I was given the incredible opportunity to eARC this

I thought it was a cute holiday story. It was feel-good and had the making of a good plot. A little fast-paced for me, and I would have liked a bit more background. Like more on how David and Mitch met, or more about Andy. And if they just met a week or two ago, how are they all so close that Andy felt comfortable enough meddling in the relationship? Granted it all worked out and was still a cute story I'd probably read again.

"Happy Holigays" is a short read if you need a quick pick me up. Spicy and romantic with a good bit of self realization and even has a little comedy thrown in. It's a good book to start out the holiday season. @netgalley @riverdaleavenuebooks #mmromance #romance #glbtq #gayromance #gayinstagram🏳️‍🌈 #happyholigays #bookstagram

Ok, so here is what works for me. This story has the makings of a reverse Hallmark movie, but much more messy.

Mitch is living in New York, he seems pretty shallow, work, gym, hook up, repeat. His best friend David is going home to do the Small Town Christmas thing, but Mitch decides to stay in New York. Mitch doesn't want to deal with his brother who only cares about football, his Uncle who is a bit of a bigot, and his mom who loves them all, but won't fight with the son or uncle about their behaviour. So Mitch decides to stay in the Big City instead of going home and enjoy his freedom.

So in a Hallmark movie, all things get resolved. The bullies face karma, the jerks get brought low, love conquers all etc. And this story doesn't do that. Sometimes family are still jerks, or guilt you into doing what they want. Sometimes when you realise your true love was in front of you all along it doesn't go smoothly when you tell them. So this story felt more real to me for NOT fixing all of those things, but people still finding ways to be happy anyway.

Publishing date: 04.08.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: Our gym rat, barhopping, app-surfing protagonist is torn on whether or not he should visit his family for the holidays. Has an epiphany, an aha-moment, and the hallmark-yness starts showing real good.

I thought this little novella was just fine. It had some sweetness, a lot of dumbness, and a lot of being just content with your sub-par life. Not quite what I was expecting and not quite what I wanted.

Positives:
- Unexpected romance
- Hallmark-y, more fitting for christmas
- Quite sex-positive

Negatives:
- Main character seemed flip-floppy on what he wanted
- Not a lot of stuff actually happening

All in all this was an okay read. It passed the time, and rather quickly too. This was a single sitting book for me.

I can recommend this to those who wish to get into LGBTQ+ books but want something quick.
Giving this 3 stars. It was fine. I also think this is better read during the holidays and not in summer like I did.

This was my first read by this author and I devoured this in one sitting, this is a short and sweet Christmas romance and I absolutely adored these characters so much. I could not get enough of this story and just wanted more and more from these. I definitely need to check out other books by this author.

I didn’t know I would be in the holiday spirit in September, but here we are! If you’re looking for a cute and funny holiday Novella, look no further! I loved this book!

Cute & Quick

This is a cute but quick story. I didn't mind the closed door aspect too much. The rest of the story was nice to read.

Happy Holigays is a sweet, lighthearted holiday romance that leans more on emotional growth and friendship than explicit romance. Mitch’s staycation escapades offer a clever twist on the typical small-town-holiday trope, showing his journey toward self-awareness and maturity, while the story remains cozy and quick to read. Readers appreciate the charm and character development, though some wished for more on-page romance and a less abrupt ending.

NetGalley ARC. This was a quick read. Main character is pretty self-aware about his shallow life; it’s not the most engaging life to read about (bars and apps), but I appreciated the self awareness at least. I honestly though the romance was going to be with a different character as the first part of the book focused a lot on flirting with the new bartender. The end felt more like the traditional Hallmark holiday ending (in both pairing and in location) you’d expect from a title like this. Not a bad read, would probably be even better closer to Christmas.

This was a fast, short Hallmark movie type of a read.

Happy Holigays features Mitch and his BFF David- both young-ish gays living their best life in New York, working, drinking and having plenty of sex as possible.

Come Chirstmas time this year, Mitch decides to ditch his usual time with the family in order to have some "me" time in New York- David has gone home to his family so Mitch will have to decide what to spend his days doing.

Shortly enough, Mitch has a epiphany both in regards to his family life and his personal relationships and he soon tries to find ways to change both stuations.

This is a sweet little read- while the plot itself is nothing new, it was enjoyable way to spend an hour or so reading, with interesting supporting characters and nothing ever felt truly forced.

