Home for Christmas is such a sweet read, with a slow-burn romance at the heart of the story, but with so much fun and great humor between Wendy and Riven – it really is a cute and heartwarming read – I loved it!

"Home for Christmas" by Camilla Isley is a heartwarming yuletide romance that weaves together humor, charm, and the magic of the holiday season. Riven, a writer seeking solace in a mountain cabin for a writing retreat, finds himself entangled in a delightful tale of unexpected connections and shared holiday chaos.

The premise of sharing a bunk bed with an unexpected companion sets the stage for a romantic comedy filled with witty banter and sweet moments. Isley masterfully captures the spirit of Christmas, blending festive cheer with the complexities of relationships, creating a feel-good story that warms the heart.

Riven, with his writer's block and desire for solitude, provides a relatable and endearing protagonist. The clash between his desire for peace and the intrusion of both his own family and a lively group of strangers generates amusing situations and adds layers to the plot. The dynamics between Riven and Wendy, the gorgeous and feisty New Yorker, create a delightful tension that keeps the reader engaged.

The novel's pacing is well-balanced, allowing the romantic tension to develop naturally while incorporating humorous moments that add levity to the story. Isley's vivid descriptions of the mountain cabin setting and the Christmas festivities enhance the overall atmosphere, immersing readers in the cozy charm of the holiday season.

While the plot follows a familiar romantic comedy structure, the author introduces unique elements, and the well-crafted characters breathe life into the story. The emotions and dilemmas faced by Riven and Wendy are genuine, and the reader can't help but root for their budding romance.

In conclusion, "Home for Christmas" is a four-star delight that delivers a perfect blend of romance, humor, and holiday magic. Camilla Isley's skillful storytelling and charming characters make this a delightful read for anyone seeking a heartwarming yuletide romance. If you enjoy festive tales with a touch of humor and a lot of heart, this book is a wonderful addition to your holiday reading list.

Home for Christmas is an enemies to lovers standalone by Camilla Isley. In this story, acclaimed author Riven Clark has spent many months in a rented cabin in Park City, Utah, to both escape the press and work on his next novel. His lease extends through the spring but his realtor has called to see if there is any way he will be returning home for Christmas and would be willing to sublet the house for Christmas week. Although not his choice, Riven has been coerced into going home by his sister Tess, so agrees based on all he is offered by the realtor.

Before Riven has the chance to even sign the agreement he receives another call from his sister asking if the family can come to him as his father’s house suffered broken pipes causing serious flooding and damage. As Riven has yet to sign the agreement, he says yes and contacts the realtor’s office to cancel the plan.

However, New Yorkers Wendy Nichols, along with her sister Amy and her husband Trevor and four children, brother Joshua, and mother Emily have already rented the house for Christmas week and arrives the same time as the Niven’s family does. In the mayhem that ensues, realtor Kelly Anne helps find a plan that will work for all, leaving Riven roommates with Broadway playwright Wendy. And that’s just the beginning of the story!

This is such a good holiday romp! Filled with wit and humor, Ms. Isley has once again created a holiday story that will make you laugh and make you wonder. This is a very good story and I enjoyed it very much. I do recommend this book!

I just found this in my approved to read list - I had completely missed it and it had sadly been archived but i found it on Amazon so here is my review!

I love a Christmas book (especially winter themed as my Christmas is in summer) - this had it all, laughter, tears and romance. A charming read, lots of fun and a lovely ending. A lovely holiday read.

"Home for Christmas" by Camilla Isley is a heartwarming and enchanting romance novel that captures the essence of love, second chances, and the warmth of the holiday season. Isley's storytelling charm shines as she crafts a tale of rekindled connections, personal growth, and the power of coming home. The book's relatable characters and festive plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with fans of romance and women's fiction. Isley skillfully navigates the emotions of love, forgiveness, and the magic of the holiday spirit, adding depth to the narrative. "Home for Christmas" is a delightful reminder that sometimes, the best gifts of all are the ones that come from the heart, leaving readers with a sense of coziness and a renewed appreciation for the joy and comfort that can be found in the company of loved ones during the festive season.

