Sophie Sullivan writes romances that feel like a warm hug or a really good cup of tea on a rainy day. I know that when I finish one of her books I’ll have a smile on my face, a new book boyfriend, and another fictional small town I’d love to visit. All that holds true for You Make it Feel like Christmas and, bonus, I finally say I read a hockey romance.

*You Make It Feel Like Christmas* by Sophie Sullivan is a heartwarming and festive read that perfectly captures the spirit of the holidays. With charming characters, cozy settings, and just the right touch of romance and humor, it's a delightful escape for anyone craving a feel-good story. A perfect book to curl up with during the winter season or in my case Christmas in the summer!

A popular author has written a feel good Christmas story. Love and romance…family and friends…Christmas tree farm…winter and holidays…the recipe for a cannot put down novel. Thanks Netgalley.

You Make It Feel Like Christmas was such a fun book! I loved the hockey player romance, forced proximity, and Christmas Tree Farm setting. This book was heartwarming and funny. I loved Nick and Maisie and reading how their story evolves. I enjoyed it so much that I will read it again during the Christmas season.

Set in fictional Merry, Washington, photographer Maisie Smart travels from nearby Seattle to be with her family on a Christmas tree farm, but doesn't realize the farm is owned by the sister of her one-night stand from six months ago. Hockey player Nick King has had a rough year. When he unexpectedly gets injured and has time away from his team in California, he gets to spend Christmas with his sister and nephew. But once there, he finds the one he hasn't forgotten from six months ago.

A holiday book from Sophie Sullivan was just what I needed! I loved the combination of Christmas + hockey. Plus no third act break up! They communicate and learn from their prior experience. I enjoyed seeing them beyond the vacation, including supporting each other in their careers.

This romance features:
🏒 Second Chance
📷 Forced Proximity
🏒 Christmas time in a small town (and we love it)
📷 Competitiveness (in both!)
🏒 Adorable nephew
📷 The one night stand that became something more
🏒 G.O.A.T. vs goat
📷 Complex parent relationships
🏒 Anxiety rep
📷 Featuring couple from Can't Help Falling in Love
🏒 Adorable nephew

Closed door (one scene does go into more detail, still fade to black) - low spice / steamy

4.5 / 5 stars

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC!

You Make It Feel Like Christmas delivered a cozy, feel-good holiday romance full of warmth, humor, and just the right amount of emotional tension. Set on a charming Christmas tree farm, it had all the elements of a perfect wintery escape—with a little steam and a lot of heart.
Maisie was an easy heroine to root for: confident in her career, guarded with her heart, and refreshingly self-aware. Her dynamic with Nick—who was still reeling from a career-halting injury and their unresolved one-night stand—created a tension that simmered beneath every snow-dusted page. The forced proximity trope worked well here, and the setting of Tickle Tree Farms added a cozy, Hallmark-style charm that made it easy to stay hooked.
The author did a great job layering in backstory and emotion without getting too heavy. Nick’s internal struggles around identity and purpose post-injury felt honest, and Maisie’s reluctance to open up again was completely relatable. Their chemistry was undeniable, but it was the slower rebuilding of trust that gave the story its heart.
The pacing occasionally dipped, especially in the middle, and some of the supporting characters (though delightful) didn’t get quite as much attention as they deserved. Still, the romance felt earned, the banter was sweet (and sometimes sharp), and the message of second chances was spot-on for the season.
This was a festive, emotional, and satisfying holiday romance that left me smiling—and craving hot cocoa by a crackling fire.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a cozy, heartwarming Christmas time novel! This is a medium paced read that is plot driven. This book has a clear thesis, flowed well and I could really feel the main characters emotions. This also came with a hockey player male main character named Nick. He may seem like a grump, but he is super sweet off the ice! Then there’s the female main character named Masie, who is a photographer. Masie is stubborn, emotional and suffers with her own past personal issues. They both end up having a one night stand with each other, then Nick ends up taking off the next morning. However, Masie stays at Nick’s sister’s house and he still has feelings for her, even after months later! This forced proximity ultimately brings these two back together again!

