Steamy. Christmas. All the vibes!

Loved this, enjoyed it even though the whole billionaire trope isnt for me. This worked!

Loved this book. It was a very cute romance. Romance is usually not for me. But this one was great! 5 stars.

A Billionaire for Christmas is a heartwarming and delightfully fun holiday romance filled with charm, humor, and a touch of adventure. Jo Lyons creates a sparkling story as Molly races to complete her late friend’s outrageous bucket list, leading to unexpected chemistry with the reluctant but irresistible Levi. I loved the festive setting, the playful banter, and the emotional depth beneath the laughter. It was a joy to read from start to finish and I gave it five stars.

Wow! It took me three tries to finally get into this romcom holiday novel…and I have very mixed feelings about it. The promotional synopsis proclaims it is a “…sizzling, laugh-out-loud romantic adventure filled with festive charm and unexpected twists.” My experience was quite different.

Generally, I enjoy storylines that highlight food, chefs, and restaurants. While the protagonist is a superb chef, the premise and subsequent elements of the story are outlandish and not very funny. The romance aspect is more chemistry than affection and the supporting characters are rude, unlikeable, and elitist. For the first 25 % of the book, the protagonist makes a fool of herself; by the halfway mark, she begins to display some professionalism and self-respect; and by the unrealistic ending all her dreams come true.

Overall, I was disappointed with the novel but kept reading hoping for some redemption. That did occur in a weak and unbelievable transformation of the family dynamics.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I did enjoy this holiday romance, however, like other reviewers have mentioned it did seem lacking on the Christmas theme. Even though the title may give off that presumption, and was what I was expecting, I still enjoyed the book. Molly and Levi's reoccurring run-ins and his family dynamics definitely play a huge role in the later part of this story.

I would recommend this book to other readers who enjoy romance with some laughs! Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

This is a very fast-paced romcom.

The story follows a woman who recently was given a bucket list to follow and complete before Christmas Day in order to complete her best friend’s (recently deceased) wishes and open her business back up.

In the process a love story begins with many chaotic turns.

I found the FMC really childish and annoying in the beginning of the book but later she evened out.
The MMC was written well.

I did find the story seemed to speed up and the connections a bit too quick for my personal liking.

Cute story plot though.

This is an easy fun read. Set in the Alps. Loved the food bits . Money does not buy you happiness. I hated the mother’s character. A nice story. Bit more sex than I like but each to their own. You get a nice ending.

I was hooked from the first page and was engaged with the characters during this book. It had that romantic comedy that I was looking for, and enjoyed the way the Christmas element worked together overall. It uses the concept perfectly and that the characters were everything that I wanted. I was glad it was so well written and wanted to read more from Jo Lyons.

I want to say thank you from the bottom of heart to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book. I truly appreciate it!

I have to start this review off by saying, this book is recommended to fans of Sophie Kinsella and I have for almost 20 years been a completely fan of Sophie Kinsella/ Madeline Wickham and everything she writes. Her works holds an absolute grip on my heart for books. This book is similar to the antics that can occur in her books at least for the first half and the last half of this book, but that's as close as it will get.

You can one hundred percent devour this book in a day, it is a quick, fun read. The beginning is hilarious and the ending exactly what you were after despite the heart breaking emotions that can occur. It's the middle that threw this book down for me, completely. The beginning and the end focus on love and the bucket list, which is a big premise of this book, waiting this late makes complete sense with Molly losing Ava. Once you get to the middle it goes completely out of the window and Ava and the bucket list are very forgotten about.

The focus becomes solely on Levi and I mean heavily second hand embarrassment and honestly very cringy focus on him. This book suffers from Molly's need to hide that she's trying to complete Ava's bucket list, which doesn't at all make sense to hide. In hiding it all she ends up doing is flying off the handle on a man multiple times that she really doesn't know but seems to think she does. And every character apart from Molly seems to be the most absolutely mean, selfish or snobbiest people you will meet until the end and what they're all hiding comes to light. Honestly I could deal with that last one, if this story was changed. This would flow so much better if Molly confessed to what she was doing at the beginning to Levi, had him help with the first challenge. Then less awkwardly continue on to how they met again, and have all of the same events occur but have him help her throughout with the bucket list challenges bringing them close together that way, and then finishing it off, almost the same way. That would have been perfect and so much more fun!

Despite what I've said, though I did enjoyed my time with this book.

Thank you very much again from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book! I really appreciate it.

