I had such a blast with this book! It was the perfect blend of steamy, sweet, and hilariously chaotic holiday charm. I started reading it on my Kindle and was instantly hooked by the chemistry between the grumpy-sexy single dad boss and the spirited, witty narrator. Then I switched to the audiobook during errands, and the performance made it even more addictive and the narration was full of playful energy and gave every character their own sparkle. I loved the holiday shenanigans, the popcorn-stringing competitions, fake dating awkwardness, and snowy wedding vibes felt like wrapping myself in a warm, slightly naughty Hallmark blanket. I laughed out loud more than once, especially during the scenes with the ex and the over-the-top Christmas contests. The romance built with the perfect amount of tension, and I totally melted when things turned from revenge-flavored fun to something real and emotional. Whether curled up with my Kindle or cracking up during the audiobook, I didn’t want it to end.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves festive rom-coms with spice, sass, and just enough heart to make your holiday glow.

What a sweet book! Honestly it wasn’t my favourite of the series but it was really cute and heartfelt and I zoomed through it! Some of the Christmas dirty talk and puns were a bit much for me on the cringe scale but that’s a personal preference! The cover is stunning and I think wilder and fables love story is beautiful!

Get your cozy blanket and hot cocoa and get ready for the most darling Christmas story! I couldn’t put it down: the characters love story just melted me.

Lauren Blakely really knows how to write a good billionaire boss romcom.

Fable and Wilder have some good banter and lots of holiday shenanigans. And as always, there is plenty of Lauren's signature spice.

If you're a fan of Lauren's other books or if you liked How the Grump Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn, you'll love this book!

I absolutely loved this book! It was my first Lauren Blakely read but it certainly won’t be my last. A huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC. 🫶🏼🫶🏼

I love, love, love the fake dating trope. I could read it all day every day but this was done so well. Wilder and Fable are just so freaking cute I can’t handle it. The banter? Spot on. I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout the whole book! It had all the hallmark movie vibes. The side characters (Mac and Bibi especially) were so fun and enjoyable. I can’t wait to read more books by Lauren!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This is my first Lauren Blakely book. I'll continue reading her books. A perfect holiday book

This book was lighthearted until it became a bit racy. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. It was not what I felt could be tagged a holiday romance but more of a holiday sex-fest.

I absolutely devoured this book!!! I loved the relationship between the main characters and was obsessed with how the MMC has had the biggest crush on his assistant! While this story was so smutty and delicious, I truly loved the development between the characters and the overall storyline. LOVE Lauren Blakely’s writing and this made me a forever fan!

Oh my goodness!!! Wilder is like the perfect holiday spice to your life. He is charismatic, fun, caring, loving and protective. I just loved his character. Fable is a sweet, kind and loving woman. Fable doesn't deserve the crap she is put through in the book by her ex. He is a complete slim ball. Another favorite character in this book is Wilder's daughter Mac. She is such a talented young lady.

This book is the perfect addition to the holiday season and an absolute must read. It is fun, energetic and full of the Christmas spirit. I loved the interactions between all the characters and hope to see more books about them. There is lots of caring and giving and great role model examples amongst our group. From co-parenting to donations, this book is sure to give you the feel goods.

I highly suggest this boss to lover romance. It is full of fun and highly energetic emotions. It is going to warm up your holidays with some magic. So make sure to grab your copy today.

This is the first book I have read by Lauren Blakely. It definitely won't be the last. I love reading Christmas books. This one was steamy, funny, and romantic. I loved Mac, she was adorable. I loved the ending, it turned out really great. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

My Favorite Holidate is a festive, feel-good romance packed with charm, witty banter, and just the right amount of holiday magic. Lauren Blakely delivers a delightful story full of swoon-worthy moments and lovable characters that had me smiling the whole way through. Such a perfect, cozy, page-turner for the holiday season! Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely is a flirty, fun rom‑com that leans hard into holiday vibes without ever feeling cheesy. The chemistry between the leads sizzles off the pages, and the “dating for the holidays” setup delivers exactly the kind of playful banter and emotional pay‑off you’d want. Blakely brings a good dose of sass and heart—her characters feel real, their stakes feel real, and even when it’s lighthearted, there’s a nice emotional undercurrent tying everything together. If you’re looking for a cozy, feel‑good read to curl up with as the seasons change, this one’s a top pick.

I have been a fan of Ms Blakely for a long time and have read a lot of her books, but this one was one that I could not get into. In fact, it was so hard to get into that I was unable to finish it. It started out strong between Fable and Wilder and the plan for a fake relationship but then it just went on and on making it hard for me to keep reading. The characters were well written, but the plot just went on too long with nothing really happening.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This isn’t bad at all. But I don’t feel it is up to Lauren Blakeley’s usual standards. I wasn’t as into the characters as I usually am. It was interesting but I felt dragged along beside it as I read. I wasn’t as invested. I think I struggled because I’m not as into boss-employee relationships. I find the power struggle to be more than I’d like, especially compared to reality. I couldn’t dive into this one unfortunately. I did enjoy the plot and setting, just didn’t love the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the MCs.

