I really enjoyed reading this book! It’s got quite a few of my favorite book tropes in it, too! Enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, but when you throw in forced proximity, a lot of pranks, and set it during the Christmas season: chef’s kiss. You could feel the hatred and tension between Nina and Tristan. It was such a fun read I loved every minute of it!

A huge thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This was a cute Christmas time story. Enemies to lovers, brothers best friend. I liked the banter between these two although I did find some of their pranks a little juvenile for 30 something’s. After years of battling it out they set down their swords and find they actually like one another. This was a pleasant read filled with love laughter and the magic of Christmas. I hope we get to see the continuation of their relationship if there are spin offs of Nina’s friends. Thank you to NetGalley for sharing his advanced copy . I’m leaving this review voluntarily

Its difficult what to say about this one as some of the way through I thought it was humorous and fun, however, this soon became very tedious and childish and the FMC had tantrums and moaning about being "blamed" for stuff when she had actually done them.. I know it a book but still this just left me very bored after a while. At about 50% though I skipped to the last few chapters and didn't feel like I had missed anything.

Sorry not the book for me.

This brothers best friend romance This Is Not a Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley centers on the relationship between Tristan Montgomery and Nina Thompson.

This is my first book from this author, and I'm disappointed. This is in no way a rom-com, even if it's marketed as one. This book was too insta-love for me, and their connection felt forced, and everything between them just came out of nowhere. This was cute but boring most of the time, and I was counting down the pages until it ended. I wish there had been more development and substance in the plot. I also hoped we would see Tristan working on his problems and growing on his own.

As for the characters, Nina pissed me off most of the time; she acted immature and childish for most of this book, even though she's an adult; it just felt as if I was reading about a teenager in an adult's body. Tristan was more mature than her, but there were moments when I questioned my decision to read this book. His thinking made me put the book down on more than one occasion.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and to the author, Camilla Isley, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

Camilla Isley has quickly become an auto read author for me!! I was lucky enough to receive this book as an advanced reader copy and I absolutely adored it!!! Nina and Tristan have had a 15 year feud over some misunderstandings and after getting snowed in for Christmas, things take a turn!!! The banter is on point and I love all the side characters too! Of course, the epilogue is great and it makes me think there could be more in this universe! Definitely suggest grabbing it when it releases 9/4 so you can read it this coming holiday season!

This is Not A Holiday Romance
By Camilla Isley
3.5⭐️

This is a short and fast paced holiday romance! It went by in a blur but it was so fun and cute. I loved how Nina and Tristan messed with each other for years, their pranks and banter was my favorite part. I really wish the romance had been developed a bit more because it gave major insta love vibes. Everything fell together a bit too fast and the characters felt a little one dimensional which wouldn’t be a huge problem if this was a purely a smutty book but since its a clean romance that doesn’t have much of a romantic connection or development, it ends up reading more like a cute christmas-adjacent short story.

I didn’t know this would be a clean/closed door romance so it was a bit surprising to see that but I didn’t mind too much. The tension and flirting sort of makes up for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this gifted arc!

This book is everything & more. I had a right good laugh when I was reading it. It's fun & flirty and very fast paced. The characters have been written perfectly to the point I sometimes thought I was watching a Christmas film and not a book. I can't wait for this to come out so I can gift it to my friends!!

Utter perfection

Thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Camilla Isley for an advance reader copy of “This is Not a Holiday Romance”.

This is my first read of a novel by this author. The story was full of Christmas charm, family ties, sibling spats and a major crush that might just turn into something more.

I enjoyed this easy read for its simplicity and HEA. I felt like Nina was portrayed as a brat for much of the book, but this could be because I am well past the age of the characters in the book. I wish the author had gone deeper into the characters’ backgrounds but it is well set up for a series of books with several other characters we are introduced to. All in all a pleasant read.

