❤️ Holiday Romcom
⏰ Dual Timeline
🎤 Taylor Swift Song Inspired 🥹
🎧 Playlist included 🫶🏻
✨Tropes — slow burn, second chance romance, small town romance, friends to lovers, celebrity drama/celeb fallen from grace, guy falls first

A Hollywood starlet caught in a scandal. The boy she never got over. A Christmas season they'll never forget...
Aspen Moore is living proof that money doesn't buy happiness. At twenty-three years old, the singer-actress has it all. Fame. Fortune. Her own headlining tour. And yet something-or someone-is missing.

When a scandal rocks Aspen's carefully constructed Hollywood life, she's forced to return to her Pennsylvania hometown, where she reconnects with her first love, Roman Torres. Aspen knows they must keep their relationship strictly platonic. This game of push and pull, catch and release she plays with Roman is bad for her. She's not staying in Fertsville, and he's not moving to LA. But their chemistry is undeniable, and amidst rumors and drama, the bright lights of Hollywood begin to pale in comparison to the dark brown eyes she fell in love with all those years ago.

This was such a cute fast read! I loved the chemistry between the main characters and was rooting for them! I loved how Roman loved her. 🥹 Lots of Taylor Swift references which as you know, I LOVE! This holiday read was one that can be read any time of year and the short chapters were so easy to fly through. I normally don’t like slow burn, but I really enjoyed this one!

Please read TW for a few heavier topics.

This book easily got 5 stars from me. It was so interesting that I forgot to check on the reading progress. The concept is great. At first, I thought I won't like it since some of the things of the book matched with another book (can't mention the name) I had read months ago. But after reading some more I knew that nothing is same except those few limited things. It's way better than that book.

I liked Roman so far. The best thing is that he was always there for her. As per his personality, I think those fighting scenes of him weren't necessary. He could've definitely controlled his anger. There are other ways to protect your girl from that nonsense yk.

Aspen, as the main lead, seemed weak to me. There was a lot of character development of her till the end but still she felt like being under control. She couldn't decide anything without other's advice. She saw everything happening in front of her eyes, knew that wasn't the truth, still did nothing and waited for everyone to forget all that as if they would! She could've write a post at least just like she did at the last. Instead of fighting back the problems she chose to escape. That's why I liked Roman more. He didn't care about what others think or say about him.

I loved those kids from the drama. I can imagine them being cute.

The dual timeline was done well except that it was way too fast paced. It would've been better if it had a mention that their story was going on in the background and we were only getting special parts. That way it wouldn't feel fast paced.

Last but not the least, the song choices for the chapters were good.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.

When a scandal hits Aspen’s Hollywood life she returns back to her hometown only to meet her first love Roman. But Aspen realises there’s still chemistry between the pair however she’s determined not to fall for him again. She lives in LA and Roman lives in the small town of Fertsville, the pairs chemistry is undeniable but will Aspen sacrifice everything she worked for, for love?

I absolutely loved reading this book. I loved seeing the characters develop through the book. It had some of my favourite tropes too including grumpy x sunshine, small town romance and second chance romance.

This book is such a good holiday read that follows the past and current events of Aspen and Roman’s relationship.

Through out this read, Aspen learns a lot about herself and the ones she holds dear. Not everyone in her life is as they appear.

This book follows the past and present events which occur between Aspen and the first love of her life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters, and the way the story developed. This slow burn is even more rewarding with how things end. Captivating, funny, emotional, so many emotions were felt while reading this book. Highly recommend and will be reading again.

⭐️rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun friends-to-lovers second chance holiday romance. It was sweet and had hallmark vibes that get you in the Christmas mood.🎁

I liked the character arcs for Aspen and Roman and I’m glad they developed and worked through what they needed to in order to finally be together. The dual timeline was also done well and I enjoyed it.

I especially liked the little kids in the play. The play itself was kind of random and weird that it was such a big deal, but I still enjoyed the process and how they got to interact with the kids. It was very sweet😊

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It’s a nice hallmark-y holiday romance to enjoy as the weather gets colder. If you enjoy friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, small towns, and directing a Christmas play with cute little kids, then you might enjoy this book!🎄

Note: Review has been submitted (as sierramountainsofbooks) to Amazon and is pending.

