You Make It Feel Like Christmas
by Toni Shiloh
Summary
Starr Lewis reluctantly returns home for the holidays jobless, single, and not at all prepared to be dragged into her sister’s wedding activities–or to witness her sister’s marriage to Starr’s ex-boyfriend on Christmas Eve. But when her brother’s charming best friend, Waylon Emmerson, attends their family Thanksgiving, Starr begins to believe that maybe coming home isn’t so bad.
As Starr endures wedding preparations, she takes comfort in Waylon’s presence and finds the perfect distraction in helping him keep his late mother’s Christmas shop afloat. As the spark between them grows, Starr must decide what she wants out of life–to go back to New York City or to stay and pursue a new dream.
My Review
This was a very quick, festive, and fluffy Christmas romance novella. I listened to the audiobook. While I enjoyed the narrator, she needs to work on the voices she uses for men. They all sounded the same, and at times, her delivery almost felt mocking of men, and it turned me off.
This is a very sweet, cute Christmas Hallmark-esque romcom. Typically, I enjoy these types of stories, especially during the holiday season, but this story was almost too much, even for me. At times, it was extremely cheesy and almost too charming, if that’s possible. I didn’t feel like there was too much depth to the characters. Some of the side characters felt very immature and shallow. But I did really enjoy the family dynamics and experiencing the holidays with such a large family. All families have some dysfunction, and this one was no different, but it was entertaining to be with them throughout the story. At the end of the day, they were always there for each other.
This was my first brother’s best friend romance trope. Even though it was very insta-love, which is a huge turnoff for me, it was tolerable and the main couple was very likable. I was rooting for them the entire time. I just wish the book were a bit longer so we could see the buildup and tension of their budding relationship. I prefer to read about the pining and wooing during the beginning stages of a new romance. It’s an extremely predictable romcom, but it was still enjoyable to listen to. I usually prefer light-hearted, sweet, and heartwarming romance stories around Christmas. So I’m glad I added this novella at the last minute to my December holiday reads. This will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit, and there is quite a bit of festive holiday cheer and Christmas vibes throughout it.
This is a Christian romance fiction book, and it was pretty heavy on the faith. It was almost too much for me (since I’m new to Christian fiction), but I did appreciate it. There was quite a bit of talk about praying and God. Once I got used to it, it was fine.
This was my first Toni Shiloh book, and now I’m ready to read more by her. Definitely recommend!