Loved the characters as well as the upstate NY and shelter settings. The point of view of Sammi's grandmother Mia seemed a little out of place when the story was about Sammi and Keegan, but maybe the author had to condense the plot line. I overall enjoyed the story and the main characters; definitely a good one to read as it gets cold outside and close to the holidays. Also, there are shelter doggies!!!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc

A cutesy Christmas cosy read. I enjoyed this one and would recommend if you’re after a light easy to read Christmassy romance

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC.

I always like a friends to lovers, forced proximity trope. Forced proximity is one of my favourites and friends to lovers can be amazing. I enjoyed both Keegan & Sammi, however, something felt distant about their friendship in general. The vibes and chemistry were not there. I understand there was a reason in the prologue for the "falling out" but the relationship was awkward and I couldn't get behind it until the very end. There isn't enough background on their friendship for me to really appreciate their friends to lovers romance.

The entire first half of the book, I wasn't a huge fan of Keegan due to the prologue because she never explained herself. Sammie seemed mature and understood her emotions and it felt like Keegan and her were polar opposites. Toward the end, Keegan does become more relatable but I feel this should be explained earlier on to make her character more valued.

I did enjoy all the characters in general though and the heartwarming messages within the book. I loved how supportive the families were and that this book showcased a shelter. Shelters are especially issues near the holidays (I own 5 fur babies), and I love that this was in the book. I did enjoy the entire ending too, it made me smile and I felt the romance at the end.

Overall, it was a cute read and I did enjoy it.

4.5 Stars

This was a very enjoyable, cozy holiday romance. This Christmas follows Sam and Keegan, friends that attempted a date a year previously, but the moment was too big for Keegan, and she ran. A year later, they are still friends. However, Sam's grandmother, Mia, ever the matchmaker sees an opportunity to reunite the friends through the local animal shelters holiday fundraiser event. Sam and Keegan are powerless against adorable puppies, and holiday cheer as they reconnect.

I love Hallmark holiday romcoms. I know they are the cheesiest movies ever and many are poorly acted and absolutely ridiculous, but I love the happy warm feelings that they invoke. And This Christmas has all the same feelings. As I was describing this book to a friend, they remarked it sounds just like a Hallmark Movie. I liked Sam and Keegan and the adorable dogs. I had not read the Puppy Love Romance series, which this book takes us back to Junebug Farms. I definitely will be reading them soon, but I imagine it will be nice to see those characters again but having not read them, did not affect my reading at all.

All in all, I really love this book. It will join my favorite holiday reads at the end of the year. The only thing that keeps it from a full 5 stars is that while I enjoyed Mai's POV sections, I wished there were more with Sam and Keegan. I would recommend this for fans of of lighthearted holiday romances.

A somewhat typical formula of Christmas story, we have two idiots MCs hopelessly in love with each other but too chickenshit to move forward, couples with adorable fur babies along with feisty matchmaking granny. I said typical but doesn't mean I enjoyed any less. It's a sweet and low angst story with Christmas theme, and hey sometimes you just want to read something like that. This is a perfect book to read in winter times with hot chocolate and cuddles from your fur babies.

🎄🎄🎄/5

Thank you for the ARC! My whole heartedly response is…It was.. okay. It wasn’t a bad read at all, good for the holiday time but this might not be my #1 pick out of all the holiday choices this year.

Why? Maybe it’s my personal take but I wasn’t super into the grandma POV and what not. I knew it was part of the story but it felt a bit too much for me. I think that made it hard for me to be all about their relationship.

It's so nice to visit Junebug Farms again.
But be careful. As soon as you see one of the cute animals and maybe play with them for a bit or just pet them, you'll fall in love! Guaranteed!
Lots of super cute doggos and we meet a few old acquaintances again.
Sammi and Keegan are friends and have a crush on each other .
It all starts off so promisingly, but the story would be told after the first page if it didn't get complicated.
At least that's how it is for Keegan when she breaks away from Sammi's actually wonderful embrace.
Sammi is confused and disappointed when Keegan simply withdraws with an apology after a great evening and incredible kisses and plays the friendzone card.
This is how it goes for the two of them and their story starts eleven months later.
They don't talk about it anymore and both just go on with their lives and occasionally see each other as friends. Friends who are hurt and disappointed and a little jealous when the other is dating someone else…
It's good that there is a wonderful grandmother who makes sure that the two of them get a little help in finding the right path again.
The path to each other.
It's wonderful Christmassy and often sweet and heartwarming!
Everything a beautiful Christmas romance should have. With a happy ending, of course!
Thanks to Georgia Beers, Bold Strokes Books for this ARC!