I really enjoyed all the Christmas, small town vibes that this story came with! It’s all about second chances at romance and a new found family. This book made me feel lighthearted and hopeful! I really appreciated how the author writes this story of these two characters. This is written in the third person point of view, that alternates between the two main characters. There is definitely banter between the them, along with some closed door spice! Overall, I rate this a solid 4 out of 5 stars!

I think anyone who loves reading a good hockey romance would enjoy this book! Content warnings include sexual content, personal injury and mental health.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sophie Sullivan and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for this digital advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on September 23, 2025!

This is a pretty adorable and sweet Christmas romance that is also closed door. I am definitely going to pick up every single book by this author!

I have mixed feelings after reading this book! I thought I was getting a Christmas themed hockey romance and that’s not really what I got! The first third is Christmasy and then suddenly Christmas is over and it’s time for hockey. But then the hockey is short lived too. It just felt really disjointed to me.

Maisie and Nick are both very likable characters, but I felt no connection to them or their relationship. It felt very insta love to me. They were soulmates within a few days of reconnecting. It felt disingenuous to me.

I did enjoy the Christmas parts of the book! The outings with Nick and Maise’s families, including my favorite, the snowball fight at midnight.

Overall, it’s an okay book, but I think it needed a bit more Christmas and a bit less drama with Nick and hockey. I’m sure many will fall in love with Nick and Maisie, but sadly they just weren’t for me.

If Sophie writes it, I will read it! She is so good at closed door romance and the stories always feel so cozy! This one's a hockey romance set in Washington on a Christmas Tree Farm. If you read Can't Help Falling in Love - this is set in the same universe so you can read it alone, but I enjoyed a bit of the background knowledge. Maisie and Nick are great. They seem like a couple who would actually last.

I absolutely adored this. It was an absolute joy to read! Once I started, I just didn’t want to stop and now I want to put my Christmas tree up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Tropes: Small Town Christmas, Friends to Lovers, He’s Been Pinning, Found Family, Cinnamon Roll Hero, Holiday Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

🤩The Vibe:
This cozy, heartwarming holiday romance is everything you want in a Christmas read—snowy small town charm, family traditions, and the sweetest slow-burn love story. Sophie Sullivan delivers again with relatable characters, sparkling dialogue, and a cinnamon roll hero you’ll fall for faster than the first snowfall. It’s equal parts emotional and feel-good, wrapped in twinkle lights and second chances.

👩‍❤️‍👨Main Characters:
Nick:
Certified nice guy with the softest heart. He’s thoughtful, steady, and loyal to a fault. His big hockey player vibe isn’t fooling anyone who gets to see him off the ice. He’s been through some tough times and watching him emerge on the other side is so satisfying. Plus, he’s a standout uncle and brother—total bonus points.

Maisie:
A driven, complicated woman trying to untangle years of family expectations and guilt. Her personal journey adds emotional depth to the story, even if it does sometimes overshadow the romance. She’s stubborn but self-aware, and her growth by the end is well-earned.

💕What We Loved:

* Excellent communication between the leads! No silly misunderstandings—just honest conversations that felt refreshing.
* NO third act breakup—finally!! A couple that actually sticks together when it matters most.
* Nick’s honesty about their first meeting and persistence to show her who he really is was green flags right off the bat! 
* The Christmas town vibes are off the charts: decorating, cookies, lights, awkward family moments—it’s all here.
* Found family dynamics give this one depth, especially Nick’s role in everyone’s life.


🚫What Didn’t Work for Me:

* Maisie’s relationship with her mom took up more of the plot than expected. While it was important for her development, it became repetitive and pulled focus from the central romance at times.
* We really wish we’d gotten to see their first meeting—the way they both share about it makes it sound like the perfect meet cute and insta-love moment. It would’ve added even more swoon!


