Review to come ,
I will for now tell you what I was drawn to when selecting this book , the title, and the cover really got me.
Thank you net galley and publisher for allowing me to read this book. !

This one was okay, but missed the mark for me at the same time. I never really connected with the main characters (especially Noel, the MMC), so it was hard for me to get into the story. I also felt like the plot moved way too quickly at times and way too slowly at others, but that could also be due to the fact that I just wasn't really into the story and would speed read at times.

Even from the beginning, I just couldn't stand Summer. Her character came across as more "truly horrible" than "grumpy" and she just treated others horribly. Meanwhile, Noel was more of a "pushover" than "sunshine" in our grumpy x sunshine trope. The romance came out of left field for me as well. I felt like I was missing several chapters and on top of that, there were way too many POV changes. I can understand having Summer and Noel, but there were chapters from random characters and I got so confused.

Overall, this was one just didn't hit the mark for me. Thanks NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book because I'm someone who doesn't like Christmas music either. I could relate to Summer in that way. I liked Noel too. I think he was an interesting character, and he had a lot of potential.

I couldn't really get into this story. There were multiple points of view, and it was confusing to follow all of the shifts. I couldn't find a character to connect to. I think that the romance part of the story seemed to come out of nowhere. It seemed too quick and out of place.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books.

I enjoyed the various points of view and look into all the characters lives. But the FMC is incredibly insufferable. Her behavior is strange. The romantic relationship happens in the blink of an eye, enemies to lovers so quickly it doesn’t make a lot of sense. But the second half of the book is more interesting even if at times it’s a little silly.

As a fellow hater of Christmas, I was very looking forward to this book…even if it’s a bit early in the year to be reading such festive fun! How I’d love for a man like Noel to come into my life and win me round ❤️

The prose won’t win any literary awards but it’s an easy, sweet read, and sometimes that’s enough.

Pre- Order this book now!!!!! Wow! What a fantastic book! I have absolutely loved this story from start to end. I really hope there will be a follow on with these characters because I would love to know more.
This is a beautiful, heart-warming story which has grabbed my attention from the very beginning. The plot had twists which I didn’t predict were coming but kept me needing to know what was going to happen next.
Despite not liking Christmas, I have really liked main character Summer. I felt able to relate to her in some ways- especially as she has tried to protect her heart. She is such a genuine character and Noel is her complete opposite. I loved the love/hate relationship that appeared at the start of the book. Summer was so rude but he still made an effort.
I love the references to Christmas shops and the grinch in this book. We are definitely approaching my favourite time of year so this book definitely made me smile.
Rachel has portrayed the relationships fantastically throughout this book. We have a budding romance, marriage separation and it’s after effects as well as Summer discovering people she never expected. Every scenario within the book could easily be real and are described in a completely realistic way.
I adore Rachel’s style of writing, she always manages to really hook me from the beginning. I couldn’t put this book down, I’ve read this in just two evenings.
I have to say, hand on heart this is definitely one of my favourite books. Rachel you are a queen of romance stories- I already cannot wait for more. This book deserves hundreds and thousands of stars. It is so wonderful, I fear my next read may be disappointing because I don’t think it will be as wonderful.
This should be on everyone’s TBR list!

I enjoyed reading this book and I thought that it was a nice quick read. Thank you to Rachel Dove and Boldwood Books for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

This was super cute - really adorable and charming and if you love Christmas this one will be for you for sure!

There was a good story here with good writing but I just couldn’t connect with either of the main characters. I’m not sure what was missing since I’m usually a fan of these types of books but this one just missed for me.

I would read other books by Rachel Dove since I do think she’s a good writer.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

I picked this one up because the premise sounded interesting and kind of adorable which is right up my alley.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the characters and the story itself. While the title and synopsis indicate rom-com like themes, this story leans more towards the FMC growing out of her misconceptions.

Summer is quite a likable character and has a very glass-half-full attitude. She is quite independent. And while the title of the story is her hate of Christmas, I felt like the exploration of that specific subject was lacking.

This is one of the first stories that I've read with more than 2 or 3 POVs, and while it can be an interesting concept, it's probably best done for a story that is part of a series. In this case, it became quite the distraction and deviated from the actual plot of the story.

Unfortunately this story didn't meet the high expectations that I'd set for it when I first read the synopsis.

NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Summer hates Christmas, which is clear by the title. But Noel loves Christmas, really likes Summer, and wants to figure out how he can have a relationship with Summer when his business is all about Christmas. (That sounds so confusing when it’s written down like that haha)

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Summer Hates Christmas to come out August 19, 2023.

3.5 stars but rounded down to 3. While I really enjoyed this book, there were a few things that kept me from rating it higher.

The thing I liked the most was that this book didn't lean too heavily on cliches. Yes, Summer wants to travel the world and works at a travel agency so that means that she gets to send other people off on the trips she wants to take. But there was never that overused soul-crushing cliche that she was stuck in a dead-end job with no joy. Summer owns her owe business and I could see that she genuinely loved it. Plus, while she might not get to go to all the exotic beaches she wants to see, she does get to walk the beach right there in her hometown and it brings her joy.

What caused me to round my rating down was that the blurb really didn't match the book. While I did enjoy the direction the book took, I do feel that the question of Summer hating Christmas was never fully explored or resolved. It felt like a missed opportunity, given how the story played out. And that wasn't the only missed opportunity. I kept finding myself anticipating what was coming next only to turn the page to discover the author went in a different direction. But I kept turning those pages, so even though the story did not progress the way I wanted it to, it was still engaging.

The book became more about Summer growing into the life she wanted. Her mother suffers from severe depression and is unable to leave the house, which is why Summer has never traveled. I really enjoyed their journey and found myself crying by the end. The book also featured 6 POVs. Some were short and infrequent, but it got to be a lot, given that Summer and Noel were the focus of the book. The extra POVs also featured straylines that were never resolved. I'm not sure if they were meant to set up sequels, but they felt unnecessary and out of place in this book.

With the additional POVs, the missed opportunities, and the disconnect between the title/blurb and the plot, I felt like the heart of the story was overshadowed.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the ARC.

How could someone hate Christmas?! In Summer Hates Christmas, we meet Summer who hates Christmas and Noel who loves Christmas. Even just the character names were brilliant choices from the author. After Noel moves in next door to Summer's travel agen with his Christmas store, sparks fly between the two as they work through their differences.

Oh this book was FUNNY! There were so many moments when I geniunely laughed out loud - the unfiltered snark was brilliant and so well done. It made the characters seem more real and much more likeable.

My heart broke repeatedly for Summer and her relationship with her Mum. You could feel her pain and frustration from the very first page. The author managed to capture these feelings in a very real and authentic way, without making it dramatic for the sake of the book.

The romance part of this rom-com didn't disappoint. I loved that Noel kept showing up and trying for Summer - he was a really likeable guy. He continually tried to break down Summer's wall and teach her the joy of love and Christmas.

This book was made to be read in the middle of winter, which was perfect for my cold Melbourne night. It was a really easy read that I devoured in one night and left me feeling excited for Christmas this year

As a girl who loves Christmas more than anything, I was intrigued to read this book. I wish, for that reason, I had enjoyed it way more than I did.

From the first chapter, I could not stand Summer. Her character came across as a spoiled b*tch who had a serious anger problem. The fact that she just shoved Noel's ice cream cone in his face, shoved over his Christmas tree, and kicked his bins outside his store is behavior I would expect from a child - certainly not from a business owner. She has definitely been through some stuff, but that is not an excuse for her behavior, in any way, shape or form. I wanted to be a bigger fan of Noel's, but he seemed to be a bit of a pushover. I think Avril was adorable, but there were major hints about her that led to the "plot twist" at the end of the story.

The romance in the story came way out of left field - one minute Summer literally hates Noel, and then she's all about him? I'm not buying it. We also kept switching perspectives - and not just between Summer and Noel. No, no...we had chapters from the perspectives of Summer, Noel, Angie (her mom), Jean (her friend), Ronnie (her dad), AND even part of a chapter from Jim's perspective. It was all too much, and unnecessary. In addition, the book has a lot of British slang in it (which isn't a huge deal), and the author is clearly anti-Trump (not saying I support him, just that it was mentioned more than once).

Trigger warnings should also accompany this book; specifically PTSD, agoraphobia, mental health, drug abuse, and drug overdose.

I wish I liked this book more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved the premise of this but didn't hugely connect with the book. Something was missing for me. I'm sure other readers will feel differently but this wasnt for me.