Thank you St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A fun holiday read! Jill hasn’t liked Christmas since her ex broke up with her on Christmas Eve years ago. She hasn’t been back to her hometown since then either. But this year she’s returning home for the holidays. After a night out she wakes up in her hometown at its perfect holiday season, jolly people, snowy, and even holiday smells. She realizes that she’s stuck in a holiday like movie, one that features her hometown and people she knows. Including her ex and her high school crush. The only way to get back to her world is to play out the movie the perfect holiday romance. But in doing so will she fall back in love with Christmas? And can she turn her movie romance into a real one? A fun and light holiday rom com! Iva-Marie Palmer will have you in the feels and also all the holiday warmth! Sweet and charming!

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

This book feels like a love letter to the genre and to anyone who’s ever felt a little lost around the holidays. Charming, emotionally honest, and just the right amount of cozy, it made me fall in love with Christmas stories all over again.

This was a cute Christmas rom-com. I wish I would have read it closer to Christmas (and not on a 90 degree day in June :) ).

Jill is not a Christmas person, but one day she wakes up in a Christmas movie. In order to escape, she has to finish the plot and see if she can get into the Christmas spirit.

This was a cute take on the magical realism Christmas vibe that has been going around the last few years.

Quick and cozy Christmas read !! Loved the chapter titles !!

Also just loved the hallmark love of this book !

This was a great, light holiday read. The overall plot was cute and unique but I felt like it was a little repetitive and that more time could have been spent getting to know the side characters who I instantly fell. in love with.

Jill doesn't like Christmas, hasn't been home for Christmas in three years, but this year she finds her in the middle of a big Christmas celebration..

Life being like the movies isn't necessarily a good thing.

This is a sentiment that Jill Jacobs discovers the hard way as the struggling screenwriter finds herself smack dab in a Heartfelt (basically Hallmark) Christmas movie. Jill is tired of trying to get a studio to take her writing seriously, and finally gives in to return to her hometown of Powell Park for the Christmas holidays. After facing people from her past, she unwittingly finds herself in her own type of nightmare; a schmaltzy Christmas movie playing out as if it's real life.

This book endeared from the get-go. Jill's attempts to thwart the Christmas movie tropes are laugh-out-loud hilarious and her chemistry with a leading man is scorching hot. As someone who both likes Hallmark movie and accepts their idealistic portrayals of the world, this book hit all the right notes.

Christmas People is sure to be a hit once it releases, with both Hallmark purists and haters alike finding something in the book to love. I hope that we get more adult books from Ms. Palmer in the near future!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas People by Iva-Marie Palmer was such a cozy, feel-good read. It’s the kind of book that’s perfect for curling up with during the holiday season, especially if you're in the mood for something warm, funny, and full of heart.

I loved how the story blended humor, emotion, and a touch of magical realism. It struck a nice balance between being lighthearted and reflective, and it left me feeling really hopeful by the end. The writing is super easy to get into, and the whole thing had a comforting, fireside kind of vibe. It honestly felt like drinking hot cocoa while watching your favorite Christmas movie.

The characters were so lovable and really carried the story. It’s definitely character-driven in the best way, and I found myself rooting for all of them. If you’re looking for a sweet, charming holiday read that wraps you up in warmth, this one is a great pick.

When I read the blurb about Christmas People by Iva Marie Palmer, I mistakenly thought it would be similar to a cozy Christmas book or a hallmark movie. Parts of it are.

Other parts are very much not, such as the use of certain language, behaviors, and the very graphic sex scene. I just wasn't looking for any of those things when I decided to read what I thought was a cozy Christmas book.

Maybe I should've gotten a clue from "Fa la la la freaking la…" at the end of the book blurb.

I did enjoy reading about the Sweetville parts of the book and I do recognize the satirical aspect of the book.

Publication Date September 30, 2025
St. Martin's Griffin

#arc #netgalley #ChristmasPeople
#Fiction #satire

My review is currently posted on Goodreads (link provided).
I will post my review on my BrightBookReviews Instagram (Bookstagram) and Facebook pages on September 30th (it is my normal practice to leave book reviews up indefinitely).
I will also submit a review to Amazon.

“Christmas People” is about Jill Jacobs who moved to LA to be a screenwriter. While waiting for her big break, she’s worked entry level jobs unsuccessfully. Her agent schedules a meeting for her with Heartfelt (similar to Hallmark). She hates Christmas because she and her boyfriend broke up then. Jill’s personality flaw is that she runs so she doesn’t have to deal with the difficult things (ie relationships, friendships, even family dynamics).
After losing her job, she heads home for Christmas for the first time in 3 years. Ironically, Jill ends up in her own Heartfelt movie. In her alternate reality, she doesn’t handle her life any better. She keeps hearing Santa say “Open your heart”. So instead of resolving any issues, she just tries a bunch of alternate routes. I was frustrated by her. After she left her Heartfelt life, she’s back at her parents home. As her mom tries to talk with her about her life, Jill packs up her stuff, gives a lame excuse and heads back to LA. Back at her arcade job, she runs into a screenwriter who has written for Heartfelt who offers to read anything Jill writes. Well, Jill decides to write her Heartfelt experience and shockingly, they want to make a movie of it and film in Jill’s hometown. After that, everything wraps up pretty quickly and everyone has their happily ever after.

I was a little frustrated with how dense Jill was. The other characters were more “real”.