I'm sorry, but this was neither a romance, nor a 'festive Christmas' read. The 'romance' was nowhere to be found until the last few chapters. But even then, I'm not even calling it romance. More like infatuation and lust that didn't seem believable at all. There's nothing there to invoke the holiday spirit or make this a great cozy romantic comedy either unless you're going for the Scrooge spirit of Christmas. There were ZERO likable characters in this book, not even the side characters. The entire family was so outlandishly snobbish and full of themselves. They didn't think twice about lying to cover their tracks, even if it put poor Molly in the position of villain. They were always talking down to her and dismissing her feelings or what she was trying to say. Then there's Molly. She was a pushover and the way she was acting in the beginning came off incredibly immature and reckless. I tried really hard to like her, but other than admiring her dedication to her craft (once she quit being unprofessional), I could never connect with her. I think the way she acted at the resort really set the tone for the book and after that craziness, I just couldn't look at her with respect.

That said, I read this book in like 24 hours because I couldn't look away from the train wreck happening every chapter. 🤷🏻‍♀️

3⭐️ | ARC Review

This was a fun and festive read, but didn’t fully hit the mark for me. The setup was great—a quirky Christmas bucket list, a luxury ski resort, and a grumpy billionaire love interest? I was hooked by the premise.

There were definitely parts I enjoyed. The forced proximity, the banter, and Molly’s chaotic energy brought some fun moments. I loved the idea of her completing her best friend’s last wishes—it gave the book a nice emotional core, and the setting in the snowy Alps was super cozy.

That said, I didn’t totally connect with the romance. The chemistry between Molly and Levi felt a bit inconsistent, and I found myself wishing for more emotional connection between them. Some of the bucket list challenges also felt a little over-the-top and pulled me out of the story.

Still, it was a light holiday rom-com with charm, some heart, and a few good laughs. If you love grumpy/sunshine vibes, snowed-in chaos, and a billionaire with layers, it might be worth checking out!

🎄 Holiday rom-com
💸 Billionaire x chef
🔥 Forced proximity
📝 Emotional bucket list
⛷️ French Alps setting
🥂 Grief, healing, and unexpected love

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC! 💌

Molly's best friend and business partner has left Molly her restaurant and a list of bucket items to be done by Christmas. will Molly be able to do everything in time?

2.5 ⭐️ — Not Quite the Holiday Romance I Was Hoping For

This book wasn’t exactly what I expected. I went in hoping for a cozy Christmas romance, but what I got was a frustrating dynamic between the main characters. Molly felt like a bit of a pushover to me—constantly overlooked and undervalued, especially by Levi and his family.

Levi, the classic distracted billionaire, gave serious hot-and-cold energy. One minute he was all over Molly, the next he was distant or dismissive. Their chemistry seemed based more on physical attraction than actual connection, which made it hard to root for them. And while the story technically takes place around Christmas, there wasn’t much holiday cheer or warmth to be found.

Levi’s family really didn’t help either—they were self-centered, dismissive, and treated Molly like she was just hired help, despite her clearly being a capable problem solver.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

A Beginners Guide To Forever is Hart Winthrop and Alessia Moore’s age gap romance. Is a journey set between Africa and the USA and I loved this side of the book but I did struggle to connect with Alessia and her two steps forward, one step back when it came to forming a relationship with the younger Hart.
Hart is a billionaire who travels the world looking for causes his family foundations can support and from the moment he met Alessia in Africa where she is setting up a girls school he is smitten…..
Fate seems intent on this couple being together because they bump into to each other in countries all over the world but will Alessia take a chance on a man ten years her junior……

This wasn’t one of my favourite reads but that doesn’t mean you won’t love it. I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

2.5 stars

A Billionaire for Christmas is a quick and funny holiday read, even if it didn’t totally work for me. I struggled to connect with the main characters, and the side characters often came off more selfish than charming. The romantic tension between the leads felt a bit inconsistent, and when they finally got together, I didn’t fully buy into the connection. That said, the story still kept me entertained, even if I found myself frustrated by some of the characters’ choices.

Out August 27th, 2025
A Billionaire for Christmas is the festive rom-com equivalent of spiked cocoa—sweet, a little naughty, and guaranteed to warm you up. Jo Lyons wraps chaos, charm, and a snowstorm of surprises into one hilarious holiday package.

When a grumpy billionaire gets snowed in with a woman who’s allergic to his ego (and possibly his designer cologne), sparks fly faster than Santa’s sleigh. Expect witty banter, unexpected twists, and a cast of side characters who deserve their own spin-offs.

Perfect for fans of Bridget Jones meets Schitt’s Creek, this one’s a sleigh ride of laughs and heart. Don’t wait for December—unwrap it now.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this holiday ARC! Get ready!

A really enjoyable and fun read. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Intriguing premise but sadly, this didn’t quite work for me. The quirky, whimsical, farcical events didn’t quite hit the right note and I hated the way Molly put up with everything that people threw at her.
Molly describes Ava as her soulmate but it never actually felt that was the case.the bucket list was constructed for laughs and the situations which Molly fell into - seemed over-wrought. I wasn’t convinced by the romance and I really wanted more time spent on their relationship rather than other characters.

