Content warning: there is brief mention and description of sexual assault in this story.

This was such a fun, lighthearted read that was just what I needed to get me out of a reading slump. I found myself rooting for the characters throughout (especially Rome!) and loved the way the non-linear timeline really helped create an understanding of Aspen and Rome’s relationship. From the second I read about the night when their relationship started, I couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know how their story ended. It was fun to watch the characters grow up and become more mature, as they learned how to balance the demands of Aspen’s celebrity status with Rome’s tendency to be more private. The ending really just made me happy and I finished the story with a smile on my face!

The songs that were paired with each chapter were a fun little extra, given Aspen’s music career. They would make an awesome playlist!

this was such a cute holiday read!!! i absolutely loved the second chance romance of this & how pure the love between roman + aspen was <33 i love books with a past/present timeline and this one did it so well! i also had the most fun noticing all the little taylor swift inspired moments!!

3 stars

Did I only request this because of the Taylor Swift song??? Yes...do I regret that??? Nope!!! What a cute read! This was fun and kept me busy for a couple days.

This is a cute little Christmas romance, and it’s especially perfect for Swifties! There’s a fun playlist with a song for each chapter, and the main character is an aspiring singer/songwriter. I loved Roman’s character and his and Aspen’s love story, although at times Aspen seemed a little flat and superficial. It also seemed a bit weird to me that a small-town church would have such a heavily directed and produced children’s Christmas musical, but it added a fun element. However, the biggest surprise of the book (and this one’s on me for not paying attention lol) is that the author is SIXTEEN! I was reading the acknowledgements after finishing the book and had to stop and go look at her Instagram, because I couldn’t believe this is a debut from a sixteen year old! The quality of writing and storytelling was, in my opinion, that of a much more experienced writer. In conclusion, if you’re looking for a quick, fun, Christmas romance, this one’s for you!
TW: sexual assault

Many thanks to NetGalley and Parson Press for the advance copy; Tis the Damn Season is out now!

Told in a dual timeline and inspired by the Taylor Swift song of the same title, ‘Tis The Damn Season is a charming new contemporary romance destined to break your heart and put it right back together.
A Hollywood starlet caught in a scandal. The boy she never got over. A Christmas season they’ll never forget…

I loved the premise of this book, but I’m disappointed that I just could not get into this one. My biggest complaint is that this reads very YA…which makes sense since the author is only 16. Congrats on this amazing achievement. However, even though the characters are 22-23 years old they act much younger. I think this book would benefit being marketed as a YA holiday romance.

While I enjoyed the overall premise for this story (second chance romance, friends to lovers, Hollywood celeb), overall it just felt too juvenile for me. It's a new adult romance (not young adult), and the characters seemed so basic and simple. I think this could be great with a bit more depth to it. I did love the playlist at the beginning though, and all of the Taylor Swift songs and references!

A Lovely debut! Kimi wrote the perfect novel for the cheesy Christmas readers! It has that Hallmark movie sparkle, lovable characters and an adorable plot! Exactly what i looking for this season! Excited for her next releases!

A delightfully witty christmas romcom, packed full of classic festive tropes but with a refreshigly modern twist. A fun christmas read

An absolute dream for any Swifite readers out there!

This book had me smiling/giggling like a teenage girl all over again! I loved it!

I loved all the TSwift reference's, the cuteness of the books and the characters were easily relatable.

Already told my friends to get this one ordered because it was such a fun holiday read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this opportunity!

This damn book! Oh my lord this was freakin awesome. I had such a fun time reading it. Kimi did not disappoint. It was the perfect book to read around this time.
Definitely check it out!

A Taylor Swift=inspired story about a pop star and her long-time love. When she needs to escape the lime light, she heads back home and really tries to make a go of it with the guy she keeps on the backburner in her hometown. A cute idea, but missing a bit of character development.

A+ for the title lol. This read was a lot more YA than I initially thought it would be, but it was still pretty good in terms of what I expected from it! I loved this little holiday read!!!

A charming rom com delivered! Another Taylor Swift inspired book! Thank you for the advanced copy! I will reccomend.

Such a cute story!! I’m a sucker for a second chance, small town romance and Tis the Damn Season is the perfect book! Aspen and Roman are perfect for each other and don’t let anything stop them from a HEA.

This was so cute! The book of Swifties dreams, I loved all the Taylor Swift references!

Thank you to st Martin’s press for sending me an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review

I saw this book circling tiktok and I wanted to check it out. The author is only 16 or 17, which is pretty amazing! I loved the Taylor Swift references, and the book was cute, but read a little young. I'd recommend this to someone in their teens or early 20s, but for myself it just felt a bit young.

Love a book with a playlist & anything Taylor Swift coded. I really enjoyed the premise of this book being focused on a pop star with a misunderstood reputation heading to her hometown to reset and falling back in love with her high school sweetheart.

While the writing could use some work and a voice that is a bit more mature for an older character, I think the author made a solid attempt.

This was an incredible book, so much more than the breezy rom-com I had assumed it would be. I loved the authentic insights into the celebrity industry, with the fragile and unreliable nature of relationships built there.

Aspen's true strength was always here core bonds in Fertsville. Freeman demonstrated the show don't tell strategy so well, in making the interactions between Aspen and her family so unique and real, that she never once had to state their comfort levels. Roman was the perfect guy, the perfect green flag, with no faults whatsoever. Yet he is emotional and vulnerable, with instances where he needed his space and distance from Aspen. Yup, even the model boyfriend gets angry and says things he doesn't mean, but honestly, I loved him.

I think the second chance trope is great and makes for an interesting read, with events from the past and present converging. I also found the whole experience very immersive, and I got pretty caught up with the story, Descriptions of Aspen's thought process while writing songs and dealing with mental block were new to me, and I'm happy they were included in the novel.

My biggest problem with the story was Aspen's inability to come forward with her side of the story till the very end. The whole time she's sitting silent when there's rumors everywhere about her, and she's thinking no one will believe her. It was pretty frustrating to see her lack of confidence which was probably crafted on purpose, or there wouldn't be a novel to write at all.

Apart from this one thing (which was quite massive), I really enjoyed the read so I recommend it to anyone who's in search of a deeper, meaningful romance.

In this debut novel, we follow a pop star and actress whose career is in jeopardy due to false accusations made by her best friend's boyfriend to the media. She decides to hide out in her hometown for Christmas and directs the church's Christmas pageant that her dad normally directs. With the help of her friend and first love, Roman, she successfully manages the event. However, when she takes Roman to a Hollywood event, things go wrong.

Overall, the story is pretty sweet, and it would be great for young adults. The characters are adults, but they have had some hard times. We explore several themes, including first loves, bullies, the treatment of young women in Hollywood, and the illness of a parent. Roman and Aspen go through a lot, and considering their age, they are a bit emotionally immature, but that is okay. The young characters in the story are enjoyable, and the bully in the play is acting out due to the treatment of a parent and learns how to relate to her castmates in a non-confrontational way.

Aspen's parents are sweet and wholesome, and so are all the non-bully characters. The story is formulaic, but the author wrote it at the age of 15! That is amazing. Knowing her age explains some of the simplicity and inexperience of the characters. She did a great job working out the timelines of going from past to present in alternating chapters in such a way that they related to one another.

Overall, the story is a simple, sweet romance with an adorable couple and some hard truths that they have to face. The book has a playlist, and each chapter has its own song, which is pretty neat as well.

I love seasonal Christmas romances and this is one of my rabbi hood this year. Look forward to more from this author. I was able to escape to another world during a hard time last week.