The Night Before Christmas was a good and sweet romance story. The Penguin Man (James) and Felicity meet on Christmas Eve night by chance because he brings a lost kitten to the shelter she works at. They talk to each other and become friends and James begins to volunteer at the shelter too. They both have similarities and really start to like and care for one another. However, they both have some things with their family relationships, past relationships with their exes, etc. in their life that makes them question their little relationship from time to time. Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for giving me the opportunity to receive a complimentary ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cozy Christmas book and I enjoyed it a lot!

I was so excited when I saw the Christmas books on here. This book was a perfect Christmas story and had great cosy vibes.
I enjoyed how it pulled at your heartstrings and made me feel invested in the story.

I loved Felicity and how she met another person who doesn’t like Christmas. Felicity doesn’t trust easy and even struggles with close friends and trusting them. I loved her journey of learning to trust others and how she learns to deal with her previous traumas.
Felicity meets James at the animal rescue centre when he arrives on Christmas Eve with a stray cold kitten whilst dressed as a penguin. The pair end up caring for the kitten but also rescuing the mom to.
There’s instant attraction and it’s not longer before the pair start bonding over the kitten and shared interests.
It’s not long before trouble comes knocking from Felicity’s past and the plot starts to get interesting.
This book is a perfect cosy festive read and great for this time of year.

Thank you to the Publisher, Author and Netgalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Nicola Knight's The Night Before Christmas is a heartwarming holiday romance that truly captures the spirit of the season. From the moment I started reading, I was enchanted by the cozy setting and relatable characters. The chemistry between the leads is delightful, and their journey toward love is filled with sweet moments that made my heart swell. Knight's writing brings the magic of Christmas to life, weaving in themes of family, forgiveness, and the joy of togetherness. The story strikes a perfect balance between festive charm and emotional depth. If you're looking for a book to get you in the holiday spirit, this one is a must-read—it's a cozy, feel-good story that’s sure to become a seasonal favorite!

I love a Christmas book and this did not disappoint! I laughed and pretty much had all the feelings. James and Felicity were so much fun to follow, quite literally, and I will be on the lookout for what Knight does next.

Great debut novel! This book took me through a lot of emotions and you could feel Felicity's angst at times. You gotta love a book that has animal rescues and the best line ever "Man. Call me Penguin Man." I look forward to more books from this author.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book made me smile. A totally warm, festive read that tugs on the heartstrings. I don’t think anything could beat a Christmas Eve in an animal sanctuary when someone turns up dressed as a penguin! I can well recommend this book. It is definitely one of my top Christmas reads this year.

I hadn’t read anything from this author before but was very eager to give this book a try as the blurb sounded wonderful and i really do love a christmas book, so i gave it a try!!

I am so glad that i decided to give it a chance because i absolutely loved it all! I sped through the chapters and kept turning the pages faster and faster until i had completely devoured it all!

I loved this story so much, it was emotional and funny with characters who i fell in love with, a perfect, heartwarming, festive story and i absolutely loved it…..

felicity does not [like Christmas, but she meets James, he is dressed as a giant penguin and s holding a sick cat. together they nurse the cat back to health. will she change her mind about Christmas?

The Night Before Christmas is a madcapped, romantic adventure between a man dressed as a penguin and a crazy cat lady who have a mutual dislike of Christmas!

Late on Christmas Eve, a stranger (James) dressed as a penguin, turns up at the pet rescue centre, where our cat lady (Felicity) works, looking almost as wet & bedraggled as the newborn kitten he has rescued from the side of the road. This book is their story.

It is written in the third person. We are only given hints into the lives and personalities of the other characters. In fact, we only know as little about James as Felicity does. We read Felicity’s thoughts (written in italics) when she texts or interacts with others, but beyond that all we know is he is a gorgeous, caring but mysterious figure who Felicity is very slowly getting to know. We don’t “hear” anyone else’s point of view.

The story concentrates on Felicity who has major trust issues, which create barriers between her and all those she cares about. The narrative covers her journey as she learns to believe in herself to trust others and not to burry secrets of the past that have caused her pain.

Despite the seriousness of some of the issues covered guilt, loss, infidelity, secrets and lies, there are amusing one liners, innuendos and several swoonworthy moments. I avidly read the book willing all the bumps in the road to be smoothed out to reach a happy ending.

