Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of Your For the Season, by Emily Stone. My goal this July was to read a few Christmas books for the Christmas in July feels. This was a great addition! The book begins 6 months after our leading couple has broken up. Finn somehow convinces Mel to come with him for a week long Christmas vacation with his family and pretend that they are still dating. Christmas cooking, scavenger hunts, movies, and crafts are all in abundance in this rom com. The family of side characters are fun and add a lot of merry and bright into the story. There are lots of emotions to be had, both good ones and bad, but this is another great holiday second chance trope novel and I will be recommending this to the Christmas readers out there.

*Yours for the Season* by Emily Stone is a warm, cozy hug of a holiday romance. It’s got all the festive charm—twinkly lights, snowy scenes, and just the right touch of magic—but it also dives deeper into love, grief, and second chances. The characters feel real and easy to root for, and the emotional moments hit just as beautifully as the romantic ones. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, feel-good read to curl up with during the holidays (or honestly any time you need a pick-me-up), this one delivers.

I absolutely love a good holiday story. This will be one I will be reading again come Christmas time.

Yours for the Season by Emily Stone is a charming holiday romance that perfectly captures the magic and warmth of the season. With lovable characters, sweet banter, and a cozy small-town setting, it’s the kind of story that feels like a warm hug on a chilly winter night.

Emily Stone delivers a delightful mix of humor, heart, and festive cheer that makes this book perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good, seasonal read with a swoon-worthy romance.

It's Christmas in July for me here, folks, and this read gave me all the cozy winter giddy feelings & more (while it's 100 degrees out). HUGE thank you to one of my favorite authors Emily Stone, Dell, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Man, I loved this one. I mean, put together fake dating + second-chance romance + the holidays, and you have a recipe for a beautiful story. I mean, man... the moment that Finn even proposes the idea of her coming on this holiday, ("What would you say if I said I had a proposal for you?") I was locked in. I couldn't help but laugh though that Finn felt like it was too late to tell his mom he lied, but right on time to ask her to do this with just days to spare. But Mel's ready... she might not be able to make him regret breaking up with her, but she can try to make him regret asking her to be there.

But also, this books isn't just your typical "good feelings for the holidays" type of book because of these tropes... it does tackle how our parents' choices that we see as kids can impact us as adults in our own relationships. Plus, this book is very heavy on the miscommunication trope, but in a way that shows how those "taught behaviors" from our parents can lead to things like insecurity or lack of communication.

I also think this one was extra special because I just really adored all the characters. First off, Mel, MY GIRL. I have so much to say about how I related to her that I'll get to in a moment.** But then Finn was also a blast to watch unravel. When we first meet him, it's hard to break past our bias through Mel's eyes about him, but it's not until we get the past POV through him that you really start to see his perspective and understand his personality more, including how his insecurities really played into his break-up with Mel and his state of mind for future relationships. I really, REALLY enjoyed that aspect of the flashbacks. (My heart definitely melted for him) I liked too that despite the tropes, the emphasis and slow build-up between these two was emphasized by them rebuilding their trust.

Aside from our two main characters, I ADORED Finn's family. Reading about his family members, and about this cute holiday in Scotland with the whole family that's packed with Christmassy activities... I could just feel myself there. It reminded me so much of those typical big-family-Christmas movies you see. (Like, The Family Stone, anyone?) Plus, I loved that Susan crafted all these Christmassy activities. I think it was such a cute way for all the kids to relieve the stress of the holidays, while also having something to do as a whole family together. (Especially with Susan's constant reminder of wanting the perfect holiday with the family)

**Okay, now let's talk about Mel and her business because MY GIRL, I FEEL YOU. It's important to note that so much of the insecurity and miscommunication between her and Finn was related back to how she was handling her business and the changes that were coming with the success. Our poor girl Mel is just so stressed because she started off just enjoying the actual process of making jewelry... and now she's so preoccupied with all the logistics of the business that she's not even creating the jewlery anymore! Gosh, it's tough being a creative -- you go into it because you enjoy the feeling of making something with your hands that can be bestowed upon others... but then you get bogged down by working late and having to hire others to do what you like doing the best so you can focus on things like profits, strategies, and wooing agents. The struggle is REAL, and it was so valid for her to have her insecurities in not wanting others to think differently of her for wanting to pivot. All this to say... I felt Mel in my soul as a fellow creative, and I was cheering her on so hard at the end as she and Finn both worked through their insecurities.

Overall, you're going to need to pick this one up this holiday season. Another big-hitter for Emily Stone that will give you laughs, while also leaving tears in your eyes. :')

Thanks NetGalley for this Emily Stone arc. I’m a sucker for Christmas books so I was really looking forward to this. However, I just couldn’t get into this one. I enjoyed the writing but didn’t connect with the story of Finn and Mel and exes.

