A spicy take on the 12 days of Christmas!

When Valencia bumps into Gideon in a club they instantly recognise each other as old high school rivals. Gideon was awful to Valencia for years so pretends he wasn’t about to hit on her, but when she drags him onto the dance floor sparks fly!

Valencia has just broken up with her finance and both her and Gideon are planning to spend Christmas alone, even though she normally loves the holidays. So instead they come up with a 12 days of Christmas list- each day is something festive, a tradition and something to keep their hook ups going each day too.
It’s supposed to run only to Christmas Eve, but as each day passes they learn more about each other and grow closer and closer. They have great chemistry and communicated really openly with each other about their pasts. I liked both characters a lot and it did feel very festive too. Great for a Christmas in July read for me!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was everything I wanted in a holiday novella. The premise was fun and spicy with characters that have a little depth to them. It was easy and addictive to read. I loved the idea of a combo spicy and Christmas tradition list to countdown to the holiday. Gideon and Valencia were so cute together. It was a great read!

This sweet and VERY sexy Christmas novella did not disappoint! Valencia and Gideon were nemeses in school. When they run into each other at a nightclub’s Christmas dance party, they can’t ignore their instant chemistry. What starts as a hot hookup turns into 12 days of doing their favorite Christmas activities together — and other, *ahem* more risqué activities, too.

Alexis Daria writes some of the best sex scenes in romance, and she balances them with fantastic characterization and emotional depth. Yes, even in the novella format! A satisfying romance is packed into a short amount of pages, with lots of holiday vibes, plenty of heat, and no shortage of charm.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

She sees her worst enemy, from growing up, in a bar and yet they start flirting. They decide to spend the days leading up to Christmas having some spicy fun.

The beginning of this book was just alright. I felt like it was trying too hard. The spicy scenes actually didn’t do it for me. There were also a lot of weird political references that just did not fit the vibe of this story and felt weirdly placed.

However, I actually really enjoyed the 2nd half of the book. I enjoyed the actual story more than the spice. Very insta-love, but enjoyable. The final scene where his mom comes to visit totally got me and made the whole book worth it. Loved that!

This def has a christmasy vibe for sure. Very perfect for Christmas in July. I would give this a 3-4. Rounded up to a 4 because of how much I loved that one scene.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Valencia runs into her archnemesis Gideon from high school at her friend's dance party. Gideon wants Valencia and they agree to spend 12 days together.

Love the fun and spice in the book. The christmas vibes are terrific. Valencia and Gideon has steamy chemistry. Really enjoy it. A perfect short novella.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

A fun and festive Christmas novella featuring sweet characters, witty banter, and a spicy twist.
The book explores the theme of parent-child relationships, and I really appreciated the representation of bisexual characters.
If you're looking for a holiday read with magical vibes and charming characters, this one's for you.

Tropes:
— holiday story
— enemies to lovers
— friends with benefits
— LGBTQ+ rep

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good novella when they are done right,.. short sweet and to the point! Alexis did so well at hooking readers in early with this spicy festive novella giving me all the Christmas feels even in July! Plenty of heat, relatable topics and emotional growth for both characters.
Gideon and Valencia went to school together but things were far from being amicable. As adults they bump into eachother and wow the chemistry was off the charts!
Fun festive frolicks what more can you ask for!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the free copy. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.

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I came for the holiday chaos.
I stayed for the chemistry that lit the Christmas tree on fire.
I left wanting to deck more than just the halls.

Now Alexis Daria knows how to write heat, and The Holiday Hookup List is pure, enemies-to-lovers holiday GOLD.

If you're craving a spicy seasonal escape with heart, healing, and just enough emotional depth to keep the fluff grounded….this one sleighs.

Valencia is reeling from a breakup with her cheating fiancé.

Christmas spirit? Gone.
Faith in love? Nonexistent.

But her bestie drags her to a holiday party and guess who she runs into under the literal worst strobe lighting imaginable?

Gideon Noble. High school nemesis. Too hot for his own good. Unfairly sexy. With a bottom lip that deserves its own novella.

