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

This was a quick, fun book. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Julianna Keyes for this eARC!

This novella was a quick, easy read that will get you into the Christmas spirit! It's a forced-proximity and "enemies"-to-lovers story set in a cute, remote Christmas village. Our two jaded "city dweller" main characters are sent there by their editor to write a heartwarming holiday piece, and end up learning the true meaning of Christmas! This novella delivers all the Hallmark movie feels, along with witty banter (the way to my heart).

A very festive story that reads exactly like Hallmark Christmas film. It’s just the right thing to get you in the Christmas spirit. Best enjoyed with a mug of hot chocolate and a snack.

I really liked this book, the first 25-35% of it felt decently slow and slightly confusing isn't necessarily the right word but I wasn't fully following what was happening but once it hit the 40-45% mark it went by so fast and really hooked me

this was such a short and sweet holiday romance! rivals to lovers is one of my favorites and this one was done so well! I loved seeing these two get closer and closer and realize how much they love each other. such a fun, closed door read perfect for this time of year!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Julianna Keyes is a delightful holiday novella that brings all the festive vibes. The story follows Eve and Will, two rival travel writers sent on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday assignment to the charming town of Noelville. Their mission? To set aside their mutual disdain, embrace the holiday spirit, and write the most heartfelt, sappy Christmas story in hopes of winning a promotion.

They both know the script: a cynical city person travels to a small town, helps save Christmas, and inevitably falls in love with an attractive local. But what happens when two cynical city folk arrive and have to save Christmas together? The result is a fun, heartwarming tale filled with humour, holiday cheer, and a sprinkle of romance.

This novella is the perfect festive read, ideal for getting into the holiday spirit. It’s light, entertaining, and brimming with Hallmark-esque charm. If you love wholesome Christmas stories with a touch of wit, this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an e-book ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**ARC REVIEW**

I love a little Christmas Novella! This was a super fast read, but it still gave insight to the characters Eve and Will. Eve and Will are in competition for the senior writer position at a travel magazine. They find out they're both send on the same assignment in Noelville, Vermont and while they're there they both reunite with people from their past.

The romance is cute and innocent - no spice, very tame (as in even no swearing), but it was a fun quick read to get me into the spirit of Christmas <3

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in return for my honest feedback!

Sure, here's a reworded version of the review:

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This Christmas-themed romance offers a delightful way to spend a few hours getting to know Eve and Will, two writers who are unexpectedly paired up to craft a holiday story.

However, there's a twist: the two of them are fierce rivals and can hardly stand one another. To make matters worse, neither is particularly fond of Christmas. So, when they find themselves in the heart of Noelville, a town fully immersed in every over-the-top holiday tradition imaginable, their frustration only deepens. Still, they're stuck together and must make the best of it if they want to complete their assignment. Gradually, both their attitudes toward each other—and the season itself—begin to evolve.

This is a light, clean romance with a touch of comedy, thanks to its witty dialogue. It’s a quick, feel-good read that’s both charming and enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you Net Galley and Victory Editing for letting me read this book later on after publishing!

I’m really glad I found this book. It was a perfect shorter read to cuddle into before bed, or in the morning with coffee. It made me feel extremely nostalgic, with Noelville eliciting visual memories of the North Pole in The Santa Clause with Tim Allen. It also gave Polar Express feelings.
This was a very easy slip into enemies to lovers holiday romance. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters, and how they would try to pen down the right Christmas article but couldn’t get into the spirit. I also enjoyed how they each had their “lost flame” sort of character in the town that drew their attention and made them realize maybe they were destined for someone else. I liked how the boss came to town and they realized it had perhaps been a setup. It was truly short and sweet! I recommend.

Eve Sherwood and Will Fowler are two reporters who are thrown together to write a story on "Noelville" a special one-week Christmas experience. Neither of them particularly like Christmas or each other and when they are put into cabins next door to each other they expect sparks to fly. Both try to outdo each other but it seems to only bring them closer.

This book reminded me of a Christmas Hallmark movie. It was very cute and cliche. It is only 122 pages long so perfect for anyone who is looking for a short holiday rom-com read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julianna Keyes’ It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas delivers a festive treat packed with witty banter, a touch of romance, and just the kind of lighthearted story I needed this Christmas season. Coming in at under 4.5 hours, this quick read is everything I want in a Hallmark-style romance—only smarter, funnier, and delightfully snarky.

Eve and Will, two travel writers competing for a promotion, are reluctantly sent to Noelville—a charming, train-access-only Christmas town where it’s always December 25th. Neither of them believes in Christmas magic, but their rivalry and slow-burn connection make for an irresistible read. From cookie-decorating chaos to sledding-induced grins, their journey is packed with heartwarming and hilarious moments.

