I’ve been struggling to write reviews lately. And this book isn’t really motivating me. I did enjoy this, but it wasn’t my favorite Christina Lauren book. And it’s a lower four stars. If I still did half stars it would probably be a 3.5.
This read a lot like a Hallmark movie. That is not an insult-I love a Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie. It warms your heart, but isn’t particularly deep.
Maelyn was a likable enough character, but she was also a little one-dimensional. The romance felt the same way. I was along for the ride, but never fully connected with it. Maybe if Andrew had a POV? I’m also not a big fan of long-time crush stories.
The relationship I really liked was her relationship with Benny. He’s a family friend and kind of a wise uncle figure. It was probably the most developed relationship.
Maelyn also has to deal with the changing traditions. This part definitely hit me in the feels. My family is going through that stage where it might be time to make changes. This is natural, but also difficult. A lot of the time books (and movies) just glamorize traditions-especially holiday ones. I appreciated the honest look at real life.
I will continue to read Christina Lauren books-this one was just a little disappointing.
Thanks for reading!
Holly