If you like Hallmark movies, chances are you’ll enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was a cozy and cute story.
Jill moved to LA to try to be a screenwriter, however, she has not been successful. She also hasn't gone home for Christmas in Illinois with her family because she is afraid of running into her ex.
Grant, the ex, is a sous chef at a super successful restaurant in NYC. He visits his family EVERY Christmas.
The two broke up 3 years prior, and Jill has internalized that it's all because of everything she does wrong. Jill self-loathes a lot, it's a little frustrating at times in the book.
Jill ends up going home. When she wakes up, she has been transported into a Hallmark-type movie in a town called Sweetville. The only way to get back is to get through the plot of the movie.
I would like to say that the book becomes cool and interesting things happen, but for me, it fell a little flat.
It was cute, but just not enough plot in reality for me.
The plot was structured okay. The pace got slow for a good chunk of the book.
The characters were developed enough, but not as much as I would like to have seen.
Overall, if you love the cheesy Hallmark movies during the holidays, you will like this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Happy Reading

As someone who isn't a huge fan of the Heartfelt Christmas movie genre, I was intrigued by the premise of "Christmas People" when I opened the invitation to preview this book. There's only so many times the girl from the Big City can come back to the Cozy Hometown and learn a lesson about love with a man dressed in flannel, right? Iva-Marie Palmer feels that too, and has created a delightful story that is able to be sweet without becoming saccharine.

Jill Jacobs feels she is a failure at everything: writing scripts, love, family, and being a clerk at an LA arcade. Jill decides to take a chance and return home for Christmas. In real life, families are not perfect and Jill's is no exception. Needing a break, Jill comes across Santa Claus in the CVS parking lot, who mysteriously tells her, "Until next time." Jill gets a little tipsy and falls asleep in the sleigh in the town park, and wakes up in Sweetville, the Heartfelt Christmas movie version of her hometown. Jill has a chance to make the right choices, assisted by Santa and movie sound effects, to get her life on track and escape Sweetville.

About 50% of the way through the book, I thought I had the plot figured out. Much to my delight, I was wrong! Iva-Marie takes her reader on some unexpected paths, and includes relationship growth beyond the love interest. I very much enjoyed "Christmas People," and its kind tongue-in-cheek perspective of the saccharine Christmas movies.

What a great cozy Christmas story! This book will be perfect to read around Christmas time. I found it to be funny, emotional, lighthearted, reflective and hopeful! It really pulled me into the magical realism aspect of this story. It is easy to read and entertaining! This comes with lovable characters and is character driven. It just had me feeling like I was by a fireplace, drinking some hot cocoa and watching a lighthearted movie. I found that it did start off a little slow for me, but it did pick up towards the middle of the book. It comes with a clear thesis, a well executed plot, twists, a romance and a wonderful holiday story! It comes with a little spice and a feel good ending! I really enjoyed this author and I will be reading more of her books!

“Christmas People” is a novel about a woman named Jill that moves to Los Angeles from her hometown to pursue her passion of becoming a screenwriter. She had her heart broken on Christmas Eve in her hometown of Illinois, three years ago. However, she ends up going back to her hometown years later. While she’s in her hometown, she falls asleep and wakes up in a heartwarming Christmas story! It’s full of love, sweetness and joy! This book is just wonderful! Overall, I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves watching Christmas Hallmark movies! This book is a very clean read and full of happiness!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Iva-Marie Palmer and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on September 30, 2025!

Jill’s heart was broken on Christmas Day and it left sour memories of the holidays. No more Christmas for her, no decorations, no parades, no family get togethers. She didn’t go home for the holidays in her small town for fear of running into her ex. Finally returning home for the holidays, she went to sleep after a night of drinking and wakes up as a character in her ‘own movie’ . A cute book that had a Hallmark vive. Jill was a little hard to warm up to in the beginning. Happy Holidays to all, I read a free arc via Netgalley and voluntarily chose to write a review.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Griffin.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Jill is not a Christmas person. She’s hiding in L.A. for the past three years after having her heart broken in her home town. One bizarre night she is thrown into an idyllic set of a holiday movie. It will have her at first shaken up but the embrace the season. It is a feel good read.

This will make a great Christmas story to add to your stack if you love Christmas books. It starts out a bit too depressing and down with a character that wasn’t exactly likeable, so I didn’t think I would enjoy it. I’m a fan of happy, upbeat Hallmark-like movies and stories for the most part when looking for Christmas books. But it turned out to be just that but with humor, a twist and a very Hallmarky type feel after all. In fact the main character, Jill, an aspiring screen writer, has a broken heart from a Christmas break up a few years back. She has avoided going home for Christmas so that she wouldn’t run into her ex, Grant. This Christmas she does return home to her small town outside of Chicago, because life and work isn’t going too well in LA. Jill drinks too much one night and wakes up as a character in her very own “Heartfelt” movie. It has an un-Hallmark like spicy scene or two, but overall a perfect Christmas romance..
Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Jill has bad memories of Christmas, namely that she was dumped on Christmas Day years ago, and is decidedly not a Christmas person. She moved to LA and has never been back to her hometown in Illinois since then - until now, when she is back home with her family for the holiday. One morning, she wakes up to an environment overly Christmas, and realizes she is stuck in a Heartfelt movie. The characters are all people from her life, including her family, friends, high school crush, and ex. The only way to get out of the movie is to continue with its plot, which forces Jill to become Christmasy and partake in the perfect romance.

While I have read this storyline before, it is still a cute book with a lot of fun Christmas and romance elements. I had a hard time connecting with Jill, but I enjoyed all of the supporting characters. I enjoyed that central themes included confidence and the role of family. I would be excited to re-read this during the holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This took a little bit for me to get into, but I really liked the premise and definitely teared up near the end. I do think the ending was satisfying, albeit a bit rushed. Jill had to hit her bottom to get her happily ever after. I won't lie, I wouldn't have minded an epilogue with more of the happy ending.

I really enjoyed this story. I love romance and when it is so well done I cannot recommend it enough. This will definitely be one of those times. The plot was well written and the characters felt so real!