If you like ex’s fake dating than Yours for the Season is the Christmas romance for you!
Melanie’s ex boyfriend, Finn, dumped her in front of everyone at his sister’s engagement party. Since then Melanie’s year has continued to go downhill. Two weeks before Christmas Finn shows up at her door with a proposition, spend the week of Christmas with him and his family in the Scottish Highlands pretending to be dating. Melanie agrees as long as she can get revenge and dump him in front of everyone at the end of the week. Will the week go according to plan and will she still want to dump him after the week?
Christmas romances with cozy settings and family drama is my jam!! A great read for anyone who loves Christmas romances!
Thank you Dell for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A cute British Hallmark-y type book. Christmas, fake dating, second chance lovers - the book has the ability to have it all but at times the plot was slow especially during flashbacks. Overall, I recommend. Thank you for the earc #YoursForTheSeason #NetGalley

Initial vibes:
Scottish countryside?
Second chance romance?
Cozy Christmas chaos?
Say less. This book had me reaching for a blanket and a cup of tea from the very first page. It’s got that quiet, candlelit vibe of a BBC holiday special but with more kissing.

What it’s about:
Melanie is an indie jewelry designer on the cusp of her big break. But while her career is taking off, her personal life is in shambles: her best friend is out of the country, and her ex dumped her at his sister’s engagement party. So when that very same ex, Finn, reappears with a wild proposition—come to Christmas with his family, break up with him dramatically, and enjoy a very petty bit of closure—Mel reluctantly agrees.

Cue: one charming, complicated family Christmas. Think meals with multiple courses, a scavenger hunt, lingering glances, and a lot of unresolved tension.

What I loved:

A cozy, vivid setting that made me want to move into a snow-dusted Scottish village immediately.

A cast of side characters that felt real—especially Finn’s sisters, whose relationships are quietly unraveling in the background.

Mel’s emotional depth. She struggles with panic attacks and perfectionism, and the story doesn’t handwave those challenges.

That slow burn tension. The moments of domesticity? The shared jokes? The quiet heartbreak? Chef’s kiss.

Vibe check:
✔️ Hallmark but make it British and emotionally intelligent
✔️ Snow, family drama, and rekindled love
✔️ A heroine you want to root for and hug
✔️ Soft boys with tools and regrets
✔️ Feels like being wrapped in a tartan blanket and told “I still love you”

Final thoughts:
While I really wish we’d gotten Finn’s POV (I would’ve loved to see him yearn), Yours for the Season is still a delicious second-chance romance full of warmth, wit, and wintry feelings. Perfect for curling up with in December or for pretending it's December in October.

Thank you Netgalley, and Ballantine for this E-Arc.
While the story was festive and cute, I felt like it was slow at times. The flashbacks which I normally enjoy I felt dragged on a bit. This book had fake dating, second chance love, and miscommunication.

Emily Stone knows how to rip your heart out and destroy it, but make you feel like you loved it all the while? Its sorcery really.

I absolutely adored this and it put me in the mood for more holiday reads!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and here is my review:

Emily Stone has my entire Christmas loving heart! Even though she kind of destroys it for a while. I do have to say of the books I've read, this is the first ending that didn't feel completely bittersweet. I definitely shed multiple, soggy tears, but the ending left me feeling hopeful.

Her books are emotional and filled with so much heart. I really loved Mel and Finn. And I adored his family. Their closeness and playful banter was just so fun to read. I wished I was in Scotland celebrating Christmas with them.

I liked the flashbacks to how they met and their relationship from Finn's POV. I thought that was a nice touch to tell the story and explain why he so harshly ended their relationship. It took a while for me to like him because of they way he's kind of cocky around her and doesn't want to really acknowledge he hurt her.

I have read all but two of her books and she's just my absolute go to for a good Christmas story.

2.5 stars

I loved Emily Stone’s Winter Wish and stories about second chances but I’m afraid this was not for me. I found it a slog and it took til about 60% for any progress to happen regarding Mel and Finn’s break up and honestly, by around 45% I was skimmingbecause it couldn’t hold my attention.

It seemed like two books cobbled together given time is also spent on Finn’s siblings. I liked the exploration of how parents avoiding conflict and staying together for the kids can damage them as adults. I also liked the childfree conversation but there was an open ended resolution which I hated (can’t we just recognise it’s an issue of incompatibility and couples need to decide?. Also unexpected pregnancy can end in abortion, even if you’re married with a kid, why do characters just accept it? Especially given the father was a misogynist expecting his wife to do all the work thanks to his mum who did. And also stop forcing siblings to invite or accept their estranged father for the sake of a wedding!