I’ve read a few Emily Stone books and I think this one is my favorite so far. A lot of romance readers don’t like second chance romance. They feel that there’s a reason the breakup happened and that you shouldn’t get back together because those reasons don’t go away. I don’t think that way though. In fact, I really like second chance romance. First of all, there’s always a lot of yearning and emotion. Secondly, I think that relationships are constantly transforming and couples have to continuously work on communication and learn new aspects about each other. This book does this really well. In the present day, we hear the narrative through Mel’s perspective. In the flashbacks, we hear from Finn’s perspective. I thought this was such a unique and great way to tell their story. I really enjoyed learning about the insecurities and frustrations these characters are dealing with and how in the end, they are striving to make sure their partner is happy. I really enjoyed this book, the family and friends, and the setting of Christmas in Scotland.

Ah, Emily Stone, you get me every time! I come for the lovely, cozy cover and WHAM I get a whole cast of complex characters, broken hearts in desperate need of mending, and a real-life romance. No wonder Emily Stone is an auto buy author (and a holiday tradition!)

Melanie is publicly dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Finn, in front of her whole family. Imagine her surprise when he turns up to ask her to attend his family's holiday celebrations in Scotland with him in order to ensure his mom has her perfect Christmas. Lovers of second chances, fake dating, and dual timelines rejoice - this one's for you!

While not as deep (or as tragic!) as some of her other books, this holiday installment builds complicated characters with relatable, real-life issues and complex families. It took me a bit to get over Melanie actually AGREEING to the AUDACITY of Finn's request (I, apparently, do not forgive easily, who knew?!) but without this conflict there is no story, so onward we go. I loved the cozy Scottish Christmas vibes, so although I read this ARC early I plan to go back to revisit it again in December as it's very evocative of the holiday season.

Thank you to Ballantine/Dell and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for this honest review. Until next year, Emily Stone!!

Time to gear up for the holiday season! What? Really? Well, I’m one of those Christmas-obsessed people and will read a holiday book at any time of year. Add in second chances, fake dating, and close proximity, and Yours For the Season sold me.

Melanie is furious with Finn, and rightfully so! Just when she thought their relationship was perfect, he broke up with her in front of his entire family and completely humiliated her. Now, six months later, he has the gall to show up at her front door and ask her to pretend to be his girlfriend and spend Christmas with his family in a Scottish Highlands cottage for an entire week! So she agrees as long as she can dump him at the end of it….

Of course we know that’s not gonna happen. Or is it? Yours For the Season is an endearing story of second chances, different perspectives, emotional growth, family, and so much more. And it’s a lot of fun. The dual timeline/flashbacks were interesting, with the present being primarily from Mel’s point of view and the past from Finn’s. The author takes us through what led to the breakup, the uncertainty Finn was feeling, and back to the present where maybe they can work things out. The family element was lovely too—Finn’s family is so warm and loving, but with issues of their own and secrets being kept.

All in all, a fun and heartwarming holiday read.

With an adorable cover and a blurb that promised ex to more tension with a backdrop of holiday celebrations, I was super excited for this one. I wish I had liked it more!

Unfortunately, the third person present tense made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. The book also seemed to focus a lot more on the FMC Melanie (Melly) and her relationship with Finn’s extended family rather than Melly and Finn directly.

Also, while the premise had potential to be adorable with a lot of bantering and tension, Melanie was very passive with Finn and it was hard to believe she’d want to do everything she did for him after he broke her heart. Her love for his family aside, it seemed like a recipe for another (worse) heartbreak.

Finally, I am not a fan of sad books in general but especially not sad Christmas books. This author seems to specialize in tearjerker romances set at Christmastime. The adorable cover doesn’t seem to fit with a story about a cancer diagnosis.

I did enjoy the Christmas elements and all the fun that the family had together, and I enjoyed Melly’s best friend Priya. I wish she had been in the story more! She was a lot of fun.

If you enjoy sad Christmas stories, you’d probably like this one. I tend to prefer lighter reads, especially for my Christmas books so it was a bit of a miss for me personally, unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! I haven't read a lot of Christmas books, but Emily Stone has been an author I have come back to after reading Always in December three years ago--no matter how depressingly real they can be. Yours For the Season is no exception. I really thought this was going to be a simple fake-dating story, but of course Emily did what she does best towards the end. For once, it stayed light-hearted, and I for one thought it was a nice change.

