellie, single mom, romance book in the near future!!!!!**

I have recently become a pretty big fan of Sophie Sullivan. So I was super excited to get to read this ARC. I was not disappointed.

Maise and Nick have an amazing night together but Nick leaves in the middle of the night and does not reach out to Maise. Six months later they discover they are staying in the same house together during Christmas.
Nick is also dealing with some anxiety issues and Maisie struggles with her over bearing mom making her feel less than her siblings.
I always love a romance where the characters have real issues. The mental health issues with Nick was so good because it shows that men have these issues too. I really felt for Maise and how she just wanted her mom to see that she was doing well without a degree.
I also loved the way that Maise helped Nick accept the anxiety issues and learn to not keep it a secret. I also liked how Nick supported Maise with her photography.

Overall this book was a good read and with only a little bit of Christmas. So if you wanted something Christmassy without being over the top. This is perfect!

Maisie Smart never looks back. Not on her choice to be a (extremely talented) photographer or on the one-night stand she had six months ago. Sleeping with a professional hockey player who bolted the morning after though? Talk about a whole new level of embarrassing. Now she’s about to spend the week at a Christmas tree farm with her family —and the universe throws a Grinch in her festive plans. Enter Nick King, said aforementioned Grinch and Pro-Hockey player. A major injury has him benched leaving plenty of time for him to pine the one-night stand he can’t get out of his head. He figured visiting his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm would be a good way to sort himself out. Impossible though when he learns Maisie is there, still beautiful and justifiably angry about the way he left. But Christmas is a time for second chances, and a little forced proximity may help Nick and Maisie unwrap feelings neither of them can walk away from twice.

This was a cute one! It was fun to come into the story after the initial meet of the characters which can definitely help get rid of some of the insta-love. I mean come on, they've been low-key pining for months people!

More important though there are great supporting characters and small plots other than the romance between Maisie and Nick. While they're the biggest focus we also touch on the importance of good friends and family, and realizing that as long as you love the path you're on it doesn't matter what other people want. They can either join the ride or get off.

Looking at the cover of this book, i thought I’d be going into a read that was cute sweet cozy like a hallmark movie or whatever, but what i got was more down right dirty smut and bad words and i was here for it.

Our MCs had a one night stand at a wedding and Nick runs out the next morning. Things happen and we are introduced to a forced proximity type situation when Maisie stays with nicks sister. Feelings never left and bam.

Although the plot revolved around hockey and Christmas it was still decent, a decent pace with the flow and the little small town created was cute and i could easily see myself there along with our characters.

I will say our MMC was a little over the top at times she needed to take a step back and chill.

I’d recommend. Thanks NetGalley for the eARC



Review links to come closer to publication date

I enjoyed how Maisie and Nick’s second chance romance blossomed. I appreciated the honest and straightforward conversations they had about mental health and putting each other’s interests first. There is great representation around learning disabilities and mental health.

Holidays and sports played a small role in the plot. It was sweet to see their friends supporting them along the way as well.

Add this one to your TBR if you are looking for a book with part holiday romance, part sports romance and part second chance romance.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced reader copy.

The two main characters, Maisie and Nick have a one night stand and randomly end up spending Christmas together trying to be something more. I thought it was a cute Christmas book and has some good rom-com elements. The mental health representation was done really well too.