I love a good enemies to lovers romance, but this one wasn’t for me unfortunately. The pranks Nina and Tristan play on each other felt very childish and their whole chemistry/connection felt very forced. These are characters in their late twenties and early thirties but especially Nina kept behaving like a teenager. While I can understand her hurt and insecurities I cannot believe that this is how an actual adult would behave (even considering that we might be transported back to our teenage selves during the holidays in our hometowns). Tristan was a bit more mature but not so likeable either. He’s known this woman for 15 years and has never before realised that cruel words can hurt another person? Jeez …

If you're looking for a cosy, light hearted Christmas romance, this is maybe worth a shot. However, whilst I initially liked this book and the banter between the two MCs, like most enemies to lovers books, once they reached the relationship stage it just became really boring. The switch up was also just kinda sudden and drastic, so I didn't particularly care for the couple at all. It also didn't help that the two were SO immature for their age (a thirty year old calling her nemesis the prince of darkness?!?), it almost would have been better if they were college students.

This is a perfect quick, witty read for the holiday season! Something you can read in a single setting or over a few days! It's also part of a new series! Thank you to Camilla, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC!

What to Expect:
⭐ Enemies to lovers
⭐ Brothers Best Friend
⭐ Holiday Romance
⭐ Comedic Pranks
⭐ Snowed in forced proximity story of love, truth and healing past trauma

My Thoughts:
Main Characters (Nina + Tristan) start with straight avoidance but find themselves building a friendship neither expected. Their pranks are funny, but at the heart of it all is hurt and baggage. This story had me laughing out loud at points until you realize some of it is super childish. Which is all due to literally them being kids when it all started. I understand why SO many readers felt it was "cringe" but you have to go beyond that stuff to the heart of it wall. Who knows what their story could have been if they had hashed out all the baggage of the past way earlier in life!

There is heat between these two from the get go! You can tell that underneath the angst and hurt from the teenage years there is more to what their story is. While the story feels like a insta love the story is built over their journey being in forced proximity growing up thanks to Tristan being her brothers best friend. So while the current situation also has them forced together there is a mutual story shared with history. So it's not rushed!

There were moments that weren't my top favorite, things that were a bit over the top BUT all in all for a holiday read I loved it! I'm looking forward to some of the others including book 2 coming out in 2025!


Synopsis:
Nina Thompson has one Christmas wish: to avoid her brother’s obnoxiously handsome best friend, Tristan, like the plague. From the moment he humiliated her as a teenager to their escalating revenge schemes, Nina and Tristan’s relationship can only be defined as an all-out prank war! And there is yet to be a winner.

But it just so happens the ghost of Christmas present has other ideas. When Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s dreams of a peaceful holiday vanish faster than Santa up a chimney. Determined to end their rivalry for good, she braces herself for one last prank-filled showdown.

But when they find themselves snowed in, with no way of avoiding each other amongst the holiday festivities, they discover their heated exchanges have been masking a different kind of sizzle. Caught in a snow globe of holiday romance, they decide to let their fiery chemistry burn bright—but this is absolutely and unequivocally nothing more than a secret fling destined to melt with the snow, this is not a forever romance…

This Is Not a Holiday Romance is an enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, forced proximity rom-com perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Abby Jimenez, and Lynn Painter.

This bok had me hoked. I loved all of the pranks, even though they felt a little immature and something a middleschooler would I was very entertained.

Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for the copy 💕

The book took a little while for me to get into at first but I really did love it once I did! I loved the enemies to lovers dynamic that Nina Tristan had throughout as well as the threat of brothers best friend and how it could affect their relationship. It was super cozy and absolutely perfect as a Christmas read

This was a cute, quick read filled with holiday fun! Enemies to lovers and forced proximity are some of my favourite tropes and this book delivered. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun Christmas read!

Favorite Quotes:

This close, I catch a whiff of his scent— he smells like a promise of dark nights and
broken hearts. It’s intoxicating,

If looks could kill, my ex would be already playing chess with the Grim Reaper.


My Review:

This may be my favorite Camilla Isley book of all time. This Is Not A Holiday Romance was cleverly amusing and unfailingly entertaining. I always enjoy Ms. Isley’s wit and snarky banter; she has undoubtedly topped herself with this offering. The characters were well-textured, realistically flawed, and endearing.  I enjoyed this one so much that I am scheming to treat myself this holiday season by indulging in more of her clever arrangements of words and am off to scour her Amazon page for any I haven't yet read.

I’m slowly becoming a real Camilla Isley fan - she knows how to write romantic tension so well! I also loved the tease to the following romances at the end.

