A booking mix up has two families sharing a cabin for Christmas. And Riven and Wendy who dislike each other sharing bunkbeds. The banter between these two is hilarious. This is a sweet enemies to lovers book.

I wouldn’t really classify it as a Holiday enemies to lovers. There was forced proximity and it wasn’t a one bed trope. But those aren’t even the reasons I was disappointed.

The characters were annoying. Wendy was immature and portrayed as dumb through the first half. Her boyfriend was a tool but it took her 2 years to realize that he doesn’t put any effort into the relationship. I mean she didn’t even know that she loved him. Riven was just confused all the time about himself. He’s going through writers block but when Wendy is introduced he’s pulled out of it. Sounds like instant love to me.

I wanted to love this book but I barely finished it.

Home for Christmas is the newest romantic comedy by Camilla Isley. The story begins with Wendy Nichols, a New York City playwright, discussing holiday plans with her widowed mother. They decide their family should spend a week at a ski resort so they will miss their father less. Wendy’s friend books their 9 family members in a cabin in Park City, Utah.
Meanwhile, Riven Clark, a bestselling author, is holed up in a cabin in Park City, Utah, while he hides out from the ugly dissolution of his marriage back in California. Since he refuses to return for the holidays, his widowed father, brother, and sister’s families decide to join him for the holidays at his rental cabin. The rental agency places the Nichols family in Riven’s cabin, so the two families decide to share the cabin since there is no other lodging available.
The widowed matriarch, Emily Nichols, becomes enamored with the widowed Grant Clark, and they work together to prepare meals for the combined families. Wendy and Riven each have a college-age brother, and they get along very well. Wendy’s sister, Amy, has a husband, two small children, and infant twin boys that overwhelm her. Riven’s younger sister, Tess, is married with two small children also. Everyone gets along except for Wendy and Riven, who share a set of bunk beds.
Riven has writer’s block, stemming mostly from his upset at his wife abandoning him. Wendy suggests some plot ideas which kick-starts Riven’s writing. Wendy is injured skiing and is told that she cannot travel for six weeks, so Riven allows her to stay at his cabin since there are still no other vacancies. At this point Wendy’s absentee boyfriend breaks up with her because he doesn’t want to maintain a long-distance relationship for the six weeks. Wendy and Riven are romantically interested in each other and become intimate, although there are no sex scenes in the story.
There are so many funny and original scenes in this book! Like all Camilla Isley books, this story has a happy ending but there is some angst and heartbreak along the way. I highly recommend this book; it’s one of the funniest romances I have ever read. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an advance reader copy (ARC) for an unbiased review.

You will love Home For Christmas by Camilla Isley. I read this in February, and it didn't bother me one bit that it wasn't "in season". This was a super sweet and fun read. I loved that it was just on the edge of steamy without tipping over, which is great for people who don't like open-door romance.

Set in Park City Utah at Christmastime when two families who have never met are forced to spend the holiday together under one roof - this book had it all - small town, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, pranks, banter, and a rabid wolf on the loose.

Wendy and Riven's love story flies off the page. You'll adore the humor here, as well as the sweetness surrounding their journey.

Thank you to Camilla Isley, Pink Bloom Press, and Netgalley for allowing me this read in exchange for my honest review.

Would you share a bed with your enemy to save Christmas? A double booking mishap forces two families to share the same four bedroom cabin over Christmas. As everyone gets their sleeping arrangements, Riven and Wendy are left with the dreaded bunk bed. These two opposites can’t help but to annoy each other and as their banter and pranks turn into sparks, there’s no point in admitting their attraction. Neither want a one night stand and they’ll be going their separate ways in just a few days…or will they?

I had the best time reading Home for Christmas. Enemies to lovers plus forced proximity? Check. Grumpy characters? Check. Witty banter and pranks? Double check. This reminded me of my favorite side couple from the Hallmark movie, Trading Christmas. I was grinning and laughing throughout the book and did not want to put it down. I absolutely loved Riven and Wendy – their banter and pranks from the get go was perfect and don’t get me started on Riven’s nicknames for Wendy.

What a fun Christmas enemy to friend story. Riven is a writer who has rented a cabin in Utah. Thinking he was going to California for the holidays he decides to sublet the cabin for Christmas week. When Wendy and her family take it, he doesn’t know and changes his mind since his family is coming to him. When both families merge it is fun chaos. Great flow, characters and banter. Highly recommend this book and author.

A vacation double-booking disaster that should completely ruin one family's Christmas turns into a hilarious holiday romcom that is sure to warm even the chilliest hearts.