Eve’s transient childhood and her jaded outlook on the holidays resonated with me, while Will’s dry humour and hidden vulnerability added depth to his character. Their “penemies” dynamic kept me laughing, and the inclusion of their travel articles at the end was a delightful touch.

This book flips the classic holiday romance trope, giving us two cynical protagonists who discover love and connection in the most unexpected place. If you’re looking for a lighthearted, romantic escape this Christmas season, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas is a perfect pick.

Eve and Will are rival travel writers… “penemies”. They have been sent by their editor, unbeknownst to one another, to Noelville, VT where Christmas is as Christmasy as it can get. During their stay they are supposed to write a travel piece about the magic of Noelville- however neither of them are prepared for the Christmas gift they’ll get this year. As they both take in all the village has to offer- nutcracker museum, cookie decorating, snowshoeing, sledding, and decorating- their icy-sarcastic banter begins to fall victim to Christmas cheer and one another’s company.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

If you’re looking for a quick and sweet Hallmarky movie in a book, this is the one for you! Thank you @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy pub date was 12/1/24

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This book was cute and seemed so promising in the beginning, but i ended up feeling very bored throughout most of it. This book is very light/fluffy and i would have loved to see more banter/tension considering this is an enemies to lovers book. However, if you want a cute, clean, enemies to lovers story where the characters live in a small town and are both cynical about christmas - this is absolutely the book for you!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the arc!

This was a cute, easy read. You can sit down for an hour sitting and read this short book. It was a fun way to kick off the holiday reading. The characters banter was funny and witty. I must say though, that I just wanted them to kiss and get to it ALOT faster than they finally did. Cute book for some quick Christmas spirit. Thank you Net Galley for this e- ARC.

I love the way this book turns grumpy, Christmas hating people into happy, merry in Christmas spirit kind of people. This book had me thinking that they would rekindle old flames, while actually hoping they would get together in the end. I was so happy to see they did! It was a perfect little Christmas novella. The banter between the two made it even better!!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas is Julianna Keyes’ latest humorous Christmas romantic novella. It’s a workplace enemies-to-lovers forced proximity rom-com set in fictional Noelville. This closed-door romance is like a Hallmark movie with snark.
26-year-old Eve Sherwood is determined to get a promotion to Senior Writer at her online travel magazine. She has written pieces for small towns in the United States but she yearns to visit exotic far-off locales. She is disappointed when her editor, Blanca, sends her to tiny Noelville for their week-long Christmas experience. Eve dislikes the commercialism of Christmas and dreads the trip. She is astonished to discover that her traveling companion isn’t Blanca; instead it’s her work nemesis, Will Fowler.
Will Fowler doesn’t have any Christmas spirit and is perplexed over his editor, Blanca, partnered him with annoying Eve Sherwood for the Noelville assignment. They have very different personalities and writing styles, so he doesn’t understand how they will get along over the next week. He is dismayed to discover that they will be staying in adjacent cabins.
Eve and Will quickly understand that whoever writes the best sappy holiday story will get the promotion to Senior Writer. They suspect Blanca of matchmaking but can’t figure out how certain coincidences in Noelville occur. Both Eve and Will fall under the spell of Noelville’s magic and find themselves helping the town solve a crisis.
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas is a hilarious story that will be enjoyed by both fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and people, such as myself, who abhor them. The descriptions of the scenery and activities are so vivid that it’s easy for the reader to picture everything. The plotline is similar to a Hallmark movie, but the snarky dialogue is what makes this story simultaneously hilarious and engaging. The romance is closed-door and there’s no profanity, so the story can be enjoyed by romance readers of all ages.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was the cutest, sweetest, fast read. I loved everything about it.

This book got all the holiday tropes that you need to enjoy it in a true holiday way. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Short, sweet, and delightfully Christmas-y. Two rival travel writers and certified bah humbugs are sent away to magical (and super cheesy) Noelville is what is a classic rivals-to-lovers setup. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, and it was a perfect read to get in the spirit – though it did make me really want all the holiday sweets.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Julianna Keyes for the opportunity to read this ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
4/5 stars

Will and Eve, two rival writers from the travel blog Live Laugh Travel, find themselves competing for the same promotion by being sent to the charming Noelville. Task: write about the magic of Christmas. If only they didn't loathe the holidays and each other...

The novella was a really pleasant read, going down easily like a glass of bubbly champagne. The story has all the cliches of a Christmas romcom, with plenty of winking to the reader to let us know that the characters know that too. The banter between the two main characters kept things sparkly and avoided falling into sappy territory. I also appreciated the fast pace, avoiding big conflicts between the two characters (it wasn't needed considering that they were starting as enemies), and the narration that kept things snappy and didn't let the Christmas magic overstay its welcome. All in all, a very pleasant read! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a Christmassy story with plenty of sarcasm and witty conversation.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.