Rachel Dove - Summer Hates Christmas.

Summer Hastings really does hate Christmas with a passion.
Noel Pritchett is a fan of anything festive.
When he opens his annual Christmas pop up shop next door to Summer’s travel agents…. What could possibly go wrong?

I struggled a little with this book at first. Summer’s reaction to Noel and his shop was so extreme and made me feel a tad uncomfortable.
The reasons for her behaviour do of course become clear as the book progresses.
Once I understood her situation, I felt a lot of sympathy for Summer. The situation with her mother was heartbreaking.

I did enjoy the romance in this story. It was very sweet and really quite lovely.

#SummerHatesChristmas is an emotional story. And despite it not being the light festive read that I was expecting, it is a story with a big heart, lots of happier moments and fun. All mixed in with some very heart wrenching threads.

Over all, this is an enjoyable and touching story. Full of raw emotion which is balanced alongside some uplifting and totally heartwarming parts of the tale.

A most enjoyable four stars from me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a digital arc of this title.

Summer hates Christmas, so when a Christmas festive shop opens next door she is not happy. But her past and personal life may be stopping her from seeing what's right in front of her.

Told from different points of view Dove gives us two characters, who are two opposites. I did struggle with the character of Summer a little as I couldn’t take to her attitude, but liked the character of Noel a lot.
Dove writes a narrative about two opposite characters as well as opposite seasons intertwining how the two could possibly work.

DNF at 29%

Uh, I love a good hates-Christmas/loves-Christmas enemies to lovers, and I picked up this one because of the cover and the title? But this wasn't really enemies to lovers, the FMC is just straight up abusive to the MMC from the moment they meet? Pretty much yells at him unwarrantedly every time since their first conversation? I stopped at the chapter where she gets angry at his shop's inflatable santa (he has a Christmas shop, duh??) and shoves the waffle he's eating into his face 😐 (I'm not kidding, the waffle is squished onto his entire face, and there's so much cream there that a bird attacks him, and she makes no move to help him too 😐)

-- got an advanced copy from Netgalley

Summer despises Christmas, although she adores the season, the beach, and experiencing her clients' holidays firsthand (as she runs a travel agency). Noel, the neighbour who works next to Summer, is hated. The last thing she wants is to be reminded of how much of a Grinch she is. Therefore she despises him because he recently established a Christmas store. Noel attempts to get closer to Summer but can't determine why she is always upset.

Summer's life is not as bright and energetic as she makes it seem to Noel, which he is unaware of. She returns home to a mother who struggles with social anxiety and hasn't left the house in years. He begins gradually demolishing the walls that Summer has constructed. Since she can be unpredictable and has such a nasty communication style, it was tough for me to appreciate Summer and sympathise with her. You only fully understand what is going on in her life and why she behaves the way she does as her story progresses. Then you start to feel sympathy for her and worry about how her future will turn out. Despite everything she says to him, Noel appears to be able to ignore her harshness and has the patience to get to know her. Family plays a significant role in the narrative, and Summer's history contains some unexpected twists that I did not anticipate.

#SummerHatesChristmas #NetGalley #RomanceMonday

I absolutely loved this book!! What a beautiful, feel good book!! I loved Noel and his quirkiness! There were so many characters that I adored, and I loved reading other characters storylines like Jean & Jim's and seeing Summer's mam's story from her own perspective.
Definitely recommend it was just beautiful and really had me looking forward to getting back to it each night!! I will post my review on my page in a few days as soon as my review date it 😊

I loved the beachy setting and the little village so much!
Summer's mother became reclusive after her husband left her, and Summer is left to pick up the pieces.
From her late teens, she did everything and never lived a carefree life or had true relationships or fun. This resulted in the grinchy, b!tchy front she puts up. Her character growth took some serious strength.

Enter Noel Mr Christmas himself, a ray of Sunshine who flips Summer's world and shows her true love.
With a little bit of a mystery, some found family in 2 different ways, and growth from a few characters, this was a sweet novel. I can't say too much because of spoilers to the main storyline. But read it and discover the secrets!

Summer Hates Christmas is a fun reverse grumpy sunshine romance.

