Kirkus
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Three interconnected novellas explore the romance of the Christmas season. Jimenez is known for romances that explore deep issues and bring on the tears. In this collection of connected Christmas novellas, she keeps things light and relatively drama-free with a trio of sweet stories set in Minnesota. As she puts it in her author’s note, “Nobody wants to cry at Christmas.” First there’s Anna, who orders pancakes to make up for the terrible food at her sister’s early Christmas dinner and is shocked when her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, is the deliveryman. The two parted on bad terms, but when he shows up at her sister’s house, their families assume they’re back together (Anna’s hidden the food to spare her sister’s feelings) and they must play the part for the day to avoid embarrassment. Then there’s Jeremy’s brother Matty, who lost a bet and has to spend the entire day at a nearby diner dressed as a zombie Santa. He befriends a cute waitress named Rhiannon and the two learn about each other over many plates of pancakes. The last—and best—story follows Lauren and William, who find themselves in the nearby small town of Little Christmas. Their best friends are getting married on Christmas Eve, mere days after having met. Lauren and William initially attempt to talk the pair out of getting wed to people they barely know, but soon realize there’s no persuading the lovebirds and throw themselves into the proceedings. The bigger conflict is that Lauren and William are falling for each other. Jimenez peppers each tale with nods to characters from the other stories, which makes for a fun reading experience. The stories explore how the magic of the holiday season—the music, the decorations, the food (recipes helpfully included), and the traditions—can lead to new connections and rekindled old loves. Goes down like a mug of hot chocolate—sweet, warm, and comforting. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.