“He gave her a big grin, and she ignored the jolt of unexpected electricity that passed through her.”
Summer Hates Christmas is a fun, reverse grumpy sunshine romance.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…isn’t it?
Summer Hastings HATES Christmas. She loves sunshine, the beach and running her travel agency, sending people off to their dream destinations – even if she doesn’t get to see the world for herself. For Summer, Christmas sucks!
So, when handsome and charming Noel Pritchett moves his pop-up Christmas shop into the store next to hers, Summer sees red. Noel loves Christmas…and he quite likes Summer too, if only he could break through the anti-Christmas armour she has surrounded herself with.
Just why does Summer hate Christmas so much? And can Noel be the one to prove to her that it really is the most wonderful time of the year?
I love an excellent grumpy sunshine romance, so when I read the synopsis for this book and saw that it was a reverse grumpy sunshine (meaning the heroine is the prickly one), I knew I needed to read it. I enjoyed reading this book. The plot is interesting, the characters are likeable and real, and of course, I love a book set in a small English town. When I started reading this book, I figured I would be in for one of those typical charming English romances, and well there are charming moments in this book. There are also a lot of more serious moments and themes that are woven throughout the story. Summer has to deal with some challenging family issues that have dictated how she can live. Rachel dives into issues like severe social anxiety and agoraphobia and does so with a lot of thought and care. This will be the perfect book for readers who want to read a holiday book but don’t want to be bombarded with all things Christmas. Christmas is present in the book, but it isn’t all-consuming; it really is just there as a catalyst for conflict between Summer and Noel. I loved the depth and charm the secondary stories added to this book. I felt just as invested in Jean and Jim’s relationship and loved those sweet moments between them.
I enjoyed the relationship between Summer and Noel. There are some fun antics between the two as they wage a mini-war against each other. Noel is a sweetheart, and that man works hard to get past Summer’s prickly attitude. I loved that he doesn’t just dismiss her as a cold hearted bitch; instead, he realizes she is going through something and stands by her. The chemistry between these two is nice, and even though I enjoy the more traditional grumpy sunshine trope, I did enjoy the relationship between these two.
Summer Hates Christmas is a sweet and fun English romance.
Thank you, Rachel Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
