Lovely feelgood Christmas story and great to be back on Ever After Street. Raff and Franca are very good characters, you immediately feel the warmth emanating from Raff and although Franca can certainly hold a grudge you can't help but like her. As always with this author full of whimsical Christmas magic that always leaves you with a warm happy feeling. Perfect for curling up with a hot chocolate

Christmas Ever After was the perfect book to kick off my 12 books of Christmas series. As always, Jaimie Admans have provided a feel good festive romance that I didn’t want to put down.

Even though I read this in August, I felt wonderfully festive and really excited for Christmas. This is how I felt when reading Jaimie Adman’s festive romance from 2020; The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane. There’s something about her festive books that are set in shops that make me so happy. It makes me wish these places were real.

Hooray for a festive romance that doesn’t include a male love interest that hates Christmas. Actually neither character disliked Christmas. Franca had definitely fallen out of love with it, but she didn’t act negatively about the holiday at all. If anything she starts remembering why she used to love it so much and it’s very heart warming.

After the first chapter I was worried the competition and the spat between Franca and Raff would get annoying, but, without giving too much away, they both seriously mellow out. Franca does hold a grudge for quite a while, but you can’t stay too angry during the festive season, especially when you start to view your ‘arch nemesis’ as an actual person.

Again, I don’t want to give too much away as the synopsis doesn’t mention too much about it, but seeing the friendship grow between Franca and Raff is so lovely. It’s obvious from the get go that they don’t really know each other as their insults are purely about their businesses and they even admit they’ve never had a conversation outside of complaining about each other. Raff is nothing like Franca assumed and his sun beam personality made him so easy to like. Franca on the other hand can really hold a grudge. Her issue isn’t even with Raff and I’m glad she realises that fairly early into the story.

There are so many festive activities happening throughout the entire book and they made me feel all warm inside. Raff’s family really knows how to do Christmas and it made me a little envious. I want to do a gingerbread house challenge, but unfortunately I live over four hours away from my family.

I highly recommend you check out Christmas Ever After if you’re interested in a low stakes, fun yet fiery festive romance (fiery as in hurling insults at each). Jaimie Admans really knows how to write a heart warming hug and wonderful characters.

3.85⭐
Genre ~ holiday romance
Series ~ Ever After Street
Others in the series ~ the whole series
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ September 2, 2024
Publisher ~ Boldwood Books
Est Page Count ~ 319 (20 chapters)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 31 minutes
Narrator ~ Emma Noakes
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ small town, slow burn, rivals to lovers, no steamage

Full of Christmas magic with nutcrackers and snow globes galore.

Franca owns The Nutcracker Shop and Raff owns Love Is All A-round snowglobe shop. They are rivals and both at risk of losing their shop after the Christmas season rush.

I gotta say I had a bad taste in my mouth at the start of this one because I didn’t like the whole concept of forcing someone to kiss someone else for a photo op. However, all turns out okay…well not okay since Franca broke 3 fingers in a fall. Yikes! How will she make nutcrackers at the most demanding time of the year? With a little help from her rival, Raff, that's how.

I enjoyed the slow burn of them getting to know each other and seeing someone for who they truly are. Raff is really sweet and his family is the absolute best, which is not something Franca is used to and the reason behind her original animosity. She actually took me a little longer to warm up to then he did.

Overall, I’m not a big Christmas person, but I wouldn’t mind strolling Ever After Street to visit all the quaint shops and meeting the lovely people that own them. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Series notes:
The characters from the other books do make appearances, but I think this would be fine as a standalone.

