My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute holiday read!

At the very beginning, I was really excited about My Favorite Holidate. I typically go into books totally blind, so I had no idea where it was headed. I liked the initial moment of the main character, Fable, finding a bit of a spark with her billionaire boss, Wilder. As the story went on, I loved their chemistry and how everything played out between them. I never quite bought into to how intertwined the characters all were and no sparks had been noticed or explored before. I also did not enjoy any of the steamy moments in this book and there were quite a few. Since that's a personal opinion, I didn't let that affect my star rating at all. The ending was way too gratuitous for me, really I kind of hated it. Overall, the story had some good bones but wasn't a hit for me.

My Favorite Holidate is out October 7th! Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for my advanced e-arc!

My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely reminded me why I love holiday romances. This one had all the tropes—fake dating, a wedding, holiday events, forced proximity, only one bed, even an office romance and a single dad. It felt like a holiday movie but steamier.

Fable and Wilder were fun together. I especially liked the single dad angle with Wilder, his bond with Mac, and his sweet relationship with his aunt. His backstory had me a little teary. Fable’s side of things, with her past hurts, gave her character some depth too.

The part that didn’t quite work for me was the whole retribution angle. I understood the cheating setup, but the way it played out felt a little petty at times, which made it harder to root for them in those moments.

Still, it’s a holiday romance that delivers on family, Christmas spirit, and steam. If you like lots of tropes rolled into one story, this is definitely that book.

Massive thanks to Atria Booksfor my advance copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

If you’re looking for a dual-pov, spicy, cheesy, fake dating, billionaire, single-dad, Christmas romance… this one’s for you!

For me, it was just too many tropes stacked on top of each other. This book also made me realize I don’t really like billionaire romance. The relationship between Wilder and Fable felt unrealistic. But I think that just comes with the genre! Honestly a lot of the unrealistic aspects in this book pulled me out of the story. For example, the MMC’s 11-year-old daughter is apparently out here reading articles on how to connect with employees. I’m sorry, but no preteen is doing that!

There was so much dialogue that felt unnecessary and the pacing drag on. Simply put this book should not be 500 pages.

this is a cute read for the holidays! if you like hallmark style books, this is perfect. the single dad trope >>>>

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for gifting me the ARC of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

What I Loved
This book is full of holiday charm and fluffy romance. I enjoyed the fact that this book was such a festive read. You have fake-dating, steamy mistletoe moments, naughty time with holiday lights and wrapping paper, and a billionaire boss.

Our FMC, Fable, and our MMC, Wilder, are well-matched for each other. Fable challenges him and pushes him to show what it looks like to treat a woman well. Wilder is a great leading man and has a fuller character arc, especially in the ways he shows genuine care—not just in the romance, but also toward his daughter and in how he treats Fable.

The humor that is thrown in throughout this book shines bright like the holiday lights. There are funny lines, playful banter, holiday tropes done with a wink (sometimes irresistibly cheesy, but in a good way), and moments that feel warm and cozy. It’s the kind of book that puts you in a holiday mood.

What Didn’t Work
For the type of novel that it was, the length was a bit on the long side. Which made certain parts feel like they drug on and on. There were times when I just had to power through and get through stretches of boring.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a feel-good holiday romance and I will eat up the cheesiness of the holiday season (I love Hallmark movies), but there were times that this book felt over done. At times I felt like she opened up her Christmas bag and threw everything holiday at this book. It was overdone and it wouldn’t have hurt to back off on the holiday a little.

All in all I enjoyed this book and the storyline. I like a fake-dating turned real trope and this offered that and more with the billionaire boss trope as well. This book was definitely a feel-good time with some holiday themed steam thrown in there.

Review submitted to GoodReads on 9/22/25
Review submitted to Amazon on 9/22/25

Thanks @Netgalley and @AtriaBooks for the Advanced Digital Book.

Your typical super cute romcom, with a the rich guy and in this case the employee that works for him (in more ways than one wink wink)... Fable and Wilder had fun chemistry (insta but still cute/fun), I liked that she was smart and talented at her job, Wilder was a nice billionaire who cared about his friends and family etc.... He was really only cocky behind closed doors (in a good way - also wink wink)... I mean really what is not to like about a Christmas themed romcom....

