I read this book for BBNYA 2025, my opinions are all my own.

I really enjoyed the excerpts of this one and so I was excited to read this one further/completely! It was really fun reading this one during the holiday season aka December. It is the perfect book for that period.

🥰 The cover! Let’s start with that one. It is such a fun one and it gives me all the happy Christmas vibes!
🥰 I loved reading about the little town and all that came with it. The meddling old people. The little shops. The snow that made it all Christmas card worthy. The little streets. The way the houses were described. I just wanted to step inside the story and glimpse it all for myself.
🥰 I loved how it began with Bella at a conference and Jack at a wedding nearby needing a fake date. I loved how they connected and sparks were just flying. Plus, I loved reading about the wedding and all the grand things happening there. I want some of that cake now! Yum! Plus, I loved seeing Bella take charge when things went a bit south, she really steps up even though she is not obliged to do so. She could have just said heck no and go back to the party but she helped out! Oh, and I loved what happened near the end of it all.
🥰 Bella was such a fun MC and I was just so proud that she took back the reigns in her life and decided her own path. No more big shot companies but something smaller. Like working as an accountant at a retirement home (and boy did they need her help, haha). I loved seeing her get more comfy at the village and feel more at home with each day. Though haha, I could understand that at times she wanted to just step away from it all. She just wants to settle and have some time for herself after everything. Oh well, I think in the end she is more than happy with all the chaos that came along during this Christmas time.
🥰 I was so delighted that with Bella going back to the town we also meet the two people she helped back a year ago! And see them become more friends.
🥰 The oldies in the retirement home were such a hoot! From the bossy Lavender to the ever cooking/crafting Wendy to the not always there Iris. I really had fun when this group appeared!
🥰 I have to say I wasn’t such a fan of Summer and her begging/expecting everything to go her way. So when she appeared in the story to visit our MC I was just wondering if I would have to DNF the story or if I could continue. Thankfully, I could continue. Yes, Summer isn’t the best to like, but as the story continued I started liking her more and more. Eventually I loved how the sisters were together and how they always help the other out. Though I was proud when Bella put a line in the ground in regards to certain things. Good girl. Finally.
🥰 Jack. Or well, start of the story Jack and middle of the book Jack. When he was swoony and sweet and the sparks were flying. He was an interesting character and I loved learning more about him and his family. About why he decided to work at the retirement home.
🥰 The romance. Well, OK, the start and the middle of the story romance. Haha. Read my meh part on why I wasn’t invested in the part between those. But the begin part and the middle story romance was just so sweet and I was just shipping the two together. They really have chemistry and I wanted them to explore it. To talk, Bella has a whole thing about her ex-fiance and the drama that came with that and Jack has his things. To kiss. To just make Christmas even more magical. I loved the banter between them and I love it when they made snow angels together, so cute!
🥰 That it was set during Christmas/around Christmas! Which meant decorating, yummy food, markets, and snow!
🥰 The ending was so cute and sweet and I had so much fun.
🥰 The mystery! Yup. There is also a bit of mystery as things were stolen at the retirement home + surrounding that. I knew right away though who the culprit was but I still had fun with the mystery and seeing more things disappear and our MC and the oldies try to figure out things. I loved how Bella just really went detective mode when things started to escalate and I love how the mystery was solved!

😬 I didn’t like how Jack acted when he and Bella met again. I mean, seriously dude, what the actual fuck. I just wanted to punch him. I have to say that for a bit of time my like for Jack just went away and I couldn’t ship the two of them together. I just wanted him to first say sorry for his delusions and jackass way he reacted.

All in all, I had so much fun with this one! I loved it more and more as I read on. I wouldn’t mind more stories from this town~