4 Stars
One Liner: A sweet Christmassy romance

We are back on the Ever After Street for Christmas. This time, it’s a competition between Franca Andrews (a ballet dancer turned nutcracker maker) and Raphael Dardenne (the owner of magical snow globes). Fran hates Raff and his late grandfather as she thinks their snow globes are fraud and there’s no such thing as finding true love with it. She is determined to expose him and get the shop closed. No way would she let her nutcracker business be evicted from Ever After Street.
However, presumptions can be incorrect. Franc has some major realization when she needs help, and Raff is the one to provide it. With Christmas magic at work, maybe the two of them will find common ground and something more.
The story comes in Franc’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
The fourth book in the series can be read as a standalone. It has an enemies-to-lovers trope where two business owners and artisans fight to retain their spot on Ever After Street.
As always, the characters are layered and flawed, making it easy to empathize with them or want to cheer for them. They are in their late 30s, with enough issues in the past.
I love how the author creates such perfect book boyfriends. Raff is warm, kind-hearted, compassionate, talented, and cheerful. His relationship with his family is beautiful but not perfect. He has an unwanted burden on his shoulders and doesn’t know how to deal with it.
Franc is a disillusioned and cynical character who slowly reconnects with her soft side. Her argument does feel immature but not unrealistic (it makes sense given her childhood). She is a good person and willing to admit her mistakes. Her arc is encouraging and reassuring.
The ‘enmity’ doesn’t last long. Things start to thaw rather early in the book but I like it since we see the natural progress of their relationship (something the author excels in writing). I absolutely love how their interactions change both of them for the better but gradually.
Do I have to repeat how the author writes the best hugs? Makes me go awww every single time!
There is a sort of third-act breakup but more of a resigned move than due to miscommunication or a fight). Think of it as a short lull where they take a deep breath and resume the story. The ending is, of course, hopeful and heartwarming.
We also get the background details about the processing of making a wooden nutcracker. The details are woven into the plot and presented in different scenes to enhance the narrative. The ideas for future projects (nutcrackers and snowglobes) are so cool!
Ever After Street is a magical place, but with some ‘strict’ owners who tend to cause some or other issues for the shop owners. Well, we need conflict and some of their concerns are legit, so no complaints.
The side characters this time are mainly Raff’s family and a couple of shop owners. Sofia (7yo) is such a doll! Adorable.
To summarize, Christmas Ever After is a heartwarming and festive addition to the series. The pacing is slow (there’s some repetition in the first half). Settle down with the book and a cup of hot chocolate to enjoy the story of finding love and rediscovering the magic of Christmas.

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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Links to be updated after the tour on 8th Sep.

Christmas Ever After is the story of rivals Fran and Raff whose shops are embroiled in a battle of survival.

It celebrates friendship, love, family, overcoming obstacles and making one’s mark in the world.

It started a bit ‘offish’ for me but it picked up pace by the third chapter and I enjoyed it. I loved how the author built the relationship between these two.

The puns on the songs and Christmas were hilarious. I love how real and original Raff is. He is indeed a cinnamon roll and has become another book boyfriend.

I enjoyed the interaction and banter between the characters and how real and genuine their relationship became.

If you love enemies to lovers and all things Christmas then you will enjoy this.

Franca and Raff are enemies with both of them trying to beat the other to prevent themselves from being evicted from their businesses by January. During an event to kickstart the Christmas Ever After festival, Franca is accidentally injured, leaving her unable to complete her nutcracker orders before Christmas.

Raff decides to help her out as he feels guilty for his part in the incident. Soon, Franca realises that she has misjudged him and decides to help him with his business too.

Will their truce and cooperation allow both of them to keep their businesses while bringing back their passion for their work? Read this to find out.

With Christmas coming real soon, I loved the feelings and atmosphere which the book invokes. I can imagine myself being there, surrounded by the joyous Christmas spirit.

I wished that the pacing was a little faster though as certain sections were overly long. I also would have preferred if Franca was more mature. Her rationale for the “fight” is not very believable especially since I would expect her to act more like an adult in her late 30s.

My first festive read of the season & it's a huge HIT! I loved how the MCs are in their 30s. Franca & Raff are enemies based on their job titles, but no one can actually pinpoint why this came to be. Not even them. And hence, they are enemies for like 3 chapters of the book (much to Franca's reluctance, lol!)

This book was the epitome of how love can find you when you least expect it, especially from the person you least expect it. Raff was a true gentleman & his sense of humor was next level. He went above & beyond to rectify his mistake & help Franca while openly wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Franca's struggles were heartbreaking. There were a few scenes where she finds herself helpless, which was too hard to read. But I adored how Raff was ALWAYS there with her; those sweetest gestures throughout melted my heart. And the sacrifices they were willing to make for each other at the end showed how far they've come!

