Guaranteed to put you on the 'naughty' list this year, Lyons debut is full of festive fun, frolics, and fizz that comes in the form of billionaire Levi.

What a bucket list! It came with so many laugh out loud moments and sniggers into my coffee.

Molly and Levi were great characters, their chemistry was through the roof!

An enjoyable escapism.

For the most part, this book was a fun generic time. I really enjoyed Levi, and his character. I also enjoyed Molly and how quirky and emotionally deep she is. I think that this book could’ve thrived as a dual point of view in the first person, I would’ve killed to know what Levi was thinking half of the time. I also really would’ve preferred another term for a ladies privates other than her womanhood and I for sure could’ve done without the adjective of lapped. Other than that, I enjoyed the tension, I enjoyed the slow burn, it was a fun time. Will I recommend it? Maybe, it is an easy read with some good feels. The family dynamic is so interesting, and I’m sure a lot of people could relate to it as well.

This had a ton of fun things happening, crazy-way out there stuff. And I was enjoying it at first. But after a while, the male MC just was too much of a jerk in the things he believed her to be capable of, as well as how he kept leaving her hanging in a way that just didn’t make me want the two of them to end up together. I got really far before I just knew that this wasn’t going to be a book for me. I didn’t want them to end up together and I was going to be mad at her for giving him a break for any of what he did. So I DNFed this at 71%. I think I might give the author another chance, because other books do sound good, but hopefully a different trope will make it so I will be able to enjoy it.

When her best friend and business partner passes away
She leaves Molly with a bucket list coming her way.
To inherit the business Molly needs to work through the list
She’s hoping there won’t be any she’s missed!

Every opportunity counts with the deadline so near,
But with so many tasks she’ll fail she fears.
A chance encounter whilst working she discovers
Could help her complete most of the others.

The attraction is more than either expected but now
They need to resist each other somehow!
Get ready for drama, family secrets and more
As fate intervenes giving opportunities galore.

A story filled with worries, laughter and romance,
Keeping you wondering will they give their love a chance.
There are plenty of twists they need to work through
And so much they’ll all need to reveal and do!

A fabulous, fun, festive read and romance
I hope you’ll agree when you give it a chance.
For my copy of this book I say thank you
As I share with you this my honest review.

Molly is still grieving the loss of her friend and business partner when she realises she has less than two weeks to complete her friend’s bucket list—a requirement for inheriting the restaurant they started together.

The dishes Molly prepared sounded absolutely mouthwatering, but some parts of the story felt a little less polished. The main characters, were frustrating at times, especially with how often they changed their minds.

As the story unfolded, it grew on me. It’s fast-paced, laced with humour, and, if you’re looking for something light and fun, it makes for an enjoyable and easy read.

Thank you to Jo Lyons, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really do love a billionaire romance and this one was full of misunderstandings… it’s a laugh out loud rom com that is full of snow, surprises and a sprinkling of chaos too!!

This book was written really well and made me laugh - a lot! I was pulled into its wonderful pages right from the very first chapter and it did not let go of me again until i had read every last page and devoured it all!!

I loved Molly and Levi, Molly was so warm, caring and kind and i thoroughly enjoyed becoming entangled in their lives.

This was a wonderful, fun rom com, was very funny, very romantic, full of holiday adventure, with a few unexpected twists, a smidge of spice and lots and lots of festive charm - perfect…..

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my arc copy.
I really enjoyed this book, it was such a quixk festive read and exactly what I needed to get out a reading Slump.

A Billionaire for Christmas by Jo Lyons

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

When talented chef Molly's best friend and business partner, Ava, passes away, she leaves Molly their beloved restaurant – and a wild, impossible bucket list to complete. But thanks to a legal mix-up, Molly's inheritance is at risk unless she ticks off every outrageous item before the Christmas Eve just twelve days away.

Determined to honour Ava's wishes and desperate to save her dream, Molly searches for a billionaire willing to share Champagne with her in a hot tub – one of the more extravagant challenges on the bucket list. She's in a luxurious ski resort in the French Alps so it might just be doable. But then she meets Levi. A devastatingly handsome billionaire, yes, but infuriatingly resistant to getting involved!

As the snow falls and sparks fly, Molly is entangled in a series of increasingly embarrassing escapades. With time running out, can she pull off the impossible – and maybe even find love along the way?

My Opinion

A Billionaire for Christmas is an entertaining, festive novel. Molly’s attempt to complete Ava’s bucket list made for a hilarious read. Jo Lyons has created some lovely characters. A fast-paced novel that I would highly recommend.

Rating 4/5

Oof, I really wasn't all too keen on A Billionaire for Christmas. I really loved my previous Jo Lyons book and touted it as one of my favourite reads of the summer, but this really didn't grab me in the same way, unfortunately.

