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.