I loved this! I'm reading "Christmas in July" this year to catch up on the books I missed at the holidays, and this was such a delightful fit! I was hesitant at first, because the summary relied on a big stack of tropes, but the author did an incredible job subverting them and making things feel fresh and merry and bright. It's heartfelt and emotional, but laugh out loud funny in just the right places. One chapter even had me laughing so hard I think my neighbors were judging me. I'm already planning to pick up a couple more copies as gifts for my friends, and I've added the rest of the series to my cart. I can't wait to read more!

This was a great close-proximity one-bed enemies-to-lovers book that I couldn't put down! I look forward to reading more from Isley.

Riven Clark is an author who has spent months in his Park City cabin trying to get over writer's block and escape a messy divorce. He agreed to sublet his rental while he flew home for Christmas, but plans changed last minute and now his family is coming to Utah. Problem is so are the Nichols family. Wendy Nichols is not thrilled when she learns their was a mix up with the rental company creating a double booking of at the same property. Determined not to ruin the holiday, the two families decide to make it work and have all 16 members stay in the same cabin. The story takes off when the only two people without a roommate are Riven and Wendy!
Don't let the title fool you. The story does start at Christmas, but takes place over a year. This forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers rom com was a light and entertaining read. In the second half of the story, an accident takes place causing Wendy to stay with Riven while both of their families fly back home.

Riven and Wendy provided numerous comedic moments. It was easy to see that they despised one another, yet couldn't help but notice their attraction. Wendy is a Broadway screenwriter so I enjoyed watching the two chat about their professions and compare opposite writing techniques. Riven used many of their shared experiences as motivation for his new book which played a sweet role towards the ending. I loved the quick, playful banter between the two as well as all of the pranks they continued to play on each other.

My favorite character was Wendy's best friend Mindy. The two share texts throughout the story and Mindy's replies and snark made me smile each and every time. The ending was predictable, but also really sweet.

This is the third standalone in the Christmas Romantic Comedy series. I also read and enjoyed the first book, Fool Me Twice at Christmas.

Home for Christmas is a very funny, slow burn rom com.
This winter story set in a snowy little town in Utah was so entertaining.

So this was amazingly cute and warm, exactly what I needed for the holidays.
Very quick read that I couldn’t put down and it was my first book by the author, definitely will be looking for more of her books!!

Thank you NetGalley, Camilla Isley and Pink Bloom Press.

But what a beautiful book I just read, the story is incredible, you fall in love with the characters super fast, there is nothing wrong with this story.

Riven is going through a divorce that has left him with writer's block, so he goes to a cabin in the middle of nowhere to have all the time in the world to write. Until Wendy arrives with all of her family, it turns out that there was a double booking with that cabin and now Riven (including all of his family) has to share his cabin with Wendy (and her family).

I wouldn't consider it an enemies to lovers even if the two of them can't stand each other since they are forced to live together. But even so, there is a kind of "rivalry" that means bothering each other even though they like each other.

The days spent with the families together is quite a show that I really enjoyed (mostly because I already saw something was going to happen with Wendy's mom and Riven's dad, I wasn't caught off guard at the end).

Wendy and Riven's "relationship", which was more friendship than anything else, was coming to an end along with the holidays, until she has an accident that forces her to stay for two months. And here the good part begins because now we do see them as a couple, that although it is obvious that they love each other, they do not stop playing pranks on each other.

Even so, not everything is rosy, they have to go through a lot, learn from their mistakes and move on.

With this book, I laughed and almost cried, it's too much of a Christmas story and I ended up in love with Riven. And how couldn't I if he uses Wendy as a the source of inspiration to finish his book? He uses the physical description of her and even a bit of her essence in the female character of her book.

I enjoyed this book in ways I never thought I could, I had all the Christmas vibes possible with this book, the romance is very nice and clean, no explicit scenes or anything are needed to make us understand the love that exists between the protagonists.

The ending is very cute but I need an epilogue, I would have loved it or at least something what shows Wendy's play (she also writes but plays).

If there was another book with the continuation of this story and with the same characters, I would read it without hesitation.

And the title makes a lot of sense in the end, I love when they refer to the title within the story but when a main character says it out loud, especially in the circumstances in which he said it, I loved even more.

