The Anti-Social Season is written by Adele Buck and published by Mills & Boon as part of their newish contemporary Afterglow series. Thea Martinelli is a burnt out firefighter who is starting a new career as social media officer for the fire service. Simon Osman is a librarian and social media coordinator who has been tasked with showing Thea the ropes and how social media work. Simon had a crush on Thea on school but she doesn’t remember him. Sparks fly between the pair but can they stop living in the past and move on to a future together?

I enjoyed that this novel is contemporary with a reversal of roles. Little was made of this by the author and I feel it would have made the characters more believable if there was a bigger part of the storyline focusing on this, even if it was just Thea rescuing a kitten from a tree! Lots of humour and spicy romantic moments between the pair, and some fun little interludes with Thea’s landlady too. I didn’t enjoy the harping back to the fast. The characters needed to be focusing more on how they were to move forward in their lives. Simon appeared rather wimpy at times as he seemed to be overly upset about Thea ignoring/ not remembering him from school. The festive backdrop is a nice touch to the storyline but doesn’t overwhelm it. As an aside I hate the graphics on the Afterglow series, they make the novels look cheap and dreary.

I would recommend this book as a quick read.


I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but it didn't make a difference to the enjoyment of the book. It was a cute story, Simon is asked to Thea the ropes of social media management, turns out he has a crush on her at school and she was oblivious. There's a hint of 'enemies' to lovers, a bit of miscommunication in the middle. Mad families interfering and a good helping of spice! Enjoyed this!

This book was so interesting, the characters were not jump out at you likeable - however they grow on you, well they did me. Some people are just awkward and it was amazing to see a story based on them and how real it can be. I laughed out loud at a lot of this and loved the more softer moments too.

There are lots of things I like about this story. The humour, spicy romance, contemporary relevance, and setting in the festive season are noteworthy. Still, I am often frustrated by the two main characters, who are rooted in the past and lack insight. The story is well-paced and has lovely festive seasonality, but I didn't invest in the couple.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This was a nice Christmas read. I was fascinated with the whole social media manager information and all the work which goes on in the background for a short 2 minute video.

I like the gender role reversals with Thea and Simon and I enjoyed their growing relationship and how they moved past their teenage selves and the their preconceived ideas about each other. The message of being happy to be who you are was nice and it was interesting to read it and see that no matter what a persons live might look like in the outside, you never know what’s going on on the inside.

Some funny moments and some lovely snowy Christmas scenes.

After a decade long career as a firefighter, an incident causes Thea to quit her job with no idea of what comes next — that is until her boss offers her the position of the station’s new social media coordinator. Feeling unsure of what the new job entails, Thea is sent to the local library for some lessons from their social media coordinator, Simon. The same Simon who Thea went to school with. The same Simon who had an intense crush on her back then. As they spend more time together as adults, the two discover they have more in common than they realised. But can a second chance flame kindle in time for Christmas?

What a joy to read! I loved this story from the first page to the last, reading it over two days. Thea and Simon were great protagonists by being opposites but still having enough common ground to connect over (as well as a past history in high school), which made their relationship feel natural and easy to become invested in. The workplace setting made for a perfect backdrop for their blossoming connection and the wonderful cast of supporting characters, Mrs M in particular, gave the book heartwarming vibes to match the Christmas theme. I also loved the way Thea and Simon flipped romance books stereotypes on their head by her being the firefighter and him being the librarian — refreshing and memorable. Adele Buck really mastered the fast paced festive read with this one. Highly recommend!


tropes-
- workplace
- second chance
- opposites attract

Thank you Mills and Boon & Netgalley for the advanced reader copy! Out on the 24th of October!

The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck is a delightful, heartwarming romance perfect for when you need a light, feel-good read. Thea, a firefighter turned social media coordinator, reconnects with Simon, her high school admirer, as they navigate their new roles together. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their slow-burn romance is both sweet and a little spicy. Though the storyline is low stakes, it’s filled with humor and heartfelt moments. The festive holiday backdrop adds a cozy touch, especially towards the end. If you're looking for an easy, charming romance with a sprinkle of holiday magic, this is a great choice!

I really enjoyed this nice, light romance with a sprinkle of spice, I think I would have preferred to have read this over the festive season as it's a perfect Christmas book but was reading prior to publication. I found The Anti Social Season pretty light on plot but luckily, heavy on characterisation and backstory for the main characters, and the storyline is cute. For this reason I wasn't quite sure where it was going after the first half but predicted what would happen early on. Thea and Simon made a cute couple and Simon is such a great book boyfriend! I empathised with him not wanting to spend Christmas with his family, Ashley really came across as a complete nightmare!