I was in a bit of a book slump but this book brought me right back! Finished it in one sitting.
Enemies to lovers ✔️
Best friends little sister ✔️
Christmas romance✔️

I loved it so much! I’m excited to read the other two(or at least I hope it will be two)

A Camilla Isley book is always gonna hit. I'm a little behind on reading this, but it is excellent. A fun fast burn holiday romance, just what I needed. It's so fun to see the hatred turn to love so quickly. I kind of need a bonus chapter of a proposal.

This one was cute. Liked the build up and the added trope of forced proximity with enemies to lovers!

This is an irresistibly fun and heartwarming romantic comedy that will leave you laughing, swooning, and cheering for two characters who are impossible to forget. Nina and Tristan, her brother’s best friend who humiliated
her as a teenager, have been at odds for years, each responsible for besting the other with their epic pranks. When it comes to their relationship, they have always only had one goal: revenge. But when they are unexpectedly snowed in together over Christmas, everything changes in the most delightful way.
The forced proximity becomes a game-changer when the bitter animosity between them morphs into something far more heated. The chemistry between Nina and Tristan is palpable from the start, and what starts as a playful and sarcastic exchange quickly turns into something deeper. The author does an excellent job of combining tension with tender moments, showing that sometimes, the people we least expect to fall for are the ones who can make us feel the most.
The enemies-to-lovers trope is executed to perfection here, and Nina’s wit paired with Tristan’s good-natured teasing makes for a delightful dynamic. The brother’s best friend element adds a fun layer of complexity, and while Nina is initially resistant, the forced proximity (hello, snowed-in holiday setting!) is the perfect catalyst for sparks to fly.
If you're in the mood for a festive, fast-paced, light-hearted rom-com that’s full of laughs, charm, and a couple of characters you'll root for from beginning to end, then you've come to the right place! This cozy, feel-good, holiday story will leave you with a warm feeling and a huge smile long after turning the last page.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

*** 3.5 ⭐️ ***

Can two enemies really put their insecurities aside and embrace the holiday spirit?

This enemies-to-lovers, brother’s best friend, close proximity story hit all parts of the tropes, so it stands to reason that it would be cheesy. The parts that lost some points were that the characters all read younger than their actual ages (I don’t think their ages were divulged until almost ch 10). Also, there was a line about the FMC having revenge sex (at her current age) for her 13yo self - NOT ok!! Aside from these two issues, the story followed the natural arc of a rom-com. All in all, this was a quick read and would recommend.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

i loved this book sooooo much, especially around Christmas time. it had me laughing, crying and feeling all the feels!!! if you love enemies to lovers books, this is right up your alley.

This is a found family, enemies to lovers holiday romance. There was loads of miscommunication, general ick factor and cheesy hallmark-ness. But I sped through this so quickly and it did keep me entertained. I enjoyed the characters and both the characters and story felt realistic.

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

Third book in a row I read where the MMC is named Tristan (!?)... I didn't really get the level of hate that Nina had for Tristan - it seemed overblown to me. But once they decided their chemistry was more of the love kind than the hate kind, the book got a lot better and became fun. There were some odd moments (why did Nina feel like she couldn't say no to giving her ex a kiss? WEIRD) but overall it was a good book.

This Is Not a Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley is an easy and light romcom.

I could feel the chemistry and the spice level was good. There is some good banter and witty lines.

Overall this was a cute holiday read.

This book did not live up to its title in the best possible way. It was such a fun holiday romcom and I loved every moment.

‘This Is Not A Holiday Romance’ by Camilla Isley is a funny and heartwarming festive tale that perfectly blends the enemies-to-lovers and brother’s-best-friend tropes! Nina and Tristan have loathed each other and traded insults and pranks for fifteen years, but when her brother Dylan brings Tristan to crash their Connecticut family Christmas, she is determined to end the rivalry for good. But will his presence actually be the Christmas present she didn’t realise she wanted?

I really warmed to Nina as a character, and found her quick sense of humour hilarious. While I was predisposed to dislike Tristan (aka the “Prince Of Darkness”) initially, the dual POV structure gave a glimpse into his thoughts and helped explain his behaviour. It was a treat to read an enemies-to-lovers romance that truly played up the “enemies” element without demonising either character too much.

All in all, this was an entertaining and quick Christmas read that has made me eager to seek out other books by Camilla Isley - a new-to-me author with a large back catalog to dive into! Giving this four stars.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Boldwood Books via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Camilla is one of the best romance authors I like. And as always, I ogled this book by her. I am obsessed with the enemies-to-lovers , forced proximity tropes and yeah banter. I laughed so much while reading and enjoyed Tristan and Nina’s pranks and encounters.

Nina Thompson plans to spend a peaceful Christmas with her family. But when she finds out her brother’s best friend and roommate Tristan, is invited to spend the holiday with her family due to weather conditions that caused his flight to San Diego to be canceled, things take a turn.

This one here is hot as hell, an easy, entertaining read!