**This charming debut** offers a refreshing twist on the romantic novel genre. Felicity Brooks struggles with deep-rooted trust issues stemming from her father’s sudden departure at Christmas when she was six. Haunted by her childhood and a difficult breakup, she finds solace in an animal rescue center, where she can share her love with the animals.

On Christmas Eve, her life takes an unexpected turn when a man in a penguin suit, James, bursts into the shelter with a tiny, near-death kitten. Their immediate chemistry sparks an adventure neither of them anticipated, but past relationships loom over their budding romance.

The story beautifully explores how childhood trauma influences adult relationships and the lasting effects of first love. With engaging twists and turns, it keeps you guessing about where it’s headed. Felicity’s journey toward healing and self-acceptance is heartwarming, enriched by a cast of supportive friends and challenging figures.

While it touches on the familiar “I hate Christmas” trope, the unique setting of an animal rescue and the whimsical penguin costume give it a delightful twist. Full of emotional depth, humor, and lovable characters, this is a captivating read. I thoroughly enjoyed Felicity’s growth and wish the author great success in her future writing endeavors!

Thank you Netgalley and Bloodhounds Books for this arc.

I let myself be swept away by the darling cover with the penguin plus the fact that the heroine works in an animal rescue center and the hero appears out of the dark of night with a newborn kitten who needs rescuing. I didn’t realize that the rest of the book would take a darker turn and end up dealing with some serious issues.

Both Felicity (aka Crazy Cat Lady) and James (aka Penguin Man) loathe Christmas. And not for silly reasons either, I’ll give them both that. When James appears at the rescue center door, with a cold newborn kitten, and then he and Felicity head back out into the damp night to rescue the mother cat, I was smitten. Then they bond over shared M&S treats and watching “Die Hard.” "This is adorable!" I thought. Sparks are flying, and heart emoji eyes aren’t far behind. But this is early on. What else is going to happen to fill out the rest of the book?

Well, there’s a lot that comes after the adorable start. Much of it is darker than I was expecting. Just when James is about ready to make his move (which both of them want), someone from Felicity’s past appears. Felicity also has a family past that turns out to be something you’d write to an Agony Aunt for advice about as well as something that would – and in Felicity’s case has – traumatized the way she views relationships and her own worth. Luckily Felicity seeks and appears to be in the process of being helped by therapy.

It’s not that I dislike the fact that the book ends up allowing Felicity to dig into her past, come to some terms with this, and understand why she thinks that she doesn’t deserve happiness and that there’s always something around the corner just waiting to wreck her joy. She has enough emotional skeletons in her closet that she needs time to deal with them. What ends up annoying and frustrating me is just how many times both Felicity and James get yo-yo’d back and forth. It’s mostly Felicity but James has someone, who jerks him around, too. Right when I think, they’ve finally got it worked out BAM! something else happens to derail the relationship and cast doubt on it. After a while, I thought “What the heck else is going to come along to disrupt things??” It got to be too much.

So yay for a chance to see that mental health therapy can work but damn, with the heroine’s toxic family/ex boyfriend relationships, this was not quite what I was expecting. B-

Book Review: The Night Before Christmas by Nicola Knight

The Night Before Christmas is an absolute gem of a festive romance that had me chuckling from the first page. Felicity Brooks, our protagonist, is refreshingly relatable with her strong aversion to Christmas. I found her disdain for the holiday both amusing and understandable, which made her character feel real and grounded.

The story takes a delightful turn when she meets James, a charming stranger dressed as a giant penguin, while working at an animal rescue center on Christmas Eve. Their initial banter and shared dislike for holiday cheer provided the perfect backdrop for their blossoming relationship. I loved how their connection deepened as they worked together to care for a sick kitten—talk about an adorable meet-cute!

As the plot unfolds, Felicity faces unexpected challenges, including the return of her ex-boyfriend, Adam, which adds a nice layer of tension. I appreciated how Felicity's journey led her back to her childhood home, where she uncovers family secrets that force her to reflect on her life choices. This exploration of her past added depth to the story and made me root for her growth.

The balance of humor and heartfelt moments kept me engaged throughout. Nicola Knight has crafted a festive read that perfectly captures the spirit of self-discovery amid holiday chaos. I was invested in Felicity's journey, and the ending left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Overall, The Night Before Christmas is a delightful and laugh-out-loud read that beautifully blends romance and festive cheer. If you're looking for a cozy escape this holiday season, I highly recommend curling up with this charming book!

