Both refuse to budge, until an unlikely wager is struck: Bella and Jesse will compete in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, an annual tradition of eccentric feats of strength and skills. Winner decides the selling price. They’ll give each other a run for their money, but as the competition heats up, Bella and Jesse’s icy feelings toward each other begin to thaw. It’ll take a Christmas miracle for them to admit there’s a spark, but what if it’s just another game? (Pub Date: Sep 26 2023)
A cute romantic comedy for Christmas that encapsulates all the magical elements the feeling of a classic Christmas movie. It's got all the elements, a woman who hates Christmas, a cozy little town, a competition, and lots of snow.
3.5 rounded up to 4.
Bella is ambitious so she doesn't shy away when her boss proposes she goes to a small town in the middle of Colorado to buy a store. No, she decides to excel, as usual. So she offers even below her lowest budget. And she's about to close the deal when the grandson Jesse shows up. His grandfather needs to sell and the offers aren't coming, so he dares Bella: a Christmas wager on the price for his store. If she loses the yearly competition the small town puts on against his grandson, she'll buy the building for a lot more her boss has authorized. But she doesn't mind the consequences, because she knows she'll win and take it for her initial offer.
It made me a little dizzy how unfair the terms were for the loser, no matter which side it was—Bella would definitely lose her job. For a long part of the book, I wasn't cheering for either side, hoping for something to change that wager. But regardless of the stakes, Bella and Jesse had good chemistry. I'm not sure about how quickly they fell in love, and I would have enjoyed it more if they had bickered for a little longer. But I could see how they'd like each other.
As I said, one of the issues related to that. The foes-to-lovers trope, which should have been the main attraction of this read, while present, doesn't fully flourish to its potential. This leaves their romantic journey feeling slightly more mature and less swoon-inducing than anticipated. The other issue is related. There wasn't much to the book. It's your average romance, though very well written and planned, it missed on some magic. The book seems to promise quirkier, offbeat elements than it ultimately delivers.
Despite that, the competition itself was fun, I loved the idea of the Merriatrics, a group plotting for the craziest twists in the games, which were already crazy and twisted enough. In fact, I would have loved to learn more about the members—then again, since they weren't key to the romance, it might have made the .book drag, I understand that much.
The characters were also lovely. Though I didn't like Jesse's ex, who is the rival in their romance for obvious reasons, I need to admit she behaved in a believable manner instead of warming up to Bella instantly.
The ending was probably the too fantastic kind but it was satisfactory where it needed to be. In other words, what you'd expect from a romcom.
This is a delightful romantic comedy that embodies the spirit of the holiday season. Also, I'm crossing my fingers for more romcoms by Holly Cassidy.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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