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.

After her devastating breakup 6 months ago, Melanie just wants to make it through the holidays in one piece and move towards the future. Until her ex Finn shows up at her door, asking her to join him for Christmas with his family as he’s lied to them about their relationship status. Mel agrees to it, if only to get revenge on Finn at the end. Five days won’t change anything right?!

***Second chance romance
***Christmas theme
***Family dynamics
***Flashbacks/Finn’s POV
***Fake dating

I have read every one of Emily Stone’s Christmas romances and have loved them all. “Yours for the Season” fits right in! I really loved that we got to know Finn’s perspective through the flashbacks. And the chemistry between Melanie and Finn is so so good. The family dynamic was a huge part of this novel, but it worked well. And the spice was just the right amount!

A great romance novel to read for the holidays - absolutely recommend.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Yours For The Season by Emily Stone is a lovely, festive second-chance romance that I really enjoyed.

I absolutely loved that the novel was written amongst the picturesque Highlands. That was initially what drew me towards this novel. But the main characters kept me coming back for more.

Mel and Finn helped keep the book fresh, realistic, and were a heartwarming duo to see as they transformed and grew throughout the span of the book. I enjoyed the pacing, the plot, and of course, the ending.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Ballentine-Dell for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/07/25

Emily Stone is the queen of Christmas romances, and this story is no exception! Mel and Finn broke up, well Finn broke up with Mel, months ago at an engagement party. Mel spends her time working on her small business, pushing herself past her limits and not allowing herself a second to focus on anything else. So when Finn shows up, asking her to pretend and travel to Scotland to appease his family…well surprisingly she says yes. These two…AHHH the chemistry, banter and dynamic was perfect. Mel didn’t let the break up go, keeping Finn accountable but it didn’t take over the story and didn’t turn her into a jaded FMC. We really get to see them come back together, flashing back to what happened before building such a thorough development of where they are now and getting the holiday spirit to add another layer of magic. Emily is an auto buy author and this story will be preorder ASAP.

3.50 stars

This is a cozy hallmark coded christmas story. As a fan of the author, I am use to a little more heavy along with the beautiful love story. I feel Mel lets Finn back in way to easily and I didn't totally buy his reasoning for being so cruel breaking up with her in the first place. His family was sweet, and overall it's a sweet book, but not my favorite from this author. It was a little too predictable for me.

This book was super cute and has all the makings of a Hallmark movie!
Characters are likable and the family is one that I think most can relate to

O enjoy and easy holiday was that left me in the Christmas spirit even though it’s is June

Mel, una joven diseñadora de joyas con una prometedora pero exigente carrera en Londres, está decidida a pasar las fiestas sola y enfocada en su negocio... hasta que aparece en su puerta Finn, el exnovio que le rompió el corazón. Seis meses después de una ruptura devastadora y sin explicaciones, él regresa con una propuesta tan absurda como irresistible: fingir que han vuelto a estar juntos para no arruinar la Navidad de su madre, quien cree que reconciliaron.

Así comienza una semana en las Highlands escocesas, rodeados de nieve, decoraciones navideñas, la calidez de una familia que Mel extraña y un plan de venganza personal: ser ella quien finja romper con él esta vez. Sin embargo, los recuerdos compartidos, los lazos aún latentes y las emociones que resurgen amenazan con romper la línea entre la mentira y la verdad.


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La razón de su separación fue por falta de comunicación y miedo por parte de Finn. Si bien ayudaron que los capítulos del pasado fueran narrador por él para poder ver como amaba a Mel y lo que pasaba por su cabeza, faltó que también tuviera algunos en el presente y que se viera que estaba arrepentido por lo que hizo.

Como soy rencorosa, también esperaba que Mel aprovechara para vengarse o mínimo que lo hiciera trabajar para recuperarla.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

I'm always ready to get in the Christmas spirit and this book sure did the trick! The writing is wonderful and I absolutely loved Melanie and Finn. Second chance is one of my favorite tropes and this one was done incredibly well, especially as the author tackled some tough topics along the way. Looking forward to more by this author.

No big spoilers, just trope discussion.

I thought it was a cute romance that had an interesting way of showing the chemistry and deeper feelings. Forced proximity is always a lot of fun, especially on a holiday novel. All that family love was a great addition, too!

Although, I get it. I still think the miscommunication trope was a little ugh for me. I would have liked a step further, I think to get the full 5 stars. I don't want to spoil anything, but if you dislike miscommunication tropes, you might not love this one.

I loved the second chance, forced proximity, fake dating tropes a lot, and it helped me enjoy it despite the miscommunication.

Emily Stone is great with words, and this one was a lot of fun. Even with the fun and cozy vibes, she was able to take us through a lot of emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author, Emily Stone, for an advanced copy of this book.
This is the second book I’ve read by this author. The first, Always, in December, I absolutely loved! This book, Yours For the Season, was also really good. I love the author’s writing style. This is a second chance, fake dating, forced proximity book set during the holidays. It was very cute and fun. Unfortunately, the MMC and FMC’s main conflict was as miscommunication, which is a trope I generally hate. It took the entire book for them to communicate effectively, which was frustrating, but I did enjoy it.
I will definitely be reading more from this author.
4⭐️

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in advance. Emily Stone is a brilliant author and I look forward to new releases from her. This book will be a perfect read during the holiday season. I enjoyed the story of Mel and Finn. Emily writes in a way that you feel so many emotions - happy, sad, hopeful, and engaged. I needed to know what would happen with Mel and Finn and if they would get their happy ending. Finn’s family is adorable and I loved all of them. This is a great book. I love reading books that make you feel good and believe in love. Thank you for sharing it with me.

I love Emily Stone, and her latest, Yours for the Season was such a great mix of cozy Christmas fluff with some heart. Stone is an expert at making you care about all characters! Can’t wait to read this again, closer to Christmas!