I get what the author was saying here but as a romance I wasn’t rooting for these two to reunite. Finn specially needed massive therapy and I still didn’t buy Mel easily going along with faking being a couple again. I think this might’ve been better as a general fiction told from perspective of the siblings, Susan and their dad instead.

Thanks to Random House/Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.

I almost never DNF a novel but I was tempted to do so with Yours for the Season. The pace of the story was way too slow for the first half and I didn't really connect with either Mel or Finn. The premise is rather implausible and I never understood why Mel would agree with Finn's plan to join him at his family's Christmas celebration, this after Finn broke up with her six months previously. I did like the way the story alternated the past with the present, showing how happy Mel and Finn were before the breakup. That at least gave some explanation for why Mel would agree to Finn's ridiculous request. All-in-all, Mel and Finn each had their issues but their biggest problem was a lack of communication. This story isn't terrible but it did not meet my expectations based on the blurb.

Thank you for the opportunity to read early for review! This was quite lovely and really got me in the mood for holiday reading. Great scenery and atmospheric writing, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

This kind of has it all! Second chance, fake dating, alternating timeline, family dynamic and throw Christmas in there! Fans of ES won’t be disappointed by this newest book! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for read and review

Yours For The Season follows Finn and Mel over the holiday season in Scotland. They were together for years until he suddenly broke up with her at his sister's engagement party 6 months ago. Now, he's on her door asking if she'll play along as his girlfriend with his family the week of Christmas - she only agrees with the agreement that she'll get to break his heart at the end of the week like he broke hers.

This story had some tender moments (especially the flashback chapters) but it felt slow to me and the reason for the breakup in the first place could have been stronger. There are some other plotlines with his family that just seemed unnecessary and distracted from Finn and Mel's story. I've enjoyed some of Emily Stone's other works but this one just wasn't a favorite.

I requested this ARC awhile ago...maybe 6-9 months prior to picking it up to read since it was a holiday book releasing in October. I didn't realize when I requested it that it would have strong language in it. I personally can't read a book with multiple f*** words in it. It simply pulls me out of the story too much. Once I realized there was language, I also checked to see if there were any open door scenes. According to reader reviews, there is one. I also didn't finish the book becuase of this as well.

Also, I struggled to relate to the FMC. I would NEVER pretend to be together with my ex if they had truly hurt me the way it is suggested that he hurt Mel. Perhaps if I had kept reading, I would see Finn in a more forgiving light, but at the very beginning there is no reasoning for her putting herself back in the position to get hurt again.

Such an adorable book. Every character is lovable. While the book contains the typical romance plot structure, it maintained my interest with characters who were easy to cheer for and hope for. It gives the warmth of a Hallmark Christmas movie with the coziness of a well-written book. Perfect Christmas romantic book!

I think I can say that it is now tradition for me to read Emily Stone’s new Christmas story every year. This is my third year and the story was truly lovely. I love her characters, plot and gorgeous settings.

For fans of second chance romance. This one was executed really well.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for this arc. Book is set to publish Oct 7th.

I loved the reason for Melanie and Finn getting back together, to make Finn's mother Susan happy. What I loved most about the story is that Finn tells Mel why he thought it was a good idea to spilt up with her. and it isn't because of someone else, but that he has a deep belief that he is just not good enough for Mel and that he is just like his father, which he is not, and I love it when Melanie tells Finn why she seem closed off from him, not because she doesn't love him but that she believe if everything not perfect in her life then she is unlovable. I love it when they realize they aren't their parents and they don't have to be perfect to be loved by each other and that openness makes their relationship more real
I love how the story has Melanie and Finn slowly get to know each other again and how Melanie becomes part of the family again. I like that we get to see how Mel and Finn originally got together and how much they liked each other. I like the holiday tasks that Finn's mother sets up, for the family to do and how much fun they have. I like Hattie and Dylan who bring spark to the Family gathering and really like being together, and how Kristen has a surprise for everyone.

I want to thank Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story of Christmas spirit and reuniting with those you love.

Mel and Finn are exes who did not split on good terms, at least in Mel's opinion. Finn contacts her to ask if she would come to his family Christmas in the Scottish Highlands. An odd request for sure, but then he adds that his family, particularly his mother, thinks Mel and Finn are back together.

