Title: Home for Christmas (Christmas Romantic Comedy, #3)
Author: Camilla Isley
Genre: Holiday, Romance
Published On: February 22, 2022
Publisher: Pink Bloom Press
Source: digital
Pages: 259
Synopsis:
Would you share a bed with your enemy to save Christmas?
Down with a bad case of writer’s block, Riven has escaped to a mountain cabin for a prolonged writing retreat. The last thing he needs this Christmas is for his family to invade his sanctuary away from LA. What he needs even less is for a family of strangers as large and boisterous as his own to also be stuck in the same house after a double-booking disaster.
Especially when he ends up having to share a bunk bed with Wendy—a gorgeous, feisty New Yorker who quickly learns how to get under his skin.
Sharing a room with her is sweet torture and Riven isn’t even sure what he dreads more: that every passing day brings them closer to saying goodbye or that they have yet another night to spend together…
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
I don’t typically read holiday stories after Christmas, but I’ll make an exception for a Camilla Isley one. I kicked off the holiday 2021 season with Fool Me Twice at Christmas which I absolutely loved, and then immediately picked up A Christmas Caroline, and adored it, as well. So when I was invited to read Home for Christmas, I wasn’t about to pass it up.
While I didn’t quite love this one as much as the previous two, I still had so much fun reading it. I also love that these are quick reads, perfect for one-sitting if you’re a fast reader, which I am not.
Just hearing the premise for this one had me all kinds of excited: a double booking at an Airbnb-type place forces two families to combine their holiday festivities! It might sound outlandish, but in a setting like Salt Lake City at Christmastime, it seemed quite possible to me. But even if I would have had to suspend disbelief, it would have been fine because I had so much fun just going along for the ride.
“I haven’t felt this giddy… well, if I have to be honest, probably not since my parents gave me the Barbie magical mansion Dreamhouse for Christmas in the second grade.”
Camilla Isley, Home for Christmas
This is an enemies to lovers dual POV with a twist on the one bed trope, as well. It’s a closed-door romance but still has plenty of steam to satisfy those readers who like their romances a little more spicy.
The best part of this one were the pranks our two leads pull on each other. It was fun wondering what they might try next. I also enjoyed that both our leads were writers working against deadlines.
This one wasn’t extremely Christmas-y, if you prefer your holiday romances on the lighter side. I would say it’s a good one to read any time of the year, but preferable while curled up next to a warm fire with the snow falling outside.
Their extended families were great, as well. In fact, Isley hinted at several possible spin-off stories in her newsletter and I would definitely pick those up!
Isley has easily become a palate-cleansing author for me; I can always count on her books to entertain me when I need something to read for pure joy, something I don’t have to think too hard about. Even when I’m in the mood for something light, I want it to be written well, and Isley’s books always fit the bill.
Thank you to Camilla Isley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating: 3.75 rounded up!
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About the Author
A Song For A Book
I was determined to NOT pick a Christmas song since it felt like that would be too easy, but I struggled with finding the right song. I finally chose “Still Falling For You” by Ellie Golding. Wendy and Riven have an ‘opposites attract’ vibe going and this song captures the push and pull between them!
Fire and ice
This love is like fire and ice
This love is like rain and blue skies
This love is like sun on the rise
This love got me rolling the dice
Don’t let me lose
Still falling for you
Still falling for you
Beautiful mind
Your heart got a story with mine
Your heart got me hurting at times
Your heart gave me new kind of highs
Your heart got me feeling so fine
So what to do
Still falling for you
Still falling for you
It took us a while
With every breath a new day
With love on the line
We’ve had our share of mistakes
But all your flaws and scars are mine
Still falling for you
Still falling for you
Have you read Home for Christmas? Or did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I read and enjoyed the first in this trilogy and enjoyed it, but did not read the second or third yet. I will probably wait until Christmas in July. Great review Dedra. I am okay with suspending belief and going with the story, it is fiction after all.
Yay! Christmas in July will be a perfect time to pick these up! I agree. That’s what makes reading fun: getting to experience things that probably wouldn’t ordinarily happen. 😉