Cute, but no real stakes.

I get that it’s a gay hallmark Christmas novel, but there are just so low stakes to any part of the story that I couldn’t finish it. I made it 3/4 of the way through and it was too slice of life for me. The biggest impact to anything going wrong is…one of them getting their feelings a little hurt?

It’s cute and there’s nothing wrong with it, there’s just also not a whole lot *right* with it either.

I just thought the prose was mediocre, on a sentence to sentence level. I would recommend this to people who like hockey romances but are sick of male hockey players though.

I don’t know how to feel about this one. I love a silly Christmas-y book and I did like the silly couples games. I didn’t feel like the romance went anywhere they just got together at the beginning of the book and everything worked out. Third act breakups piss me off but this book had me wishing something would happen. There were just no parts that made me need to turn the page and I didn’t feel drawn to the characters. I know conflicts were resolved but none of it felt like it made an impact.

Yours for the Season was a cute winter romance. The story follows JT, a women’s hockey gold medalist, returning to her small hometown over the Christmas holiday. She reconnects with her high school crush, Ali, who is newly divorced. I was rooting for this couple to get their HEA as they competed in their hometown winter competition. The parental situations for both JT & Ali were unbearable and their conflicts were repeated throughout the story. Overall, though, I enjoyed this holiday read.
I recommend this for someone looking for a quick lighthearted cozy winter romance. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

JT never was accepted in her hometown of Harper's Landing. Even now, an Olympic gold medalist in hockey, she still feels like the black sheep of her family and town. But when she goes out for a drink with her best friend and runs into his older sister Ali. Ali was JT's crush as a teenager and recently went through a divorce. JT and Ali hit it off and decide to enter the town's Christmas contest together.

Overall this a fun Christmas romp that if taken at surface level delivers everything I want out of a Christmas rom com. Small town with a Christmas contest is one of my favorite Christmas book tropes and I love "making the yuletide gay" as the blurb of this book describes. That being said, some of the characters in this book about drove me up a wall. Ali's mom was so ridiculously one note and her insistence on Ali making up with her ex-husband seemed over exaggerated. Ali's brother was weirdly absent most of the book considering he was also supposedly JT's best friend. And then JT's conflict with her family felt like it could be interesting, but really ended up being unrealistic. All that being said I still recommend this book because at the end of the day sometime you just need a lighthearted Christmas-y hot cocoa of a book and you ignore all plot holes and character development flaws in favor for banter and Christmas spirit.

Tropes
* Christmas Contest
* Main Character coming back to home town
* Small Town
* Bi Awakening
* Sports Romance
* Hockey Player/Teacher

4 stars

“Yours for the Season” had the promise of a fun sports and holiday romance but unfortunately did not deliver for me.

I was only able to get a quarter of the way through this book before I had to put it down. I was rather disappointed as it seemed like there was a lot of potential for a cute holiday romance. My main feedback is that the writing felt very heavy handed and neither character felt particularly likable or fully fleshed out. JT was super angsty and negative from the start, which made it hard to root for them. In addition, Ali's family pressures also felt way too simplistic - I would have preferred a bit more nuance with regards to a challenging family dynamic or at least more context for why the characters have put up with such frustrating family dynamics for so long.

With regards to the romance, I was a little disappointed because it did not seem clear to me that the two characters found each other magnetic and compelling beyond simply their looks alone. With that in mind, I was surprised that the author had them get together so early on in the book because it didn’t seem deserved just yet. I would have preferred a bit more build up before the two characters kiss.

Overall, this book didn’t quite land for me - perhaps it would be a better fit for others who really enjoy sports adjacent romances or who are more open to romances with tough family dynamics in the background.

Ali & JT are so freaking adorable together. I’m clearly a big sap, because their sweet comments to each other made me cry more than once. I enjoyed the spice and the witty banter. The parts with their families did start to feel repetitive. And I get that they both had ongoing issues but… something felt lacking there.

I did not realize this was the second book in the series until I was about to leave my review. So clearly it is just fine as a stand alone.

I know a lot of reviewers complained about it being slow and a lack of relationship build up. I did struggle to keep reading at some times. But overall I thought it was pretty good light read once I got into it. I am giving it 3.5 stars.

🔥 A fiery sapphic holiday romance!
This lighthearted read brings the perfect mix of cozy Christmas feels and just the right amount of spice. A Team USA gold medalist returns to her small hometown and reconnects with her high school crush—now freshly divorced. I didn’t realize this was part of a series, but it reads easily as a standalone.
Add it to your fall TBR to kick off your holiday romance season early!
Tropes: high school crush, best friend’s sibling, first-time wlw, small-town return, holiday romance

Thanks. NetGalley for the arc!

This book started off great but it became repetitive, like the relationship both characters had with their parents. Also, JT came off as immature throughout the book to the point that it became annoying reading her POV.

What I liked most was the chemistry they both had and how Ali came out of her shell regarding her bisexuality.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this cozy little Christmas book. I always read one "holiday" book in July and this was my pick this year and it did not disappoint at all! It was lighthearted and meaningful and a really super fast/fun read! Will absolutely recommend this to readers this winter!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

Yours for the Season is a heartwarming and romantic holiday tale filled with charm, wit, and festive spirit. Kate Cochrane crafts a beautifully cozy story with endearing characters, sparkling chemistry, and just the right touch of seasonal magic. It’s the perfect feel-good read to curl up with, offering both joy and tenderness in equal measure. A true holiday delight!

