September 1, 2021
A teen returns home for the holidays. After flaming out at her fancy Connecticut boarding school, Finley Brown returns to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, and is shocked to see things aren't the way she left them. Her hometown BFF is dating her ex-BF, her mom has skipped town for some me time, and her bitter rival is working at her grandmother's inn. The biggest surprise is that her haughty/hotty classmate, Arthur, has followed her home with his Christmas-obsessed aunt in tow, lured under false pretenses to celebrate in a town that's supposed to be dripping with holiday cheer. With a little elbow grease and a Christmas miracle, Finley might just be able to salvage things and give everyone the greatest gift of all: love. Finley juggles expectations against reality, trying to make the best of a bunch of crummy situations, and the round robin of plotlines is slowly fleshed out. The opening chapters are the novel's weakest: Finley's self-absorption renders the secondary characters as cartoonish and painted in broad strokes, particularly Arthur. Fortunately, he and the rest get rounded out by the ending, which boasts enough shading to set the novel apart from the Christmas movie allusions that come up at every other turn. The end result is a pleasant romance set against a solid character piece. Finley is presumed White, and British Arthur is biracial (Indian/White). A quaint romance that succeeds after an opening stumble. (Romance. 14-18)
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November 1, 2021
Gr 8 Up-Finley is home for winter break from her boarding school in New England in her aptly named hometown, Christmas, Oklahoma. Being back home brings up sore memories, as Finley's ex-boyfriend is now dating her friend, and Finley did not do as well as she should have during her first semester away. To top things off, a fellow classmate, Arthur Chakrabarti Watercress, arrives with his grandmother to see the local wonders all because Finley fibbed about some fantastical holiday attractions via the town's actual lackluster website. Arthur threatens to reveal the charade to their classmates when they return if he does not get the Christmas he promised his grandmother. This romance follows the enemies-to-lovers trope as Arthur, while insufferable at first, begins to grow on Finley despite his blackmailing attempts as more drama and high jinks ensue over the winter holiday break. Readers who enjoy twists and turns before the ultimate happy ending will enjoy this one, which includes tantalizing characters back and plenty of drama, all set against a cozy holiday backdrop. VERDICT This makes for a solid purchase where holiday-themed romances and dramatic realistic fiction for teens are popular.-Molly Dettmann, Norman North H.S., OK
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