One impulsive dance floor grind later, they’re at her place. And thus begins the 12-day holiday hookup pact that turns into something a whole lot deeper than either of them bargained for.

What I Loved:

* Enemies-to-lovers with real history. This isn’t just “we had a weird vibe in high school”, there’s backstory here, and watching that unravel through banter and vulnerable moments gave their dynamic so much depth.
* A genuinely spicy 12 Days of Christmas. I’m talking themed, creative, and actually intimate. Daria writes these scenes like she’s been planning them since July. (Honestly? She probably has.)
* Gideon is a cinnamon roll in a leather jacket. He’s thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, AND he owns up to being a bit of a jerk in the past. Growth? We love to see it.
* Valencia is That Girl. Strong, hurt, guarded but still playful and full of heart. Watching her start to believe she deserves something good again? Beautiful.

The Holiday Hookup List is fun, flirty, and emotionally honest. It doesn’t try to sugarcoat heartbreak, but it also doesn’t wallow in it.

It’s the kind of romance that reminds you: even after the worst kind of love, the right kind can still find you. Even at a dance party. Even under neon lights. Even when you least expect it.

Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved this holiday novella! It was the perfect mix of sweet, emotional and spicy and I was impressed at just how much emotional depth Alexis Daria was able to given both Valencia and Gideon in a novella.
Feeling very festive now, and can't wait to reread this again at the holidays!

Highly recommend this story, and my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis Daria does it again. This time with a holiday twist!

Valencia and Gideon were rivals in school and haven’t seen each other in years until a chance encounter at a gay dance club. What follows is a lot of steamy scenes wrapped up in a nice Christmas bow. It’s also filled with really sweet and fun moments in a way that’s very familiar to you if you’ve read Alexis Daria’s other works.

This is a super quick and easy read. I had an absolute blast reading it and the time flew by. It’s a dual POV and since it’s so short, you dive immediately into the story, there’s no unnecessary dragging of the plot, which I really appreciated.

Valencia and Gideon have incredible chemistry, and you feel it between them immediately. I was happy to get an ARC of this one to read in July, but I’ll definitely be revisiting it during the holiday season!

The FMC gets invited to a holiday dance party by her best friend, only to unexpectedly run into her high school archnemesis. But now there's an unexpected sexual tension between them—and neither of them has anyone to spend Christmas with. So, they decide to spend the twelve days leading up to Christmas together, fulfilling a mix of festive and steamy wishes.

I absolutely loved this novella! It’s both spicy and sweet at the same time. I couldn’t stop smiling and giggling while reading it. The characters were adorable, and I was thrilled that there was no third-act breakup. I also really appreciated that the author touched on such an important topic as the relationship between parents and children.

This is a wonderful holiday story that will leave you smiling, blushing, and full of festive vibes! I also highly recommend checking out the author’s other Christmas novella, Only Santas in the Building.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓holiday story
✓enemies to lovers
✓friends with benefits
✓LGBTQ+ rep

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I zoomed through this holiday romance story because it was so entertaining. I enjoy Daria’s writing style and find that she crafts her characters quite well. If you want Christmas fun, this will check that box! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love this little novella so much. Who knew we all needed a treatise on self-forgiveness in the middle of a Christmas romance? So wonderful.

I could totally picture this as a movie! Devoured this story. It was the perfect blend of holiday romance, spice and emotional moments.

The characters have great chemistry and a genuine connection. I thought the plot was delightfully entertaining and unique. The holiday setting added a fun twist too.

A great read, especially during the holiday season!

I really enjoyed this! For a short story this packed an emotional punch. I knew going into this it was a spicy romcom but I really enjoyed the balance between the sexiness, the levity of funnier moments and the deeper conversations we got with the characters.

I liked that it wasn’t too Christmassy which gives the story a bit more re-readability. I enjoyed reading this in July! I think this would be a great choice for anyone looking for a spicy story grounded in real life. Our characters each have a history and it’s shaped them and I love that we explored that for each of them.