The characters all lacked for me, and so did the plot. It never felt relatable or funny, or even just entertaining. Jo Lyons is a brilliant writer, and I do love her writing style, but there needed to just be a little more consideration into certain things, like making the characters more dynamic. The FMC really lacked any identity for me, which really hampered the reading experience - especially when I started to find her a little annoying.

I guess I never bought into the story line. The Bucket List from Ava was rather childish, and from there on I didn't really care much for the plot.

A Billionaire for Christmas is a delightful story that happens to take place near Christmas. This novel features a chef looking to save the restaurant that she built with her late friend and business partner, Ana. Molly inherits everything when Ana passes but there seems to be a catch. Moly must now take up the mantle of this zany bucket list Ana was working through. Christmas Eve is the deadline and with the sheer volume of grief Molly has been enveloped in, while doing two jobs to keep the restaurant open, her time is almost up. Her location at a swanky ski resort may just save her and her livelihood. Then, she locks eyes with a devastatingly handsome man from across the room, embarrasses herself, and much to both of their chagrin, an unfortunate coincidence lands them back together again.

The author wrote a novel that runs the gamut of emotions. The sadness that envelopes Molly is palpable. She's still grieving the loss of her best friend and the author does a great job of writing these emotions delicately. The sheer nature of the bucket list has Molly stressed out. If she can't complete the list in the mandated amount of time, she loses everything. The reader can feel her despair when it looks like she's not going to be able to fulfill the terms of Ana's will.

The insta-attraction with Levi is hot and heavy. Their chemistry shoots off the pages of the book, despite Levi's resistance. I wish there would have been a bit more affection between Molly and Levi. He's pretty mean to Molly in a few passages that cause me to tear up. Sure he's a billionaire who has been used, abused, and taken advantage of, causing his skin to harden. That doesn't give him the right to screw with Molly's very evident feelings.

Don't even get me started on his family. Oh, boy do they ALL need therapy. I love how the author brought everyone together and used Molly as a conduit for change. Her personality draws people in and allows them to feel comfortable (except maybe Val, at first). Unfortunately, they also think they can use her as a scapegoat. Their rudeness and selfishness could have been turn offs but the author develops them throughout the time we spend with them. We get to know a lot about Molly, and once the family gets involved, we learn a lot about Levi and his family.

A Billionaire for Christmas is a great novel. Ther is so much chaos (good and bad) that you can't help but become immersed from the very beginning. I was pulled in and kept entertained throughout. The story features unresolved grief, stepping outside your comfort zone, and finding love where you least expect it.

This is not my usual read but I like the Christmas tag in the title so thought it would get me in a Christmas mood (even though it's only August lol!). However, winter was more the content than Christmas, so I was a bit disappointed with that.
The pace was quite fast for a romance type book but I thought that made it different so I liked that. I didn't really connect to or like any of the characters which I find always makes it a bit harder in a book. Overall, an easy winter read.

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 8/27/25

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: ebook

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Molly is tasked to complete a bucket list for her late coworker in order to get her trust money to save their business.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
🏔️ low stakes
❄️ snowy mountains
🏔️ holiday read

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:

This book swore up and down it would be laugh-out-loud funny, but I didn’t even crack a smile. Instead of clever comedy, it threw me headfirst into the most absurd party scene imaginable, like the author said, “what’s the wildest thing I can toss at readers in chapter one?”
The dialogue tried too hard to be funny.
Outrageous can be fun, sure—but here it felt more like a fever dream…er, nightmare than a story. With zero connection to the characters, I was just left blinking at the chaos, wondering if I’d accidentally skipped a few chapters.

Molly’s grand plan? Seduce Levi into a hot tub instead of, you know, just asking him to participate in her task. Groundbreaking. It was giving sitcom rerun energy without the laughs, and I couldn’t take another round of eye-rolls. DNF at 20%, no regrets.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:1/5 ⭐️

*Thank you @NetGalley and Boldwood Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book did not live up to the description of being a sizzling, laugh-out-loud romantic adventure filled with festive charm and unexpected twists. I actually forced myself to continue reading after the first few chapters where Molly acts like a completely incompetent idiot. Levi is a billionaire who is unattractively rude and dismissive towards Molly for the majority of the book.

Molly is a fantastic chef who seemingly is skilled at fixing generators and life saving skills, but she can’t seem to function around Levi without making a fool of herself. Levi’s family are incredibly rude and elitist, and generally unpleasant. Molly is also still very much grieving the death of her best friend and business partner, and dealing with the stress of her business, livelihood and home all being at risk if she doesn’t complete some outrageous bucket list tasks her friend had remaining on her list.

The romance between Molly and Levi is pure chemistry and attraction because he doesn’t stop treating her poorly until the very end when suddenly they are both in love.