2.5⭐️

Molly es inmadura, nada profesional y durante todo el libro me dio pena su obsesión con Levi. El tipo apenas hace algo y ella ya interpreta que lo hace para llamar su atención… y termina quitándose la ropa. Su único pensamiento era tener sexo con él.

La historia está narrada desde el punto de vista de Molly, así que ni siquiera tengo claro cuando le empezo a gustar ella a Levi.

No entiendo cómo no la despidieron con todo lo que hizo. Al principio, por ejemplo, se ofende cuando Levi le pide que le prepare unos huevos, porque le estaba dando órdenes… pero para eso la contrataron: para cocinar.

Levi tampoco es un santo: se la pasa enviando señales contradictorias y aunque la trate mal, Molly solo piensa en acostarse con él. Él es un idiota y ella no tiene dignidad.

La historia mejora cuando entra en escena la familia, ya que Molly no tiene tanto tiempo para estar pensando en él.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Book Review: Jo Lyons’ A Billionaire for Christmas
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Jo Lyons’ A Billionaire for Christmas is a snow-drenched, chaos-fueled romantic comedy with a lot of heart, a little spice, and just enough emotional depth to make the festive madness feel earned. It takes a classic holiday rom-com setup and injects it with a sharp, cheeky energy that makes the whole thing sing—or at least belt out “All I Want for Christmas” in a karaoke bar while dressed in a Santa suit.

The premise is just the right level of ridiculous: Molly, a talented chef, has just lost her best friend and business partner, Ava. As if that grief wasn’t enough, Ava leaves her not only their beloved restaurant but also a last wish disguised as a legal ultimatum—a twelve-item Christmas bucket list that must be completed within twelve days, or Molly loses her inheritance. And the items on the list? Think more “bubbly with a billionaire in a hot tub” than “bake cookies and watch Elf.” It’s a fast-paced, fizzy setup that catapults Molly out of her comfort zone and straight into a luxury ski resort in the French Alps, where the only thing colder than the weather is the billionaire she meets there.

Levi is, of course, rich, gorgeous, and emotionally barricaded—rom-com gold. He wants nothing to do with Molly’s antics, but her commitment to honoring Ava’s last wishes—and her complete refusal to back down from even the most embarrassing dares—slowly cracks his icy exterior. What starts as grudging tolerance turns into something warmer, and eventually, something real. Their chemistry builds through shared disasters, forced proximity, and some genuinely hilarious dialogue. This book doesn’t just rely on sexual tension—it leans into emotional vulnerability, too. Levi’s backstory gives his character a bit more weight, and Molly’s grief never feels brushed aside or played for laughs. It lingers beneath every chaotic challenge she faces, and that contrast gives the story some bite.

Still, this is very much a comedy at heart. Lyons’ writing is zippy, peppered with laugh-out-loud moments and clever internal monologue. One minute Molly’s contemplating life and loss, and the next she’s tumbling off a ski lift in a reindeer onesie. It’s a tonal balancing act, and while the romance does feel a little rushed toward the end, the ride is so fun you’re not likely to mind. In fact, one of the book’s biggest strengths is its refusal to take itself too seriously. It knows it’s a rom-com fantasy—and that’s exactly what makes it work. As Molly says during one particularly absurd moment: “Sometimes the only way to heal is to jump into a hot tub with a billionaire and see what bubbles up.” That sums up the tone perfectly—heartfelt, irreverent, and just a little bit steamy.

Molly is an especially enjoyable protagonist. She’s awkward, loyal, impulsive, and deeply sincere. You can feel how hard she’s trying to keep it together, even as she crash-lands into challenge after challenge. Her determination to finish Ava’s list isn’t just about saving the restaurant—it’s about grief, memory, and honoring someone who meant everything to her. That emotional current keeps the story from floating away on a cloud of Christmas fluff. And Levi, once he opens up, becomes more than just a brooding archetype. Their romance may be quick, but it’s not shallow. It grows from shared experiences, not just attraction.

The setting also deserves praise. The French Alps resort is more than just a pretty backdrop—it’s used smartly throughout the story, from ski mishaps to swanky lounges to cozy fireplaces. It adds a touch of fairytale escape, which contrasts nicely with the very real stakes Molly’s facing.

Of course, it’s not a perfect sleigh ride. Some of the bucket list tasks stretch the bounds of believability (even for rom-com logic), and the ending wraps up with a bow that might feel a little too tidy. But this book isn’t aiming for gritty realism—it’s aiming to be a joyride through grief, love, and snow-covered second chances. And in that, it absolutely succeeds.

If you love a holiday rom-com with a wild premise, a strong heroine, a reluctant billionaire love interest, and enough absurdity to keep you giggling long after you’ve finished, A Billionaire for Christmas delivers. It’s festive, funny, and full of heart—exactly the kind of story you want when the snow is falling and the world needs a little sparkle.