By Ashley Herring Blake
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Audio rating: 🎧🎧🎧🎧
Pub date: 10/1/2024
Blurb
It's been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she’s doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado—it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet’s upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane’s sister Adele also brought a friend home—and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton. All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas—and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she’s stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers—which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele’s mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won’t talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did. After a few days, however, things start to slip through. Memories. Music. The way they used to play together—Brighton on guitar, Charlotte on her violin—and it all feels painfully familiar. But it’s all in the past and nothing can melt the ice in their hearts...right?
Category: Holiday Romance
Read if you Like:
🎵 Second chance
🎵 Musician main characters
🎵 Forced proximity
🎵 Queer joy
My Thoughts:
I was a little nervous about these two heroines being able to overcome their history without this book being a bit heavy for a holiday read but I should have trusted Ashley Herring Blake! The holiday setting and multiple holiday related mishaps balance out the sometimes difficult backstory in this beautifully written holiday romance!
I loved Lola and Brighton’s story of childhood best friends to high school sweethearts to being engaged in their early twenties. They made mistakes but I felt like they were understandable based on their age and life experience. It can be so hard to learn to be a good partner and advocate for yourself.
If you want a queer holiday romance this is a must read! I also recommend it for any lovers of second chance or romances focused on music.
I listened to the audio and thought the narrator did a great job! I will note that it was single narrator so if you prefer dual narrator for dual pov books you may want to read with your eyeballs.
Thanks to PRH audio and Berkley romance for providing me with an arc. All opinions are my own.
Comments