I kept reading hoping it would improve and I would finally experience what others have mentioned in their reviews of this book, but that never happened.

This is completely my opinion which is vastly different from the majority of people who have left reviews. My opinion shouldn’t discourage you from giving this book a chance, but it is a caution on what you may experience compared to the blurb’s description.

I received a free ARC from the author; and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review. I very much appreciate the opportunity to read this book.

Fun lighthearted Christmas romance

This is a cute Christmas romance set in the French Alps. There is a lot of tension between HIM and HER right away and one keeps turning the pages to see who does what next! Obviously not a serious read, this book is great for when you need to 'get away', a relaxing, humorous break in your regular life. As such, I give it 5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

It was my first time reading this author and I did enjoy it.
This did take me a few chapters to find my stride with this one, but once I was used to the writing style, I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed the way Molly and Levi tried and failed to avoid one another. The exchanges between them were definitely heated, and it was never a question of if they would find a spark, but more about when.
The pace was good, and I wasn’t tempted to follow the time; I just kept turning the pages, eager to know how the book would end. Well, I already had a good idea of how it would end; I just wanted to see how many awkward situations it would take to get there.
All in all a good read.

This book is great for fans of christmas fiction and romantic comedy. Readers will fall in love with Molly and Levi as they navigate miscommunication, tension, and family dysfunction. Food lovers will be dying to try some of Chef Molly's culinary creations. I found myself dreaming of being in a beautiful lodge with love Christmas decorations, a cozy fire and gentle snow falling.

This delightful holiday escape, "A Billionaire for Christmas," is completely unhinged and hilarious in the best possible way! It's a truly light-hearted, breezy, and wonderfully not-serious rom-com. Jo Lyons is a wildly imaginative writer who crafts laugh-out-loud scenes that play vividly like a movie in your head. She masterfully paints a picture with just enough detail to spark your imagination — seriously, some scenes are so belly-laugh inducing, you'll want to take a pause, reread what you just read to make sure you saw it correctly, and then proceed to fail spectacularly at stifling your laughter. Fair warning, don't read this in a quiet place – you won't be able to stop cackling!

Lyons truly shines with her hilariously funny holiday rom-com, from the absolutely wildly imaginative scenarios to her spot-on descriptions of the charming yet wonderfully dysfunctional family dynamic. As a fan of "Girls Just Want to Have Sun," I had a feeling "A Billionaire for Christmas" would be a wild rollercoaster of a story, and yes, Jo Lyons is back with a comedic vengeance and a story filled with unhinged shenanigans.

Her stories are zany, off-the-walls, and unbelievably funny! She creates stories with female main characters that have hilarious internal perspectives, doing their best to get by, but ultimately radiating hope. This book genuinely reminds me of those truly funny and hilarious rom-coms from the nineties and 2000s that just hit all the right comedic notes.

Beyond the humor, I loved the overarching themes, particularly the messages to live life and all it has to offer, to embrace the moment and shine, and to be bold.

This is a must-read if you like laugh-out-loud funny feel-good rom-coms, particularly for the holiday season!

A perfect read for fans of:
- Meghan Quinn (especially "Till Summer Do Us Part")
- Bridget Jones
- Sophie Kinsella

I am incredibly grateful to Jo Lyons, the publisher, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of "A Billionaire for Christmas."

#ABillionaireForChristmas #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks #JoLyons

I enjoyed reading A Billionaire for Christmas by Jo Lyons. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Apologies but this book was not for me,I liked the blurb and the iniitial start to the book but the cigar room etc left me uninterested and decided was best to not carry on with reading it

A Billionaire for Christmas is an absolute Rom-Com Christmas gift to us all, and while it does have a touch of sadness about it, for the majority of Molly’s and Levi’s totally unexpected romance, the laughs will just keep rolling in… kind of like a winter blizzard.

Molly’s best friend and business partner has passed away. Ava has left her half of their restaurant to Molly, along with a bucket list that must be completed within a very tight time frame in order for Molly to inherit. Very tight time-line indeed, like twelve days to do some completely outrageous things, to take Molly way out of her comfort zone, and to honor a friendship that is cherished in the most personal ways.

While I believe you’ll want to discover most of what’s on that bucket list for yourself, I will mention that there just might be a billionaire, a hot tub, and some bubbly involved. And where better to find those than a resort in the French Alps, where Molly is currently working until this inheritance is worked out.

I’ll admit that often a snort-giggle escaped me while reading A Billionaire for Christmas. I had such fun here, just the right way to start off the Christmas Romance reading season. If you love a well-written, emotional, fun, and funny romance that will hit you hard in all the feels possible, then you’re going to love A Billionaire for Christmas by Jo Lyons. Give yourself an early present with this one.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*