2 stars.
For a novella length story, I don't think I can rate this any higher than 2 stars. To be honest, this book was just the ramblings of gym rat bro. And he points out that he is a gym rat bro in the beginning, so it's not a shock or anything. Basically we are following a guy complaining about visiting his family over the holidays and decides to cancel going home so he can go bar hopping, work out at the gym, and hooking up with other guys. Not much else to talk about.

3/5 ⭐️

This was a cute little holiday novella, and the setup definitely had me intrigued. Instead of the classic Hallmark-style “back to the small town, fall in love, live happily ever after” trope, Mitch is determined to do the opposite. No cozy family dinners, no small-town reconnections—just a week of freedom, fun, and maybe a few hookups. Honestly, I liked that twist on the usual holiday romcom formula.

The friendship at the center—Mitch and David—was sweet, and the characters were lovable in their own way. But I have to admit, they didn’t really have the depth I was hoping for. There were moments where the story could have dug deeper into their feelings, their backgrounds, or even the shift from friendship to something more. Instead, it skimmed the surface, and that made parts of it feel a little rushed.

Some of the turns the story took just didn’t vibe with me either. They weren’t bad, but they pulled me out of the flow now and then. I wanted more tension, more build-up, something that made me really root for them.

That being said, it’s short, light, and easy to read. If you want a quick holiday romance that doesn’t lean too heavily into clichés, this could be fun. But for me, it stayed in the “nice, but nothing special” zone.

It’s a cute quick read. The plot was also straight-forward, and because it’s a short story, I managed to finish it under 2hrs. Don’t want to tive out too much about the book, but it’s definitely a warm read for the holiday.

I saw the book on NetGalley, and since it took place in my old NYC neighborhood, I had to give it a chance. It was a spicy read, made me laugh and cringe all at the same time. Lots of truth, some silliness and exaggeration... not everyone is that hot, come on! LOL But it has a great holiday theme and gives you the expected good feels at the end.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This was a sweet story.

And I love a missed timing trope that comes back around.

A novella is difficult to pull off because sometimes it seems as if the characters could be more developed and resolution to conflict could be more flushed out. But overall, I enjoyed the story — it was entertaining and who doesn’t love a holiday story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a shorter read at maybe 2-3 hours. Sometimes a gay romance feels identical to a straight romance, only with the genders swapped out. This book isn't that. This book has a taste of gay bar culture in the city that would not be found in a straight romance. It will likely appeal to readers who enjoy going to big city bars. It might appeal less to people who are not interested in bar/club hopping. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Heartwarming, Hilarious, and Hugely Queer Holiday Delight!
Happy Holigays by Matthew Cooper is an absolute festive triumph! From the very first page, this book wraps you up in a warm, glittery hug of queer joy, laughter, and love. It’s everything I didn’t know I needed in a holiday rom-com — charmingly chaotic, unapologetically queer, and bursting with heart.
Cooper's writing sparkles with wit and emotional resonance. The characters are beautifully drawn — flawed, fabulous, and fiercely lovable — and the dialogue is as sharp as a peppermint martini with a twist. Whether you’re LGBTQ+ or simply love a great holiday story that breaks the mold, this book delivers a heartfelt celebration of chosen family, holiday mishaps, and finding love where you least expect it.
It’s rare to find a book that makes you both laugh out loud and wipe away a tear, but Happy Holigays does just that — and with tinsel on top. If you’re looking for a new seasonal favorite, this queer holiday rom-com deserves a permanent spot on your December (and year-round) reading list.
Pure joy. 10/10. Would sleigh again.

I loved it! This was sweet and honestly I wanted it to be longer.
The characters were great and I loved the writing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. It's funny and entertaining to read and I enjoyed the whole story until the (sudden) end. I couldn't believe that it took me only a few hours for the whole book. How about a sequel?

Merry Christmas in ….. August? To start I’m so happy the title of this book changed from “Homo for the holidays”. The new title is as cute as the cover. And I would never admit to someone I’m reading a book called “Homo for the Holidays” as I feel the word “homo” has negative connotations. That being said this story is less then 100 pages but still has unneeded parts. The SA in the book benefits nothing to the story. Also I found the romance lacking. The story focuses more on Mitch maturing that it reads as more of a fiction character piece. I also felt the story fell into a lot of the gay man cliches and stereotypes.