As a holiday rom-com, it was just okay. Based on a fake dating situation between two ex-partners, there seemed to be a lot of miscommunication and secrets (seriously this family needs to talk to each other) and lots of gratuitous salacious content. It had the earmarks for a cute holiday romcom of the haters to lovers trope but fell a little short and was very predictable. Just okay and disappointing given Stone's previous books. Many thanks to #netgalley #emilystone #yoursfortheseson for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

I thought this was a sweet holiday story. I could definitely tell where the story was going but I didn’t mind. It was a bit hard to get into the story since the base of it is a miscommunication but overall enjoyable!

Yours For the Season Honest ARC Review:

While this story appears to be a simple rom com, it is so much more.

The story begins with an introduction to Mel’s life and her breakup. Six months after her breakup, her ex shows up on her doorstep hoping for a fake relationship to please his family.

The depth here is due to the fact that her ex feels he must lie to his parents rather than having open communication and just explaining that his relationship with Mel did not work out. How parents hold expectations for and treat their children can impact their choices in life and sometimes breakdown that (albeit adult) child’s relationships.

Throughout the story, the characters began to open up with one another and build a better connection than they had initially. This is sweet and contemplative. It is definitely one to add to your TBR!

⭐️ Holiday Romance
⭐️Second Chance Romance
⭐️Fake Dating
⭐️ Slow Burn

Thank you so much for sharing this ARC with me.

A festive delight from start to finish! *This charming, slow-burn holiday romance* blends humor, heartache, and just the right amount of Christmas magic. Melanie is a relatable, whip-smart heroine, and her chemistry with Finn crackles through every fake-but-maybe-real moment. Set against the cozy backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, this story is both laugh-out-loud funny and unexpectedly touching. Perfect for fans of second chances and holiday love stories with emotional depth.

Melanie’s had a rough time. From an unpredictable break up to her friend moving away. Then her ex shows up, unexpectedly asking for a favor. A cute holiday romance novel for sure.

I really enjoyed this Christmas novel and will definitely be recommending it to other readers & friends!

Nobody does a holiday story like Emily Stone. It’s not even summer yet, but this book had me longing for the holiday season.

Yours for the Season is a wonderful romance for the holiday season. I look forward to reading Emily Stone’s Christmas romances each year and have loved them all. This is an emotional story set in the Scottish countryside and I was drawn in right from the very first page. This is a holiday, fake dating, second-chance romance with a lot of heart and family dynamics.

Mel’s ex shows up at her doorstep two weeks before Christmas after breaking up with her six months ago and proposes they pretend to be together and spend the Christmas holiday with his family. Mel agrees only if she can breakup with him at the end of the holiday to get her revenge. It’s only five days so what could possibly happen?

I loved the dual POV so you got to know the perspective of both Mel and Finn. The story has a lot of heart and depth with some messy family drama in between. A cozy holiday story with the right amount of heart. I highly recommend for your holiday tbr.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas in June! I was lucky enough to receive this ARC. Melanie has been having a rough six months. First her boyfriend Finn unexpectedly breaks up with her at his sister’s engagement party with no real explanation. Next her best friend Priya moves to Australia to teach, which makes it hard to find time to connect. The only thing going for her is her job, she is about to land a major celebrity that is looking to partner with her brand. Then Finn shows up at her flat asking for a big favor. Turns out Finn told his mom they had gotten back together since it meant so much to her, now she expects them both on the family Christmas trip to Scotland. Can Melanie get through the week and find out why Finn broke her heart without blowing their cover?

I enjoyed this book, especially all the fun activities they do while in Scotland. Some of the issues and prompts were a little easy to guess but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Emily Stone for this digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Another charming holiday romcom from Emily Stone! I enjoyed the plot and although hated Finn at the beginning loved him at the end. I also enjoyed the dual POV, Mel present day and Finn past. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stone is a very good writer and the characters are well developed. The settings are picturesque and this was a very nice lovers to enemies to lovers tale. My only gripe is that it was a bit slow. Notably, I am never a huge fan of flashbacks in the stories . Somewhat unbelievable is the main reason they broke up: it was lame. Nonetheless, I recommend this book! Really liked the females in the story and the family itself.

Two weeks before Christmas, Mel’s ex—the one who broke up with her six months ago—shows up at her doorstep. He asks her to spend Christmas week with him and his family… and pretend they’re back together.

Looking at this lovely cover, you might expect a cute, holiday romcom, but this book goes deeper than that. It explores how parents’ choices and behaviors can shape their children, and how insecurity and a lack of honest communication can quietly erode a relationship.

I really liked how the characters slowly opened up to each other and rebuilt trust. I believed in them! At first, I was mad at Finn, but once I saw things from his perspective, my heart melted.

The book also delivers a wonderful wintery, family-filled atmosphere. I enjoyed every page—even reading it during the summer!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
❅ holiday romance
❅ second chance
❅ fake dating
❅ slow burn
❅ dual timeline

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine (Dell) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sadly, Yours for the Season was just okay for me. Personally, the tension between the main characters wasn't there. And I didn't personally like anyone, even the family members. While it was an easy read, it didn't have that it factor to get above a 3 star.

Mel and Finn were seemingly in a happy relationship until Finn abruptly ended it with Mel at his sister’s engagement party. Six months later, Finn shows up at Mel’s door to propose that they pretend to be together so they can spend the Christmas holiday together with his family. Fully aware of the sticky situation, Mel agrees in exchange for staging another breakup at the end of the holiday to get her revenge. As the holiday comes and Mel reconnects with his family, secrets are exchanged and truths are spilled, Mel finds herself taking matters into her own hands and by making some hard decisions.

A cozy, Christmas second chance x fake dating romance with messy family drama tied in between. This is a nice light read for the holidays and perfect for getting in the holiday spirit. Dual timeline POV with flashbacks to the moments leading up to Mel and Finn’s breakup. The pacing of this story was well-timed and we got to really know the main characters well from this POV.

Thank you to the NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I always enjoy this authors sweet romances and this is no different, plus what an atmospheric setting! Is it Christmas already?

a holiday, fake dating, second chance romance that had me smiling and crying and screaming into my pillow😭 i truly loved this book and finn and mel’s story! soulmates finding their way back to each other will always make me emotional in the best ways!

i absolutely recommend this book and i can’t wait to reread it this holiday season!🙂‍↕️

This was a lovely, festive second-chance romance that I had a great time reading! I finished in one sitting.

I absolutely loved setting of the novel being amongst the Highlands. I also really liked the flashback chapters, they gave context that we otherwise wouldn’t have had.

The relationships throughout felt realistic. I enjoyed this greatly & will be recommending it!

I enjoy the heck out of her Christmas reads every year. Of course we knew what would happen when they fake dated for a week before Christmas. But the chemistry was cute. The supporting characters in the family were great. I always like when we get to jump back in the past to see how they got there. A good read overall.

I struggle without first person narratives. I couldn’t connect to this book. It wasn’t for me unfortunately.

All the Holiday vibes!!! It was so fun. I definitely recommend this for your Christmas TBR! Cute, cozy, sweet and fun!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Emily Stone is a mixed bag for me. Some of her books I really like and some I don't. Sadly this was the later. This was a mix of second chance romance and fake dating trope and sadly I could not connect with the characters at all.