Review by Ronny
Series Name: Holly Ridge, # 1
The Bright Side of Christmas is a fun and flirty holiday rom-com.
Favourite Quote:
“I fucking hate Christmas, Wren, but every time I walk out my door, there’s something new on my lawn from you, and I can’t seem to make myself be mad about it. Part of that is because if I time it right, I can look across the way and see you standing there with that little proud smile on your lips, and it makes my fucking day. So they’re still up, but don’t get me wrong, it’s a selfish move.”
Book Synopsis:
Wren King is the one person in town everyone can rely on: need someone to watch your kids? She’s got it, you deserve a night off! Want five dozen cookies for a bake sale? Call up Wren; she loves to bake. As the small town of Holly Ridge’s sweetheart, she’s always available to help, even if it leaves little time for herself along the way.
But this holiday season, it’s ramped up to the next level. As her first year as the head of the decorating committee, a title she inherited after her grandmother passed away, she’s determined to make it the best and brightest year Holly Ridge has ever seen. A bigger festival, decorations on every possible inch of town, and, of course, more lights. Who cares if she’s tired and worn down? She can sleep in January. Christmas only comes but once a year, after all.
Adam Porter moved to Holly Ridge in search of peace and quiet. As a well-known songwriter with writer’s block, he’s hoping a sleepy small town will be the perfect place to find his inspiration and write again. The problem? He hates Christmas. This year, he’s hoping to hide away in the small town, avoid Christmas completely, and write the next big hit by the New Year.
Unfortunately, when he tells his new next-door neighbor, Wren, that he has no plans to decorate his home and thus threatens to break a sixty-year tradition in the town, a battle of decor ensues. As the season progresses and Wren becomes increasingly determined, Adam remains steadfast in his conviction that nothing will make him enjoy the holidays.
Definitely not his sunshiny neighbor, who is convinced she has enough holiday cheer for the two of them.
Review:
I love a good grumpy-sunshine Christmas romance, and what I love even more is when the two MCs are neighbours and a mini (or not-so-mini) war breaks out between them. So, when I read the synopsis for this story, I knew it was perfect for me. Overall, I loved this book. It is a fun, easy, light read that I was able to finish in one sitting. I love a book that has some fabulous shenanigans, and this one has it in spades. I adored the back-and-forth banter and antics between Wren and Adam over his unwillingness to decorate his house for Christmas, and Wren’s insistence that he does decorate. This mini-holiday war added a fun, entertaining lightness to the story. The overall story is pretty predictable, and the author doesn’t break any of that traditional Christmas romance story mold, but that’s ok. I liked knowing what I was in for and just enjoying the vibes the story was giving off.
I have a feeling that some bookworms will have a bit of a problem with Wren’s character. She comes across as a big doormat, letting everyone take advantage of her. That characteristic of letting others take advantage of her is turned up to the max in this book. I’m sure some people will find it frustrating that Wren refuses to speak up for herself, but I would encourage you to keep on reading. There is a reason for Wren’s actions, and I thought the author did a great job at showing her readers that you may not fully understand what is going on in a person’s head until you are able to break down those walls. Grief can take many forms, and Wren’s story turns out to be more heartbreaking and heartwarming than I originally thought.
The romance was surprisingly spicy. I actually wasn’t expecting the amount of spice that was in this book; sometimes those cartoon covers can be deceiving. I liked the chemistry between Wren and Adam, probably because I am a sucker for a grumpy sunshine romance. I am also a huge sucker for a hero who is completely exasperated by the heroine, and Adam was that way for the majority of this book. Wren comes into his world like a Christmas hurricane and leaves the poor guy so obsessed with her that he doesn’t know what to do. Yes, the chemistry between these two is super lusty, but there is a surprising amount of quiet, tender moments between them too.
If you are looking for a quick and fun holiday romance, then you need to add The Bright Side of Christmas to your holiday reading list.