I really liked the premise of this book, friends to lovers forced to spend time together sounded really cute. But unfortunately, something about the relationship between Sammi and Keegan just didn't work for me. I wasn't really feeling their chemistry and their "friendship" seemed weird and distant. From the description I was thinking they were friends from childhood or best friends for a long time. Instead, they are friends for only a few years and hangout sporadically, have their embarrassing incident, and then text with an occasional hangout into the present time. It just didn't really give me the vibe of mutual longtime pining, angst, and chemistry that I typically prefer in a friends to lovers trope. Also, I didn't really like Keegan's actions in the beginning. She pulls away from Samantha during the prologue scene, and doesn't explain herself at all, just says, "I can't." Then, she proceeds to hardcore friend-zone Sammi and dates someone else out of the blue. She also knows that Sammi is jealous, and it doesn't seem to matter to her much. I didn't get any sense of longing or regret on Keegan's part for the first half of the book. There is a lot that is told and not shown in this book regarding their "friendship", and I think it really detracted from the romance for me. It made it difficult to care about the characters and whether or not they ended up together.

Despite these issues, however, there were still some great things about this book. I really enjoyed how supportive both of their families were, and the fundraiser scenes were still pretty cute. My favorite part of the book was Beckett, and I'm very glad he and Sammi had a happy ending.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite Georgia Beers. I think it's a cute holiday romance but despite the description didn't quite feel like a true friends to lovers trope to me. 3.2/5 stars.

A classic love story by Georgia Beers. This has all the qualities of every Beers novel. I enjoyed this light read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

I could not put this book down! I truly love the way Georgia Beers writes—her style is always cozy and charming. Keegan and Sammi are perfect for each other, and I love how relatable their story is to anyone who has crushed on their best friend. It was also so special to have a reappearance of Junebug Farms. That series is one of my absolute favorites from Georgia Beers. Everyone loves the way dogs bring people together! It’s very cute the way Junebug Farms is like one big happy family, and the way the story unfolds makes the reader feel like they’re part of this family. I wish this was longer or at least wish a second part was coming! Thank you for the perfect holiday book. I highly recommend it to all of my friends and family.

I liked the set up of the novel. It’s a combination of friends to lovers while incorporating insecurities and heartbreak with Christmas.

The two main characters work off each other well but there are times the book drags even in a shorter book.

Where the story really drags is the POV of the Grandmother. Those parts of the books are unnecessary and takes away from getting to know the main characters.

It’s closer to 3.5 stars but I rounded up for Christmas.

Thanks to NetGallery and the Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For the most part I enjoyed this story, it certainly wasn’t a straight forward romance. Plenty of cute dogs, returned characters from previous books and lots of Christmas atmosphere to get you in the holiday mode. Perhaps the thing that irked me most was the incident that the whole story is based on. I just didn’t feel that it was believable, in the sense that, a conversation would have cleared everything up or why Keegan was feeling how she did in the first place. There wasn’t enough background for the behaviour to be explained fully. Keegan blew so hot and cold I am not sure I warmed to her.

Mia almost felt like the main character for this story, not Sammi and Keegan, I certainly enjoyed her input but it at times felt like two very different stories happening. It was enjoyable but I guess I wanted more of the main love story. It’s a three and half story for me.

2.5⭐️

No me gustó.

Al principio pensaba que Sam merecía algo mejor después de lo ocurrido en el prólogo, y aunque la alejó, la seguía como una tonta. Sin embargo, al ver cómo hablaba de Jules, la novia de Keegan, me cayó mal, porque al final ambas se merecen la una a la otra. La que sí se salvó fue Jules.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a swoon worthy seasonal romance. It has such a Hallmark vibe to it! The characters were quite relatable. The Sweet dogs were a great additive to the story. Sammi's grandmother was an absolute treat of a character. Her personality was the best. I love the second chance trope and how it was presented. It gets you into the feels of the holiday season. It feels like you should be cozying down with some hot chocolate. This book will definitely put a smile on this your face!

I received this book as and arc read from NetGalley

This book is perfect for the holidays. I love a good romance book that involves that helps get you in the spirit. The shelter dogs is the perfect added bonus. It makes you want to go volunteer at the local shelter or maybe even bring home a new furry friend! Great read. 10/10, I recommend!

This Christmas by Georgia Beers is a heartwarming holiday romance that perfectly captures the spirit of the season. With its adorable characters and festive setting, this book feels like a cozy Hallmark movie brought to life.

As always, Beers' writing is both charming and engaging, creating a world that's easy to get lost in. If you're looking for a feel-good romance to curl up with this holiday season, this is the one.

The book is gave me a lot of Christmas feelings which is a good thing and thus I rate this book rather high. The whole addition of cute dogs did not hurt either. A nice easy read with a very low spice level, fade to black level even when they finally hook up 90% into the book.

However, I got a bit frustrated about the extreme slow burn and how Keegan behaved until the very 10% remained of the book. Unbelievable that Sammi just accepted it for so long. I also did not love the sudden grandmother POV, absolutely no need for that.

Straight out of the sapphic Hallmark Christmas bag, this one hits all the festive feels! Rescue dogs, meddling grandmas, Christmas, and love is such a heartwarming combo, and this book delivers on every front. It’s predictable but in the best way, like the comfort of your favourite Christmas movie.
The rescue dogs and Christmas miracles will leave you smiling—what more could you want for the holiday season?

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.