Nina was looking forward to spending the holidays with her family, but her excitement quickly turns to horror when she discovers that her brother’s best friend will be joining them. Tristan happens to be Nina’s nemesis They’ve spent years in a constant state of bickering and pranking, and it all comes to a head when they’re stuck in the same house together. But it turns out that maybe the hatred that they’ve been harboring for each other all these years is actually pent up feelings that they’re too afraid to admit.

This book has holiday romance, enemies to lovers, and forced proximity. I couldn’t resist diving into this one. Unfortunately it started out as a slow read for me. I wanted to find the humor in the pranks and bantering between Nina and Tristan, but they often came off as childish and immature.

Once the turning point hit between Nina and Tristan, I felt the story pick up a bit and my interest was held in hopes that at some point I would feel the connection between them. But unfortunately their connection seemed more sexual/surface level and I just couldn’t buy into it. Given this book was on the shorter side, there didn’t seem to be enough time to allow the reader to see the deeper connection that was intended to be there.

I think this book had potential but the execution fell a little flat. If it were longer and focused more on a connection between Nina and Tristan and less on their immature pranks, it likely would have held up to my expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Camilla for this ARC, and the chance to share my honest review.

The story revolves around Nina Thompson, who anticipates a quiet Christmas with her family, but her plans are thrown off course when her longtime nemesis, Tristan—her brother’s best friend—is unexpectedly forced to join them due to a canceled flight. With a 15-year history of pranks and insults, their animosity slowly shifts into an undeniable attraction as they spend more time together. As the tension between them intensifies, they are compelled to face their true feelings. Overall, this book is sizzling, easy to read, highly entertaining, and packed with expertly executed favorite tropes.

Definitely not a holiday romance for sure.

Besides the few mentions of Christmas and putting up the Christmas tree, there is zero festive atmosphere in this story. So much so, that I forgot this was meant to be a holiday romance.

I did not buy this romance at all. You're telling me that after seeing a girl naked, you all of a sudden have feelings for her with no other preconceived notions? Dude, this girl pined for you for years and you have no feelings until you see her in her birthday suit? Um...okay?
Then after a few days, you're saying I love you to each other? Jip, not buying it.

This felt like a write-by-numbers story written for a creative writing class. It was mediocre writing, an amatuer storyline and zero depth. I also don't like how the author writes enemies-to-lovers. It comes across as juvenile and immature rather than angsty.

*3.5 stars rounded up*

Camilla Isley is an author whose work I really enjoy. This book didn't turn out to be one of my favorites by her, but it was still a cute, quick, light story that was perfect for a vacation read. Of the two main characters, I liked Tristan but found Nina to be a bit childish, especially in the beginning. Some of the pranks between the two were funny, but others were too vindictive for my taste. I did enjoy the romance aspect of the book, and it kept my interest easily enough. Parts of the book were predictable, but this wasn't the type of book that I was expecting to produce a bunch of surprises. I'm wondering if this book will be the first in a series, since the epilogue seems to open the possibility for a couple more storylines.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the early review copy of This is Not a Holiday Romance! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

This is Not a Holiday Romance was the perfect “Enemies to Lovers” book. I picked it up, couldn’t put it down, and finished it all in one sitting. The characters and romance felt believable to me. This would be a great book for the Xmas holiday season. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

This book was totally a Hallmark movie wrapped up in a book form (if you were playing Hallmark drinking bingo, you would be drinking quite a bit). Although Dylan, Tristan, and Nina could all be immature at times, I enjoyed the way the love story unfolded. I also loved the very deep friendship that Dylan and Tristan shared (male friendships are not often depicted in this way). My first holiday read of the season, and it is a strong win! This is my first book by Isley, but it will not be my last!

I absolutely loved this book!
It is one cup of cozy coco and a heartwarming breathtaking tingle of romance. I just love nina and Tristan. I feel like the character development in this story and Tristans past just gives so much to there love story. I honestly felt llke I was around the Christmas table eating roast turkey with the Thompson family watching this story play out. This was such a beautifully written(, a nice bit of steam too) story of not only holiday romance of enemies to lovers but also the friendship of two guys who are more like brothers. This book had me laughing and crying.

4 ⭐️

What a delightful read!!!!!

