Ellen Kierna

This month was filled with romance, and I enjoyed every page!

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

This read was the perfect hallmark romance for the holiday season. The story follows Kate, a girl who has given up on love but was signed up for a Christmas dating event by her best friend as a final shot and finding the one. Throughout these dates, Kate slowly unravels the love of her life that might have just been in front of her the whole time. Overall, this romance was a light heart read that truly encompassed the Christmas Season throughout its detailed pages. The story did get repetitive toward the end due to the extremely predictable match-up, and I wanted it to be over before getting to the last few chapters. That being said, I am happy I picked it up, but I wouldn’t highly recommend it unless you truly love Hallmark movie’s predictability.

Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter

Wow. Let me just say that this book was so good I finished it in one day. This read is the ultimate 90’s rom-com modernized in the best way possible. This ultimate childhood enemies-to-lovers story follows Liz, a girl who has been hopelessly in love with her childhood friend Michael, who has recently moved back to their hometown and needs her neighbor Wes Bennetts’s help to make her long-term dream come to life. This young adult romance made me feel all the emotions in the best way possible, and it might be my favorite read of the year. If you love classic romantic comedies, this book is definitely for you. 

P.s. I am in love with Wes Bennett, my favorite book character and love interest.

Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert

I went into this read expecting the classic Christmas tale, but I was happily surprised by the twist that took place in this story. I was a little confused initially by the timeline, but as I got farther into the read, the dots started connecting, and I got extremely attached to the characters in the best way possible. This story follows Astra, a single thirty-year-old who feels like she has constantly made the wrong decisions in the past to create her very lonely present. That is until she meets Jack, a baker, at a popular holiday market stand in Milwaukee. Throughout this book, you uncover a big secret that plays into their potential future, followed by a handful of plot twists. I recommend this nontraditional tale if you need a holiday read for next season.

I am very excited for 2023 and all the new reads there are to come 🙂

With love,

Ellen