This book!! Wow, it is such a cozy, feel-good read. It’s about Juliet Frost, who’s finally on the verge of landing her dream job when her life is thrown into chaos by a mysterious chest left to her by her late grandmother.

Inside the chest, she finds clues about her family’s hidden past, which eventually lead her to Yule ( which is beautiful & magical Christmas village in the North Pole). Oh, and did I mention there’s Will? He’s her one-night stand who somehow keeps popping up and clearly knows way more about her than he should.

Let’s talk about Yule—because wow. It’s everything you’d want in a Christmas village. Snowy mountains, reindeer, sledding, a snowman-building contest. I could practically feel the chill and hear the bells. Honestly, I’d move there if I could. The whole vibe of the book was magical and nostalgic, like stepping into an adult fairy tale.

Juliet and Will’s romance was… interesting. Their chemistry was undeniable, and some of their moments together were super sweet (and steamy), but it all happened so fast. One minute, they’re strangers; the next, they’re inseparable. I just wanted to see more of the small, quiet moments that make a romance feel real.

As much as I loved the cozy Christmas feelings… ☃️🎄 I just found the family secrets unraveling, the pacing was a little off. Some parts felt rushed, and a few big moments could’ve used more buildup. That said, the themes of belonging and finding your place hit hard, and the supporting characters (especially Juliet’s hilarious roommate Margot!!) added so much charm.

This book is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a snowy night. It’s got magic, mystery, romance, and just enough drama to keep you turning the pages. Perfect for anyone who loves holiday stories with a touch of fantasy and plenty of heart. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book.


Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Callaghan and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).

Tropes:
Holiday Romance
One Night Stand
Winter Wonderland
Bodyguard x Editor
Family Secrets
Forced Proximity

This was such a cute Christmas story! The story was completely heartwarming with just the right amount of spice!

Although Juliet & Will's story seemed insta-love, their connection was genuine

This is a wonderful read for any time of the year but especially for the Christmas break.

Plenty of humour, romance. Christmas cheer and Fantasy adding to the mix.

The characters are well developed and there is certainly no rush into the romance.

Tis The Season of Secrets is the second book in the interconnected series, Village of Yule. While Juliet and Will's story can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, you should probably read the first one to avoid spoilers. (I did not read the first one, but thoroughly enjoyed this by itself!)
After being gifted an old family chest, aspiring editor Juliet Frost stumbles upon closely guarded family secrets… and her tranquil holiday season transforms into a whimsical circus of revelations. Quite literally, I might add. She finds out that she is the outcome of a love affair (talk about a big YIKES!!!!!!) & that she has a connection to a Christmas Village called Yule.

This book is the PERFECT holiday romance to read by the fire/Christmas tree lights & makes you yearn for December to be longer than it is. At least for me it did. I loved the characters and how instant Juliet and Will connected. I love a good insta-love, so this also added to the perfection of the book as well!!

Tropes included:
One Night Stand
Winter Wonderland
Family Secrets
Forced Proximity
Holiday Romance

Literally love ALL of these so much! Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Another cute trip to Yule. I’m not sure the nasty characters were needed or really brought anything to the table (Frosts) and it may have been a better story without the nastiness. But it worked out ok in the end. No complaints on the spicy scenes, not a cringe in sight. Just wish the banishment story could have been fleshed out a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! This was a fun holiday read. This was a cute festive book with spice and romance!

This was such a cute story. I wasn’t sure it was going to be something I liked but I really enjoyed it. It helped me also get into the holiday spirit. The only major down fall is I wanted to know what happened to her best friend and the guy perusing her. Otherwise it was a cute love story for the holidays.

Got about half way through and just gave up. The pacing of the book was just off. A lot felt very rushed and details were just glossed over.

A holiday romance set in a magical Christmas village called Yule. Juliet and Will had an instant attraction and great chemistry. I enjoyed the found family aspect also. A cozy and cute read.