My only UGH moments came from both characters constant reminder of it being a fake relationship.... OMG shut up already, have the characters have some other inner monologue or just do not do it as often.... We knew they were falling for each other, we knew the original set up of the deal between them, we do not need to be told on every page in every chapter..... I also got sick of the Christmas puns, just a little cheesy/cringy for my taste.

Overall, cute... I am sure this will be a huge audience hit, just not sure it was 100% for me from a writing style perspective.... Sometimes less is more, I would rather be shown than told, so the continuous restating of the main characters motivation really turned me off....

I love a good Christmas-themed romance I love anything by Lauren Blakely so I figured this was a win. I wasn’t wrong.
Fake relationships can be rather predictable in that they always turn real and then the couple doesn’t know what to do with themselves. It’s true here but that’s the only predictable thing about Wilder and Fable’s story. It’s a wild ride of holiday game competition, a little revenge, and some very steamy time behind closed doors.
I loved every minute. 5 stars!!

All the fun romance things in one holiday themed read-- fake dating, billionaire boss, single dad, rom/com feel. Fable and her boss, Wilder, agree to being a fake couple for the holidays. Both have their own reasons, and both may have tiny crushes on each other to start. When they go away to Evergreen Falls for a Christmas Eve wedding and lots of friendly, holiday competitions, the fake relationship lines begin to blur. This one is a spicy Christmas rom-com that is a quick read.

So what can I say besides that Lauren always gets me with the feels, the spice, and of course the laughs.
My Favorite Holidate has of the elements that one comes to except when it comes to Lauren's writing. This holiday romcom is the perfect crying from the laughs but also swoon at the way Wilder is obsessed with Fable, I mean, was their relationship ever really fake if both of them had feelings all along? The cast was perfect on the audio and kept me hooked from the beginning to where I just had to keep going. Another smash hit for Lauren!
💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕🎄💕

Fake Dating + Christmas, what's not to like. This was a cute Christmas themed Rom Com, just to note though, there is a lot of spice in this one. Both main characters have reasons for faking a relationship around the holidays but it doesn't truly stay fake for long.

Thank you NetGalley, Lauren Blakely and Atria Books for the Advanced Readers Copy and the opportunity to share my thoughts on this book.

Dedication: This book is dedicated to anyone who ever wanted to bang under a Christmas tree. *Spits out spiced eggnog* and turns on *NSYNC’s Under My Tree.

Fable is a merchandise designer for a football team and her billionaire boss, Wilder. Wilder is a single dad, but has a bit of a crush on Fable.

They both play a role in an upcoming Christmas Eve wedding. She’s the maid of honor and he’s the best man. Problem is, Fable just caught her boyfriend (another groomsman) getting his “candy cane” licked by the Thanksgiving caterer.

To make matters worse, there’s a couples competition prior to the wedding. So Fable decides to partner up with her billionaire boss to make her ex jealous. Nothing like fake dating at Christmas.

This book has some great banter and wild scenes. Some Christmas penis glitter makes an appearance in an awkward boss employee moment. And have you ever dreamt of having your boss tie you up in a large Christmas bow and unwrap you (light Christmas bondage), well your Christmas dreams are coming (wink wink) true.

Book Club Recs:
Food: pancakes
Drinks: eggnog
Music: NSync “Under My Tree”; “Let It Snow”; “The Christmas Song”; “Wonter Wonderland”; “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Tinashe; Santa Baby, All I Want for Christmas Is You, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Deck the Halls, Joy to the World, O’ Come, All Ye Faithful.
Bonus: Have a Holiday Toy drive. Bring an unwrapped toy to donate to a local charity.

Thanks @Netgalley and @AtriaBooks for the Advanced Digital Book

“My Favorite Holidate” is pure holiday rom-com magic! This book would make the perfect stocking stuffer for that Hallmark-loving friend in your life. Fable and Wilder’s chemistry is undeniable, and both characters feel fully fleshed out and real. I also loved how their friends and families from other stories in the series were seamlessly woven in—it gave the book an extra layer of warmth.
The fake-dating trope gets plenty of mileage here (you’ll definitely see it more than once!), but it’s so sweet watching these two navigate their feelings, unpack their past traumas, and slowly build something real. Add in a little spice, a lot of heart, and of course a happily ever after, and you’ve got the perfect cozy holiday read.