This book follows Felicity Brooks, whose traumatic childhood has left her disillusioned with love and Christmas. Working at an animal rescue center, her life changes on Christmas Eve when James, dressed in a penguin suit, brings in a near-death kitten. This sparks an unexpected romantic journey. As Felicity bonds with James and faces the surprise return of her ex, Adam, she begins unraveling family secrets and confronting her past. The novel balances humor and emotional depth as Felicity learns to heal, discern her relationships, and embrace her worthiness of love and friendship.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for an advanced copy of The Night Before Christmas.

Felicity absolutely hates Christmas so she offers to work at the animal shelter so her coworker can enjoy Christmas. That night a man in a penguin costume named James arrives at the shelter with a cat he found on the side of the road in bad shape. She finds out he also hates Christmas. They both feel an instant connection and he ends up volunteering at the shelter and they spend more time together. Can they both help the other heal old Christmas wounds?

I could not get into this book or connect with the characters at all. The love story just seemed to lack any real spark between Felicity and James.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

I received a free copy of, The Night Before Christmas, by Nicola Knight, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Felicity Brooks despises Christmas, he music, decorations. all of it. One night she meets a man dressed up as a penguin, with a sick cat, at the animal rescue she works at. Could this be the year Christmas is not despised? This was a warm and cozy read.

A quick and easy read that I absolutely loved, for some reason in these cosy months I love reading spooky book and christmassy heartwarming ones and this didn't disappoint

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for this ARC.

Felicity Brooks hates Christmas since her Dad abandoned the family on Boxing Day when she was six and her Mum turned to alcohol. James hates Christmas since his fiancée abandoned him on Boxing Day. Their meet cute is a tiny kitten brought by James on Christmas Eve to the animal rescue centre Felicity works in. Sparks fly pretty much instantly, even though James wears a penguin costume. However, their progress is stalled by various exes and jealousy, plus serious trust and abandonment issues on Felicity's side.

I acknowledge that this is a debut novel but all that angst and jealousy was too much for me. Adam is a walking red flag, stalking Felicity and not taking no for an answer, but Felicity herself is a damaged doormat who can't face up to him for long, crumbling instantly once he collapses on her. I expected a cute, light-hearted, funny Christmas story but what I got were characters with serious issues who permanently stood in their own light.

I didn't even like Felicity's friends very much - Bex certainly does not follow the friend code and should be ashamed of herself, but Felicity also doesn't feel like a good friend to her for not trying to intervene.

Also, for a book that has Christmas in the title and a cute festive penguin on the cover, this isn't very Christmassy at all - for one because the main characters don't like Christmas but also because it doesn't actually cover very much of the Christmas period.

I liked the rescued animals (who wouldn't), but the whole story is so predictable, and I didn't find any of the characters very mature. James backs off after a talk with Adam, Felicity lets her Dad issues overshadow her whole life and both of them irrationally hate Christmas as if it's Christmas's fault that sometimes bad things happen during it. In the end Felicity only seems happy once she is loved by a man and I'm not really sure that's a great message to send.

Read if you like cats, men in penguin costumes and traumatic childhoods.

This debut novel is a solid win, possessing a range of emotions, humor, likable main characters, and charming animals. While the storyline has classic elements of the “I hate all things Christmas” trope, the setting in an animal rescue center and the penguin give it an original spin.

Felicity Brooks’ romantic life is haunted by her traumatic childhood – a father who abruptly walked out at Christmas when she was six and a negligent mother who liked alcohol more than her children. Her safe place is an animal rescue center where she can lavish her love on the animals and receive unconditional love in return. On Christmas Eve, Felicity is confronted by a dripping wet, life-size penguin (James in costume) carrying a tiny, near-death kitten. Setting aside her fears of this unknown man, she sets out with him to find the mother and launches an adventure in love she never saw coming.

I enjoyed Felicity’s journey toward healing and recognizing her worthiness in love and friendship. Her life is peppered with supportive people as well as those who take advantage of her for their own purposes. I appreciated how she began to develop discernment in her relationships as she gained insights from newly revealed secrets from her past. While the novel ends on a high note, there is much emotional turmoil before reaching the conclusion. Overall, I enjoyed the book wish the author well in her future writing endeavors.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.