I received a copy from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Juliet Frost has never felt like she belonged, and this Christmas, she will discover why. Her one-night stand, Will, seems to know too much about her and continues to find opportunities to run into her. Is it really just a coincidence that the two met the same night a messenger delivered a mysterious chest from Juliet's deceased grandmother? When Juliet accidentally teleports herself and Will to Yule, a secret Christmas village in the North Pole, everything comes to a head. What has Will been hiding and why? As Juliet discovers much more of her family history than she ever thought possible, she also learns one night with Will won't be enough.

This was a cozy Christmas romance with the right amount of fantasy and spice to make it a really fun read! I enjoyed learning about the world of Yule and following the mystery of Juliet's heritage. I always enjoy a fresh take on the Santa/Christmas magic storyline and the author certainly delivered. I wish I could visit Yule in real life because it sounds fantastic. Juliet and Will's romance starts off steamy and doesn't slow down. I loved these two together. This is a great book to add to your Christmas reads this season.

Tis The Season For Secrets is the second in the series. Juliet and Will meet one night and have a “romantic fling” only Juliet finds out the next day, Will is her father’s guest for the Holidays. To make matters more complicated Will is a Guardian of Yule and Juliet is a banished citizen, from a land she just found out existed. Uncover the secrets of the Frost family to find out if Juliet and Will have a chance together.

If you love feeling like you are reading a Hallmark movie and want to get in the Christmas spirit, I highly recommend this series. I enjoyed the magical elements, the romance, the Village of Yule and especially the HEA of each.

This was such a cute holiday read. I love that we got to see more of Lyla and Mason and also read about a new story in Yule. I loved Juliet and Will's story. I do wish the ending was not as rushed and we got more time for Eloise and Juliet, but I am also hoping we get a third book maybe focused on Kevin?!

Super cute read for the holidays!

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.


I had higher hopes for Tis the Season for Secrets, returning to the quaint village of Yule, BUT it left me feeling underwhelmed. When reading the first book, I didn’t have many expectations but was pleasantly surprised with the delivery.

The premise follows Juliet Frost, who receives a mysterious chest shortly after her 26th birthday. She soon discovers that she comes from a long line of Frosts who were banished for trying to expose the hidden world of Yule. Her guardian, Will, becomes romantically involved with her as the story unfolds.

While I appreciate the premise, several plot points feel underdeveloped or unresolved. For example:

Juliet’s Mother and Abandonment: The reason why Juliet’s mother abandoned her remains unclear. Why couldn't she just keep her? This feels like a missed opportunity to explore Juliet’s backstory and emotional depth.
Juliet’s Relationship with Her Father and Grandfather: The hostility from her father and grandfather is referenced but never fully explained. Her father remarries and becomes wealthy, yet Juliet’s existence is treated like a shameful secret. It’s never explored deeply, leaving the reader to wonder about the family dynamics.
The Chest and the Banishing Threat: Juliet’s father threatens to expose her for possessing the chest, which could get her banished from Yule. However, after returning the chest, this threat is never mentioned again, leaving a glaring plot hole.
Abrupt Ending: The ending feels rushed. Juliet decides to change her last name to “Heart” (her mother’s name), and the story concludes with a brief, unremarkable Guardian party. The resolution was too quick and didn’t offer a satisfying conclusion to the tensions built up throughout the story.

As for the tropes:

Winter Wonderland: I’m not sure how this applies here—there wasn't enough focus on a magical, wintery setting to make this a prominent trope.
Family Secrets: While this is mentioned, it’s poorly explained and doesn’t feel like it adds depth to the story.
Forced Proximity: This trope is hardly present. The relationship between Juliet and Will lacks the tension or circumstances typically found in forced proximity stories.
Holiday Romance: The "holiday" aspect feels disconnected from the plot and doesn’t play a significant role in the development of the romance.
Bodyguard X Editor: Will is technically Juliet’s guardian, not a bodyguard, and Juliet’s career as an editor is mentioned in the first few chapters and then forgotten. The plot doesn’t really explore their professional relationship in a meaningful way.
The romance itself is spicier than in the first book, but it still feels generic and doesn’t bring anything new to their relationship. Overall, Tis the Season for Secrets didn't live up to my expectations, and while it has potential, many of the plot elements and tropes feel underdeveloped or forced.