Such a charming, cozy, & wholesome read this was!

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

This is exaclty the kind of cheesy I look for in a festive book. A rivalry between a nutcracker shop owner and a snow globe maker is the start of this book. It's kind of silly premise but the descriptions of the crafts are clearly made by someone who did their research and appreciates them.
There were also plenty of festive activities which gave the right amount of festive vibes (which is impressive as it's September). The loving family and the cracking of emotional walls were my favorite part of the book.

I put her other festive book on my tbr immediatly for later this year.

Thank you for the ARC Jaimie Admans

It should be the best time of the year for Franca Andrews but she is so miserable. Her Nutcracker shop is likely to close, largely due to her arch nemesis, expert snow globe maker Raff Dardenne. Dardenne Snow Globes reputation for bringing lovers together is a hoax, given how Franca’s parents who have been bitterly divorced were meant to blissfully happy, if the snow globe myth is to be believed. This Christmas, their shops are pitted against each other and only one gets to stay on Ever After Street. When Franca is injured, she is unable to make any nutcrackers and the one person who comes to her aid is Raff. As they spend time together, Franca finds Raff to be kind, caring and funny. Soon, she begins to doubt her previous belief about the globe, questioning her growing feelings for Raff.
This was such a sweet and clean romance. I so enjoyed seeing the relationship between Raff and Franca blossom and both of them, revealing their true selves. The love felt when they are with Raff’s family was tangible and the joyous family gatherings highlighted the magic of Christmas. Not having read any books of Jaimie Admans, I am now thrilled to add another author to my list. A great read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a delightful read perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, Josie Silver or Love Actually and The Holiday.

I thought this was a cute read for the upcoming holiday season.


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I received this ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet, closed door, rivals to lovers Christmas romance which is reminiscent of a holiday Hallmark movie. Raff and Franca both own Christmas stores on Christmas Ever After street in a quaint UK Christmas shop area.

Raff has inherited his grandfather’s snow globe store, which creates magical matchmaking snowglobes. Franca owns a nutcracker store that is struggling. There is a feud between them, and only one of their stores can remain open after the new year. When they argue during a mistletoe hanging livestream, Franca falls off a ladder and ends up injured. Raff is determined to help her store remain open despite the fact that Franca can no longer make her nutcrackers due to her injured hand. Franca soon realizes that her judgements about Raff were incorrect.

This book made me want to take a trip to England during Christmas time to enjoy some tea and mince pies. I enjoyed the cast of characters, but I do wish that Franca and Raff had stayed enemies/rivals for a bit longer. I would have enjoyed more sparks flying before they became closer. Despite this, the story was cute and the aspects of found family and healing past hurts with the sprinkling of magic made it a sweet Christmas romance.

#ChristmasEverAfter #NetGalley

Jaimie Admans is the queen of cosy Christmas romance and her Ever After series has become my ideal escape so the 2 together is a perfect combination. Jaimie can bring characters to life and make them seem like friends so I am so glad she created this wonderful series.

I enjoyed the other Ever After Street stories and this Christmas version does not disappoint. The characters are likeable and the storyline is sprinkled with a little festive magic. I would recommend this as a perfect feel good festive read.

This was more a chic lit book and at fist it didn't hold my attention as much. I did start enjoying it a bit more when Raff and Franca started talking and even with how out of this world the characters and thier surroundings were, it was readable.

If u like christmas chic lit with a dose of romance but ultimately about the heroine and her coming to terms with her inner turmoils and emotions this is def the book for you. The setting is adorable, the focus on cutesy christmas themes will def be fun for a large number of readers. The romance takes off and I kinda got over the ott and just enjoyed the very very hallmarky way this book flowed on from that point. Ultimately the romance did save the book for me and I wanted to smoosh these 2 together while also smooshing franca to make her feel better. So I did like it but beginning did make it hard to get into.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for an advanced copy of this book for my review and a bigger thank you to Jaimie Admans for writing such a fabulous story. Right from the off I was drawn into this book and completely gripped. A heartwarming and fuzzy feeling,funny festive read, lots of lovable and likeable characters with a real community spirit. An absolute pearler of a book leaving you feel warm and hugged. I heartily recommend this book.