I love an excellent grumpy sunshine romance, so when I read the synopsis for this book and saw that it was a reverse grumpy sunshine (meaning the heroine is the prickly one), I knew I needed to read it. I enjoyed reading this book. The plot is interesting, the characters are likeable and real, and of course, I love a book set in a small English town. When I started reading this book, I figured I would be in for one of those typical charming English romances, and well there are charming moments in this book. There are also a lot of more serious moments and themes that are woven throughout the story. Summer has to deal with some challenging family issues that have dictated how she can live. Rachel dives into issues like severe social anxiety and agoraphobia and does so with a lot of thought and care. This will be the perfect book for readers who want to read a holiday book but don't want to be bombarded with all things Christmas. Christmas is present in the book, but it isn't all-consuming; it really is just there as a catalyst for conflict between Summer and Noel. I loved the depth and charm the secondary stories added to this book. I felt just as invested in Jean and Jim’s relationship and loved those sweet moments between them.

I enjoyed the relationship between Summer and Noel. There are some fun antics between the two as they wage a mini-war against each other. Noel is a sweetheart, and that man works hard to get past Summer's prickly attitude. I loved that he doesn't just dismiss her as a cold heart bitch; instead, he realizes she is going through something and stands by her. The chemistry between these two is nice, and even though I enjoy the more traditional grumpy sunshine trope, I did enjoy the relationship between these two.

Summer Hates Christmas is a sweet and fun English romance.

Thank you, Rachel Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Told from different POV’s
We meet Summer who does not like Christmas and Noel who does love Christmas and both are shop owners. So when Noel’s Christmas shop pops opens up right next to Summers shop she gets upset. Can Noel crack Summers hatred for Christmas.
This is a cute enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, rom com from author Rachel Dove.
Thank You @netgalley

This was an enjoyable, if at times heavy emotional enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy/sunshine British romance that sees to neighboring business owners at odds when one loves Christmas and the other hates it. Summer hasn't had an easy life, her mother is mentally ill (agoraphobia/depression/hoarding) and has forced Summer to miss out on a lot of things. When Noel opens his Christmas shop next door he's immediately drawn to Summer, if only he can convince her to take a chance on love. This one tackles some tough topics but was overall a heartwarming read and good on audio. Would recommend for fans of authors like Mhairi McFarlane. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This had all of the things I normally enjoy, enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, small town setting. However I have mixed feelings. I struggled to identify with Summer, who bordered on abusive rather than grumpy, and I questioned some of her actions towards Noel, who just seemed to accept it all and then say sorry. But if you can get past that it's a quick summer read with some fun side characters to keep it going

I have mixed thoughts on this book. I enjoyed certain aspects of it but those tended to be smaller parts such as the other character’s POVs such as Summer’s friend. She had great insights and a compelling storyline I wish there was more of. I didn’t see any of the twists coming which made the book more exciting and I was really invested in a resolution regarding her family. However, I found that the romance was a little underwhelming since Summer was super mean and then Noel would apologize which I found slightly odd. I also feel that her past took too long to come forward without enough emphasis on why she hates Christmas so much. In conclusion, it was an interesting read but I didn’t connect to it in the way I hoped.

Thank you to BoldWood books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Hates Christmas has been re-issued by author Rachel Dove and Boldwood Books. It is marketed as an enemies-to-loves grumpy/sunshine romantic comedy and has a cute cartoonish cover. I saw advertisements for it on Facebook and requested a review copy. This is a rare “do not recommend” review for me, based on its marketing.

The heroine, Summer Hastings, is the owner of a travel agency in coastal England called Summer Loving. Unfortunately, she is unable to travel because she is the caretaker for her mentally ill mother. When Summer was a young girl, her beloved father, Ronnie, cheated on her mother and abandoned their family. As a result, her highly capable mother, Angie, quit her job and became a recluse, and Summer began hating Christmas. Summer enables her mother’s narcissistic behavior and acts emotionally immature as well; both ladies are in severe need of counseling.

Noel Pritchett is a handsome and charming owner of a pop-up Christmas shop that relocates to the empty space next door to Summer. When he first encounters Summer inside his store, Forever Festive, she berates him and knocks his Christmas tree over, breaking several ornaments. Later that evening they run into each other at a bar, and after a shared drink, she insults him again. Summer’s behavior is not “grumpy”; she is abusive and violent.

I hope that I have provided enough description of why Summer Hates Christmas is not an entertaining rom-com. Noel is a very likeable character, but I wondered why he was at all interested in Summer. Other secondary characters, particularly neighbors custodian Jean and homebuilder Jim, were far more engaging.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a very sweet romance that’s a reverse grumpy/sunshine. Summer hates Christmas and Noel opens up a Christmas shop right next to her store.