Therein lies the issues. Mel loved/loves Finn, and she adored his family. They were her family too! Emily Stone does such a great job at creating genuine emotions in her characters. Finn's mother wants a perfect Christmas, and this week puts Mel and Finn to their limits with their fake relationship and old hurts.

Loved this holiday read! I'm a fan of Emily Stone in general, and this book might be a new favorite. You will feel all the emotions with this one.

I was putting his off for a bit until I was in the mood for a Christmas book, thinking that waiting until September would mean it wouldn't be like 90 degrees every day. It's still pretty hot, but I decided to stop waiting, and this did bring to mind lovely winter days. I haven't read any of Emily Stone's novels before, but this one made me want to make my way through her back catalog. This is a second chance/fake dating/forced proximity story of Mel, who owns her own jewelry design business and is just on the edge of what seems like it will be her big professional break, and Finn, her ex-boyfriend who dumped her publicly at his sister's engagement party six months ago. He shows up at the door of their formerly shared flat and talks her into pretending they got back together to spend a holiday week in Scotland with his whole family with the promise that she can humiliatingly dump him this time after the week is over. That part was a bit hard to believe in the. moment, though as the book progressed and characters were more developed, it made a little more sense to me. I liked Mel and Fins and really loved the cozy cottage Christmas setting a lot, and the periodic chapters that go back in time and tell the story of Mel and Finn's relationship were pretty effective instead of annoying. I do wish this wasn't the second novel I've read in the span of a couple of months in which a parent asks an adult child's significant other to lie to that person about the parent's very serious medical diagnosis - I hope this is not a trend! It's too stressful for me! But generally a very nice, very UK holiday read.

4.5 Scottish Christmas stars

This is my third read from this author, and I’m always excited to read her new books. I like her writing style and the romances that she develops.

Melanie (or Mel for short) has just discovered that her favorite bagel shop is shutting down, work is a mess, her best friend is away for an extended time in Australia, and she’s definitely not over Finn. He publicly dumped her a few months ago at his sister’s engagement party. She’s still not sure exactly what went wrong.

Surprise! Guess who shows up at Mel’s door two weeks before Christmas? Finn! And Mel wishes he weren’t so handsome, making her heart beat faster. He’s got a crazy proposal for her: spend Christmas in Scotland with his family. He told his family they are back together. They can fake anything for a week, right? I do like the fake boyfriend trope!

I like how this author explored the fact that when you break up, you also lose the family of your former partner. Mel really likes Finn’s family especially his mom and sister, so she reluctantly agrees to his crazy plan. She hasn’t forgiven him, though, for the public embarrassment of the breakup, so she says that she gets to break up with him this time, publicly, of course!

Finn’s mom has some crazy family activities to help everyone bond and enjoy the holidays. Finn and Mel have to go along with everything. While they fight their attraction, of course!

I enjoyed the flashbacks where we get Finn’s side of the story, and he clearly was head over heels for Mel. So, what happened to cause him to break up?

I liked the festive nature of this one, and it put me in the mood for Christmas! I also liked the growth in Mel and her business. She also grew in her relationship with Finn. I definitely rooted for them to get a happy ever after here.

If you love a good romance trope… if you love ALL the good romance tropes, this is for you!

Fake dating? ✔️
Second chance romance? ✔️
Enemies to lovers (or is it maybe lovers to enemies)?✔️
One bed? ✔️

Toss in holidays with your ex’s family and what could possibly go wrong? You’ll be surprised!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine / Dell for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warning: illness

+ A holiday romance set in the Scotland Highlands? Sounds like amazing Christmas season vibes. And this story has it in abundance.

+ Mel and Finn have been broken up for 6 months but he shows up out of the blue asking her if she could pretend to fake date him and attend his family’s Christmas trip with him. She agrees if she can enact a revenge breakup on him in front of his family. The story is told with flashbacks to when Mel and Finn were together and leading up to their first breakup.

+ The romance is a second chance romance and I think it’s obvious that being in forced proximity with one another would revive old memories and feelings. They get to work out the challenges that came between them the first time: Finn thinking he will be like his dad, and Mel trying to please everyone and not knowing if she can come through for everyone.

+ I enjoyed the family vibes along with the Christmas ones.

~ The beginning felt a little slow, maybe because of the flashbacks but it eventually picks up in the second half.

Final Thoughts:

If you like second chance romance and a Christmas story set in Scotland, you will enjoy this one.