What didn't work for me started from the beginning: I hated how quick Mel was to agree to going on the family Christmas trip. It was said numerous times how Finn really hurt her when he ended their relationship, and yet Mel barely took any time at all to think it through before making her decision. I also wasn't a fan of Mel constantly reminding herself of what people would say by lines being written in italics. It really took a while for this book to be more than a couple who suffered from miscommunication for me. One of my issues when it comes to Emily's books is the writing. Yours For the Season was often repetitive in the way they constantly were described by their hair colors and how they smelled; it felt like lines were rewritten throughout the entire book. All this being said, I did end up liking the book. It was slow and not giving readers enough substance, but by the middle when truths began to be unveiled, something just clicked for me. If I picked up this book because of the cover and the fact that it was based during Christmas, just like I did with the first book I read from her, I would be happy that my expectations were met.. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and @BallatineBooks for this ARC. Melanie, a jewelry designer trying to make it on her own when her ex-boyfriend Finn shows up at her door. He has a huge favor to ask. Can she pretend to be his girlfriend, just for the Holidays to make his mom happy? Finn, the one that broke up with her without warning and break her heart into pieces. This book was an easy read.....predictable but still so good. Emily Stone writes books that are fun to read and not the overly, unrealistic stuff as most rom-coms can be. #YoursFortheSeason #EmilyStone #BallatineBooks #Oct2025

Celebrating Christmas in July with a cozy Scottish setting! I always enjoy Emily Stone's holiday novels each year, and this one was no exception. I did have a few quibbles with it, though–I found it hard to believe that Melanie would agree to spend the holiday with her ex and his family so easily, especially with how embarrassing their breakup was. Once I got over that aspect at the beginning of the book, I enjoyed the past vs. present scenes, which entailed Melanie and Finn's relationship from beginning to end. And I enjoyed Finn's family, especially his mother. My other issue was that their entire relationship could have been solved the first time if they had both just communicated and been honest with each other, but I have a pet peeve about communication issues as the reason for a breakup in stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love holiday books, and this is my 3rd book from Emily Stone. I come to the conclusion she just might not be the author for me. They a good for a mindless quick read but nothing more then that.

I just hard time connecting with Mel. Finn wasnt much better. Why did you break up in the first place if you were still in love her.

Finn family is probably what kept me going in this book. Mel's supporting characters not so much. Priya and Mel's parents didn't add anything to the story.

2.5 stars

3.5 out of 5. Emily Stone is my go to Christmas author always and her books are excellent always. Her take this year its not bad, its just ok for me and that's a bit of a disappointment as I was expecting to love it and I just liked it. I think my issue is that although I loved the concept of the whole family together and the fake dating was fun, things we’re just to evident. I don’t know if it’s because I know her books to well or I know Christmas stories too well, but the predictability meant that three of the storylines I saw from miles away. When the reveals came it was a bit of a dud. Also, I get why Mel is great, she is a wonderful character but why is Finn? He’s just a baby, I did not love him and also did not get what Mel saw in him. Big props for all the Christmas activities, I kind of want to copy the Chopped style Christmas competition, called Come dine with me here.

This is a sweet holiday romance with amazing family connection and second chance chemistry. I found the "conflict" that broke the couple apart previously to be immature and eye roll annoying. . . which led me to just be annoyed with Melanie and Finn from the very beginning. I found the re-connection to be awkward especially in the presence of Finn's family at time that forced intimacy that didn't feel natural to me. I enjoyed the fun holiday activities that were part of the festive theme of the novel and the found family aspect for Melanie with Finn's family.


Overall I liked this novel but didn't love it. I think it's a light and easy romance to enjoy over the holidays.

Emily stone did it again! Oh how I love Christmas novels especially the ones set in Scotland ! This book has me booking a trip to the highlands for Christmas ! Imagine your ex showing up at you door to ask you to spend the holidays with your family. Against your better judgment you say yes and it turns out to be the best decision! Melanie and Finn fake a relationship over the holidays which turns out to be more real than they expected! Is it December yet ?

Such a sweet, cozy, Winter read! I always find it hard reading a book out a season, but this one warmed heart just the same. I’ll be honest - my favorite part of this book was Finn’s family. Mel & Finn have the usual enemies to lovers aspect going on following a harsh breakup. The setting is Scotland is perfect for a Christmas read! This book is a Hallmark movie you can snuggle up with.

My first read from this author. I’m a sucker for a holiday romance. It was a cute, easy read. A little bit predictable, but I did enjoy it. Anything set abroad during the holiday season is a winner honestly.

I love reading Holiday books, even in the heat of summer. This was no exception. I found it a little predictable, but a sweet story. Family ties and bonds are always a good center point of a holiday story. Characters are loveable and the story line is easy to follow. Enjoyed.

Emily Stone is one of my favorite holiday authors, so I was excited to read this latest novel from her. I found it to be very enjoyable despite a personal annoyance.
Melanie and Finn agree to fake-date for a week leading up to Christmas while staying with Finn’s family. The two wrestle with previous feelings (Finn had broken up with Melanie in front of his family after a three-year relationship), not only for each other but about their own selves. The chemistry between Melanie and Finn was very apparent at the beginning, and I thought Stone did a good job alternating some chapters so that we could fully understand both characters’ feelings.
My one annoyance was the secret trope. I don’t like when characters keep secrets from each other, especially since we already had the fake dating. Other than that, it was a perfect Christmas in July read!