I devoured this book in just a few short days. Christmas in July! lol this book is a feel good kick your feet romance. It’s an easy read. A slow burn romance leaving you feeling warm and fuzzy. I haven’t read anything else from this author but I’ve hear that all of her books follow this same kinda pattern. I will be looking into her other novels as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in just a couple of days. It’s such a fun, cozy, feel-good read with banter between Janie and Ben that had me grinning the whole way through.

It’s not just a Christmas romance either, the story takes us through all the fall holidays leading up to Christmas, which made it feel extra festive and unique. I loved the small town vibes with a bit of “bah humbug” sprinkled in.

I really wanted to like this book. I love the premise. I really loved Ben. Janie, not so much. She’s so prickly and difficult. I didn’t see much growth on her part, she’s so contrary and set in her ways. I do believe Ben is growing and learning. There’s definitely some funny dialogue and the potential was there for a really fun book.

I love a good fake marriage story, but when you throw in a Christmas story with small hometown vibes, you know that you are looking at a great story! I love Humphreys' Canton series and this book is from the Cantonverse, plus all of the previously mentioned aspects were included, so I had to read this book.

Janie comes across Benedict at a work event. They have met before (in the Cantonverse). He needs a wife and she needs money. They agree to a mutually beneficial arrangement. This includes a lot of small town events in her hometown and they have to make this look real. And what do you think will happen?!

Humphreys' style of writing always keeps me entertained. There is always great banter between the characters and the swoony moments are just right. She makes those moments you wait for worth it. I loved this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Magnamour for this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Sadly this one fell flat for me. I couldn’t get into the banter between the main characters and I felt there wasn’t much growth of either character. The plot felt forced and I struggled to finish the book.

I received a free copy of, Happy Christmas, by Kelsey Humphreys, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Janie and Benedict are pretending to be love, and that are getting married, he needs a wife and she needs money. I did not care for Janie at all, but I liked Ben.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A great book with great banter. This was a solid four star and only lost one star because the ending seemed a little rushed. It was wrapped up too quickly after a few chapters of much of the same back and forth pining between the two main characters. If the ending had been more developed, I think it would definitely have been a five star book.

I really liked Benedict and the premise of the book.

It pains me to say this, but I did not like this book (crying face)- I had to push myself to finish it. Going into it, I was looking forward to Janie and Benedict having their own story and it connecting to the Heartlanders Series which I enjoyed so much! I could not get behind Janie at all, I wanted to but she just made everything so difficult and went out of her way to be contrary to anything positive. It took too long to get to the happy part of the story and then the ending felt rushed and I did not feel satisfied with what I did get as a reader. I was also a little bummed that it didn’t feel more Holiday like- other than random “holiday” scenes thrown in, it didn’t give me the Christmas feels. I did like Benedict and his character arc and there are some funny scenes, but the rest of the story fell flat for me. That being said, there is another couple in the story that is setting up to be another book in the series (I’m guessing), which I do look forward to reading.

Thank you to netgalley & Kelsey Humphreys for the ARC!

The title of this book is a little misleading because while the book ends at Christmastime, but we are still having fall festivals half way through the book. I think you can read it anytime of the year.

I was really set up for a Christmassy book with a couple of my favorite tropes, but the majority of the book isn't set during Christmastime. This can be read as a standalone, but it fits in well with the Heartlanders series by Kelsey Humphreys.

The tropes did deliver though!! Her being grumpy and him being sunshine is so fun to me. I also really enjoyed the banter both in person and through text. Guys, I love a billionaire romance and I love how the author makes fun of it all.

Tropes:
Marriage contract
Black cat FMC
Flirty playboy MMC
Introvert x extrovert
Billionaire romance

Why is this 3 stars? I wanted more small town characters to love. Also, the male POV got a little bit cringe at times. Most of his banter was funny and cute, but his inner dialogue about her body was a little much for me. The spice got a little out of hand as well.

Note: this book has language and explicit spice

This is for you if you like a spicy, marriage of convenience romance with a billionaire and banter.

I really did love this book so much. The characters were well written and believable. The banter was witty and fun and I love anything that can make me laugh out loud! As a person from a quirky small town, I thought the setting was perfect and so much fun. Kelsey has become a must read for me!

I absolutely LOVED this book! This reverse grumpy/sunshine story is so, so good! I often find that grumps are usually portrayed as intolerant people-haters…you know, grumpy just because they’ve decided to be grumpy. In this book, it is very CLEAR why Janie is grumpy, and she has very good reasons for it! And honestly, I’m not even sure that grumpy is the right term; I think maybe “weary and unenthusiastic about life” suits her better.

Ben has great golden retriever energy. It’s interesting, because some would think that he, also, has reasons in his life to be grumpy, but he manages to keep his energy positive. Ben is incredible at SEEING Janie, and defusing her when she gets agitated. Janie is hesitant to get attached to him because he is so charming. All of her past relationships have been with “charming” men, and she’s over it. The difference is that Ben truly sees and respects Janie, which none of her former partners were able to do.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Janie is trying to talk herself out of liking Ben because of her history with men. Her friend guides Janie into understanding the kind of man she is attracted to, and how to reconcile that with the man who Ben is. It felt like a real revelation!

I also noticed that both main characters were able to see themselves and recognize ways they had been “damaged” in the past, by past partners and by family. It was clear that both of them had worked through life with a therapist. As Ben says, “She just owns her issues. No shame.” I felt like Ben was good at this as well.

There is a part of this book that isn’t really talked about much in romance novels: a break-up of a friendship. I won’t spoil that bit, but I did find it interesting that Janie had a former friend, Skye, who had been her very best friend. They told one another everything, and truly KNEW one another. When Janie moved “home,” she reconnected with a childhood friend. They became friends again, but I found it interesting that Janie didn't really even try to have the level of intimacy that she had with Skye. A few times in the story, Janie thinks to herself: If Harper wants to tell me, she will, or when Janie has the opportunity to share things from her past, she just doesn’t share. I just noticed the vast difference between the two friendships.