I enjoyed this quick and easy read in one 24-hour period in January while still mourning the loss of the holiday season. It was just what I needed to grasp onto the threads of the holidays for a little bit longer. While I do feel that the writing style could have been a bit more developed, the book flowed very nicely overall and reads just like a Hallmark holiday movie. I really liked the dual POV between Wendy and Riven, it definitely made the story more dynamic to read from both of their perspectives.

This was a pretty good slow burn, enemies-to-lovers story, and I really enjoyed reading Wendy and Riven's characters. While Wendy is the perfect mix of stubborn, bubbly, and idealistic, Riven is protective, a little haunted post-divorce, and pragmatic. They make good foils for one another. My only two critiques would be that I wish the book felt more Christmassy as a whole, and the ending felt a little abrupt, but neither of those things stopped me from flying through it!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good Hallmark holiday film, or anyone looking for a snowy holiday romcom to read by the fireside.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my e-ARC of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book within a matter of hours – very quick and light hearted read!

Wendy and Riven are both writers. Riven is a west coast divorced author with major writers block, working on his next New York Times Bestselling novel. Wendy is a playwright living in the Big Apple. Riven escapes to his cabin in Utah to get some peace and quiet to work on his novel. An accidental double booking mishap throws Riven’s plans right out the window. The small cabin is now home to several families and lots of little kids. To make matters worse, Riven and Wendy are forced to share super small quarters – a bunk bed to be exact. Their schedules are the complete opposite – Wendy, a night owl while Riven is up before the sun rises. What follows suite are some hilarious pranks, a bad breakup, and a ski accident that forces Wendy to stay in Salt Lake City long after her family leaves. The sparks between Wendy & Riven start to fly – giving Riven so much inspiration for his novel.

While this book is titled ‘Home For Christmas’ it didn’t necessarily have heaps of Christmas content -it was more of a cute, cozy winter read. Although, the premise of this novel seemed a little too far fetched for my liking – it was still very heartwarming and the perfect little story for these colder temperatures.

If you enjoy:
forced proximity and enemies to lovers troupes
hilarious pranks
light hearted, fast reads
a little bit of spice (but nothing over the top)

this is the perfect read for you!

This is the first book I have read by Camilla Isley. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by her. The plot reminded me of a Hallmark movie which is great since I enjoy those. Sometimes it a little predictable but nothing wrong with that. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I really hate writing negative reviews, but I struggled to find anything redeeming about "Home for Christmas."

I found most of the characters unlikable, including the hero and heroine. They both came across as selfish, pretentious, and entitled from the get go. They improved as the story continued, but I couldn't get over the initial snotty attitudes and behavior.

The writing made it near impossible for me to finish the book. It was rife with grammatical errors and incomplete and run-on sentences, and the dialogue somehow managed to feel simultaneously unnatural and boilerplate.

With the help of a good editor and some dialogue coaching, Miss Isley could likely work this into a 3.5 star book. As it stands, though, I'd give it 1.75 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author and/or publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

What an adorable, sweet book. I loved Wendy and Riven (awesome name) and while the book is named Home for Christmas, it really expands beyond the Christmas season (Although this would have been a fun holiday read). I found myself smiling and giggling throughout. The enemies aspect was very short lived because these two characters were played so well against each other- think faux "short term enemies" who really quickly adored each other because of their similarities and then later, fell in love. And the family and best friends were a perfect complement to round out the story. This is a pretty clean, slow burn romance so be prepared for that. Mostly, be prepared for a sweet, funny (the pranks were awesome) and smile-inducing read. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for such a fun early read.

Daniel is a billionaire workaholic, working for his Dad he is at his beck and call 24/7. He has no time for relationships and his friends call him Delayed Daniel as he is always late.

When Daniel makes a pit

Riven Clark is a successful author, but following the breakdown of his marriage and the building works on his home he decided to go to a cabin in Utah to work in solitude. However his sister is demanding he comes home for Christmas.

Wendy is a playwrite and following her fathers death last year her Mum is not wanting to have Christmas at home this year.

Wendy contacts her friend who’s a travel agent to see if she could find a cabin rental somewhere for her and her family. Her friend has a property available in Utah, its only for a week sublease as the current tenant goes out of town.

Due to confusion not only does Riven not go home but his family come to join him in Utah just at the same time as Wendy and her family arrive for the week. Surely they cant fit 13 people in a 3 bedroom cabin for a week.

This was a great book, the families were very similar and I loved the way that the different factions of the family interacted. I loved the twist that extended the story and really made this story stand out for the norm.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I’d already read a couple of books by Camilla Isley and I remember being left with positive vibes. Her chick-lit world is fun and sweet, and her book covers always make me think of the likes of Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan.