When I saw this book, I was immediately intrigued! I adore Taylor Swift, so a book inspired by one of my favorite songs, "'Tis the Damn Season," instantly drew me in.

The book follows a dual timeline. The present timeline follows the life of Aspen, an actress turned popstar, who returns to her hometown after her whole life blows up from a scandal. This leads to her reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend, Roman. They end up spending a lot more time together when they agree to co-direct the Christmas musical for Aspen's dad at his church. The past timeline tells the story of how Roman and Aspen got together in high school and all that happened to get them to the present.

I thought this was a really cute book! The concept was absolutely adorable and it's a great holiday read.
I loved Roman so much. He has the sweetest nickname for Aspen and it had me swooning every time.

It was also really interesting to see Aspen's journey dealing with her fame, but at some points I did find her character a bit frustrating.

The romance also left a bit to be desired. I just wish there was more of a romantic connection between Roman and Aspen in the present, rather than just the past.

Overall, I did like this book and I thought it was really sweet. I would definitely recommend it as a cute holiday read, I just wish there was a bit more romance.

I liked the idea of this story and figured I’d give it a shot. Pretty much from the beginning I just couldn’t get into the flow or the characters. I liked the short chapters but wasn’t that big a fan of the two timelines. It didn’t feel like the adult timeline gave enough info and it felt very immature. A lot of the events felt like they happened too fast. (Like a guy telling her out of nowhere he has a thing for her or when she finds herself seeing him basically the second she gets home) It felt like the author was trying to keep us interested instead of letting the scenes take place at a normal pace. For all the time the two characters spent together you’d think there would be more chemistry between them but it felt more like two friends. I had a hard time picking the book back up and found my mind wandering as I read. This was definitely an ambitious book but it was lacking the cohesion and foundation that make a strong story. I’d still tell others to check it out for themselves but it wasn’t for me. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

Tis the damn Season is a fun second chance romance. Aspen is a a singer/actress who is forced to return to her home town after a scandal rocks her perfect world. She returns home to fall into a second chance romance with her ex Roman.

Firstly, I just want to mention that there is mention of Sexual Assault in this book. There was no trigger warning which was disappointing but to anyone who thinks they may give this a try please keep in mind and mind yourself.

The story overall was a cute and easy rom-com but the writing felt juvenile. I felt like I was reading an unrealistic romance between two teenagers rather than 25 year olds. I’ve come to learn the author is 16 years old so this may explain why. I felt I was being told what something was instead of an actual description and some of the scenes were quite literal.

The main characters did have some nice dialogue and Aspen had some good character growth but I do feel like we could have gotten more from them. Especially as a romantic couple.

I do love a celebrity trope and second chance romance so the plot was definitely up my street but I think this book is more geared towards YA rather than Contemporary romance or New adult.

Overall I did enjoy, it was light and definitely gave me holiday season vibes. For the author only being 16 it’s a great debut novel. I think with more experience and age her future works will be great.

Thank you Netgalley and Parson Press for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This just wasn't for me. I loved the premise: celebrity romance AND a second-chance at love? Sign me up! But it just fell a little flat for me. The characters felt a little too one dimensional and immature to be the age that they are supposed to be -- and I think going back to Aspen and Roman's past a few times would have been able to tidy it up. I didn't need so much about their first relationship (it was every other chapter) - I needed more about what happened to Aspen after she moved to LA. That would have created some context as to why she was so resistant to move forward. Honestly - more about why her LA best friend would believe that Aspen would hit on her man? What happened in that situation to blow up her life? There was absolutely nothing provided about that - it was all left in shadows. ALSO - it was never discussed why Roman wouldn't be cool with being her boyfriend in the public eye -- he kept encouraging her and telling her to move to LA to make it big and that he would support her... but he doesn't want to deal with the "fame" of it all. That just didn't make sense to me (aka the restaurant scene and then the event... and his reaction to all of that).