Thanks to @Netgalley and @RandomHouseUK for my ARC copy of A Recipe for Christmas. I have found this a quick and fun read and a book that is there when you need cheering up. I am thrilled to follow Clara on her journey to Switzerland with Daniel! The opportunity to take a chocolate course sounds incredibly challenging and exciting. As a fellow chocolate lover, I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at Clara's fantastic experience. Moreover, Clara decides to sign up for a chocolate-making course to help her settle into her new life and find a new direction in her career. The chocolate-making course is much more intense and professional than she thought, and she finds it very hard to start with, especially as she's the oldest there and not all the other people on the course are amiable. After time passed, she moved into shared automation with their other chocolatiers, and we started to learn about them and what makes them tick. I love learning abouf their passions and how they all seem to be backing Clara in their own way and boosting her experience and ways to become an excellent chocolate make. I have to say Clara took a bold risk moving to Switzerland like this, but it also made me think of what an opportunity this would be, and I smiled throughout all the antics. I absolutely devoured this book in 2 days and would highly recommend it.

#BookReview #HolidayReads #ChocolateLover #SwitzerlandAdventure #InspiringJourney

I really enjoyed this one! I knew I was going to enjoy as soon as I started - Thea as a character I found very relatable, and I enjoyed watching the relationship with Simon blossom as he already had fallen for her years ago so this was sweet to fall for.

Honestly, who has time to read about two adults in responsible positions behaving like nervous teenagers? Not me, I'm afraid.
I gave up reading this, not because of the writing, but because I was so irritated by the two of them.
Just my opinion, of course. Others will doubtless thoroughly enjoy the book.

I was drawn to this by the title and I thought the book could be fun but unfortunately it was a bit of a let-down for me. The story is about Thea. a fire fighter who because of stress has resigned from her job and been offered a position involved with social media for the service. She knows firefighting but not the world of social media so she is assigned a mentor to teach her the ropes. This mentor turns out to be Simon, someone Thea knew from school, who had a crush on her. The story is about their developing relationship both professional and personal. There isn’t a great deal happening other than the two of them jumping in to bed together at every available opportunity. The only saving grace for me was the character of Mrs M who is Thea’s landlady and her character shows through. I found the parts that involved her the most interesting. Not really my sort of book but thanks to NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

I haven’t read anything by this author before but would happily seek her out again. It was wonderful to read of a woman in her thirties having to reinvent herself with a career change, and her reconnection with Simon was funny yet hot. It was also nice to read of a woman in a male dominated industry and a male in a female dominated industry. Not the longest book but it was a lovely Christmas read and I would recommend it to others.

Thea & Simon are enemies to lovers, although I’d argue that any ‘hate’ was minimal and practically non existent. Having said that I absolutely adored their relationship which is sweet with a little bit of spicy action thrown in for good measure.

In terms of storyline not a lot happens, but that’s not a bad thing as it’s just a sweet low stakes romance that does everything it should. The Christmas aspect is minimal (mainly in the last 20% of the book) and I personally would have liked more as the bits we got were cosy & just what I wanted for a seasonal read- I felt extremely Christmassy despite reading it in early October!

I wish this book had a different title as I don’t think it correctly markets what this book is about but aside from that I had a blast and read it in a matter of days as I couldn’t be parted from Simon & Thea’s story for too long! Would love a sequel to see where their relationship goes from here.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. The Anti-Social Season is a really fantastic modern twist on a love story. I would describe it as a witty romance that is easy to read. It had both many laugh out moments as well as lots of heartfelt content. As someone who struggles with relationships at time I could relate to the awkward stages of building new relationships and dealing with what society expects of you. Would definitely read more from Adele Buck, I really enjoyed her style of writing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun romance to read!

I didn’t get too many festive vibes from it however, this was an enemies to lovers troupe.I found the warmth developed quite quickly between Thea and Simon despite their frosty introduction and it was nice to see Thea let her guard down and be more womenly when she is so used to being one of the lads.

It’s clear that they were drawn to each other and the reason for Thea’s retraining was quite sensitive and it was introduced sensibly and was something that Simon could understand.. There was a fair bit of spice and that comes into it quite quickly.

It was a sweet story and if you want something easy to read then I would definitely recommend it.

The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck is a refreshing and witty romance that delves into the complexities of social expectations and the allure of finding genuine connection. Buck crafts a story filled with relatable characters who navigate the pressures of society while trying to remain true to themselves. The novel is brimming with humor, clever banter, and heartfelt moments that capture the awkwardness and excitement of building relationships in a world that often prioritizes appearances. With its mix of romance, humor, and insightful social commentary, The Anti-Social Season is an engaging and charming read that offers a modern twist on the traditional love story.

Overall I enjoyed this book and had a good time reading it

I really enjoyed the story and the writing style

However a big thing for me is that I didn't really feel the romance or any connection between the main characters

- co-workers (ish - she starts a new job and he helps train her)
- enemies to lovers (they didn't like each other in high school)
- set around Christmas

Thank you to NetGalley, Afterglow / Mills and Boon for the ARC - all opinions are my own

Entertaining read although I thought their school experiences dominated too much. I liked the way the h/H came together and the pacing was excellent.

Thea is a freighter who becomes the fire services social media person. On training for her new job she meets Simon, whom she went to school with, but can't remember him. As they get to know each other as adults they discover a lot in common with each other as well as huge, massive sparks between them. These two are amazing together so I'm ecstatic that they get their happy ever after together. A wonderful story with just the right amount of spice and heat to make this one of the best Christmastime stories I've read in years.