Rating: (2/5 stars)

Tropes & Themes
One Night Stand
Winter Wonderland
Family Secrets
Forced Proximity
Holiday Romance
These were the buzzwords that pulled me in.
However, reading a good chunk of it, long enough in length for me to mark it as read, I retained nothing but the cliche cringy try hard holiday names. the writing needs some serious enlightenment where the author tries to write to appeal to emotions and less analytically.

Overall I liked this book! It was cute and was a pretty quick read. I liked the chemistry between the main characters and the back story of the FMC. I did not read the first book in this series, so I did not have that point of reference for the setting and some of the other characters.

The one issue that I have with the book is that Juliet is supposed to live in New York but her dialogue includes a number of phrases that I would consider British. There is not really any explanation as to why she has that lingo, but it is distracting at times. I can see if from Will as a byproduct of growing up in Yule, but for Juliet it doesn't seem to fit her character and her back story.

This was the most perfect Christmas book! I loved it so so so much. I had been hearing about this book everywhere, and finally picked it up and loved every single second!

This was such a lovely continuation of the Village of Yule story. I loved that the Klauses were featured again. Will is super swoony and I really loved his character. Juliet's character was also great. Once I got fully invested in the story it was difficult for me to put it down. It was simply lovely. I did not need to reread the first book to get right back into this story. I did forget the magic dust that gets distributed instead of gifts and I always loved that part of this series. I am hoping we will get to return to this lovely town and Christmas series again!

This was my first visit to the town of Yule and I loved it. Thankfully not having read the first book wasn’t a problem. I loved the combination of holiday cheer, mystery, magic and romance. Looking forward to future trips to Yule

4⭐
0.5 🌶️
Tropes: Holiday romance, found family (ish), forbidden romance, one night stand, forced proximity, Christmas magic
Dual POV 1st person

Tis the Season for Secrets is the second book in the Village of Yule series. It’s technically a standalone, and the author includes info from the previous book at the beginning of this one to explain a little bit about how the town works. Personally though I think it would be helpful to read the first book before this one. I didn’t and while I was still able to follow the story, I think there was a lot of world building from the first book that would’ve been helpful to know for this one. It’s not a huge issue, though, and doesn’t take away from my enjoyment.
That said, I liked this a lot. It’s kinda like a cheesy Hallmark movie in book form, and this is the first time I’ve read a book like this. There’s a lot of heavy Christmas “lore” in the world building, so it was a unique and fun experience. There were several times that Juliet’s reaction to things were confusing and not logical (to the point that I found it frustrating) but this is essentially fantasy romance so I guess it’s par for the course.
However, I do wish Juliet had a bigger backbone, and while the story did get the point about shitty families, I think it took her too long to get there. I also wish there had been more from Will’s perspective. The majority of the story was from Juliet’s POV.

2.5/5 stars

eARC provided by NetGalley

I had a lot of high hopes for this book. The description made me think that this book was going to be more developed then the first one! It was also going to go more into the part of the first book that I liked which was the world building. Unfortunately this story did not really explain anything more about Yule. I was left with a lot of questions after finishing this book. I feel like the reasoning for a lot of things was just "that is how it is". Which I did not like at all. The romance was better developed and made more sense in this book then it did in the first one. It was very insta-obsessed/lust. Which is fine and their development was good. My biggest issues was the story felt pretty repetitive with "I can not do that again" and then she would do it again. The pacing was also very off in this story. The beginning was really fast having to do with her trying to get a promotion. Then all the sudden we left that behind and brough it up one more time at the end. When it was such a big thing at the beginning. Seeing the characters from the first book some how was my favorite part. They were much better developed in this book. Something that also very much annoyed me in this book was for most of it they kept saying to the MFC "I can not tell you. You have to figure it out on your own/from the chest." Why, like that made no sense to me cause if we would have actually told her what was going on and why they were doing things the way they were we could have avoid so much of the unnecessary slow parts in the story. A lot of things just felt out of place and the amount of times she would go out on her own without a coat in the goddamn north pole drove me crazy. This one I would recommend to someone who wants a quick Christmas read but does not care about world building or getting answer. If you are just here for the romance this one was better so if that's what you are looking for this is a quick Christmas read.