I received an ARC copy of this book through Netgalley which I am very grateful for. I mean what is not to love romance, Christmas and rescue dogs, sign me up. This cute little romance has me all fired up for Christmas now. I feel like the characters are super relatable and who doesn't love a kind, sassy, matchmaking grandma. This is a short read which is a perfect palate cleanser between two heavier reads (I read mainly fantasy but do enjoy a short romance or thriller in between to just lighten the mood). If Hallmark movies were a book it would be this one, I highly recommend it for the Christmas season.

This Christmas was a cute holiday romance that featured two people, Sammi and Keagan, who had been out on one date which lead to some intense feelings that Keagan could not handle, so she ran away from their makeout session. Sammi never understood why. Keagan then promptly started dating someone else.

The story revolves around Sammi’s grandmother, Mia, playing matchmaker to try and get Sammi and Keagan together via the kennel where they volunteer.

Some things that I enjoyed the book included the dogs and the volunteer activities that Sammi and Keagan did as “ queen and queen” of the kennel. I never really did understand the “big, intense” feelings though that caused Keagan to originally run. That plot point seemed weak. The spice factor in this story is also on the low side. 3.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and BetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Really solid holiday romance with second chance trope. It's light and rather quick read, great for the upcoming holiday weekends. Georgia Beers can write an entertaining romance. There are dogs, holiday and winter activities, and pining. The book is very mild on the spice scale.

The romance itself with forced proximity was worth 4 stars but I didn't really care about the grandmother. To be more exact, I didn't like the feeling I got that the novel was as much or even more about Grams than it was about Keegan and Samantha.

In romcoms it's usual to have meddling friends or relatives. It can be annoying or something positive that pushes the story forwards. In This Christmas, it was the latter, and it worked - but I didn't like that Grams had her own POV sections. It misguided the attention from the main couple and took time and space from knowing them better. I think having the 3rd POV can go both ways depending on the reader.

This story has just about every ingredient for a perfect hallmark-style holiday in book form - the holiday season, adorable adoptable animals, meddling family members, and a second-chance romance between the two main characters.

The story is told in alternating perspectives of both main characters, as well as one of their grandmothers, which provided interesting and unique perspectives on the events in the novel. Sammi, and Keegan were both realistic and relatable, and I want to be like sammi’s grandmother when I grow up!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this lovely spicy christmas book

this book has all the elements in a christmas book that you could want.... dogs and cats that need rehoming and a bit of match making from a grandparent to pave the way for love.....

when the organisers of a cats and dogs home have some of their funding go they have to come up with ideas to raise money to keep the animals fed in their care....and a king and queen idea was formed...only this year its a queen and queen pageant..... what could go wrong...or right

its a fun read with the added elements of christmas. animals and a bit of spice...

This Christmas was a sweet holiday romance with a lot of cute dogs, a meddling grandma, a Christmas campaign…and some agonizing “I can’t share my big love feelings!!!!” from one of the MC’s.
The characters were very human and tangible, and I loved getting to see the perspectives of not only both love interests but also the grandma. That was so endearing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for approving my request to read an arc of this book.

This Christmas sounded so idyllic and wholesome, a perfect cozy Christmas romance to read in the lead up to the holidays. The book follows Keegan, Sammi and Sammi’s grandmother, Mia, as they try to raise money to keep their favourite no kill animal shelter up and running. Mia is a matchmaker and wants to set the two women up as she believes they’re perfect for each other.
I enjoyed reading most parts of this book, however I did have a few instances that bothered me when reading. I found a lot of repetitive dialogue throughout the book, but what I’d like to highlight the most was a series of ableist micro aggressions. I will bring these up with the publishers and hopefully these can be altered to less offensive words.
All in all I give this book a 3.5 rating. I enjoyed parts, but I never felt fully comfortable through the reading period.