My Favorite Holidate, book five in the How to Date series by Lauren Blakely, stumbled into my lap through NetGalley and I was not disappointed. I had not read any of the other books in the series prior to reading this but better believe I’m definitely going to be changing that. This book was a walking trope, haha. We got single dad, billionaire boss, hero male lead, and fake dating. Blakely managed to slap an R rated Hallmark sticker on its butt and you got this book, which is as it sounds…a decent read. Fable and Wilder are obviously co-workers, Wilder being our hottie billionaire boss, who end up entangled in a fake dating plot after Fable’s ex cheats on her and she has no one to take to her sisters wedding. Tehe, Wilder steps up to the plate, in many ways. Ugh I loved Mac, Wilder’s daughter, she was a sweet little addition to this little rom-com book. Blakely carried pun-filled, witty banter throughout the book and some jokes were flat out cringey but I was here for them, hahaha. I did see that some readers found the audiobook to be hilarious and enjoyable, it’s always nice to see an audiobook get positive feedback as I love to listen to them myself.
Thank you so much, NetGalley and Atria Books.
4 stars!

Fable (NOT my favorite character name) is a talented sustainable jewelry and pro-football team merch designer. Her life is good…great job with the San Fran Renegades NFL team, loving family and great friends. At Thanksgiving, she about the find out that Brady, her boyfriend of 4 months, is a cheating f***wit but she’ll need to see him and his plus 1 who he cheated with at her sister’s Christmas Eve wedding…he’s the groom’s cousin. Wilder (another not fav character name) is the billionaire owner of the Renegades and a number of other businesses. He’s a single dad, self made man and has had a crush on Fable for a while. Wilder finds out what happened to Fable at Thanksgiving and it outraged on her behalf. So he agrees to be her fake boyfriend at Christmas and at her sister’s wedding…they are best man and maid of honor…to show up Brady. What could go wrong?? This is a fun, sexy and VERY Christmasy story. Grab a candy cane and enjoy.

A massive THANK YOU to the lovely Lauren Blakley, Atria Books, and NetGalley for my favorite summer indulgence- Christmas romances. 😜🎄❤️‍🔥 Truly, there’s nothing better than dreaming of mistletoe and hot cocoa, than when it’s 200% humidity here in Florida. ☕️❄️

This was my first Lauren Blakely book, and it won’t be my last! I was smiling the whole time I was reading. 🤭 Lauren has set the bar high for me for Christmas romances this year. 🎁 If this title feels familiar to you, it was indie published last year, and now being traditionally published by Atria this fall. (Releases Oct 7) It would be a fun one to scoop up for yourself, or as a cutsie paperback gift for a friend! 🎄📕

For my audiobook lovers, this one’s 13 hours and features a full cast narration. Yay! 🎧

My Favorite Holidate has an adorable, strong romance, with the backdrop of Christmas. ❄️ The first half of the book is in an urban setting, and starts off as a workplace romance between Fable and Wilder. 💼🌉 But then in the second half of the book, we’re transported to an adorable Christmas resort town, with Christmas competitions, and Fable’s sister’s Christmas Eve wedding. 💍

All my Favorite Romance Troupes:
❤️‍🔥 He falls first
⌚️ Billionaire football team owner, with rags to riches story
📸 Single dad, with tattoos
🎄 Lots of Christmas banter and innuendoes
💋 Mistletoe kisses, and more…
🫣 Jealous (and crazy!) ex boyfriend

I could not recommend this one more! And feel so honored to be an ARC reader. Be sure to snag this one when it releases, October 7th!🎄❄️💋🎁

Who doesn’t love a Christmas romcom story? This book felt like the coziest Christmas movie with a fake dating turned real plot, really fun banter, and some good spice. The MCs not only had great chemistry with each other but their loving and respectful relationships with their families, friends, and coworkers gave this book so much depth.

This is my first time reading a book written by Lauren Blakely and at times it felt like I was lost with all the references to characters and plots from her previous books. That being said, I love her writing and I know I will dive into her backlog and hopefully catch up with all these characters.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved how much fun these two had. The chemistry was great, but the respect was even better. There was fun, playful banter, and a great group of supporting characters. It was a great read!

It was cute, but I wasn't vibing with the writing style as much as I had hoped. I ended up DNFing it around 20%. I did love the premise, but it felt like there was a lot going on at once, and I didn't connect with the characters as much as I had hoped.