If you enjoy grumpy/sunshine, instalove, sweet romances this is a very cute read. It made me feel so many different things- happy, sad, angry- and of course ends with a HEA.

When Christmas is something you hate with a passion
A Festive shop opening next to yours should be out of fashion!
For Summer Hastings it is really the last straw.
She couldn't hate the idea or reality any more!

However, the owner is handsome and smart
Though Summer is determined to protect her heart.
From kicking a tree to a waffle in his face
Her behaviour towards Noel is a total disgrace!

Despite all this, the attraction between them grows
But her family history and Mum's problems only she knows.
When a teenage lass gets added to the mix, too,
There's laughter and anguish, so what should they do?

A story where grinch meets the happiest - and handsomest - of men
Where maybe the past needs leaving back there again?
Can love find a way to bring these two together
Or will someone's actions part them forever?

A story of families, healing and more,
A fun read, I hope you'll also explore.
But can love find a way to help heal wounds from the past?
Enabling new romances and relationships that will last!

A moving story where doing your best for others
Isn't the best for yourself - or them - as Summer discovers.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.

I really enjoyed this story. I went into it thinking it was just a cute cheesy romance, but it ended up being a lot more. The complicated family aspect really had me turning the pages to know more. Summer sure put up with a lot in her life and I have to say I don’t blame her for being grumpy. I thought it was nice that we got to see little snippets of the characters pasts as well as big parts of their current life instead of it being just about Summer and Noel. Also, I knew something was up with Avril, but it was definitely not the twist I was expecting! Can’t wait to read more by this author.

This was just not good. Summer was really annoying and was mean to Noel for no reason at all. Then she starts liking him out of nowhere and they are suddenly dating. Add on to that that every chapter has a random pov from someone in Summers life that didn't really fit in the story.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This book was an uplifting, wonderful read from start to finish!! It’s a book set at Christmas but is not too Christmassy! I loved everything about it, the storyline and the characters were all wonderful.

Summer is the ultimate Christmas grinch (for reasons that do become clear) and then she meets Noel, the ultimate Christmas enthusiast! It all starts as a love - hate relationship, until they get to know each other just that little bit more and then a wonderful story unfolds, but one that isn’t without it’s ups and downs along the way.

All the characters have their own little stories that all somehow entwine together.

This book had some wonderful tropes, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy sunshine, was full of wonderful emotions that had me laughing one minute and crying the next and was the most perfect rom-com too…….

I’ve picked up this book expecting a seasonal romcom, but this was heavier than the cover leads on.

Summer has a travel agency and loves everything summerly related - sun, heat, beach and sea. She longs for her own travels and for her life to begin.
Noel, loves Christmas and every year opens a Christmas pop up store somewhere. This year the chosen place is just beside Summer shop, leading to a less than cold meet up.

I really liked Rachel Dove <b>Ten Dates</b> and I wanted to enjoy this one just as much. Unfortunately, it had several things than didn’t feel right to me, especially regarding the amount of violence between the characters.
The writing is good, but too many things are happening and none of those is more than superficially explored. I understand Summer had a difficult life, however, some of her actions are inexcusable, making it hard to believe on their HEA.

Overall, it was an ok read, with multiple POV, and a diversity of difficult topics and their consequences on character lives and family bonds.

<i>I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

TW - depression, physical abuse, verbal abuse, alcoholism (off page), cheating (off page), isolation.

Summer Hastings loves walking along the beach on her way to work, she loves the sunshine, and she loves sending people to their favourite destinations as their travel agent. Being an armchair traveler herself, she hopes to someday visit some of the destinations she sends others.

Noel Pritchett arrives in town to set up a pop-up shop next door to Summer Loving, Summer’s travel agency. The only problem is that his pop-up shop is a Christmas one and Christmas is something that Noel loves and Summer hates. Noel does his best to be neighbourly, but Summer isn’t having it.

Noel likes Summer instantly, but will he be able to break down her Christmas-hating barrier and find out what the underlying problem is?

This book had me hooked from the very start. It was a quick, enjoyable read that I will be recommending to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #SummerHatesChristmas

Good Read 👀

Easy short read told from a few different perspectives. In part not what I expected, but overall good read that could be read at any time of year.