Thank you @simonteen #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

This book had such a fun and creative concept. I don’t think I’ve ever read something quite like it before. This story is broken up into 25 shorter chapters and is supposed to read like an advent calendar. Each day is something new leading up to Christmas. (HOW CUTE?!) I loved that structure because if I were a kid it would make me excited to grab this book each day! It definitely would add to the holiday spirit if I was reading in December! Advent calendars remind me of my grandmother because she always bought one for my sister and I each year and we would take turns opening them. Advents always hold a special spot in my heart.

One thing I really appreciated was the inclusion of a main character with a heart transplant. This particular detail shaped our main character quite a bit. It’s not something you see often in holiday stories, and I thought it added a meaningful layer to the book. Representation like that matters, especially in a story that’s clearly aimed at younger readers.

All of that being said, I found myself a little unsure about the target age group. At times, the tone and style felt very much geared toward children, but then certain themes and sections seemed like they were meant more for teens. Some of the writing also felt it had some fluff and descriptions that didn’t always feel necessary and it was hard to see to see how they tied into the main storyline.

Still, overall I think this book is a sweet pick for anyone younger (or anyone who’s young at heart!) who wants something cozier, festive, and easy to read as December unfolds. It’s full of Christmas spirit, and the short chapters make it fly by. A cheerful little advent companion for the season. 🎄❤️

Thank you NetGalley for an Arc of this book!

This book was not good! The main characters had no chemistry at all. The plot was basically nonexistent. The fmc was kind of annoying and I don’t really see what was so great about the mmc. It didn’t even feel like a Christmas book.
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.

2 stars ⭐️ ( I rounded up a half star )
Fade to black
Some innuendo
Mild language
15+

I received a free copy of, A Heart for Christmas by, Sophie Jomain, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. April is 18 years old and a recent heart transplant patient. She is celebrating the Christmas holidays in the Alps. I found this book to be dull and boring. I realy wanted to like this book, but I could not.

This was such a unique concept! Told in advent-calendar format, this holiday romance takes place in the Alps. I thought it was adorable and will be perfect for the holiday season.

I am always on the hunt for YA Christmas stories so I was excited to see this one coming out. It was originally released in French, translated to English for a release in September 2025.

This book follows April, who has had a somewhat sheltered life since surgery on her heart two years prior. Her parents are split up and she is spending Christmas with her father near a ski chalet. She has avoided anything potentially dangerous because of her heart issues, but also wants to live as normal of a life as she can.

This story was cute and a very quick read. I liked seeing April become more confident as the story progressed. There’s a slight forbidden romance aspect as well (best friend’s brother trope) and they were cute together.

However, aside from the advent calendar format (so cool! We need more books like this) and a few references here or there, this wasn’t a terribly Christmassy read. It’s more wintry, with skiing, snowfall, getting snowed in, etc.

Overall this was a cute YA holiday romance. I always love reading them!

This story is so cute. This will definitely be a fun physical book to get with the advent calendar element. I really enjoyed reading about how the mmc helped the mfc step outside her comfort zone. So cute

I was immediately drawn to this book after reading that it was told in an advent calendar style! The idea is so much fun. I attempted to stick to reading just one chapter a day! Sadly, the story wasn’t my favorite. I found it moved slow and felt rather repetitive. I never felt any excitement to pick the book up each day.

I really enjoyed the setting and could really feel myself in the winter wonderland. It made for the perfect cozy Christmas feel.

April was a likable character and I really felt for her and her health complications! Her parents were so over protective, which I totally understand, but it came across as overly controlling at times! It made her character come across as a 13 year old instead of the 18 year old she was.

Augustin was also a likable character. I did find him a bit pushy and a bit self centered at times, but by the end I thought he and April were sweet together. I definitely felt like there were parts of the story with Augustin that could have been left out. I think the book could have been shorter by about fifty pages.

Overall, a great concept, but the story was lacking for me. It felt repetitive at times.

Thanks to Simon Teen for the eARC.

Ooof there are times when I am reminded that I am not a young adult anymore, and young adult books don’t always work for me. April is back in the alps for Christmas for the first time in a few years, and she meets back up with her best friend’s older brother and sparks immediately fly.

Okay so here’s what I couldn’t get over. April has had a heart transplant and I’m sure her doctors have been very clear about what kind of physical activity she should be doing. And yet the moment she’s back in the mountains, Augustin is pushing her to go cross country skiing and claiming that her wanting to be less physically active is her hiding away or some other emotionally manipulative BS. Like SIR are you a doctor??? I rest my case.

And wow, the drama with her BFF was a lot.

I love YA books still…just not this one unfortunately.

Can you believe we are reviewing Christmas books?? I just finished A Heart for Christmas by Sophie Jomain. I loved this book.

I love this concept. I have not seen an adult romance advent before. I loved it. The book is a fun simple Christmas story broken up into 24 days. I loved how the story progressed and flowed. Definitely one to add to the collection.

A sweet holiday romance between a young heart transplant patient several years after her life-saving surgery and her best friend's handsome ski instructor brother, set in the glorious alps. Each chapter is sealed -- one to be opened like a flap on an Advent calendar and read each day during the season -- and festooned with a beautiful illustration by artist Manon Bucciarelli. Recommended for younger teens who love feel-good stories set in romantic locales.