Having read so many of Jaimie Adman’s books, I know what she is particularly drawn to in the season of goodwill, so it was no surprise to discover that our heroine Franca made Nutcrackers. Not just the variety that can hang from a Christmas tree but full-on, life-sized examples designed to grace an entranceway. The worrying thing is that because of her obsession with fellow trader Raff, she is now faced with the real possibility that she could lose her shop. The council had devised a test to see which shop should stay and which should go, and all Franca needs to do is up her social media game.
Franca is a genuinely sympathetic protagonist; her views on life have been swayed by her parent's bitter divorce. Having been told by Raff’s father that they were each other's true loves after their snow globe mysteriously moved when they both held it. Clearly, that wasn’t true, as their marriage was short-lived and led to heartbreak. Her bruised heart had become obsessed with proving that Dardenne Snow Globes was involved in a giant con and had no place on Ever After Street. After the Christmas shop's opening is botched, Franca discovers that Raff may be someone she needs to rely on.
Franca’s slow realisation that she may have misjudged Raff is beautifully portrayed. From noticing his kindness to meeting his family, her awareness and slow questioning of her previous opinion build speed.
Raff is an absolute gentleman, and it soon becomes clear that he’s not the devious liar Franca has made him out to be. Yes, her accusation has some merit, but his heart is good. His kindness and determination to ensure that all Nutcracker orders are completed spoke volumes for his character.
The biggest worry was realising that one business had to close, and who knew which one would go?
Everything about the Ever After Street series is loaded with love and romance, so it’s not a spoiler to say that there is a happy ending, but what a way to get there. This beautiful story is loaded with warmth and kindness and is perfectly told.

Franca had to give up her career as a ballerina after an accident, which also gave her a mistrust of men. She set up a small business in Ever After Street making traditional nutcrackers, but is slowly becoming disenchanted. A fued with Raff from a shop making snow globes comes to a head resulting in them pitting against each other to stay on the street. An accident that leaves Franca unable to work shows her the other side of Raff.
I have read and enjoyed other books by this author, but this is the first in this series, although this didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. Think Hallmark Christmas movies, with a small community with all the positives and negatives that they can involve. I liked both main characters, which is always a plus, becoming invested in how they manage to resolve their issues. Definitely one to get you in the Christmas mood anytime of the year.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely loved reading this book, which I read in one sitting.

It was wonderful being back on Ever After Street meeting the characters as well as Franca and Raff.

Franca, who makes nutcrackers has lost her love of Christmas and being in love after the marriage of her parents ended in their divorce.

She wants to prove to the other shop owners and the council that Raff is conning people. He is the owner of a snowglobe shop, which his grandfather used to own it. It has a history of bringing two people together.

This war between them has been ongoing for years. The two have been feuding for years on the Ever After Street.

But, when an incident occurring on the street means Franca is unable to make her Nutcrackers, Raff offers to help her in making them.

As they both begin to spend time together Franca learns more about Raff and slowly the fued between them begins to end.

I loved the characters and how Raff was described. If only we could visit Ever After Street.

I highly recommend this book.

Christmas Ever After was such a delight. I loved Franca and Raff and the unconventional and unexpected way they were thrust together. Their banter, as well as Franca’s inner dialogue, was hilarious and had me laughing out loud over and over. I loved watching them grow closer and help each other in countless ways. Raff was top-tier book boyfriend material: sensitive (love a man who’s in touch with his emotions!), sweet, and oh-so-swoony. I love how he showed up for Franca in so many ways and shook up her life in ways she never knew she needed. Raff's family and the whole Ever After Street gang were delightful too, and it was nice to see familiar faces from the previous books.

This magical, hopeful, heartfelt romance is a must-read this holiday season.

Jamie Admans NEVER disappoints! In this latest episode of Christmas Ever After Street, we meet Franca, who owns a nutcracker shop, and Raff, who owns a snowglobe shop. Each is an artisan in their own right, and each carries baggage that must be resolved before they can move forward. After years of fighting, they suddenly find themselves thrust together due to an accident, and learn that their hatred can be rechanneled into a deep passion. Full of Christmas goodies and heartwarming moments, this laugh out loud funny is the perfect read to curl up with this year!