This was a cute book, but honestly felt like it was a bit too long. Sort of started to drag a little bit. But I will definitely give this author another shot!

Content Warning: gambling addiction, cheating

+ The holiday vibes is everywhere in this Christmas romance. From start to finish, there is Christmas decor, a Christmas wedding, snow, and Christmas games!

+ This a fake dating, billionaire, workplace, single dad, holiday romance and I think it all worked together well! I liked both characters – Wilder owns a football team and other business. He’s also a sweet single dad to a little girl, Mac. The only really challenging part in his life is dealing with his dad who has a gambling addiction but Wilder’s a good guy. As for Fable, she’s the creative type with a fun personality. I thought they were cute together, with lots of chemistry and they brought the holiday spice for sure!

~ I didn’t know this was a book in a series but I think this does well as a standalone. I did find it curious that there were a lot of characters there for a story (all of Fable’s friends), but it being book 5 in a series makes sense as to why there are so many characters.

~ I saw in Goodreads reviews that people said this book was too long, and in this revised version I think it’s cut down by 100 pages from the first publication and I thought it was a good length.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this was a fun holiday romance filled with Christmas, family, friends, spice and romance!

This was such a fun Christmas read! With fake dating, billionaire and single dad romance it’s a must read!

Lauren, Lauren, Lauren!!!!! When you decide to write a fake dating, RomCom, Hallmark but spicy book you really go for it…although you and I might have to have words about my favorite song…I love Judy’s version of have your self a merry little Christmas from Meet me in St Louis!!!! Such a sad song and that version would fit this book soooo well but not everyone can be right 😏

Fable and Wilder are a wild pair and I love it! I love Mac and BB…Also Penguin needs a bigger role just saying.

As always the audio book is 1000/10. Audio plays wishes they could be this amazing. The amount of laughing out loud to the point that my mother and husband kept asking if something was wrong I was laughing to hard.

My Favorite Holidate is a cute holiday rom-com and would be a fantastic stocking stuffer for your Hallmark loving friend. Fable and Wilder have great chemistry and are well developed characters. Their friends and families are wonderfully integrated from other stories in the series. The fake-dating scene hits you over the head time and time again but it’s sweet to see them struggle with their feelings and past traumas, and turn it into true love, a bunch of spice, and a happily ever after.

I also listened to this book on Audible and it was great. The narrators are fantastic and their personalities portray their characters perfectly!

"Sometimes we aren't ready to do the hard thing, so we have to do something easier first."

3 Stars!

This one was cute. A fun holiday romance with ALL THE SPICE.

Fable and Wilder had insta-chemistry and their banter was fantastic. Initially it felt like we were mostly moving the plot along between spicy scenes but then the characters developed some depth in the back half of the book. Wilder dealt with family issues with his dad, and Fable stood up for herself against her loser ex-boyfriend.

A perfect read for the holiday season!

2.75 ⭐️

Some of my favorite books are holiday romances. Sadly, this isn’t one of them. I’ve tried with Lauren Blakely—I really have—but her particular flavor of contemporary romance just isn’t for me.

That said, this was my second read-through. You might ask why I’d revisit a book I didn’t enjoy the first time. The answer: NetGalley. I’ll admit I enjoyed it slightly more on the second read, but I still cringed several times.

What I liked: Wilder and Fable have genuinely good chemistry, and Mac is cute.

What I didn’t like:
• Billionaire romances aren’t usually my thing—especially when the book has no sense of what a real billionaire’s life looks like.
• This book is nearly 500-pages, yet starts with exposition that feels rushed.
• If a book is marketed as a standalone, it should read like one. References to characters from other books should be woven organically, not listed off in rapid-fire fashion.
• Some of the dialogue is ridiculously cheesy. I don’t hate puns, but there were far too many cringey Christmas ones. I’ll never look at eggnog the same way again.
• In addition to the cheesy dialogue, there are some completely improbable plot points.
• A good writer shows rather than tells. It isn’t necessary to continually and explicitly restate a character’s motivation if the storytelling already demonstrates it.

If you love saccharine rom-coms with a heavy side of sass and spice, you’ll probably enjoy this. There’s clearly a large audience for this kind of story, but it’s not for me. This will likely be the last Lauren Blakely book I read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for providing this book in exchange for my honest opinion.