Ok, that’s enough for now. Read this book! It’s fun and sweet, and has a very conversational tone!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and as soon as I saw marriage of convenience + billionaire MMC + holiday setting — I was sat. This trope combo is totally my thing!

The dynamic is grumpy-sunshine — but with a twist I loved: she’s the grump, and he’s the sunshine. Ben was such a likable character — charming, patient, and just a genuinely good guy. Janie, on the other hand, wasn’t always easy to warm up to, but their banter was wholesome and kept me engaged.

One of my favorite things? The British expressions and curse words — they added so much personality and charm to the dialogue. I also really enjoyed the author’s writing style — smooth, funny, and heartwarming in just the right places.

It’s a guaranteed HEA (which I always appreciate), and even though it’s not a new favorite, I still had a great time reading it.
I’m giving it a solid 3.5 stars — and yes, I’d recommend it for fans of cozy holiday romances, billionaire tropes, and witty grumpy-sunshine dynamics.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This book started out really cute and I really thought I would love it. Unfortunately I ended up pretty disappointed.

The book was not nearly as Christmas themed as the cover and description made it out to be. They did do lots of fall holiday themed activities, but the atmosphere was still lacking somehow.

The banter was cute at the beginning, but I got uncomfortable with how much Ben and Janie yelled at each other eventually. It just felt toxic instead of cute and tension filled.

Janie was also just a bit too snarky for me, no one above the age of 15 should roll their eyes this much.

Thank you to Magnamour and Net Galley for the ARC of Happy Christmas by Kelsey Humphreys!

This book is a spin off of Humphreys’ Heartlanders series, but rest assured that you can still enjoy this book without picking up any of the other books (I have not read them).
The novel is told in dual narration and centers on Janie-a woman who has turned her life upside down to take care of her ailing grandmother and bail her brother out of serious financial troubles- and Ben- a billionaire playboy who is not taken seriously by his family and definitely not by Janie. A chance meeting in Las Vegas by these two acquaintances starts with dinner and ends with an agreement to a marriage of convenience: Ben needs a wife to fulfill a stipulation set forth by his dad and Janie needs the money to get out of debt. Of course, as the two play their parts of husband and wife, the lines between was is real and what is not become blurred.
As a first introduction to these characters, I really enjoyed both Janie’s and Ben’s points of view. I found their banter to be fun, although Janie’s snark was-at times- a little much. Humphreys writes a charming and likeable character in Ben and it’s easy for the reader to get behind his pursuit of Janie. I did feel like there were some unresolved issues in the novel (I really thought there would be more to the missing money at Janie’s company and how are things with Gran?) but overall I enjoyed the book.

Happy Christmas is everything I want in a holiday romcom — cozy, funny, and full of heart.

Janie and Benedict are total opposites, thrown together in a fake marriage that’s supposed to be all business. But set against the backdrop of her tiny holiday-obsessed hometown, their relationship begins to feel dangerously real… and I couldn’t stop smiling.

It’s got all the best tropes: fake dating, forced proximity, one bed (!!), and a swoony British billionaire who slowly falls in love with a routine-loving small-town girl. The romance is a slow burn (low spice, high swoon), and the humor and heart perfectly balance each other out.

If you’re a fan of Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, or the cozy chaos of The Holiday meets While You Were Sleeping, add this to your TBR—whether it’s December or not.

This opposites attract, marriage of convenience holiday romance was too. stinking. cute! Benedict is the golden retriever to Janie’s black cat vibes yet together … they somehow balance each other out. Their whole dynamic was very reminiscent of Hugh Grant & Sandra Bullock’s characters in Two Weeks Notice - the playful flirting, quippy snark & the sarcastic banter was hilarious & so much fun!! I absolutely adored Benedict and his unserious, charismatic billionaire antics. 😂

But what I truly love about Kelsey’s characters since the Heartlanders series - and these two are no exception - is how genuinely relatable they are. Okay, not so much the billionaire part, lol … but when you get down to who they are as people & the personal struggles they face - they’re just so sincere & authentic in ways that we can all relate to.

My only complaint is that I just wanted MORE - gimme all the details! 🤗 Carriage ride? Scooch over I’m coming too. Work trip?? Take me with you. Holiday dinner party with sizzling sexual tension?? I want to be sat at that table for all of it! 👀 Overall, this was a fun & heartwarming read - I am already looking forward to getting back to Juniper Falls for book 2.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Happy Christmas!
Reading this book in July I was worried I wouldn't be able to get into the festive spirit... wrong!
I really enjoyed this short marriage of convenience rom com, i only wish it was longer!
FMC Janie needs money to pay off debts relating to the care of her grandmother. British MMC Benedict needs to secure a wife and fast in order to secure his trust fund. What Could go wrong?
This trope is one of my favourites and Kelsey did not disappoint. I enjoyed her writing and the comedy aspects to the story while still hitting relatable real life issues.

Laugh out loud, slow burn but cute festive romance to add to your Christmas TBR.

Thanks to Victory Editing. NetGalley and Kelsey Humphries for the free copy. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

Follow me on TikTok for more 🩷 Laced in Lit... 🎀 Booktok

Okay this book should be gifted to all your book reading friends! It is absolutely adorable! Give me a snow storm and hot cocoa, and this book again with a blanket. I adored it!

Hugh Grant where are you? You would make the perfect Benedict. I highly enjoyed this book. I loved the fake it till you make it romance and the beautiful holiday feel as well! This book was excellent. Definitely going into the favorites