💬Final Thoughts:
You Make It Feel Like Christmas is a sweet, heartfelt holiday romance that will warm you from the inside out. With a standout hero, strong emotional arcs, and festive charm for days, this one belongs on every cozy winter TBR. Sophie Sullivan continues to shine in the feel-good romance space, delivering another book full of love, laughter, and healing just in time for the holidays.

We’ll be dreaming of twinkle lights and Christmas cookies until the next one drops.

I think I liked the ecosystem of this book more than I liked the actual book - the Christmas town is cute, Ellie and Asher are great, I'm a big fan of matching reindeer pajamas. I liked the continuation of the Lexi/Will story. And I liked Maisey and Nick, it just felt like much of the conflict was contrived and a play on a bunch of hockey romance novels I haven't read. The middle dragged a little and it didn't really feel like there was much to resolve by about 70% in. But overall it was charming and I liked everyone involved. 3.5 rounded up.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley.

This was an incredibly cute holiday x hockey read! In my review of Sophie’s previous book Can’t Help Falling in Love, I specifically called out how much I loved Maisie as a side character so imagine my pleasant surprise when I figured out she was the main character in this one! Similar to Sophie’s other books, this one is a very hallmark-y love story that deals with some heavier topics in as much of a lighthearted way as possible. I do appreciate that the third act drama not being a break up for sure. I will say that this was a very small glimpse into the couple’s relationship as it really only took place in a 2 week time frame from Christmas until a little after new years. Their chemistry felt a little rushed because of this even though it was very known they had met once previously and this was their second chance. Overall this was an easy read that has warm holiday vibes.

I love Sophie Sullivan books! Without a doubt, this is another gem of a read!

Maisie and Nick met once - and their one night stand meant a lot to both of them. Never did they imagine they would meet again at Nick's sister's Christmas tree farm!

This one was quick easy read, but I really appreciated both main characters. Maisie is constantly feeling like the underachiever in her family of successful children. Nick is recovering from an injury which took both a physical and mental toll on him. These two have completely reliable chemistry and quickly fall in love.

I loved the messages about mental health in this in particular. Thank you for the wonderful arc!

I really enjoyed reading this christmas romance! I love that while you got to really get to know the main characters and watch their story develop I also really enjoyed learning about their family and friends and the people they really cared about. I felt like getting to really know the support cast helped elevate the story and make it so much more real. I really enjoyed it and would love another story that let us meet more of these wonderful characters, especially his sister and her son!

I instantly loved the sound of this book, the cover and that it’s based around Christmas (one of my favorite holidays) and this book was still better than I imagined! There was so much detail that I was Instantly transported to a Christmas hallmark movie and I loved that but it went further than that and created such an honest, funny, heartwarming and amazing story!! I truly loved this book from start to finish and pulled an all nighter to finish it! This book shined on not only a great love story but the main character’s insecurities, mental health and healthy happy relationships with not only your partner but also yourself, your family, friends and your career. I truly do not have a bad thing to say about this book and I LOVED the proposal at the end because not all have to be the big flashy, grand gesture to show all the love and hope for future with the one you love! I truly rate this a 5/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the ability to read and review this book honesty.

I don’t think you can go wrong with a Sophie Sullivan book. Am I right?

This book was adorable, start to finish. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance, and who doesn’t love Christmas?

Maisie and Nick were perfect. I liked how the main conflict wasn’t simply an initial lack of communication or a one night stand. There was more to it and the characters communicate throughout the novel their intentions.

Nick’s characters has anxiety, and I loved how the mental health issue was portrayed. I suffer from anxiety, and there are times I think other authors overplay or underplay it. This was more realistic. He was trigger by certain events and the way he and the other characters handled it was perfect.

I appreciated that the Christmas element wasn’t too wild. This was you can enjoy the novel through the year.

The side characters were just as lovable as Maisie and Nick. There weren’t too many so I didn’t get confused. It was the perfect blend.

I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

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.