3.5 stars
Camilla Isley has a very easy writing style. The pages fly by super quickly. She made Home for Christmas a fun rom com that starts off with a very uncomfortable mix up. The mix up leads to our MCs meet cute and lots of family Christmas high jinx ensues…for about half of the book. The second half takes a turn and isn’t set at Christmas time which was a bit disappointing. Several of the plot points were a bit unbelievable and the wolf side plot was completely random and unnecessary. But in general, it was a fun read good for a nice distraction during the holiday season.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free eARC of Home for Christmas in exchange for my honest review.

Riven Clark is a best selling author who is dealing with writer's block. He has rented a cabin in a resort area in Utah to write uninterrupted. He doesn't even want to spend Christmas with his family in California, but his sister convinces him to come to his dad's house. They don't want him to be alone as he is going through a messy divorce. He agrees and lets the real estate agent know that he will be gone Christmas week and she can sublet the cabin. Within a couple of hours he is notified that his father's place had a pipe break and they now need to move Christmas to the cabin. Luckily the cabin was not yet sublet, so Riven agrees and his family of 6 are on their way. The day they are to arrive, there is a knock at the door and it is a cleaning crew, and the real estate agent. Signals got crossed and the cabin was sublet, with a family of nine showing up. Wendy Nichols is a successful playwright who just can’t get it right with any of her relationships. She is gorgeous, smart, loyal, and yet, her investment banker boyfriend not only didn't come to spend Christmas with her family, he hasn't even called to see if she arrived safely. How will 16 people spend Christmas in a four bedroom cabin, especially two families of complete strangers?

I enjoy a good forced proximity story, throw in Christmas, a snowy location and I know I am in for an enjoyable reading experience. Riven and Wendy disliked each other at first sight. Even when things were all worked out with a campout set up in the basement for the kids, and a quiet bedroom for Gavin's sister and her husband in the attic, it still meant that Riven and Wendy had to share the room with bunkbeds. It was a bit awkward, but rather humorous. I enjoyed the humor in this story that helped to break the ice. There were some fun pranks like salt in the coffee and mayonnaise in the toothpaste, but it was all harmless fun. I enjoyed reading about all the fun Christmas activities they participated in that brought these strangers together to become friends. I have read other books by Camilla Isley and this was another winner for me. There are three books in the Christmas Romantic Comedy series, but each is a standalone story. I recommend this fun romcom, family story and enemies to lovers story full of Christmas magic.

More of a winter story than a Christmas one and not much of an enemy to lovers as promised.
The main characters were not likable to me and I feel the story could have been better developed.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book. Idyllic location that set the tone of the book to perfection. Perfect seasonal book to get you in the mood for the festive season.

Fun holiday read. Part of a series, but it’s the first I have read and was great as a stand-alone. Full of holiday mischief and romance, very quick read that I couldn’t put down. Will be looking for more of her books!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Camilla Isley and Pink Bloom Press and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Who needs some Christmas in July with a side of romance and comedy? If that's you, grab a copy of Home for Christmas by Camilla Isley! This adorable Christmas rental mix up gone sideways joins two families who have never met before for the holidays. With more people than rooms in the house, there is a forced proximity situation for our two main characters: Riven and Wendy. Who are both writers. With opposite work ethics. One of whom is stuck and the other for whom the words are free flowing. There may be some pranks. There may be some romantic tension. There may be a happy ending!

This is a comical, romantical read that will draw you in and take you away to a cooler location during these hot summer months! I highly recommend!

Rating: A little bit of spice, but nothing over the top
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is like reading a Hallmark movie. There is a lot of miscommunication and angst. Overall I liked it and read it very quickly.

Grab a drink and a cozy blanket and settle in as you'll want to finish this book in one sitting!
It's Christmas and all Riven wants to do is finish his book. But with a case of writers block, he wasn't able make any process in his book.
Wendy's family is looking to book a cottage for the holidays and with with a twist of fate, Wendy's family and Riven family end up spending the holidays together.
I loved the chemistry between Riven and Wendy. From their witty banter to their creative pranks.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!