This was a heartwarming holiday romance about a Olympic gold medal winning hockey player returned home to her small town to stay with family for the holiday. Early on she runs into her childhood crush and the flirting begins. What follows is fun banter, some steamy moments, and plenty of opportunities for better communication from all the characters.

I enjoyed the characters and felt fully immersed in the holiday town.

This was an ARC read so I am hopeful many writing issues may be resolved with final edits. But ultimately there were too many inconsistencies, reintroduction of things that had already been introduced, and redundancies in description. It impacted my enjoyment while reading so my rating was only 3 stars. If these issues are addressed in the final edit my rating would easily increase.

This will be a great holiday sapphic release!

Several parts of this book fell very flat for me. Felt very very messy in parts and repetitive in parts. Wasn’t my favorite.
Just wasn’t my vibe for a holiday romance.

I received Yours for the Season as an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

It was an ok book. Not typical sports romance . There was a lot of problems with the families

Rounded down from 4.5 stars

I had so much fun with Wake Up, Nat and Darcy, and I was so excited to hear that Coxie was going to get her own story, AND it would take place at Christmas (arguably the best time for a love story). I loved the ways that Ali and JT both were dealing with how family expectations impact their decisions without feeling like identical problems or super repetitive. Yours for the Season felt like a love letter to small towns and the ways that we can reclaim the places that were once a source of pain but have since changed. I really appreciated how Ali and JT's relationship developed from reconnecting with a childhood crush, becoming friends and each other's support system, to building the foundation for a life together. They were so sweet and supportive to one another, and I loved watching their relationship blossom.

Plus, the various competitions were really fun and silly and did a great job of bringing out Ali and JT's personalities. All in all, I had a great time with Yours for the Season and would highly recommend it once cozy Christmas season arrives.

I absolutely adored this book! I loved Wake Up, Nat & Darcy, so when I found out Kate Cochrane had another sapphic romance on the way, and that it centered on Coxie, the flirty, lovable hockey player from book one, I knew I had to read it.

Told in dual POV between JT Cox, freshly home from winning Olympic gold, and her childhood crush Ali Porter (a newly divorced high school English teacher), this festive romance delivered all the cozy, heartwarming feels. From couple’s contest hijinks to steamy kisses to gingerbread disasters, this was such a fun, fast-paced read. Their chemistry was so believable, especially with the history between them. I only wish the story had spanned a longer period of time (it felt a touch rushed, but I still devoured it).

I loved how Ali saw Coxie’s insecurities and helped her feel valued beyond her sport. JT gave Ali room to rediscover her voice and independence too. As an English teacher myself, I felt especially seen through Ali’s storyline, especially her big win of buying her own home!

Cochrane’s writing is energetic, sweet, and full of heart. I’ll be grabbing a physical copy this fall and recommending it to all my fellow queer romance fans. I just want to give Coxie a big hug.

I meant to wait a bit before reading this, but I needed some holiday joy.

Here we follow Ali and JT. The two have known each other for years. Ali is JT's best friend's older sister. Ali is finally free of her stuck-in High School husband and is ready to move on. JT never quite fit in and always felt like the odd duck out. This has all changed and everyone wants a piece of JT after she won an Olympic gold medal. When they team up to take on the holiday contest, they realize there is a strong chemistry between them. However, JT doesn't ever want to move back to Hart's Landing and Ali can't imagine leaving her job.

This is technically book 2 of the series, but it did well as a standalone. The first book was about another couple. I totally forgot I wanted to read book 1 first...oh well. This was fine.

The two had a lot of family stuff to deal with and I felt so bad for them. Screw both of their families (minus Ali's brother). Honestly, I think they both needed therapy because a lot of the hurdles they face were internal. But they were an adorable couple and I adored them soooo much. They deserved all the love!

Don't even get me started on KYLE. >_> Ugh. Such a stereotypical jerk.

Awwww this made me miss Christmas!!!! I want some hot chocolate now!

I did enjoy this overall, but I did feel that some of the side characters seemed so 2D and in some case pretty stereotypical.

All-in-all, this was a very sweet romance between two gals who deserved all the love in the world. I loved that couple!!! The side characters needed some fleshing out since they felt so 2D to me. This was adorable and a nice Christmas read. 4 stars from me.



Favorite Character(s): Ali and JT
Least Favorite Character(s): KYLE!

This is a not exactly what I would call a hockey romance. Yes, one of the FMCs is a hockey Olympian. But there’s only mentions of hockey, none played or even the main plot point. The characters were interesting enough, but the plot was repetitive, which made it boring. If it was shorter or they didn’t rehash everything multiple times, it would be better. Just okay sadly.

Craving for it to be colder weather so I can reread this book with the perfect temperature and weather outside!! I really enjoyed it!

I received Yours for the Season as an ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yours for the Season is a sweet, simple Christmas book about an Olympic hockey player going home to a place she still doesn't feel she fits in and finding a love with a childhood friend and recent divorcee across a series of holiday challenges.

My primary critique is that it could be 50 pages shorter and the plot repeats several times as opposed to building over time. I liked the premise and can relate to having family that hasn't always understood you, creating rifts, and being from a small town. The plot scope is realistic and appropriately brief for 1-2 weeks home for Christmas, but the characters only have a simple crux and little chance to develop more thoroughly. The writing is simple, and after the first 150 pages it starts to feel staid, even with JT and Ali being sweet central characters.