I've looked at other reviews and this seemed to hit all the marks for other readers - so I am going to say that not liking this book is a "me thing" and not a "book thing". Not for me - but others seem to really like it.

Only good vibes to Kimi Freeman for writing a book and getting it published (bravo).

This is a cute fast read. There aren't trigger warnings on this book but it does touch on SA although not graphic, deaths of parents and bullying.
I just learned that the author is 16 and congrats to her for this book. The ending felt a tad rushed for me but I loved the story. The relationship between Aspen and Roman is sweet. Roman has loved her from the 1st time he saw her in high school. Roman has his own struggles with family tragedy and Aspen's family takes him in while she is gone chasing dreams. This book gives an inside look at fame and how people see stars and how the public treats them. I did like how the book went back and forth between now and their relationship from the start.
Tropes -
Second chance romance
High school sweethearts
Small town

Let’s be real, I picked this book up because it had the same title as a Taylor Swift song 🤷‍♀️ then I found out she has a playlist and songs for each chapter (many of which were by Taylor Swift) and I KNEW this book & I were meant to be 💕

Grab this book (out today!) if you like:
👗Hollywood romance/famous characters
🏘️ small, hometown settings
💕 second chances
🙈 no spice, but sparks
🔥 slow-burn
💛 friend-to-lovers
🪩 Taylor Swift
💔 an emotional reading experience

This book was easily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me, especially once I learned that @kimifreeman_ is SIXTEEN!!!! And it’s GOOD!!! If that doesn’t make you pick up the book, I don’t know what will. This book gave me all the feels and I had so much fun reading it. It bounces back and forth between November/December of the present time and six years ago, when the two main characters dated in high school. I’m typically not a second-chance girlie, but I was absolutely cheering for these two the whole time.

This book is an incredible winter read for when you want something that feels a bit Stars Hollow, a bit Christmas, and a lot of warm fuzzies.

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy! This is my honest opinion.

3.5 stars rounding up.

This was a cute read. I would say it’s pretty YA with a few trigger warning, of Bullying, and SA. It was a very easy and quick read. Dual time lines. And the main characters were cute.

You got to see the growth of our main character and how much she grows up throughout the book. Although I didn’t really feel any big connection between our 2 main characters I did enjoy the story line, and the friends to lovers - 2nd chance tropes.

My favourite part of this book was the Reading Playlist. I am the biggest Taylor Swift fan - so seeing that the majority of the playlist was Taylor songs- I absolutely adored and was able to connect to the book more so in that way.

I would recommend this, especially to younger readers. It was a nice small town romance. It was cute and I did like it.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this In advanced, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Anything with taylor swift lyrics as the title is instantly great. But I did really love the characters and story. Well done!!!

3,75/4⭐

TW: SA

Tropes:
-Second chance romance
-Small town
-Celebrity romance (she's a famous singer)
-Holiday romance

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
I was very excited to read this book since it was inspired by the song " ‘tis the damn season" by Taylor Swift.
For a debut novel, it was pretty good. It was a quick read and I liked the double timeline past/present.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book; Aspen and Roman were cute even though I would've liked to know more about the beginning of their story. The dialogues were kinda cheesy sometimes, but they didn't ruin the writing or the story for me.

I think I need to really avoid all books that include Taylor Swift references because as much as I LOVE her, I just find that she and her lyrics become cheesy when referenced in books and then I end up not being able to take the book seriously. I absolutely LOVE a celeb trope, too and this one definitely had a lot of potential but it isn't written well and there's not enough depth.

Thank you Netgalley and Parson Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this read. The story was cute, I loved the concept. Something’s were a little predictable, to me, BUT if you’re a fan of swoon worthy holiday stories and hallmark movies give this one a try.

**thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read and receive**

‘Tis the Damn Season by Kimi Freeman was a super cute second chance romance.
I really enjoyed this book! As soon as I picked it up and started it, I knew that I was going to want to finish it as soon as I could.
The characters were really likeable and felt realistic and you were definitely rooting for them by the end.
A sweet little holiday romance.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Parson Press for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Right off the bat, I'm not the biggest Swiftie in the world, but I am Taylor Swift fan which lead me to this book. I think that maybe I'm just getting too old for these kinds of stories but I just couldn't get down with the writing. I need more depth to the writing and conversations that happen with the main characters. I feel that a trigger warning is needed, but overall it was a read.

In this book, we follow Aspen, a disgraced celebrity, as she returns to her hometown to recollect herself before she can face the backlash waiting for her in LA. In her hometown, Roman, her high school sweetheart who she's been on and off with, waits for her return so they can fall back into old habits. Through all of the allegations thrown, Aspen maintains her innocence while trying to put together a play for the children at her father’s church.

The concept of this book was amazing. It hit the nail on the head when it came to parallels of the song “tis the damn season” by the one and only taylor swift. It had the angst, the slow burn, and the drama. The fact that this concept was created by a fourteen year-old is crazy, and Kimi deserves all of the praise in the world for it.

That being said, I did rate this book two stars. It was okay. The reason is because it didn't feel like it was made for its target audience. This book is meant for the new adult audience and contains content that make it such, with mentions to rape and heavy trauma. However, the writing style and execution of the idea didn’t feel mature enough to be read by a new adult audience. If some of the mature content was rolled back, this would have made a great book for older YA.

Another thing, the way that the characters interacted within the first couple of chapters felt rushed. For example, Roman approaches Aspen after the disaster that was the talent show and asks if he has a chance with her. According to Aspen, they have never spoken a day in her life, and now he’s asking her out? The progression doesn’t make sense. After, they get close very quickly which is fine but agreeing to hang out with somebody after exchanging four sentences? And then date after hanging out twice? That’s a little too fast.

The other thing that could have made this book seem more mature was the way the trauma of the rape was described. Instead of throwing in the details about what happened in the end, putting it a little earlier would have given us the ability to see how Aspen dealt with the trauma more in depth. It also wouldn’t have felt so rushed. There were hints to it earlier in the book. If leaving it in the end was the best move, then making it more obvious that something happened would have allowed me to see and empathize with Aspen on a deeper level than I was able to.

Of course, no hate to the author. This was a great book for a debut, especially for a sixteen year old. I totally understand how hard it is to write a book for an audience that is older than you.

PS. Thanks to NetGalley and Parson Press for the ARC

This was a quick, easy paced book. Keep in mind that there’s no trigger warning for SA which I found quite disappointing.

Aspen goes back to her hometown after a scandal broke out about her, her best-friend and her friends boyfriend on the internet. Once she gets home she reconnects and directs a play with her ex-boyfriend. This is basically Miss Hollywood runs away from the drama instead addressing it.

SPOILERS!!!

Aspen character was nice to read at the start but as the book went on she got more annoying and selfish. Her going off at her parents and Rome for keeping a secret for her (which I do admit that they shouldn’t have kept that as a secret) while she keeps big secrets from them. Her telling Rome that he betrayed her for not telling her and I’m just here like, he explained why he didn’t say anything. Then she goes on to say that there’s no excuses. At this point she should just keep her mouth shut.

Rome on the other hand, I enjoyed his character but there were times were he should off considered before speaking aloud. Him calling Aspen a slur just because he was pissed off at her, it’s not right at all. There whole relationship also seemed a bit weird, like they got into agreements or disagreements and they would walk away and not talk to each for a while and then come back with him saying ‘i’m sorry’ and it’s all good suddenly? Like where’s the communication?

I loved the whole concept of play directing. Reading about the kids were the highlights of this whole book. I literally could not get enough of it. The relationship Rome and Aspen built with the kids was literally so lovely.

The whole concept of bringing in SA was out of nowhere, like I honestly don’t see the point of it. Then also finding out that her parents didn’t know about that, and she goes my bad.

I feel like half of the story wasn’t necessary like there wasn’t technically any plot. Having the read about their past got a bit repetitive.

The whole reason why I got interested in this book was due to the Taylor Swift songs at the beginning of each chapter.