Katie Cicatelli-Kuc’s Mint to Be is a sweet and cozy holiday read perfect for the 13–17 age group—or anyone looking for a charming small-town romance to curl up with by the fire.

Emma and Aiden’s story is adorable, their journey is heartwarming and fun. I especially enjoyed the way the narrative wove between past and present; the flashbacks were blended seamlessly.

The holiday atmosphere is spot-on, with snow-dusted streets, rescue dogs, steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and plenty of unconditional love from the town and families. It’s got all the hallmarks of a feel-good Christmas romance.

If anything, I would have loved more development of Emma and Aiden’s personalities early on. The ending does a great job of capturing their feelings, and a touch more of that emotional depth in the beginning could have made me more invested in their story.

Overall, this is a perfect fireside winter read for YA romance fans. Sweet, light, and filled with holiday charm.

Thank you Scholastic and NetGalley for the ARC

If you love small town holiday romances this book is the perfect read. It has it all - Christmas, snow, rescue dogs, hot chocolate but most importantly unconditional love. The blending from past to present in the story is seamlessly done.
The characters from Katie Cicatelli-Kuc's other
Briar Glen book are scattered through the story in a meaningful way. I can't wait to see who she chooses for book 3.
Thank you to both the author and NetGalley for this arc.
PS: if you are not a fan of holiday romances, read this book - it will melt your heart and teach you that happily ever after is possible.
Read from: Jul 30, 2025 - Aug 10, 2025

This is dual POV and dual timeline, and unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. The past timeline was cute but didn't feel like it was really and truly necessary. And it was weird because the present timeline was 1st POV but the past timeline was 3rd, which added a third POV to the overall story and made it just a jumble.

The characters read younger-than-they-are to me, and the miscommunication trope wasn't fleshed out well enough in the beginning for me to buy into it. I think making this single POV and strengthening Emma's characterization would've tremendously helped the plot. I'm not a reader who has to be connected to every character POV I read, but they just kind of seemed like caricatures of teens who needed a little bit more.... something? Maybe the POVs just needed to deepen? I don't know.

They were both insanely jealous in obvious ways that made it laughable that they didn't know the others' feelings, but not in a cute, teen, YA way. And then the immaturity of "you can't hold me back anymore" because he wasn't immediately happy that she got into the boarding school being the thing said that ends their friendship while she's at school, (also we don't learn about this until late in the Third Act???? That type of hold out will almost always bug me.) but then it's only a boarding HIGH school, so she'll be home for breaks and summer and holidays, so why would they think they'd never run into each other???

(Also, Emma just always being late and it being cute to Aiden was just. . . . .)

And finally, I know YA's end in HFN technically, and so much life happens after The End because, like, high schooler. But these two didn't give me a ton of confidence that they'd make it very far. And I, personally, prefer couples that give me the delusion of being High School Sweethearts forever. Emma wants out of their small town. Aiden only wants to stay. That spells disaster down the road.

This one just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

Mint to Be 🎄🍭
Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
RATING- 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Expected Publishing Date- October 7th, 2025

It’s been eight months since seventeen-year-old Emma left the quaint town of Briar Glen to attend boarding school in New York City. Now, she’s back—and she’s not alone: Her new boyfriend, Sam, has come to visit the most picturesque village in New England during the most magical time of the year.
But there’s a chill in the air, and not just because it’s winter. Emma’s best friend, Aiden, isn’t all too happy to see her after she left without so much as a goodbye. He and Emma have known each other since elementary school, and they used to do everything together. They even share a favorite drink: a peppermint hot chocolate from their favorite coffee shop, Cup o’ Jo. This was where Emma first told Aiden she was thinking of leaving Briar Glen. It was also where Aiden had planned to confess his growing feelings for Emma -- before she showed him her acceptance letter and everything changed.
With Emma back in the picture -- and with a new boyfriend in tow -- will she and Aiden be able to break the ice?

This book was absolutely adorable! Small town, cozy feels, with lots of hot cocoa! I highly recommend that you add this book to your holiday TBR. This is a very young adult romance, so if you are looking for a clean, fun holiday read, this is for you.

HUGE thank you to NetGalley, Scholastic and author Katie Cicatelli-Kuc for this awesome E-Arc!

This book made me wish it was Christmas and that I had a peppermint hot chocolate in my hand!
I loved how cozy this book was. It was the sweetest romance between Emma and Aiden.
The Christmas vibes were there! It felt like a hallmark movie in the best way!

No cussing
Light kissing
Lgbtq+ themes ( Emma’s sister )

Thank you NetGalley for this Arc!!

Amazing book loved the characters and plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. I loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalleg, Scholastic, and author Kate Cicatelli-Kuc for providing me with an advanced readers copy of Mint to Be in exchange for my honest review.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you like the themes of small town romance and friends to lovers. Emma and Aiden are best friends. Emma gets accepted into a boarding school and has to leave her best friend Aiden behind. While Emma is away at boarding school, her and Aiden grow apart. She comes back into town for Christmas with her boyfriend Sam. And the rest is history.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of this book. This would best be described as a young adult romance though. A good seasonal read for sure but the plot and characters aren't that mature so if you're looking for that I’d definitely would not place this as a high reccomend for you.

I found this a great seasonal read overall though and believe it'll be great for more to explore once it’s published! :)

This book was really adorable. Emma and Aiden were so perfectly imperfect that you couldn't help but fall in love with them. This book has the perfect amount of christmas with a dash of young love.

This was a cute and cozy read even though it's 80+ degrees in July! I overall enjoyed the romance, but I felt like the ending could maybe be flushed out a bit more. It just seemed kind of rushed to me. Emma and Aiden also read super young. They seemed a bit immature for 17. With that being said, I think the young teens in my library would definitely pick this up!