This book follows Nina, who wants to avoid her brother's annoying best friend, Tristan, during Christmas. But when they get snowed in together, their prank wars turn into unexpected romance.

Well, this is —in fact— a holiday romance. A fast, short, sweet and steamy romance. Two sworn enemies that get entangled in antic games every time they see each other but, as they say, there’s a fine line between love and hate 🙂‍↕️… Taylor Swift wrote Sparks Fly about them.

I have to say that choosing to read a Christmas novel when it’s almost 40 degrees outside was not the smartest decision, but I really enjoyed it and I’ll definitely be re-reading it again in December.

Read if you like:
❄️ christmas rom-com.
❄️ enemies to lovers.
❄️ brother’s best friend.
❄️ forced proximity.
❄️ secret fling.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This Is Not a Holiday Romance by Camilla Isley will be coming out on September 4th.

This was a quick read for me, finished it in one sitting! It's a cute holiday romance with some tension! Nina & Tristan have been pranking each other for years, but one moments alters the way Tristan thinks...and he cannot stop thinking about Nina! This feeling only builds when he comes to her family Christmas with his best friend, who is also her brother. Will they call a truce and give in?

Perfect if you love: brother's best friend, forced proximity, slow burn, enemies to lovers, holiday romance

Thank you to Netgalley, Camilla Isley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nina Thompson's Christmas wish is straightforward: stay away from her brother’s ridiculously charming best friend, Tristan. Their history is a mix of pranks and petty revenge, all stemming from a cringeworthy teenage moment. But when Tristan unexpectedly crashes her family’s Christmas, Nina’s hopes for a drama-free holiday go out the window. Determined to settle their ongoing rivalry once and for all, Nina gears up for one last prank war. However, when a snowstorm traps them together, their playful bickering reveals a more intense and passionate connection. As they get caught up in the holiday magic, they decide to explore a secret fling, with the understanding that it’s just a temporary romance bound to melt away with the snow.

*This Is Not a Holiday Romance* by Camilla Isley is a fun and light-hearted read, though it has its highs and lows. The story follows Nina, who is less than thrilled about spending Christmas with Tristan, her brother's infuriatingly attractive best friend. Their history of pranks and bad blood takes a turn when they're forced to spend the holidays together.

The book hits all the classic holiday tropes—enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a dash of brother’s best friend drama. While the setting and playful pranks provide some entertainment, the characters come off as a bit immature, and the shift from enemies to lovers feels a bit abrupt. Nina and Tristan’s chemistry seems surface-level, and their transition to romance feels too quick.

There are some enjoyable moments and a nice epilogue that shows character growth, but the insta-love aspect feels a bit forced. If you're in the mood for a light, festive read with some charm, this book could be a good pick. Just don’t expect a deeply original or profoundly developed romance.

I honestly didn't expect much from this book since this was the first time I was reading something written by Camilla Isley but I feel satisfied!!!

All that was needed was there and there were times I couldn't hold my laughter because of Nina and Tristan's dynamic. Their first scene was great and then it just kept getting better and better. I loved reading about Tristan's internal conflict regarding dating your best friend's younger sister and when it comes to Nina, I admired how much she despised him for that one nickname (She's just like me, I wouldn't let that slide either).

Another thing I liked about this story was the pace - I didn't think it was too slow or too fast, it was just perfect and it made Nina and Tristan's story more realistic.

After reading this book my immediate thoughts are- I think this is a holiday romance, lol. It doesn't really matter what Camilla Isley writes for me anymore, I know I'll enjoy it. This was such a cute enemies to lovers romance!
Nina hates Tristan (her brother's best friend) and has ever since she was 13 and he was rude as heck to her. Throughout their over ten year feud they are constantly at each other's throats, until this year they get snowed in together at her families house for Xmas.
If you are a fan of:
-forced proximity
-enemies to lovers
-brother's best friend
You will enjoy this! So if you are started to survey books to read for that awkward week between Xmas and New Years, I would highly recommend adding this one to your TBR!!