This new book is a good, entertaining piece. Overall, I really enjoyed it. The plot is fresh and interesting, the « Christmas component » is very, very minimal, so if you’re looking for something not too Christmassy, then you’re safe with that one, given that it’s already late January! 🙂

All in all, I will keep reading books by Isley. I know I have a few waiting in my huge TBR pile, so I’ll get to them, eventually.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this book. I love Christmas romances.

It was a super cute read and has dual point of views.

I highly recommend.

'...it spurs from the excitement of everything that lies ahead.
Infinite mornings.
Infinite nights.
Together.'

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was a sweet romance that followed the lives of two writers, best selling author Riven Clark and playwright Wendy Nichols. The forced proximity trope is in full force for this book, when Wendy and her family rent a cabin in Salt Lake City for Christmas. The cabin happens to be the temporary home of Riven Clark who is trying to get past his writers block but is forced to also host his family at the same cabin. 4 rooms, 16 people, what could possibly go wrong?

I loved the budding romance between the leads, it slowly builds and is heightened by the dual perspective. Wendy is a strong and fierce character who isn't afraid to challenge Riven as he proves to be less than welcoming after the double booking blunder. The way the two families came together despite the far from ideal scenario was so heartwarming to see. Whilst the books was super wholesome, I do think the story was lacking the angst and tension it so desperately needed. There was a flavour towards the end which left me craving for more!

I really enjoyed this book, it was a super fun and easy read, and the characters were a delight to follow. I wish there were more interactions between the leads, whilst the end is neatly wrapped up, I do feel it was slightly rushed. Other than that, I would definitely recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
I have read and enjoyed several of Camilla's previous books and this one did not disappoint! There is a definite Christmas 'feel' about the book, from the snowy mountain setting through to the activities, including decorating the tree but the sparky relationship between Wendy and Riven is the star of the novel. There is plenty of fun from the start and the developing romance is written well and realistically without relying on lots of miscommunication and misunderstandings to contrive events.
I fully recommend this excellent romcom, and hope that Camilla acts upon her idea of expanding this story with a sequel involving some of the characters who played a minor part in this book.

Home for Christmas by Camilla Isley

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

This book was exactly how a good holiday, rom-com should be. The plot was original, written well and extremely enjoyable. There was no part where it was dragging and there were was the perfect amount of chemistry and tension between the characters.

Tropes like forced proximity and one-bed (in a sense) were executed perfectly and there are definitely cute moments that put butterflies in my stomach. And to top it all off- it’s dual POV, so what more could you ask for?

The only reason I’m not rating it any higher is because I would have loved to see more development in the character’s personalities. There was definitely a foundation and all characters were unique, however I never found a premise as to what make them THEM.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a quick, easy, light-hearted book!

I would definitely buy this book and will be reading more of Camilla Isley’s books in the future!!

Thank you Netgalley, the publishers and author for a copy of this eARC!

Lovely Christmas read. Snowy mountain resorts are always the best settings for Christmas stories and this one sounded perfect. Great characters and loads of humour makes this a lovely lighthearted read to get you in the mood for Christmas

Home for Christmas

3.5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was a perfectly sweet, cozy romance that would have been perfect to read during the Christmas Holiday season. It was very reminiscent of a classic Hallmark storyline.

Home for Christmas is a dual perspective romance between Riven Clark and Wendy Nichols, one of them atop bestselling author from the west coast, the other a debut playwright from the east. After losing her husband, Wendy’s mother wants nothing to do with hosting Christmas in her home, and her sister has brand new twins and a too-small apartment, they decide to rent a cabin in Salt Lake City for the week of Christmas. After the affair of his wife, Riven is holed up in a cabin in Salt Lake City trying to get past the writer's block while on a deadline for his publisher and a promise to host Christmas at the cabin. When a mix-up happens, and he has nine more people on his doorstep, his landlord moves things around and he’s in for a long week of banter, found family, and romance.

This book was a lovely little novel, not exactly what I expected when I picked it up. It wasn’t truly an enemy to lovers, and despite the banter, the tension wasn’t really there. The book led up to them being together, but with the closed-door sex scenes, that tension never felt truly dealt with as the reader.

Home for Christmas wasn’t really a Christmas book, there was maybe one chapter of the Christmas festivities and two leading up to the festivities, the rest was the lead-up and decline of Riven and Wendy’s relationship. This followed by multiple weeks and months of time skips and a half a page of a declaration of love that magically solved all the problems between them that didn’t seem like they should have been resolved that quickly.

Overall, it was a fun and fast read, cute for the holidays. Nothing to writ

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. what a cute christmas book! I had finished one of her other books during the Christmas season so was happy to see this one as well. I hope she writes more! the stories are super cute.