How cute is this cover?! Also, scratch and sniff, tehe, brings me back to the 90s. Katie Cicatelli-Kuc’s Mint to Be, is a cozy, heart-warming read and that I had the honor to read for an honest review. Set in the picture-perfect Briar Glen during good ol’ Christmas time (I’m a sucker for a Christmas romance read), we’re introduced to 17-year-old Emma and Aiden. Emma is returning home from her boarding school in NYC and she decided to bring her boyfriend Sam with her. Maybe not the best time to bring the new boy home, especially when your best friend who you definitely have feelings for but left behind without a goodbye is going to be around.

The book transitions from past to present, allowing us to see Emma and Aiden’s beginning stages of friendship, eventually leading to them slowing developing feelings for one another. Most of their interactions are tied to their love of peppermint hot chocolate and their favorite place, Cup o’ Jo. Which reads like it’s such a charming place. This book is full of holiday festivities, Christmas magic and small-town charm with a smidgen of teenage drama and angst. This book also falls into the second chance romance meets best friends to lovers trope (but make it PG-13, this is YA after all, hahaha).

Biggest issue with this book was Emma, haha, that sounds terrible but girlie was just too much. She’s barely old enough to vote and she’s like I want out of this adorable little town and dips the minute she gets the chance. But throughout all of the flashback chapters, she doesn’t stop. It’s constantly…this New York…that New York, all right we get it, you want out. But it’s sad because the town is so perfect, her family is sweet as heck and she has this perfect guy who practically fawns over her. But I guess, to each their own, haha. Overall, it was a sweet and easy read, one I hope that everyone enjoys once it’s released.

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher.
4 stars!

This was such a good read! I am a sucker for cheesy books that give off cozy vibes! the first thing that got me was the title! it was so cheesy and just perfect! I was going into this with an open mind and fell in love with the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley, Scholastic and author Katie Cicatelli-Kuc for providing me with the eARC of “Mint to be”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: October 7th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: July 1st, 2025

3.5 stars!

You may like this if you enjoy:

- Young adult romance
- Small town romance
- Christmas theme
- Friends to lovers

Emma and Aiden grew up together in the small town of Briar Glen. They have been best friends for as long as they can remember and are absolutely inseparable.
That is until Emma gets accepted into a prestigious boarding school in New York, and leaves Aiden and their small town behind, without even saying goodbye.
The two grew apart and stopped talking, but now Emma is back in town for Christmas. The problem? She’s brought her boyfriend Sam. Sam doesn’t know about Aiden, and Aiden doesn’t know about Sam.

Emma must balance her new relationship with the complicated feelings she has about her former best friend. She may miss Aiden more than she thought, but she can only hope it’s not too late.

This was a very quick and easy read.
I enjoyed the cozy seasonal theme, and it left me really craving a peppermint hot chocolate and Christmas cookies- even though it is July.
I love a small-town romance; I think it is so nice how connected all of the characters are and how well they all know each other/how much they root for each other’s happiness.
I was really happy with the romantic outcome of this, as I was really hoping things would turn out the way that they did.

I liked the topic of Emma being a dreamer, who has goals and aspirations of moving out of Briar Glen and perusing big things. Although, it made me quite sad to see her putting Aiden down for being happy where he is. I would have liked to see her character be a more supportive best friend.

This is not a critique, just a note for potential readers:
This is a very young adult romance. The characters and the overall storyline are not that mature, even for their age. I didn’t find that to be a problem for me personally, since I read and enjoy a lot of stories like this, but I thought it might be valuable for other readers to know.

Overall, a fun seasonal read. I am sure this would be good for young readers.

Highlights: small town feel, cute friendship, lots of hot cocoa, rescue dogs!!

This book was very cute! While, of course, the ending is somewhat telegraphed from the start, Emma and Aiden’s journey was quite enjoyable. I also really liked the flashbacks, although I sort of wish they had been specific to one person instead of being omniscient. Briar Glen reminds me so much of a cute little Christmas town near me, and I loved the way the small town camaraderie was described. Ultimately, I actually think this book could have been a little longer and I would have loved to see a little more development for the characters’ personalities. Don’t get me wrong, they were SUPER sweet and I would definitely recommend this book as a cute fireside winter read. I just think that some of the earlier chapters could have included more pieces of Emma and Aiden’s mannerisms and motivations. I was rooting for them, but I wasn’t super attached to the story because there was no major driving factor that connected me to them. I definitely think that the end of the book captured their feelings very well and would love to have seen a little more detail like that towards the start to really wrap me in!
I had no clue that there was another book in this world, but that didn’t impact the reading experience, so don’t worry if you haven’t read it yet! Anyway, I will likely be picking up the other book because I’m interested in seeing the other storyline of Briar Glen unfold.

sweet as peppermint hot chocolate and twice as heartwarming, mint to be is the ultimate cozy winter read. full of holiday magic, second chances, and small-town charm, it’s perfect for fans of nostalgic romance and fuzzy-sock vibes.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sweet as peppermint hot chocolate and twice as heartwarming.

Mint to Be is the ultimate cozy winter read—full of holiday magic, small-town charm, and just the right amount of teen angst. Katie Cicatelli-Kuc perfectly captures that nostalgic, in-between moment of growing up, moving on, and wondering what (and who) you left behind.

Emma is relatable and real, and the tension between her and Aiden is the perfect blend of complicated and swoony. Their shared past, the cozy coffee shop setting, and the peppermint hot chocolate (seriously, I could smell it) make this the kind of book you want to read in fuzzy socks under a blanket.

If you love childhood-best-friend feelings, second chances, and snowy small towns with big hearts, this one mint just be your next favorite.